Concert: Final Entry in the Diary

Dmitri Shostakovich’s final string quartet is the String Quartet No. 15 in E-flat minor, Op. 144; it is known for its profound darkness, all-slow movements (six Adagios), and seamless transitions.

Since his first denunciation in 1936, Shostakovich used the medium of the string quartet as an outlet for creative honesty—his intimate musical diary. While his original plan was to create 24 quartets covering all major and minor keys, by the time he finished his 15th, it was clear to him that he would never live to complete this undertaking. As he convalesced in a hospital room in the spring of 1974, Shostakovich wrote what he knew was going to be his last work in this genre, a final entry in his diary. What emerged from his quill was a highly unorthodox cycle of five slow movements—an otherworldly composition where the signature angst of his earlier years makes only a few brief cameos. Transparency and enlightenment dominate instead: a fragile beauty with overtones of silent terror, that seems to float suspended in midair.

With this special presentation, we commemorate 50 years since Shostakovich’s passing. The presentation will feature a discussion of the quartet led by Alex Vavilov and a performance of the piece by Sheffield Chamber Players, followed by a Q&A session.