Presented by Leo Samama.
Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998) – String Quartet No. 1 (1966)
Sonata, 2. Canon, 3. Cadenza
Performers: Kapralova Quartet
CD: ArcoDiva
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) – String Quartet No. 15 in E-flat minor, op. 144 (1974)
Elegy (Adagio), 2. Serenade (Adagio), 3. Intermezzo (Adagio), 4. Nocturne (Adagio), 5. Funeral March (Adagio molto), 6. Epilogue (Adagio)
Performers: Quatuor Danel
CD: Alpha Classics
Alfred Schnittke completed his First String Quartet in 1966. Like most of his contemporaries, Schnittke experimented with atonal, dodecaphonic, and tonal musical techniques all at once. He was clearly searching for his own style, but at the same time confident enough that there is no doubt in this music.
With his Fifteenth String Quartet, in E-flat minor, opus 144, Dmitri Shostakovich completed his oeuvre for this genre in 1974. It has become an elegiac, somber, still, and detached farewell, composed of six Adagios. Shostakovich infused the first Adagio with his phlegmatic humor, adding the following instruction: “Play the first movement so that the flies drop dead in full flight and the audience leaves the hall out of sheer boredom.” This music demands not only extreme concentration from the performers but also from the listener, creating a hypnotic attraction.
