SILESIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA OSTRAVA : Doc.MgA. PAVEL VÍTEK - dirigent Largo - Allegro molto - Allegretto - Largo - Largo Instrumentation Rudolf Barschai
I remember listening to this during a very dark time in my life. Only to find myself matching to this with the 2014 Cavaliers. This piece brings me both happiness, yet tragedy. Truly immortal. Should you find yourself reading this, I pray it finds you in blesséd tidings. Thank you.
This music is sad, but extremely suggestive. This brilliant composer experienced a real hell in his country. After all, there is a book of memories called "THE TESTIMONY of D. Shostakovich's Memory", compiled by a music scientist and critic S.Volkov. Cryptogram "D.S.C.H." it is absolutely ingeniously processed here. It is a statement of the composer, to whom I bow deeply with immense admiration and respect ... Pavel Vítek
About the Quartet No. 8 that was later transcribed for string orchestra: "The music critic Erik Smith wrote in the liner notes of the Borodin Quartet's 1962 recording that The Borodin Quartet played this work to the composer at his Moscow home, hoping for his criticisms. But Shostakovich, overwhelmed by this beautiful realisation of his most personal feelings, buried his head in his hands and wept. When they had finished playing, the four musicians quietly packed up their instruments and stole out of the room." (Wikipedia)
Beautiful, it is slow and dry, and I dont think the tones are dark at all. They are intense, driven, perhaps nervous or anxious. It sounded almost like the composer had experienced such a panic that he could not bear it for a while, like his coping resources ran dry and he had to face something that would kill him to confront.
So well described! Shostacovich WAS anxious and in panic because of Stalin and his regime of terror. I'm sure music was one of his coping mechanisms. The motive D Es C H in the beginning is a code for his initials.
