George Work, Cello

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. His family was very musical, but was not inspired to begin studying music until he saw his first opera. At the age of 13, he entered the Petrograd Conservatory, studying piano and composition under Rimsky-Korsakov’s son-in-law and pupil, Maximilian Steinberg. During his time at the Conservatory, he composed his First Symphony, which brought him major success and international fame. Shostakovich’s career unfolded during one of the most difficult political periods in Russian history under Joseph Stalin and the Soviet government. Throughout his life, he faced constant pressure from authorities to reflect Soviet ideals in his music. He was forced to balance artistic expression with political expectations. As a result, many of his works contain layers of meaning that listeners and scholars continue to debate today. Despite these struggles, Shostakovich went on to compose 15 symphonies, 15 string quartets, and 6 concerti, as well as many other instrumental and vocal works. He also composed a large amount of film scores, theater music, ballets, and operas, all of which were heavily censored by the Soviet government. After years of declining health, he died in Moscow on August 9, 1975.

String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110 was composed in the summer of 1960 over the span of three days. Shostakovich’s work on the score of a Soviet-East German film took him to Dresden, the German city that had been destroyed in 1945 by an Allied firebombing. The quartet was inscribed “In memory of victims of fascism and war.” Today it is considered one of Shostakovich’s most recognized chamber work.

Want to hear more music? Check out our 101st Season at civicmusic.org/concerts