Shostakovich, String Quartet No.8 in C minor

I. Largo
I liked how Shostakovich immediately started the quartet with the DSCH theme, psychologically preparing the listener for the masterpiece that Shostakovich will unfold (as his works do). Not only that, but the fact that it is played by the cello, the lowest instrument in pitch, makes it sombre and the monophonic texture creates a feel of solitude. The dynamics 'p' make it all the more mysterious and subtle. I really liked how the instruments imitate each other and the way he does it is very logical: starting with the lowest in pitch, cello, followed by the viola, second violin and finally first violin, who all start at higher pitches than the previous one. This very much reminded me of Lotti's vocal piece 'Crucifixus' for eight parts, where the lower basses start and each voice enters three notes after the previous one, all ascending in pitch and finishing the imitation with the top sopranos. However, I don't really think that is where the idea was derived from. The listener becomes confused in terms of tonality as Shostakovich uses many chromatic notes and a mixture of minor and major chords that he throws in at unexpected times. I don't know why and I don't know how he does it, but from the anacrusis of bar 12, it sounds like an organ, with the first and second violin and cello playing his DSCH motif in octaves and the viola holding a pedal G. It felt eerie, but I nevertheless, liked it. I fail to understand why Shostakovich put an ' sfpp' for the first violin but only a 'pp' for the rest of the quartet. Perhaps he wanted to highlight the end of his DSCH theme and to emphasise the beginning of a new 'melody' (as he used this in his first symphony that he wrote when he was 19 years old). The listener is even more confused when the violin 2 at bar 17 has a chromatic and syncopated passage (again in terms of tonality). The espressivo has been made clear, not only by the performance direction 'poco espress.' but also by the crescendos and diminuendos in consecutive bars, for instance bar 13 and 14 in the second violin part. I like how Shostakovich also includes his DSCH motif played underneath the main melody; this first happened in the viola in bars 9-11 and again in the second violin where it says 'solo' at bar 15. It's cever how the second violin gives the C sharp to the viola at bar 19; without the score, one would never be able to tell that it was two different instruments playing. The A flat tie in the second violin part at bar 24 creates a wonderful suspension until finally, for the first time, a key of C minor is established at the cadence (bar 26). At section B, the violin one has a falling chromatic line whilst the rest of the strings play their lowest notes: pedal G in the second violin and C in the viola and cello. I loved how he starts the chromatic violin passage on the second beat, giving a syncopated feel. Here, all strings are 'pp' which, in my case, made me suspicious as to what was coming next and where Shostakovich was going with this. It also made me intrigued, what could he have possibly been thinking of when he wrote this passage? At bar 33, the violin plays and F flat. Its' enharmonic equivalent being an E natural, this nicely transforms into a C major chord (lower string pedal notes C and G). Shostakovich deceives us into thinking he is taking us to a new direction with this major chord, but the violin one falls a semitone lower, making it an E flat, and thus we are in the minor again. I think this false sense of security, if you like, makes the listener uncomfortable and we can really understand that we are in the depths of his depression. Not easy to listen to. The repeated melody (B flat, A flat, G) in the violin one part at bar 39 gives the music shape and reassures the listener that there is a structure to this section, it is not mere random notes! Despite the many dissonances and uneasy feel, I think it is a beautiful melody. The emptiness created at bar 45 when the violin one plays monophonic really gives a sense of lonliness and solitude. I thought it was really clever how the cello interrupted with the DSCH theme, especially the fact that it was 'pp' really made it sneaky.
Section C has the whole ensemble playing, a homophonic texture with the violin passing the melody (C, G, G A flat, G) to the second violin after the latters' previous pedal G. I love this section as it is almost like a duet, with a countermelody in the second violin created whilst the violin one has a new melody. D flat is a brilliant note to use here, it just confuses the tonality again and wants to modulate to F minor ( or A flat major perhaps?). Although there is a duo here and maybe even dialogue between the first and second violin, the pedal in the lower strings reminds us of the feeling of isolation and emptiness. Probably the best part in this section is bars 68-70 where sequence is used to ascend in pitch in the second violin line, starting with a B natural and a crescendo to an A flat which is the second violins' highest note so far.
Shostakovich created a sense of unity when finally the pedal notes end, and all strings are playing at the same time, making it homorhythmic. Here, his ciper is played but with unusual chords supporting it, moving from a G major to E flat minor and F major. They then play 'mf' for the first time in about 70 bars but only for a short while as it is immediately written 'dim' with the next bar being 'p' again. I really like how the cello then has a chromatic line and how it is the only instrument that is really moving. But there is a stronger sense of tonality here, with the first and second violins in thirds. There is a major chord but yet again, we return to the cipher and even more emotions of despair are conveyed as the first violin drops out and leaves the second violin to have a solo bar of the C GG A flat G theme and finally the lower strings crescendo-ing to the next movement.

