Peter Altmann's Explanation Of Schoenberg-Mahler

The quotation of J. S. Bach’s Brandenburg concerto on measures 345-356 is one of the most enigmatic in the piece as it lacks a connection with the outline of the narrative and seems to be too distant from the majority of the other pieces quoted. Moreover, the beginning of the quotation is juxtaposed with the end of Pousseur’s Couleurs Croisés quote and preceding Schoenberg’s Op. 16. The monumental abyss that separates in concept these three fragments produces an even greater estrangement upon Bach’s quote. Discussing this excerpt, Peter Altmann remarks that the progression Mahler-Bach-Schoenberg-Mahler works musically, but the author does not provide a concrete reason for the inclusion of the quote.