Dmitri Shostakovich, the composer, was often used as a propaganda instrument by the Soviet regime, which he loathed, despite Western perceptions of him as a fanatical Communist.
Composer Biography
Shostakovich composed his String Quartet No. 8 in C minor in an incredibly short period of three days, from July 12th-14th, 1960.
Compositional Technique
Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8 features the exceptionally clear use of his 'name cipher' DSCH (D-E flat-C-B) and includes a well-known Jewish lament.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Shostakovich explicitly stated that he composed his Eighth Quartet for his own memory, using his initials DSCH as the main theme, because he believed no one else would write a piece in his honor after his death.
Composition History
Shostakovich may have focused on chamber music like string quartets because they were less extravagant than symphonic works and could be performed more easily, even in secret, during the Stalinist terror.
Composition History
Shostakovich's First String Quartet, written in 1938, appeared twelve years after his sensational breakthrough with his First Symphony, at a time when he was first attacked by Communist authorities.
Performer Biography
The Yggdrasil Quartet, formed in 1990 by four young Swedish musicians, gained international recognition as prizewinners in both the London International String Quartet Competition and the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition.
You might also enjoy...
Adès, Dutilleux & Ravel
Schoenberg / Webern / Zemlinsky: Music from Vienna 1
