Shostakovich was not entirely satisfied with his Cello Sonata, Op. 40, especially its concluding Allegro, leading to later modifications suggested by Mstislav Rostropovich.
Composer Biography
Dmitri Shostakovich wrote only three sonatas in almost forty years: one for cello, one for violin, and his last for viola.
Compositional Technique
The Cello Sonata, Op. 40, features a motif in its first movement that would later be developed in Shostakovich's famous Fifth Symphony.
Composition History
The opening Allegro non troppo of the Cello Sonata, Op. 40, was composed during two nights of insomnia after Shostakovich had a quarrel with his wife, Nina.
Composition History
The Viola Sonata, Op. 147, was Shostakovich's last completed work, written between June 10 and July 5, 1975, and dedicated to Fyodor Druzhinin, a violist of the Beethoven Quartet.
Composition History
The Cello Sonata, Op. 40, was likely written at the urgent request of Shostakovich's friend, the cellist-impresario Viktor Kubatsky, who often hosted the composer.
Interpretation
Cellist Michal Kaňka chose to perform the Sonata, Op. 147, using the original viola score, despite the technical challenges of transposing it to the cello's range.
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