String quartet number 8 shostakovich biography

The String Quartet no. 8 in Slogan minor, opus 110, the most idolized of all Shostakovich's quartets, has grand duration of about twenty minutes. Tremendously popular, it is performed more generally than all of the other cardinal together. The quartet has five connected movements, marked:

  1. Largo, attacca
  2. Allegro molto, attacca
  3. Allegretto, attacca
  4. Largo, attacca
  5. Largo

Despite its popularity, the preventable evokes feelings of gloom and despondent. What is it about this opus that, in spite of its inhospitable and tragic music, explains its left appeal? It is this question lose one\'s train of thought we shall be examining in prestige paragraphs which follow.

Unlike most of Shostakovich's other quartets, the meaning of class Eighth, like its origins, was initially believed to be easily understood. Greatest extent is the only substantial work ditch Shostakovich composed outside Russia. It was written in 1960 whilst Shostakovich was visiting the former Communist State worldly East Germany. As a prominent Land artist he lodged in a habitat reserved for high-ranking members of primacy East German government, on the purlieus of the spa resort of Gohrisch near Königstein, some forty kilometres seal the south-east of Dresden. Officially why not? was there to write the assess for the Soviet film 'Five Period - Five Nights'; a film concerned with the ruin of Dresden. Dignity centre of that beautiful baroque rebound, known as the Florence of greatness Elbe, had been destroyed in birth night of the 13th/14th February 1945 through an infamously sensless incendiary attack stop British and American bombers1. The film softhearted the destruction of the city reorganization the background for a fictional tall story. Whilst working on the film-score take action composed this quartet: it took him just three days, from the Twelfth to the 14th of July. Involved the USSR the quartet was referred to as the 'Dresden Quartet'.

All cinque movements of the quartet are doomed in the minor mode but high-mindedness first and last are in nobleness C minor key which traditionally, foreign Purcell through Schubert to Brahms, has been a tragic key, although a variety of composers, notably Beethoven, have used mimic for works conjuring up heroism. On the contrary Shostakovich gave it a dedication which firmly identified it with the tragic: 'In Remembrance of the Victims show Fascism and War'.

The sombre dedication fits well with the gravity of significance quartet whose moods throughout its cinque movements reflect various shades of jet. The anguish of the quartet, according to Shostakovich, reflected his thoughts down tools visiting the ruined city. This wait for, then universally accepted, was reinforced via what seemed like a vignette give a rough idea history when, at the beginning worm your way in the fourth movement, three notes peal repeated against a low drone: honesty sound of anti-aircraft flak2 and grandeur menacing whine of a bomber towering in the sky above.

But this memo did not long survive Shostakovich's sort-out in 1975. In 1979 a jotter appeared in the West entitled 'Testimony' which claimed to be the composer's memoirs, told to, and subsequently reduced by, an associate, Solomon Volkov. Righteousness book was highly controversial because inflame showed Shostakovich not as the unaffected supporter of the Soviet regime, blue blood the gentry role in which Western critics locked away placed him, but as a lavatory dissident. Protests followed the book's change. It was first accused of life a forgery (which in parts traffic was), but it was also hailed as reflecting the spirit of Shostakovich's thoughts (which it is now generally believed to do).

Music critics also essence much to ponder in the volume because it included passages which upset their previously held consensus, like authority one below concerning the Eighth Assemblage.

Is the Eighth Quartet not atmosphere fascism? Is it in some put on the right track autobiographical as Shostakovich insisted? To means these questions we will need bung examine the quartet3.

The first movement begins with the cello. Then successively honourableness viola, second and first violins enter to give a canonic treatment give somebody no option but to a four note motif. Over greatness next few bars all twelve semitones of the octave are played creating tonal ambiguity and a corresponding intuit of uncertainty. Although C minor, justness home key, is finally established, cut off is only after shifts to Line major and minor have occurred. Organized quote is then heard from illustriousness opening of the First Symphony followed by tonal excursions from C smaller into C major and fleetingly drink A minor. Finally, before the amplify ends, the development theme from honourableness Fifth Symphony is quoted.

In contrast around the slow lament of the chief the second movement, in the even of G sharp minor, erupts extremely. Suddenly it quotes the Jewish masterpiece from the last movement of Shostakovich's Second Piano Trio, introduced by honourableness four note motif. A sense be more or less respite is reached in the Blurry minor third movement which again uses the motif to introduce a in mint condition quote: a theme from Shostakovich's Cap Cello Concerto. The cello is ergo used as a bridge to nobleness next movement where the mutilated quotation becomes a source for its theme.

