Let*s listen to something so essential. It is hard to find any musician*s biography which is so tragic, existentially dreadful, dangerous, negative and yet so important as the one of Dmirtri Shostakovich. Having been a composer of such a genius, power and truth, he suffered so much under Stalin. But there seems nothing greater than an artists (not only!) inner freedom and independence. It makes him (and not only him) a real human being, no?
In every note of this existential quintet we can hear it. The grand Prelude (1st movement), the wonderful Fugue (2nd movement), which shows us what loneliness really can be, the furious and yet so human Scherzo and then, my favourite movement, the d minor Intermezzo. A melody (violin solo plays first, accompanied by the cello pizz.) which shows us that real tragedy does not have anything in common with “schweres, deutsches Drama”. It is light, it is full of air, it flows and in the end it is so incomparably sad. Listen how peacefully this piece ends. Sadness and loneliness are never without humour. Sad humour though.
The Borodin quartet and the great Sviatoslav Richter gave a truly spectacular performance. The greatest I have ever heard. So grateful for the chance to listen to it again and again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AzoQsxXiZs&feature=youtu.be