He was such a sensitive soul. If I had a time machine, one of the first things I would do would give Shostakovich a hug and tell him it's okay. 😥

@@josephb.4640 Right. You don't see Shostakovich working at meat counter.

that's what it means to have a human soul

​@@texwiller4029 that's because he's dead

@@josephb.4640 You know? What you said is really moving. I'm kinda crying right now.

we type symbols into an electric rectangle then people read it and make words this is crazy guys

@@JaMeshuggah shut up

@@GUILLOMSeethe harder

@@JaMeshuggah ñ

how are you everywhere

i got an ad right before the drop and have never wanted to throw my phone across the room more than i did right then

@@DmitriShostakovichDSCH RIP 💀

​@@DmitriShostakovichDSCH that's straight up disrespectful to you

IKR

After Holst Mars

Omg he sure needs one *i'm actually crying cuz i'm so sad for my boi*

Sure, if you're willing to dig him up

he dead bro

@@SHinierthennyourforehead r/whoosh

@Whitenight OR AM I????

Amazing. Thank you for sharing!

Rokudammela his 15th quartet is also one of the greatest. the first movement is soul crushing

It's the greatest of all time in my opinion.

Not even close.

@@tr7938 L opinion.

@@SarahYasmineXO also.

+JameyPlaysTheViolin this isn't weird. His 13th quartet- THAT'S weird

JameyPlaysTheViolin could you tell me more about how it's his suicide note? I'm legitimately very curious but can't find anything online about it.

"Tchaikovsky provides the clue, like his Sixth Symphony, the 'Pathetique', Shostakovich's Eighth Quartet is also a suicide note. Both works were composed by composers suffering suicidal depression. "I reflected that if I die someday then it's hardly likely anyone will write a work dedicated to my memory. So I decided to write one myself. You could even write on the cover: 'Dedicated to the memory of the composer of this quartet'. So Shostakovich wrote on the 19th July 1960 to his friend Isaak Davidovich Glikman. There are many possible reasons for his depression when composing this quartet. He had never recovered from the loss of his first wife Nina Vasilievna Shostakovich née Varzar who had died in November 1954. He also felt that he had betrayed his principles. Under pressure from Khrushchev's officials he had recently applied to join the communist party, which he had previously sworn never to do, and for months he underwent bouts of self-loathing for his perceived cowardice and chronic sense of fear. Finally he was beginning to have problems moving his right hand: a nightmare for any pianist. This disability would spread in the coming years causing him mobility problems in all his limbs. After years of uncertainty it was finally diagnosed in 1969 as a rare form of poliomyelitis. The musicologist and friend of Shostakovich since the early fifties, Lev Nikolyevich Lebedinsky, believes that Shostakovich intended to commit suicide by taking sleeping tablets on his return from Dresden. So the heart-felt anguish of the Eighth Quartet may show Shostakovich's awareness that the memories of early triumphs (the First and Fifth Symphonies) failed to compensate for the loneliness and the malaise of age. Or perhaps the work is haunted by the memory of his first marriage; or perhaps by the loss of self-esteem. Or maybe it resulted from contemplating the senseless destruction of Dresden so reminiscent of that which he had experienced in his now distant, beloved Russia. The musical ambiguity inherent in the quartet just reflects the uncertainty of its conception. Although Shostakovich maintained that he could never hear the Eighth Quartet without breaking into tears, the work is not self-pitying. Rather its genius is that it transcends individual pain to address all human despair. It is this which explains its profundity. The torment that it voices is the tragic, human agony of all those who have experienced grievous loss whether it be due to fascism, war, or personal bereavement. Shostakovich's Eighth String Quartet resonates with this bitter universal experience; it is truly 'music written with the heart's blood'; that is why it is a masterpiece of the twentieth century7." (www.quartets.de/compositions/ssq08.html)

Shortly, because he uses the D S C H motif unsparingly. He's literally writing out his name in desperation everywhere in the piece.

Hollow Cliche Lev Lebedinsky, a friend of shostakovich had this to say about the 8th quartet: “Shostakovich purchased a large number of sleeping pills. He played the quartet to me on the piano and told me with tears in his eyes that it was his last work. I managed to remove the pills from his jacket pocket and gave them to his son Maxim. I pleaded with him not to let his father out of his sight. During the next few days I spent as much time as possible with Shostakovich until I felt the danger of suicide had passed.”

So that's the story behind this particular string quartet? No wonder it's dark!

I thought the whole knocking was because of his friend. The Russian Government knocked of his close friends door. He never saw that friend again.

*fourth movement

glanknightfalcon the story behind this whole piece is quite sad. It was a suicide piece. He was originally going to kill himself after this but decided not to. There are many themes throughout This piece that are from previous pieces, such as the three quarter note knocking. There’s more to this but that is the general sense of it.