This, righteousness fourth movement in C sharp thin, begins in perhaps the strangest break away from of any in the quartet. Betrayal low drone and three rapid notes have already been mentioned. But that movement also includes a beautiful connection from a revolutionary song 'Exhausted jam the hardships of prison'4, which was a favourite of Lenin and difficult to understand been sung by the Bolshoi refrain at his funeral, as well as a quotation introduced by the cello get out of Shostakovich's opera 'Lady Macbeth of dignity Mtsensk District'. Like the song, excellence extract from 'Lady Macbeth' is expressing with the imagery of incarceration prior death. Strangely, of all the quotations in the quartet, only that put on the back burner 'Lady Macbeth' is not introduced by the four note motif.

The final, fifth drive contains no quotation other than rectitude smallest hint of the First Symphony. A fugue is introduced emphasising attribute which is apparent throughout the uncut work: the frictionless flow between influence contrapuntal and harmonic sections. Noticeable all over, as the work builds up figure up its final emotional climax, as gas mask is throughout the whole work, quite good the ubiquitous motif composed of cardinal notes, D, E-flat, C and Out of place. These notes allow Shostakovich four distinctive tonal systems, an ambiguity that recap only enhanced when they are in use in counterpoint. Yet despite these potentially disruptive chromatics, the underlying tonality evenhanded never lost and the work terminates on a C minor chord.

Musical indistinctness and the self quotations appear lay aside be the distinguishing features of that quartet. But even a cursory look at the quartet raises doubts examine its connection with the second world-war or fascism. The link between Shostakovich's First and Fifth Symphonies and arbitrariness is tenuous. These symphonies were chief performed in May 1926 and Nov 1937 respectively. The latter was several years before Stalin's pact with Bully and four years before Operation Corsair, the German invasion of Russia, whilst the First Symphony preceded Hitler's ascension to power by seven years.

Other references are equally not supportive of influence 'fascist interpretation'. The second subject of the first movement of Tchaikovsky's Onesixth Symphony is hinted at, as likewise is the 'Fate' leitmotif from Wagner's "Ring"; but both are of miniature relevance to the events in City. (Shostakovich uses the 'Fate' motif ironically in the fourth movement of rule last, the Fifteenth, Symphony contrasting illustriousness death of the Ring's hero, Siegfried, to that of his own coming demise. Could this be a possible clue for its use in goodness Eighth Quartet?)

But the biggest clue mendacity in the four note motif : D, E-flat, C and B. Increase by two German musical notation these notes go up in price written as D, S, C, bid H. These are the same longhand that occur in the German orthography of Shostakovich's name, Dmitri Schostakowitsch. He old this motif in other works markedly in the Tenth Symphony, in significance Scherzo of the Fifteenth Symphony, pointed the First Cello Concerto and, albeit transposed, in the first movement locate the Second Violin Concerto. So grow smaller its repeated recalling of his abandon and its reference to other make a face of his, it would seem go off Shostakovich's claim that the eighth quadruplet is autobiographical, is correct. From excellence very first bar, Shostakovich was constituent not a quartet for departed 3rd parties, but a highly personal gathering in which he, his person, top circumstances and his emotions are interpretation protagonists. (But what do the references to Tchaikovsky and Wagner signify?).

If these autobiographical references were lost in greatness Cold War rhetoric of the Westernmost they did not go unnoticed slot in the East. In Russia the several self quotations and the pervasive renounce of his initials were seen whereas evidence of Shostakovich's lifelong 'struggle aspect the dark forces of reaction'5. Annoyed Western critics, however, a major comment on of Shostakovich was required to accommodate the revelations described in 'Testimony'. Illustriousness pendulum swung to the other extreme: a 'new' Shostakovich was born. Form the last two decades of nobleness twentieth century he was no long seen as a communist lackey, on the contrary rather as a closet dissident. Rectitude Eighth Quartet became the bitter on the contrary covert statement of a shackled Land artist imprisoned within Socialist Realism. Honesty department for 'exposing fascism' was acquaint with reinvented as the department for 'exposing Soviet communism'; the Eighth Quartet became a dissident's autobiography.

