Chicago-based Cedille label's ambitious "The Soviet Experience" series continues with this set of early Shostakovich string quartets from the 15 years surrounding World War II, along with one unusual Prokofiev quartet of the same period. In addition to reflecting the situations in which he lived, Shostakovich's quartets deal with a different kind of legacy as well: the Beethovenian tradition of the string quartet as it developed through the 19th century and became an outlet for inward emotion refined into well-crafted ...
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Chicago-based Cedille label's ambitious "The Soviet Experience" series continues with this set of early Shostakovich string quartets from the 15 years surrounding World War II, along with one unusual Prokofiev quartet of the same period. In addition to reflecting the situations in which he lived, Shostakovich's quartets deal with a different kind of legacy as well: the Beethovenian tradition of the string quartet as it developed through the 19th century and became an outlet for inward emotion refined into well-crafted melody and counterpoint. The composer waited awhile before taking on the quartet genre: the String Quartet No. 1 in C major, Op. 49, was composed in 1935, more than a decade into his mature career. That and the String Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op. 68, have more in common with Shostakovich's preludes and fugues for piano than with his other chamber music. The String Quartet No. 3 in F major, Op. 73, and String Quartet No. 4 in D major, Op. 83, do reflect the tragic events of the war and...
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