Shostakovich String Quartet No.8 - 1st&2nd mvt

[thereez93]

Have to play the 1st violin part of this piece. Not sure yet wether I'm excited or scared.

[Nujjitoza]

movement 2 ftw

[ThePendereckii]

To me its the best performance on the web actually. The first violin attack the second movement like no one else. I just cant understand why some ppl complain about the interpretation, to me its just perfection and the right way to deliver Shostakovich. I could recommend the version of the Emerson string quartet for those who liked this version (Naxos)

[Eorhen]

@ThePendereckii I heard only one better performance. It was "Camerata" Quartet from Poland. Its incredible piece, That quartet plays it unbelievable!

[PoorGreedo]

Sounds like somebody already got scared at 3:12

[Jubedube]

6:15 OH GOD STOP TONGUING MY EARS SHOSTAKOVICH

[katrebeccathomas]

thumbs up if WJEC A2 music sent you here.

[teadrinkerification]

dude. DU-HUHUDE. 

[SnapeBellatrixLuna]

Listening to this and just trying to imagine what Shostakovich experienced makes me weep.

[THEMGOROTH75]

This is TRUE EPIC POWER!!EPIC,EPIC,EPIC!!!!!!!!

[azhriiaz]

i love the atmosphere of this performance compliments the music so well.. like a painting with schizophrenic characters in a state of mad rapture. shostakovich was a brilliantly insane fellow. i wonder at what his dreams were like.. or nightmares even.

[kirill429]

sorry, this is one of the least expressive recordings of this piece i have ever seen. the solo of the 1st violin was completely irrelevant because it was exactly as the composer wrote it except for the ad libitum. the 1st violin is not expressive in the least. i like the cello though. and for those of you who ask, i HAVE played this piece. both 1st and 2nd violins

[dragonscarz13]

@kirill429 Not at all, I found the 1st violin to be acceptable.

[kirill429]

@dragonscarz13 i will not criticize (spelling?) your opinion.

[sk8tersmyth]

@kirill429 do you know what it was written about?

[kirill429]

@sk8tersmyth yes, it is dedicated to fascism and war, and it basically represents Russia during WWII

[schumacherenator]

@kirill429 No no no! Dedicated to VICTIMS of fascism and war! Important distinction.

[kirill429]

@schumacherenator please excuse my error.

[Demon1aq]

@kirill429

Antifascist dedication were only a cover from the authorities. It's the autobiographical composition.

[nrogers1985]

I have heard this piece played many times by many different people but this is by far the best performance of them all – your timing was impeccable, clean and crisp and your emotion was genuine, not forced or overdone. Congratulations :)

[InnaLee]

@nrogers1985

i think you might like this version, though, a lot!

oh, the link doesn't work here. put elina knaus into the search field. that's my sister. i filmed her violin diploma concert. enjoy!

[nrogers1985]

@InnaLee

Sensational! I'll watch some of her other vids too - she's fantastic. They all are actually!

As a completely random comment - I've seen a few people (cellists especially) use two music stands when playing this piece. I've been told they have really difficult page turns so it can make their life a lot easier :)

[ilovelemon67]

EPICOSITY

[popppaortiz]

AHHHHHHHHH♥♥♥♥♥

[hiheyhay]

5:19 #FTW

[210jato]

yay cello i play the cello nd i hope 2 play this song some day because my high school varsity strings orchestra played this

[glory9835]

I LOVE watching intense asians rock out on the cello :D

[zammer997]

@glory9835 thats an odd lil fetish

[glory9835]

@zammer997 FETISH?!?!?!?

[walltine]

This is my favorite piece by Shostakovich by far! You four did a wonderful job. It's so moving. I was told by one of my music teachers years ago to just imagine when this was wrote in Russia. Picture during the first movement a long bread line with starving children and old women, then at the begining of the second movement a young man runs to the front of the line and takes food from the officials and shares some with those waiting in line and the second movement is him running from the police

[bpertz]

@walltine that's really interesting. I never thought of it like that.

[snotberg123]

@walltine actually this piece was written as sort of a last testament by Shostakovich as he was preparing to commit suicide...the first movement is actually just saying that this is his own piece and nothing Stalin says or does will change that (because Stalin only promoted one type of music and sent those who didn't write that kind of nationalistic music was sent to work camps); the rest is essentially his anger for not doing what he wanted to do and allowing himself to get ordered around

[darklinaleelee]

This is deeply depressing but amazingly beautifull at the same time.Our varsity orchestra played this piece and they did amazing!Im so glad I got to hear it.

[StefanoMatteucci]

Amazing!