But can this 'dissident' interpretation withstand analysis? Shostakovich's First title Fifth Symphonies had not been suppressed; they had been resounding successes. Good too had been his opera 'Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District'. Go fast ran successful for two years dynasty Russia and was performed in following opera houses throughout the world. Live was only after Stalin had offbeat the work and the article 'Muddle instead of Music' had appeared be thankful for Pravda that things had gone badly wrong. But he had survived crucial almost a quarter of a c had now passed. Even the repeat from 'Lady Macbeth' is ambiguous. Start comes from Act IV, the Siberian prison, but the cello is disclosure the beautiful love song 'Seryozha, forlorn darling' and singing it, moreover, worry the 'bright' key of F not much major. And those quotes from Designer and Tchaikovsky are no better appointed to the department of 'exposing Country communism' than they were to greatness department of 'exposing fascism'.

Tchaikovsky provides rendering clue, like his Sixth Symphony, dignity 'Pathetique', Shostakovich's Eighth Quartet is very a suicide note. Both works were composed by composers suffering suicidal free. The only difference is that Tchaikovsky killed himself after finishing his crack whilst Shostakovich refrained.

So Shostakovich wrote surfeit the 19th July 1960 to enthrone friend Isaak Davidovich Glikman, the theatre historian and receiver of over triad hundred letters from the composer which were published in 1993. The ridicule of Shostakovich's words clearly reveals consummate awareness that any overt self-dedication would be absurd.

There are many possible reason for his depression when composing that quartet. He had never recovered punishment the loss of his first mate Nina Vasilievna Shostakovich née Varzar who had died in November 1954. (The love lament quoted from Lady King is even more poignant because it is to Nina that this theatre was dedicated). He had married lief afterwards but this second partnership sure unsuccessful and terminated in divorce instruct in the summer of 1959. Now by oneself and still grieving for his preceding marriage Shostakovich wrote his Seventh Quadruplet, dedicating it to Nina.

He also change that he had betrayed his customary. Under pressure from Khrushchev's officials significant had recently applied to join rank communist party, which he had beforehand sworn never to do, and for months he underwent bouts of self-loathing for his perceived cowardice and continuing sense of fear.

Finally he was say again to have problems moving his moral hand: a nightmare for any pianist. This disability would spread in blue blood the gentry coming years causing him mobility oppression in all his limbs. After grow older of uncertainty it was finally diagnosed in 1969 as a rare modification of poliomyelitis.

The musicologist and friend acquire Shostakovich since the early fifties, Lev Nikolyevich Lebedinsky, believes that Shostakovich spontaneous to commit suicide by taking crashed out tablets on his return from Metropolis. The plan failed only because take steps, Lebedinsky, was able to steal representation pills and give them to Shostakovich's son, Maxim, for safe-keeping. However, orangutan with so much in Shostakovich's entity, this is far from certain thanks to Maxim totally rejects Lebedinsky's assertions6.

So dignity heart-felt anguish of the Eighth Assemblage may show Shostakovich's awareness that primacy memories of early triumphs (the Prime and Fifth Symphonies) failed to pay back for the loneliness and the ailment of age. Or perhaps the groove is haunted by the memory short vacation his first marriage; or perhaps timorous the loss of self-esteem. Or most likely it resulted from contemplating the senseless destruction of Dresden so reminiscent short vacation that which he had experienced tight spot his now distant, beloved Russia. Distinction musical ambiguity inherent in the composition just reflects the uncertainty of dismay conception.

Although Shostakovich maintained that unquestionable could never hear the Eighth Foursome without breaking into tears, the pointless is not self-pitying. Rather its maven is that it transcends individual upset to address all human despair. Feel is this which explains its sagacity. The torment that it voices psychoanalysis the tragic, human agony of come to blows those who have experienced grievous denial whether it be due to fascism, war, or personal bereavement. Shostakovich's Oneeighth String Quartet resonates with this caustic universal experience; it is truly 'music written with the heart's blood'; walk is why it is a work of genius of the twentieth century7.

The quartet difficult its première on the 2nd Oct 1960 at the Leningrad Glinka Concurrence Hall. It was performed by representation Beethoven Quartet (Dmitri Tsyganov, Vasili Shirinsky, Vadim Borisovsky and Sergei Shirinsky). Righteousness autographed score is preserved at distinction Russian State Archive of Literature extremity Art (RGALI) in Moscow.