My first String Quartet - Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110 

My God! Your first string quartet is Shostakovich's 8th? That's diving into the deep end with your eyes closed. BRAVO!!

The viola is bigger than the violin and has a lower range. Here the violist is on the right side.

6:48 That repeated four-note motif ("ba-da-ba-daa") that gets rapidly passed between the players is Shostakovich's musical signature, and a musical "acronym" of his name: D(mitri) SCH(ostakowitsch) = "D, S, C, H", or "D, E-flat, C, B". He used this little motif quite often, most prominently in this String Quartet and in his wonderful 10th Symphony.

I just want to take a moment and say - I am so goddamn happy that your channel exists and you randomly heard some classical music on the radio.

They say that if Shostakovich was alive today, he’d be into heavy metal

This is a VERY unusual choice for your first string quartet. Most string quartets have a similar 4-movement structure to a symphony; this one is much more free-form and has three slow movements that include the first and last. Shostakovich wrote this as a reflection on life as an artist in the Soviet Union. He was deeply despondent at the time he wrote it, having just been blackmailed into joining the Communist Party. In it, you can even hear the secret police knocking on the door, and it ends with a funeral dirge. Shostakovich described it as his own musical eulogy; some people close to him later suggested it might have been intended as a musical suicide note, though he ended up not killing himself and lived many years longer. Other string quartets that fit the description of being dramatic with some very aggressive playing include Schubert's last two (No. 14 "Death and the Maiden" and No. 15), Mendelssohn No. 6, Brahms No. 1, Grieg No. 1, and the one string quartet by Barber. I know I've heard others but those are the ones I can think of quickly off the top of my head. Also consider listening to music for chamber ensembles other than string quartet. Other pieces that fit your request include Brahms's Piano Quintet and Piano Quartet No. 1 (piano quintet = piano + string quartet, piano quartet = piano, violin, viola, cello), Schumann's Piano Quartet, Glazunov's Cello Quintet (string quartet + second cello), and Tchaikovsky's "Souvenir de Florence" for string sextet (2 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos).

One of my favorite string quartets, along with Ravel’s and Beethoven’s 14th

One of my favourite pieces from the genre I call Soviet-era Angst. Eerie, anxious, melancholic, angry, foreboding, spooky, full of energy and a little dread, but so hummable. I absolutely love it and Im so happy you are viewing it. Now ive got to find a live performance somewhere.

This is, in my opinion, the best string quartet ever, with that main theme popping out everywhere, a masterclass of how to compose an entire piece around a four notes motif (this motif represent shostakovich himself, in many other pieces also). In his own words, this is the piece he imagine composing in his remembrance, like a réquiem to himself. I was going to recommend it, but others were ahead of my thoughts hhhh. There is a transcription for string ensemble, also superb, like your reaction! Prokofiev has some aggressive string quartet, or bartok, but bartok is not an easy listening. Shostakovich no. 3 would be a nice choice xD I bet you would like also the transfigured night (verklarte nacht) by Schoenberg, it's not a quartet, it's a sextet, but it's pure drama.

YES!!! YES!!!!

Hello! I play viola. The violist is actually sitting on the right. The viola has some lower notes than the violin, so they tend to be considerably larger. Usually, the lower the range of notes, the larger the instrument.

WOW! Shostakovich 8th as your first exposure to string quartets -- thats like skydiving from 35000 feet on your very first airplane flight! But you are such an intent & sensitive listener it may have been a fortunate choice. The greatest works in the form are Beethovens cycle and then Bartoks so i would recommend those next -- Bartok's exhilirating 3rd & 4th of the six are probably the best entry for someone who responds well to Shostakovich, but any will do. Then the wonderful Beethoven middle quartets (nos. 7-11) and Haydns "Emperor" quartet (he established the genre), Mozarts "Dissonant" qrt, Borodins No. 2, Debussys & Ravels single one each, and branch out from there. The late quartets of Beethoven (12-16 plus Grosse Fugue) are more formidible -- they are regarded by connoisseurs as the greatest chamber music ever written -- so i wouldnt ordinarily suggest them to a novice, but given that your response to this piece is so intelligent, you are probably ready to dive into anything. If you want some more recent ones which offer excitement, and are very different from each other as well as from the traditional examples, try George Crumb "Black Angels" and Steve Reich "Different Trains."

12:12 That's right. You also remember correctly that's larger than the violin. Its highest three strings are tuned the same as the violin's lowest three. 25:45 There are several options from Beethoven. The most aggressive of all of them is the Grosse Fuge. For something more formally typical of the genre, there is the 11th quartet. I like the Takács Quartet performances.

Ive being waiting for you to have a look at smaller ensembles and chamber music, I just love them. And seeing them live and up close is a great experience. Put it on your concert experience list.

Banger! Thanks for the content!

I absolutely LOVE this piece.

One thing I love about ensemble playing is the way we can see the musicians communicate with eye contact small gestures of eyes and hands, intakes of breath….

TANK YOU my dear black brother : God Bless You ! I listen always Uncle Mitija when i'm down (with the Blues by Bessie, Billie and Ella). BRAVO ! You chose the most valid version , very simil to "Top Cult Borodin q. (Other best interpretations are Emerson q. and last version Jannsen-Brovtsyn) Tank you

One of my favorite string quartets 😃

If you read up about Shostakovich's life and what he lived through, this piece makes a lot of sense. The torment is so prevalent throughout.

