Background and performance circumstances Flashcards
1
Q
composed
A
in july 1960
2
Q
first performance
A
in Leningrad on 2 October 1960
3
Q
Shostakovich
A
the most important Russian composer born in the early years of the 20th century
his freedom as a composer was often curtailed by the authorities
4
Q
Communist party
A
he was pushed into joining in 1960
this string quartet was thought to be an obituary for himself (he contemplated suicide) or a biography
5
Q
quotations
A
from previous works
motto theme D-Eb-C-B - pitches derived from his name in German DSCH
6
Q
dark tone
A
of the music is partly the result of a visit to Dresden, a city in Germany, ravaged by Allies bombing in WW2