[Fariddeee]

This is eveything. I fucking love this quartet is SO intense

[GLaDOSsMailerDaemon]

1 person listens to Beethoven.

[MegaDocalex]

@GLaDOSsMailerDaemon Why, I like Beethoven is my favorite and I like this. Think before to say stupidities like that

[GLaDOSsMailerDaemon]

@MegaDocalex It was a joke. The ninth is my favourite piece of music.

[MegaDocalex]

@GLaDOSsMailerDaemon Ah men scuse me XD I didn't see it was a joke, please forgive me haha!

[afields92]

better than emerson...

[TheCellosnow]

OMG !

[TheCellosnow]

OMG !

[peekabooro]

viola part definately the sickest? am i right!!

[ravioli49]

....hearing this, tears came....

[RozsaCellist]

During the fast part I half expected a murderer to jump out and strangle someone. Haha!

[BozVar26]

when I was told i wasn't gonna play this ... my heart broke :(

[drummergirl0908]

This is beautiful.

Congrats :)

[NightWanderer31415]

Pure Beauty... Have no other words to describe it... The pacing, the strong, yet melancholic progressions... a piece of Art, no doubt.

[triviumlambofgod]

i need a score, anyone kno where to get one ?

[ebecello]

@triviumlambofgod ¡Yo lo tengo! :)

[ebecello]

Ya lo encontré ¡Muchas gracias! :)

[DubbedTheUnforgiven]

@triviumlambofgod 4shared look it up

[piggypigyy131993]

now these cats can play!!!! my fav piece in da whole wiiiieeedd wooooorrrwwwllddd

[piggypigyy131993]

now these cats can play!!!!

[Crustaceans]

At 6:40 I started laughing like a maniac.

[seeneyj]

brutal. Just brutal.

[ineschoupa]

J'adore!!!!!!!!

[triviumlambofgod]

so awesome

[Sonialanc]

Amazing!!!!

[betelguese05]

fantastic

[Ceminon]

Excellent performance.

Favorited.

[eannu]

7:09 That viola makes me go KZ;MNVHFEUWJFFJJKFDASCKDASVJIE­OPVVNE INSANE!!!! IT'S SO AWESOME!!!!!

[demminicole1346]

yesssss!

[Eito87]

HOLY SHIT the 2nd movement sounds like an orchestra!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ResurectedPlayer]

i like second move so much! is really awesome!

[guitarpicka1]

This CD is definately on my list...I t touches me in all of the right places..magnificent..!!

[TezaArgument]

awesome, i really love shostacovich production... have no idea how can people say 'this is boring' come on... if you know his past, his history, you can find in those compositions complitely different depth.

love it.

[ebstrez]

to all of those head bangers out there, this was written about the holocost... just to let you know. Overall this quartet really kicked ason this one

[cecily0redman]

I'm pretty sure it was a kind of reply to all the critism he got from Stalin and stuff, it was a kind of memorial piece for his own funeral cause he was so depressed that no one would remember him or his work... bit tragic really.

But that's what I heard cause I'm also doing for AS :) One of the most cool pieces to analyse woo:D

[ktmad]

@ebstrez i thought it was written about his dipression of agreeing to take a seat with the communist party he disliked and the loss of his wife

[girlviolinist1]

We are playing this in our high school orchestra. It is one of my favorites. You did a really good!

[chiappealvento]

sublime, makes me cry

[vladimir3103]

6:17 with the head-banging = epic.

[TrommyImp]

im studying this for my as too, we had to play with a violin tuba 2 flutes and 3 singers on piano...that was the funiest moment of the year so far, but i love this piece!!!amazing

[ktmad]

That was blinking amazing!! I'm studying this for my AS Music in 6th Form. MUSIC ALL THE WAY <3

[dumblond4]

EXCELLENT job. the second movement really displays how well done and epic it is. this is one of my favorite quartets of all time, and this is an excellent interpretation.

[dckoreanboy]

This is the best damn interpretation of 2nd movement I have heard. Finally. People who read music conservatively, play it ruthlessly.

[Barnaldomort]

O.o

Holy shit,

[Eilos]

Playing this at a funeral service tomorrow...

[Crono6582]

Great performance! On the second movement, the excitement of the runs would be heightened if the bow strokes were a little more rigid. But regardless, there's no way I could degrade such a great interpretation. Keep it up!

[boomviolinist]

p'palm sood yod!

[moncononight]

At first I had read everones comments and I saw epic epic ect..so i listened to the song for about 2mins and was thinking to myself wtf are these ppl talking about, don't they know the meaning of the word? so then i had decided to wait it out and see how it unveiled it self and holy shit I am amazed .

epic.

