Emerson String Quartet: Shostakovich Cycle - Part 2
‘The playing is undeniably committed in its coolness, exposing nerve endings with cruel clarity’
Renowned for its powerful interpretations of Shostakovich’s string quartets, the ensemble continues its survey of the cycle with Quartets Nos.4, 5 and 6.
Conventional on the surface, the Fourth Quartet was so full of personal significance that the composer withheld it from performance until after Stalin’s death.
Deeply expressive and quoting the language of Jewish folk music, it could well have proved explosive.
Next, No.5, written in 1952, is complex and restless, based on the musical cipher that stood for Shostakovich’s own name, D-S-C-H.
It includes a quotation from a trio by his pupil Galina Ustvolskaya, who later turned down his proposal of marriage.
The evening concludes with the Quartet No.6, a concise, intense work that references eclectic influences.
These range from nursery songs to Alban Berg and Richard Strauss, as well as a chaconne suggesting the world of Bach.
Performers
- Emerson String Quartet
Repertoire
- Shostakovich: String Quartet No.4 in D, Op.83; String Quartet No.6 in G, Op.101
- Interval
- Shostakovich: String Quartet No.5 in B flat, Op.92
Need to know
Find out more and book the other two concerts that are currently available in the Emerson String Quartet: Shostakovich Cycle using the links below.
Emerson String Quartet: Shostakovich Cycle – Part 1
Emerson String Quartet: Shostakovich Cycle – Part 3
Dates & times
Price
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- Concessions25%**
* Excludes £3.50 booking fee.
** Limited availability. Read about concessions.
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