@@xpkryanx He actually showed it to one of his friends, saying that this would be his last piece. His friend then found **sssnnnort** sleeping pills in his jacket and gave them to Shostakovich's son. *sorry if the grammar and spelling is wired.* *_I ' M J U S T C R Y I N G S O M U C H R I G H T N O W_*

Madeline Novack and learning why and under which sircumstances this is written makes it even sadder

It is a nice piece but really depressing

... my brain short-circuited multiple times thinking this comment through

thanks

Same here.

I can imagine an army of sneaky villains marching to this

It’s a classic bit

​@@Gr84younah, its about death

Yes

This part of the piece was actually a musical quote from his opera “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk”, which earned Shostakovich Stalin’s fury.

EATEOT moment

I wanna like this comment but it will be 101, so NO .

even better at 6:34

@@Iumine yes!

Bourj Hammoud from Ara Malikian seems to digest this passage.

i sure as hell could do amazing things

I hope you're having a good day today and if you aren't, know that better days are coming.

This is widely regarded as a myth because Shostakovich never confirmed it, and as someone who has written a couple - you don't write a suicide note in a day and refrain from mentioning your deceased spouse a single time. As incredible, dark, and deep this story is, it just doesn't fit as a suicide note.

Hope you’re doing ok

They fucking killed him

Oh dude, for that you should try the string quartet no. 15.

Haha, I get it

malifecent killed him before he could finish...

Why did it take me so long to understand why he stopped typing?

In the 'cellos, that's tenor clef, not alto. Only an absolute mad lad would give the 'cello an alto clef

Jean Sibelius True

Quit commenting.

Well, that transition is insane! Dynamics jump from double piano to triple forte while the tempo jumps from half note = 63 i.e Largo to half note = 240 (faster than Bumblebee)

the guy really just chose violence

damn

actually it's D E-flat C B (D Es C H or D S C H)

The DSCH is used literally at the beginning of the piece and throughout it, it every movement

It’s used throughout his music. I often interpret it as a statement of “I am an individual and you cannot take that away however hard you try”. A considered, intellectual point that he uses to great musical effect. In this piece it is not a statement - it is a scream.

Normally it is DEbCB

Awesome!

Prahalad Gururajan He wrote this on a "vacation" near by the completly burned-down Dresden. I'm right here, at the place he was sitting and composing. It's a nice landscape ... :)

Donizetti pops up: "What took him so long?"

when you already have the themes and the motivation, it wouldn't take long to compose

@@hungahamsterflywater Im a composer and what's even harder (for me) is to find a theme that suits up the style of the composition

What’s fugato ??

@@mariaiordanidou8112, If you've heard of a fugue, it's essentially a mini-fugue. I think Inside the Score has a video on it

Why do you say so?

and when it contains some other parts of music written also by himself

​@@jmrabinez9254it's a fugue on DSCH.

I think someone also wrote that on liszts tortantz

The transition from 3rd movement to the 4th scared the crap out of me

Me right now dude

Haha

But is it paranoia if people really are out to get you?

yes it is

Sebastian Lawler no

I have to admit and I know your strangers but I think I am paranoid too. Do you ever feel like everyone can hear your thoughts and knows everything and they talk about you when you leave.

@Ian Park Probably referencing the 4th movement, which is paranoid's most musical incarnation

cry

made me mad asf

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Isn't it from "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk"?

Maybe once you study it for 2 or 3 more years, you'll truly understand it. Remember, Shostakovich took 3 whole days to write this. the least we can do is take the time necessary to understand it.

It's also the mii channel theme

@@joshscores3360 wait what? I didn't hear it in there

@@juliee593 the rhythm

👎👎👎

+Musta Krakish Well, read a little about Shostakovich's life on wiki... I think you'll understand pretty soon how he ended up writing music like this.

To put it succinctly, suicidal.

à

I think the mood is more questioning, the kind of "how could this happen" one does after trying to comprehend a tragedy

+Darius Kaperonis There's a lot of speculation about this piece, but it is likely that when Shostakovich wrote this he intended for it to be his suicide note. In my opinion, that fact alone makes this piece so much more interesting

+Αντώνης Τζιβένης Yes it's great, I agree!

How long have u been practicing l

wait what school did/do you go to? (I'm asking because I was part of a HS chamber orch playing 1st violin for this and pretty much memorized the 2nd movement for District Assessment or "festival" a couple of years ago)

i go to school in california. i wasnt in the chamber orchestra that played this but i was in the audience listening

CMEA?

My high school chamber played this at a national competition at the Lincoln Center this past week and by god it just brought up so many emotions I dont know how to express them other than moving and playing for you

yea

I was thinking this was like the metal of classical music lol

Think the same, on first listening

Progressive metal is the modern classical music, I love both and they have much similarity

It's so hard to find Classical music that's as depressing or sad as some of Black Metal. I usually can't stand happy music, but at the same time I love Classical. Erbarme Dich is my favorite Bach piece for this reason.

