Jeff, thanks for your fascinating insights into Shostakovich's last
symphony.  To me, the symphony has been perplexing and thought provoking,
although I've been able to appreciated it on some level without really
understanding DSCH's underlying message.  DSCH's music is frequently
autobiographical, e.g.  his String Quartet and 10th Symphony with the
'D' 'S' 'C' 'H' quote.  I figured that he wanted to sneak his expressions
past the Stalin & Co.

My general take on the 15th was that it was partly a tribute to Rossini
& Wagner, although I've had to jump through some hoops to make this
hypothesis work.  I suppose I can see influences of both in his music
-- Wagner, indirectly via Mahler, and Rossini, e.g.  his frequent use
of the gallop rhythm.  Also, DSCH alluded to Wagner and Rossini in his
9th Symphony.

When I started reading about your topic, Schubert was the the first thing
to come to my mind.  For the last couple of weeks I've devoted all of
my listening time to Schubert's Piano Sonatas (with Schiff).  (I haven't
been able to listen to them all.) Schubert's music isn't new to me, and
I've listened to his piano Sonatas before, but spending a whole week
listening to nothing but Schubert helped me to hear him in a different
light (or should I say sound?).

My impressions, and how it relates to your topic:

Schubert impresses me as the consummate master of harmony.  Much has
been said and written about his "lovely" melodies, but I think the basis
for his melodies is in his harmonies.  However, I sense that his music
is sometimes "almost" great, but somehow limited.  He tried to master
the larger compositional structures, e.g.  sonatas and symphonies, but
always lurking are the smaller harmonic pieces.  I think that to be
"almost" great at 31 (which is when he died) probably means that he
would have been great at 40 or 50.  It is a tragedy that he died so
young.  At times, his music is so sublimely beautiful, but not fully
realized.  I wish I could hear the full realization of his genius.

Btw, as I was exploring his music for a week, I couldn't help but hear
Mahler in his music.  I'm now interested in the idea that Schubert was
a primary influence on Mahler.

Mike