Successor to the great string quartet tradition of
Beethoven, the 15 string quartets of
Dmitry Shostakovich span the composer's long, tumultuous, and at times oppressed career. From the somewhat detached First Quartet completed in 1938 to the stark, somber beauty of the Fifteenth Quartet of 1974,
Shostakovich, like
Beethoven, advanced his own techniques and the standards for the genre with each subsequent quartet. Complete cycles of the
Shostakovich quartets are a huge undertaking, which the
Shostakovich Quartet began in 1978 and did not complete until a decade later. This Alto five-disc set brings together the complete recordings. The ensemble brings a great many positive attributes to its performances. Chiefly, it is steadfast in its emotional restraint, control of tempos, and consistency of tone across the cycle despite changes in recording technology during its ten-year project. A broad dynamic spectrum is used to impressive effect, with pianissimos so controlled and so hushed as to raise hairs on listeners' necks. The group's understanding of each score and the political and emotional context in which each quartet was written is evident in their insightful interpretations. Where the
Shostakovich Quartet's performances are not completely even across all five discs is in intonation. Earlier recordings, which consist primarily of the later quartets, are meticulously in tune. Some performances of the earlier quartets, recorded later, allow intonation to slip, particularly in instances where the score becomes especially frenetic.