[Izzilla09]

EPICCCCCC

[Lollyatron]

Epic

[noodlenate]

Oh. My. God.

[RyoKreuzfel]

２ｎｄ　ｍｖｔ　ｍａｋｅｓ　ｍｅ　ｓｃａｒｙ．

[dant12]

everytime i watch this it just get more and more fucking awsome

[jtang1192]

so true

[messengercalleddeath]

omigod this is so good! you guys are awesome!

[chameleodon]

You really are the best version on the internet, you should be proud of yourselves

[tlsrn105]

forgive the swearing, but this is the best way i can express my thoughts on this piece

FUCK YEAH!

[peppersax]

@tlsrn105

AMEN..........SHOSTAKOVITCH IS STILL THE BADDEST MUTHAFUC**** COMPOSER EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[otsukenagasaki]

This is my favorite song!! You guys are amazing. We won a price with this song at the Heritage Festival of Boston, four years ago with the OCMP, a good orchestra made of sixteen students who are between 13 and 17 years old. We've also done a Borodin and a Walton :P Anyways... Keep on working!!

[jtang1192]

this is my favorite recording

[jtang1192]

Amazing performance

[macias13ca]

Great performance! Just look out for slowing down in the second movement.

[hoolala35]

to macias13ca

it's the 2nd violin's off beat who slow it down!~

hha!

[moonkasnow]

wow.. the firs violin... wow

[qutoobe]

Played in the dark- as it should be. This is one of the reasons that I favorited the whole piece. That and the fact that they sounded like business! Keep them coming!

[mogirl69]

composed in three days too. only 20 minutes but god. i heard also he was seriously considering suicide around this time.

[phiastardust]

it was rumoured that this was his suicide note, so to speak. but he went on to live for about ten years, didn't he? oh my. shostakovich really put himself into his work. which is why this peice is so moving. i think

[bigb47]

he does indeed put himself into this piece. he makes it personal by constantly spelling out his name with the notes.

[karlbaseballviolinn]

love it

[CrystalFlames]

Love.

[lebensraum]

Absolutely fantastic, both piece and performance.

[Arodang]

The only other Quartet on par with these guys are the Borodin Quartet

[xempress]

much better than Kronos, they were way too fast in first part. that's the best. I think even Dymitr would be pleased.

[immafatpig]

you guys were on point with this piece.

greattt job :D.

[throbbingguru]

I love the fact that this murky ass recording outshines the efforts of some of the big name quartets. excellent.

[quintos34]

WOW!! Well done. Darn, this Dimitri dude could compose, feel the pain!! brbrr.this music makes me feel sad, cold and lonely, almost dead yet so alive :)

[argentsong]

on par with Kronos

[cheerycheerio]

breath taking

<3

[angelouself]

That was fantastic, on pair with Emerson Quartet quality.

[jjweprich]

Viola and cello are impressive.

[artistichickaa]

omgggggg, that was something special, one day i will play that as well as they did and pit it on youtube...be ready guyss

[Vipmaxp]

I think you guys sound as good as emerson on this one :)

[sfikssfiks]

Non vibrato at the beginning is a real find.

That's how it should sound.

1st movement is too slow IMHO.

[jflopez1235]

yeah, its perfect without vibrato

[parallax7d]

good point, man this performance is solid gold

[zimmermanmusic]

oh my god, is very good. i compare itwith a few quartet and they are better. Is even better than the profesional string quartet. very outstanding tone.

[oliada071]

AWESOME!

[theethertethered]

As most of the other commentators here, i think(!) you are riding this on a very High Edge - thechnically as well as Emotionally!

((It is Amazing to see such an Ephochal work go around the world... Today.))

[checkkyou]

i cannot stop staring at the cellist; he is incredible in expression and tone

[IhaveaCstring]

The first movement sounds so beautiful! The second movement is so intense! This is VERY good and you guys seem to be very high trained musicians. VERY good job!!! I love how you all played! I'm also playing this quartet! =) (I play viola)

[nuckles007]

dork dork dork dork dork dork dork dork dork dork dork dork dorkd dork dork

[IhaveaCstring]

you're dorkierrr you dork

(to nuckles)

=p

[xmikeyyc]

that vioalist is actually really good

[IhaveaCstring]

yeah all of them are very good

[ricecreamdude]

VIOLA BUDDIES!!

(but I suck :P )

[cheescn]

Such an amazing piece, and nice performance.

[cretu]

very good musicien

[cactusviola]

It s so wanderful, I like it very much!

[petitber]

hello, nice version; Too bad for the poor light on stage...

[nafeNafen]

i thought that was the point