Mostly about Russia. Shostakovich was super paranoid that he was gonna disappear after a visit from the secret police. Lots of imagery too, like air sirens, loud knocking, and guns.

Yoo sameee

Softie.

Lili Well he was terrified as people he knew had been executed by The Soviets and he was afraid he was next.

Similar but not identical. Probably a coincidence. The musical gesture you are referring to is rather simple and basic, not distinctive enough to be regarded as a quote. Compare it to other quotes in this piece: his 1st symphony, his cello concerto, his 2nd piano trio, a quote from his opera. These quotes are rather extensive and unmistakable

It most likely is a reference with plausible deniability like in comment prior (very simple progression etc). Making direct music quote would most likely seem "anti-soviet", especially in context, and Shostakovich was on a very thin ice as is.

@@garrysmodsketches Shostakovich worked references into his works often. This is probably not an accident, but very much on purpose.

Mozart wrote an entire overture the morning before the premiere, he is capable to do everything

Mozart wrote the entire Linz symphony in 4 days, lol

Ohh that's amazing

Me when my medications hit😂😂

I agree!!!

Versus Christus bop meaning a really really good song/piece

You can write good music even if you're happy.

@@guitaristssuck8979 Of course. I'm not saying those two are exclusive. There were plenty of happy composers. I'm just not sure we'd have the same exact music, and IF we couldn't, I'm saying which option I'd pick.

@@Jupiter-T one can compose simulating any mood.

@@guitaristssuck8979 ok I'm not disagreeing

Kenshiro yeah I can hear it without headphones

awesomeguy684 Ahhh cool. Such a nice piece of atmosphere for the song.

Kenshiro yes, definitely. It adds a lot to the suspense

Kenshiro I can hear them, and my headphones are garbage.

which is weird since these are violinists, why are they breathing so hard?

Вы ничего не знаете о России! А по этой причине и Шостакович для вас за семью печатями!

Largo means "played slowly".

+scottbos68 His music would be very different I think, but he also wouldn't be as famous as he is now...

+scottbos68 It is so ironic and tragic that the great composers do not come here to live but to be tortured so that they will create those dark and sarcastic masterpieces we all know and love...take the examples of Shostakovich, Schnittke, Chopin, Schubert, Schumann, Mahler exc...only Beethoven wrote ''happy'' of more correctly ''with hope'' music and only because he was strong enough to hope for peace and happiness...but even in his case most of his music is dark(Pathetique, Appasionata, 5th Symphony)...What is different in him is that he has strength, hope and belief... in his 9th Symphony the happiness comes in the end, firstly there must be torture and anger...those people come here to create, not to live a happy and peaceful life...that's how they become immortal. Light and joyful music can be written by anyone, but dark music can be written only by a tormented genius.

Belle analyse .

+George S. I largely agree; re Beethoven I would exhibit, as even better evidence of your thesis, his late piano sonatas (op. 101-111), and even more his transcendent late string quartets (op. 127-135). And because I invoked the word transcendent, I must follow with the name J.S. Bach.

+George S. Beethoven voulait transposer l'esprit des Lumières. Il y a probablement beaucoup plus de partitions joyeuses dans le répertoire, pensons à Vivaldi et à tous les classiques peut-être, qui ne travaillent pas le "romantisme".

No matter how legal drugs become, they're not ok.

Alex Cameron It's okay to think aloud. Keep telling yourself whatever you think will help.

Thank you

xenochrist15 I think of the KGB coming at night or soviet soldiers arriving to burn down a town during ww2 or rounding up german p.o.w.s to be executed

This song was about the horrors of communism and the sadness it wroughts

I think you mean the "everything." This entire quartet is basically that motif stretched in different ways.

Thanks, captain obvious.

it's just the subject lol

I was looking for this comment...

@@collinford4221 Not even close - it was his signature and he had used this specific signature in many of his other pieces for many years. Bach did the same thing with his name (in German notation, B A C H is the same as Bb A C B). His use of D Es (pronounced like the letter 's') C H as the main theme of the piece was extremely intentional.

?????????

in addition to political oppression, the second movement also calls to mind Shostakovich's battle with deafness, in keeping with your moth in a jar analogy.

the two do not conflict

Yah

Imagine if composers had to write in advertising jingles to help pay the bills...

Same

Keep in mind that they're from completely different periods. One is baroque the other is modern/contemporary

@@sofiabosco7892 yeah of course. It's just funny to see how relative our notation system can be

After, he was quoting his best works. Like someone giving themselves an obituary

That’s such a great idea! Props to you for being able to focus on the rosary with the tumultuous nature of this piece. The Scourging at the Pillar lining up with the second movement… woah, chills.

Same here lol

If the first movement relaxes you, you're a psychopath.

why are you listening to shostakovich to sleep? if you want to go to sleep, just listen to brahms lulaby or the bass line(whatever you call it) of canon in d...or just nothing.

dude if youre trying to sleep you should try to choral song "Sleep" by Eric Witacre

He was undoubtedly a genius