Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 5 in B-flat major, Op. 92

Author: (Russian) Dmitri Shostakovich
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-04-01
Features: Shostakovich, Dmitri (1906–1975) was one of the most outstanding composers of the Soviet Union. Born in St. Petersburg, he studied composition with Steinberg and piano with Nikolaev. At the age of thirteen, he composed the Symphony No. 1, "Scherzo." His symphonies demonstrated remarkable precocious talent, premiering in Leningrad in 1926. In the following years, his works were either politically themed, such as Symphony No. 2 dedicated to the October Revolution of 1917 (1927) and Symphony No. 3, "May Day" (1930); or satirical, such as the opera The Nose (1927–1928) and the ballet The Golden Age (1930). His opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk (also known as Katerina Ismailova) was criticized by Pravda in 1936 as being filled with "harsh noises," "denying the principles of opera," and "completely apolitical fiction." Symphony No. 4 was withdrawn from rehearsals (1936), while Symphony No. 5 (1937) was more serious,,,“”，“”。 Symphony No. 7 was composed during the siege of Leningrad in 1941, depicting peace, struggle, and victory. When accepting the renewed criticism from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1948, Shostakovich admitted that his "artistic transformation" was not thorough and promised to align himself more closely with "folk art." He successfully created several works with international influence, proving himself to be a composer who stood the test of time. He composed a total of fifteen symphonies, among which Symphony No. 7, Symphony No. 10 (1953), which intertwines contemplation, passion, and excitement, and Symphony No. 11 (1957), reflecting the tragic 1905 Revolution, are all masterpieces of modern symphonic music. Symphony No. 13 (a song symphony based on the poems of Evтушенко), Symphony No. 14 (inspired by poems about death), and Symphony No. 15 reveal a rare pessimistic tone in Soviet music. His string quartets are as numerous as his symphonies and are also among the outstanding works of modern quartet music. Additionally, he composed violin, cello, and piano concertos, a piano quintet, a piano trio, two piano sonatas, and solo piano works (including sets of preludes and fugues). In most of his compositions, he enriched traditional classical forms with new content and vitality.