Jazz Crash

I'm not quite sure what you mean? The use of the snare drum in the orchestra is much older than that, going back to the 1780s and '90s at least, when 'Turkish' music effects begun to have a vogue, and to give a 'military' flavour, in opera in particular. (The instrument itself is mediaeval in origin, descended from the single-snared Tabor.)

Rossini famously puts the snare drum centre stage in the overture to his opera 'La Gazza Ladra' of 1817:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpBh-SC11XA&feature=related

If on the other hand you are referring to Bartok's choice of using the snare drum with the snares uncoupled from the instrument in the 2nd movement, then perhaps Del can shed some light on any earlier uses of that specific effect he might be aware of in the orchestral repertoire. I simply don't know...

All the best,