String Quartet No. 8, Op. 110

Set of Parts

By Dmitri Shostakovich

An excellent edition, all the parts are very nice. There is plenty of margin space, and the music is very clear, making reading a breeze. There is an absence of fingerings, editorial notes (sul g, etc.), and bowings, which acts as a double edge sword. Yes, you can add your...

own to your own liking, but there is no medium of what to build off of. Othere than that, this edition is excellent, clear reading reading, lots os space for notes, plenty of necessary cues. Just as a warning, this piece is very difficult for those who want to learn it, but with effort, our group of high schoolers pulled it off.

Incredible to listen to, incredible to play. Very emotional. If you are in love with this quartet, take a look at Bartok's 4th String Quartet, or all 6 of them for that matter. Shostakovich's quartet #8 abounds in beautiful and lyrical references to it.

Wow. That about sums it up. I first heard this played by the Emerson Quartet and I've loved this piece ever since. Its a blast to play. Fairly difficult at times but definitly playable - and its so incredibly fun to play. Highly recomended.

I have never had the opportunity to perform this piece, however, it is one of the most wonderful pieces I have ever listened to. It has a very nice melody until it breaks out into the most exciting and anticipated movement of the entire piece. The melody in this section...

is passed off from cello to violin and then viola. It is breathtaking. In the 4th movement, however, Shostakovich brings the reality and the terror of the Soviet War into his music-4 consecutive, accented notes representing the knocks of the door in the middle of the night when the Soviets would take people away in the middle of the night. This is my favorite of Shostakovich and possibly my favorite of any other piece of any composer. It is definately a piece everyone should listen to. Pure genius!!

This piece is beyond comparison. Not only is it challenging and fun to perform, but just listening to it will give you an emotional rush, if you will. It is said that Shostakovich wrote this to show his defiance of the soviet government. The fourth movement is supposed to be...

the ever feared KGB knocking at an unsuspecting victim's door. Truly worth your money. Buying the CD would be worth it too.