Brodsky Quartet celebrate their 50th anniversary with a complete cycle of Shostakovich’s String Quartets across one weekend, played in the intimacy of Hall One, interleaved with talks.

In this special anniversary weekend, the Brodsky Quartet present the full cycle of Shostakovich’s String Quartets. Each concert includes a performance of two quartets and a brief introduction by Elizabeth Wilson, who will share her extensive knowledge of Shostakovich’s life and music, with each of the 15 string quartets examined and illuminated through lively discussion with members of the Brodsky Quartet.

The intimacy of bringing a child into the world inspired Shostakovich to turn to that most intimate of all musical forces, the string quartet. Rather like a child, his Quartet No. 1 is small scale – full of innocence and wonder, becoming more and more spirited, fun-filled and daring. Quartet No. 2 is, by contrast, a colossal tour de force. The celebratory first movement is followed by one of the most captivating slow movements ever; a wondrous fusion of baroque and jazz. A whirlwind scherzo gives way to a magnificent set of variations which build in speed to a huge life-affirming ending.

This concert will last approx. 1hr 20min with no interval

This concert forms part of Brodsky Quartet’s weekend celebration of all of Shostakovich’s String Quartets. See details for The Complete Shostakovich Quartets.

Elizabeth Wilson is the author of Shostakovich- A Life Remembered, considered by many to be the most vivid, informative and revealing biography of the composer. As a cellist, she studied in Moscow with Mstislav Rostropovich – during which time she encountered Shostakovich, and attended the premières of many of his later works. As a performer she has worked with such major composers as Arvo Part, Alfred Schnittke and James MacMillan, and as a biographer has also written of Jacqueline Du Pre and her teacher Rostropovich. Her most recent book, Playing with Fire, is devoted to the life and times of the maverick Soviet pianist Maria Yudina, friend and champion of Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Hindemith and Stravinsky.