Shostakovich, String Quartet no. 8 / David Fanning.
| Author/creator | Fanning, David |
| Other author | Rosamunde Quartett München, performer. |
| Format | Book |
| Publication Info | Burlington, VT : Ashgate, 2004. |
| Description | xiv, 185 pages : music ; 24 cm + 1 audio disc (digital ; 4 3/4 in.). |
| Subjects |
| Series | Landmarks in music since 1950 Landmarks in music since 1950. ^A583886 |
| Contents | Introduction -- Placing Shostakovich and the Eighth Quartet -- The USSR and Shostakovich in the 'thaw' -- The Eighth Quartet: an analysis. Layout of movements ; Quotations, allusions and affinities ; First movement: largo ; Second movement: allegro molto ; Third movement: allegretto ; Fourth movement: largo ; Fifth movement: largo -- Appendix A. Zamuchen tyazholoy nevoley (tormented by harsh captivity) -- Appendix B. Documents. Shostakovich (letter) ; Lev Lebedinsky ; Shostakovich (interview) ; Solomon Volkov ; Matias Sokolsky ; Nikolay Martinov ; Yury Keldish ; Alexander Dolzhansky ; Rudolf Barshai ; Alfred Schnittke -- Appendix C. Recordings. |
| Contents | CD contents: Langsamer Satz für Streichquartett / Anton Webern (9:47) -- String quartet no. 8, op. 110 / Dmitri Shostakovich (12:02) -- String quartet no. 4, op. 95 / Emil Frantisěk Burian (14:34). |
| Abstract | When it was first performed in October 1960, Shostakovich's Eighth String Quartet was greeted with a standing ovation and given a full encore. Its popularity has continued to the present day with over a hundred commercial recordings appearing during the last 40 years. The appeal of the work is not hard to identify; immediately communicative, the quartet also contains rich seams of deeper meaning. This book is the first to examine its musical design in detail and seeks to overthrow the charges of superficiality that have arisen as a result of the work's popular success. The core of this study is the close analysis of the work, but this is placed in context with a discussion of Shostakovich's reputation and historical position, the circumstances of the quartet's composition and the subsequent controversies that have surrounded it. The work was composed during the so-called 'Thaw' years of the Soviet Union, and the cultural and political backgrounds of this period are considered, together with Shostakovich's life and work during this time. The author argues persuasively that the Eighth String Quartet is a landmark in twentieth-century music in its transcendence of the extra-musical meanings that it invokes; that it is 'music that liberates itself from the shackles of its context'. The book features an accompanying CD of the work. |
| Bibliography note | Includes discography (pages 161-166), bibliographical references (pages 167-175), and indexes. |
| Performer | Performers on accompanying CD: Rosamunde Quartett (Andreas Reiner, Simon Fordham, violin ; Helmut Nicolai, viola ; Anja Lechner, cello). |
| LCCN | 2003048925 |
| ISBN | 0754606996 (alk. paper) |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music | Music Media - Ask at Circulation Desk | CD-7399 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |
| Music | Music Stacks | ML410.S53 F36 2004 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |