Shostakovich privately confessed that he dedicated his String Quartet No. 8 to himself, believing no one else would write a work in his memory.
Composition History
Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8 was composed in just three days in July 1960 and was dedicated to 'the victims of fascism and war'.
Compositional Technique
Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8 uses his musical monogram D-ES-C-H as a constant leitmotif throughout all its movements.
Performer Biography
The Eliot Quartett, founded in 2014, has won numerous international awards, including 1st prize at the Karol Szymanowski International Music Competition.
Composition History
Krzysztof Meyer, a composer, wrote Au-delà d'une absence as a 'hypothetical Quartet No. 16' for Shostakovich, based on Shostakovich's unfulfilled plans.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Dmitri Shostakovich, a prominent 20th-century composer, originally intended to write 24 string quartets in all keys but only completed 15.
Historical Context
Shostakovich's string quartets reflect his experiences during the Stalinist terror, World War II, and restrictions on artistic freedom in his country.
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