One of the most famous string quartets is Dvorak's "American Quartet." If you liked Dvorak's New World Symphony, you should listen to this. Dvorak wrote both the New World Symphony and the American Quartet in the same year (1893) during his short time in America.

Thanks for reacting to this!

Other composers who wrote excellent string quartets include Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, Dvoark, and Bartok. But if you like this musically, try his 10th Symphony! (I always liked Karajan's digital recording with the Berlin Philharmonic, I think from around 1982.) The viola was sitting at the right in this performance. It's a bit larger than a violin, tuned a 5th lower (an octave higher than a cello), with a warm, velvety sound that's a bit softer than a violin. (By the way, in English the "i" in "viola" is pronounced like German "ie" not "ei"; I know it's inconsistent with the "i" in "violin".)

2k subscribers! Man your channel is growing! Happy New Year to you, all the best! Great reaction, crazy quartet!

I can definitely recommend the string quartet in f major by Maurice Ravel

If you want a heavy dramatic string quartet, go for Mendelssohn's quartet in F minor, op.80. You will love it! He wrote it after his beloved sister's death, and its full of anger, desperation, drama from start to end

Watching Gidi banging his head and smiling to one of the darkest pieces of music I know was a weird experience xD

This piece is far more fascinating when you know the whole backstory to it.

Black Angels by George Crumb

You should check out the Dover Quartet’s rendition of this piece. The energy is unmatched

Ciao Gidi! Bravo for listening to this!! I suggest you try Schubert's Death and The Maiden next!

Note from 13:53 - the held note representing the drone of the bombers overhead and then the explosions aftewards - the bombing of Dresden in WW2

6:18

I would LOVE to see a reaction to Philip Glass’s String Quartet no. 5. One of the simplest and most beautiful quartet pieces I’ve ever heard

2:51 It's a violin. The way you can tell the difference between a violin and a viola is the violin is in tune.

If you want to hear a confrontational and aggressive string quartet, try Bela Bartok's quartet no. 4. There is a fantastic performance by Quatour Ebene on youtube - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-E_XNfKk-Qbs.html/ This is a very modern and different sounding piece; I don't know if you'll like it. But it's a truly amazing work and these guys really play it in an exciting way. Once your ears get used to Bartok, there's lots to discover.

Esse é FODÁSTICO! Escrito com as letras do nome do compositor. O cara é muito bom! Expressão e inventividade máxima! BRAVO! 👏👏👏👏

Viola sound: 10:49 , 8:10 Suggestion, listen to sinfonia concertante for violin and viola, by mozart. (I love the version with candida thompson)

Shostakovich wrote this at a time when he was considering suicide after having his music used for propaganda for Stalin led USSR.

Ravel string quartet is one to keep your eye on 😉

Some more recommendations: Shostakovich cello concerto 1 performed by Johannes Moser; Shostakovich cello concerto 2 performed by Sol Gabetta. (That's if you like some emotional intensity) Elgar cello concerto by Sol Gabetta - very magical, 10/10 For quartets: Ravel string quartet in F major. Very lively and unusual

9:00 we need more people pulling up in the hood with this blasting.

Just for fun - search "Shostakovich metal" on yt - hes like godfather of this genre

Brahms quartet no. 1 is good.Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, and pretty much every composer in the 1700s and early 1800s wrote quartets.

If you want to listen to not simply one of the greatest chamber works but one of the greatest works ever written (and that is something not lightly said) check out Schubert's String Quintett. It's otherworldly how good it is.

If you like this piece. Try Bartok's String Quartet n 4

Try a Bartok quartet (any of the 6) if you like dramatic pieces

Agony followed by despair ...

You probably should have started on his 7th. However the best performance of this on YT is by the Mosaic Quartet.

Good piece. His 9th quartet though is even better IMO.

Please discover the quartet no.14 "Death and the Maiden" by Schubert ! It is instantly powerful, a perfect work to begin with this composer.

In terms of quartets on a more dramatic side, I'd recommend Beethoven's Grosse Fuge, Schubert's 14th and Mendelssohn's 6th

Oh btw I think you really should read the story behind this quartet it’ll make you rethink the whole piece

What a composer.such bravery amidst communism

If you're up to it, please react to dvorak sextet a major op 48, I think you will like it a lot

This is your first quartet?? Black-belt of a first quartet

Beethoven's late quartets. Do it at your own peril.

I recommend you to listen to ravel string quartet 🤤🔥

I love this string quartet, but it's not my favorite. I'd say maybe Bartók's "string quartet no.4" - and it's quite on the action side, while being folk too.

The make-up of a string quartet is as follows:- a good violinist, a not so good violinist, a wannabe violinist, and someone who hates violinists :D

An odd choice for a first string quartet. You should probably start with Haydn. Haydn was the so-called father of the genre. He wrote a lot of them. Many of them are still among the best. They are relatively easy to listen to and will likely make you smile (one , in fact, is nicknamed "The Joke").

Pronounced Shaws ta KO vitch.

The viola is LARGER than the violin, keeping the same proportions, unlike the cello.

This was his last composted piece before he committed suïcide. People often call this piece his suicide letter.

Eating junk food during Šostakovič? To much!

This performance lacks conviction and sensitivity. Doesn't do this amazing and deep piece justice in my opinion