II. Allegro molto

The tonality is still minor, (B minor) but the tonality is clear and emphasised by the 'sfff' chords in the lower strings and violin 2. The violin one plays very much allegro for a long time until the whole ensemble plays: the cello steals the fast passage and the rest of the strings have furious double stops. The feeling is no longer depression but stronger feelings of hatred, anger and hostility. As in the first movement, many chromatic notes. I very much loved how the DSCH theme appeared and how it was playd rather marcato. I also loved how it was passed on to other strings almost like a stretto. Even when you think it has gone, it comes back again in the cello. It is then augmented by the upper strings playing in octaves before they play triplets and dissonat melodies which clash against each other, reinforcing the emotive music. Then, the lower strings take over the melody. The texture is very much a mix of homophonic and polyphonic. There are many crescendos and 'sfff's written all over the music. Double stops are repeated, each one stabbing at you. The tension is immense, especially with the imitation. I loved it when the cello plays really low in pitch, it really contradicts the high pitched violins. This piece is very revolutionary, perhaps conveying his hatred for the Communist party and reluctance to join it, or perhaps it was about his incurable illness which he had just been diagnosed. My favourite part in this movement is at rehearsal mark 33 where the second violin plays tripleted arpeggios, creating a furious feel and you can really hear every note at this wild speed. It sounds very russian, I love it.

III. Allegretto
This one is my favourtie movement with the second one as well. As in the first movement, he begin with his DSCH theme but this time in the first violin, who also plays monophonic. The second violin entry is a trill on a B natural (key signature here is clear, G minor).The first time it is 'fff' with a crescendo! The second trill is 'p' which makes it mysterious. In this movement, he very much experiments with the timbres and capabilities of the instruments. The time signature change to 3/4 gives it an dance-like feel, especially with the cello playing an almost 'oom cha cha'.
The pitch increases in this movement, which contrasts the low pitches of the first movement, even in the second violin who has an top E. The 'ff' pizzicato in the second violin is really rough and rude, and interrupts the melody in the first violin. The notes almost disagree with each other in the first and second violin who have the same rhythm after the 'ff' pizz in the second violin. Stretto is used when the melody is passed from lowest to highest (in pitch) instrument which made me think of a dispute. I thought it was very adventurous of Shostakovich to have the second violin play and d and e natural 'f' whilst the others play in a minor key, also the fact that it dotted rhythms and the others have much shorter lengthed notes. The again furious temper and argument between the first and second violin are conveyed after the second violin sextuplet, where both have contrasting chromatic notes. I love it! The constant change of the time signature shows the indecisiveness in the argument. Shostakovich uses a melody he once used in I think one of his cello concertos, (if it wasnt that one, well i know it was one of his other masterpieces) at rehearsal mark 43 where the cello has the melody and the other strings have the same rhythm, staccato. I love the unsettling atmosphere created when one of the lower strings have the melody and the accompaniment in the rest of the ensemble is rapid chromatic notes. What a brilliant composer.

IV. Largo

A different performance direction is used 'pesante' which makes it sound very heavy, contrasting with the previous staccato used in the third movement. The pedal note in the cello makes it very uneasy against the ff rhythm played by the upper string. I didnt like the major chord he threw in. H e changes dynamics very quickly in this piece at the beginning. The pedal note is passed around to all instruments, and this is very much like the first movment. It has the same tempo and is more depressing and sad than the middle two movements. One instruments nearly always has the tune, with the others sustaining a pedal note. The pitch is much lower here, than in the previous two movments. The first violin plays a melody and for a while, it is major, but somehow Shostakovich makes it sound very sad. Perhaps he is trying to convey some sort of hope, and saying that optimism is just a lie. He brings back the pessimistic opening again and at the end, the last thing we hear is the cello playing the DSCH theme, low at pitch and slow in rhythm.

V. Largo

This is almost a recapitulation, if one dares call it that, of the first movement. They differ in a way that the texture is not monophonic but homophonic and in some bars contrapuntal. It starts with the cello playing the cipher but with other instruments accompanying and also has the other themes in there that were played in the first movement. The overall feeling is very much depression in this movement, but this time it is definite. Suspensions are used here, with an A flat in the second violin as in the first movement, before finally making a 'decision' and establishing the mood and tonality of the piece. Again, instruments play by themselves, making it lonely and it's almost speaks 'this is the end...' They have shorter rhythms (diminution) than in the first movement which was mainly crotchets, minims and semibreves. There is no use of pizzicato here, but 'con sord' which makes it even quiter, making it sound like the end. I just realised, at the end, Shostakovich wrote 'morendo'- die away. Powerful music. It really is the end.