Emerson String Quartet: Shostakovich, Op. 144 No. 15 in E flat minor (1974)

[@slateflash]

This is great music for one of those days when you're just TOO HAPPY

[@AnUnhappyBusiness]

The best opening interpretation out there: Shostakovich personally oversaw rehearsals of a different quartet for the debut; he said he wanted flies to drop dead in midair during the first movement. Emerson nail it. Morbid beauty.

[@TheLabecki]

This is an amazing piece of music. When I think about how the style of Beethoven's late Quartets should naturally develop - this is what I think of.

[@MrWingedDeath]

As a supposed introspective work into life and death towards the end of Shostakovich's life, this is an insightful quartet to listen to for a younger listener.

[@Pletzmutz]

Finally, the best version of No 15 was uploaded. Thank you so much.

[@jacquelinepegis868]

Shostakovich is so good; this is one of my new fav.

[@bassionbean]

This is so morbid! Fantastic

[@Mezzotenor]

I heard this for the first time last night, and at the risk of grossly oversimplifying, I'm now inclined to think that Shostokovich is at his greatest when writing slow, mournful music. Quite truthfully, I am hard-pressed to name another piece that exceeds the the first movement as an expression of bereavement. What can you say about a composer who has utterly captured a moment of common moment of humanity with just four stringed instruments?

[@stueystuey1962]

there is of course his 8th string quartet... alfred schnittkes later works are worth investigating.

[@nedeug]

exceptionnel : interprétation magnifique et œuvre d'une profondeur et d'une richesse rarement rencontrées!

[@jdallessandro]

the proximity to death

[@johannsebastianbach3411]

E flat minor, we are as far away from C major as possible. This is Shostakovich answering the question "Es muss sein?" to the world that it, indeed, must to be (Muss es sein).

[@GritaThePig]

Are you implying that the choice of key is a pun of some kind? Amazing

[@wcsxwcsx]

I'm strongly reminded of his eighth symphony.

[@diegeigergarnele7975]

maybe it can sound a little strange but this reminds me of some parts of Tchaikowski's "Souvenir de florence"

[@lovehahn]

I love this quartet !!

[@RaymondRobijns]

What should I say ? This is magnificent.

[@theend7339]

this has to be the definitive interpretation

[@ilovemahler8348]

Heir to the late Beethoven.

[@gerardbegni2806]

Chostakovitch planned to write 24 quartets. His bad health caused a premature death which allowed him to write only 15 of them. This is the last one; At that time, the censorsip of Jdanov was gone away, and more freedoms - within some limits - were left to composers. Chostakovitch wrote a pessimistic quartet, in agreement with his mood, due to the conditions of life in uSSR and his personal health concerns. This quartet must be heard and understood in that context. It is an upsetting human testimany that we are hearing here.

[@c.g.marseille4510]

yes, music can do this….

[@emersongene1]

Emerson String Quartet: Shostakovich, Op. 144 No. 15 in E flat minor (1974)

[@vkkoorchester666]

very beautiful

[@pianomarius]

wow, this feels so tragic :( the interpretation by the sorrel quartet on chandos is also a favourite of mine, if you can have a listen! :))

[@SpunckyJew6969]

This was his own Requiem. That's intended for the piece, especially since he wrote it himself. If you aren't familiar with requiems then I encourage you to read about them, and what it means to write your own.

[@Saturne84]

Œuvre magnifique du merveilleux Shostakovich. Interprétation a comparer avec celle du quatuor Borodin, malheureusement pas écoutable sur tablette dans la mise en ligne de MrRalph. Dommage.!

[@pawbard]

6:35 minutes in; please kill me now.

[@Tadshikisch]

Audio Pharmacy

[@lamestudiosinc418]

That hammer and sickle on the cover is insulting. Shostakovich hated the soviet union's rule. He insulted them numerous times in his pieces.

[@hannahwillard5472]

Omg. 29:39

[@solowinterwolf]

Double Grammy-winner! Legal to post?

[@petersfds]

what does the communist-symbol on the cover ?