Shostakovich - String Quartet No. 8 - 2nd Mvt.

[20thcomposer]

He looks like he want to suicide, and the music is matching

[cagin]

There the hell breaks loose !!!

[KellAnderson]

I love the way he integrates Russian Gulag songs into this, along with the psycho strings, and the infamous morning knock on the door by the NKVD.

Run and hide children, the NKVD is at the door. No matter what you hear, don't scream, don't gasp, don't even make a sound.

[fallenfairy19]

this is reflecting his own feelings toward "the victims of fascism and war"

so what emotion is this?

it's so crazy awesome

the second violin part is pure awesomeness

especially first and second together at 1:00 ish

[fallenfairy19]

@fallenfairy19 i amend myself

at 0:55

[Rellik428]

@fallenfairy19 Sounds like panic and chaos

[BombedNevada]

Looks like he just gave birth to, I don't know, String Quartet No. 8

[bakanochibi]

I like how Shostakovich looks like he has a headache in all the pictures of the quartet recordings.

[MortalityFight]

who has read it,I hope that will understand it. And for ''other R******'' wich are posting really ridicoulous posts on that song, PLEASE IF U DON'T LIKE IT OR IF U DON'T UNDERSTAND IT, LEAVE THE WHOLE THING ALONE AND DON'T POST ANYTHING(putting your ''stupidity'' on internet is not reccomended, coz with that you youst tell us who u are.) ENJOY IN THE MASTERPIECE GUYS... :)))))))))

[MortalityFight]

this is really pure beauty for ears and a little bit different and genious mind from other composers. When some of ppls hear this song is for ''them'' youst another anoying classical song wich is crap, but in reality is much,much more than that (I really appoligize coz my english is crappy), this man has put his complete soul in that masterpiece and if you hear song( it's different if u are listening or if u hear) u can figure out really manny things. Ithink that nobody will read this but still

[exarkunrocks]

0:55 to 1:10 ... so awesome. that's it, pure and simple. gah

[GabrielPadecopeo]

Genial, la expresión musical perfecta de la convulsión del Siglo XX. Bravo por Shostakovich, perseguido y acosado por el Estado de la URRSS

[tonksloopy]

Well, isn't that a properly fitting picture to accompany the music.

Dear god he looks WORN OUT.

[aesthesiogenic]

Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky are my favorite composers~ <3

[TheCastilloqueen]

I love conductors who are like this. Suicidal and possibly insane. These are the true artists who express everything. Tchaikovsky I would say is the all time great though. Love you Shostakovich!

[NORMALisSooOVERRATED]

To hear MY quartet playing this, go to my channel. It is in my favorites.

PS: We play it REEEEEEEEEEEALLY WELL !!!!!

[psisaza]

No! Impresionante, Que verraca cosa tan buena.

[angela81302]

shostakovitch is brilliant, obviously, and possibly insane. or on psychedelic drugs.

[MagixP]

orgasm to my ears

[AbsoluteZ3R0]

@unpoop Why is that the Shostakovich recordings/videos on youtube are polluted with retarded comments like yours and osmium's comment on the video of Shostakovich's 3rd quartet? I don't understand. This movement isn't sexy, and even if you're joking (which I presume you are), you sound like an idiot.

[chrismuscaroler]

@AbsoluteZ3R0 hes not joking, you idiot. everyone hears and interprets music in their own way. i can totally hear what he's talking about, and you sound like the idiot for being so close-minded.

[AbsoluteZ3R0]

@chrismuscaroler Obvious troll is obvious

[iamalittlespy]

@AbsoluteZ3R0 I tend to agree with you. While everyone is free to interpret music in their own way, to call this quartet dedicated to victims of WWII and Totalitarianism "sexy" is distasteful and shows complete ignorance of historical context and composers biography. Maybe unpoop and chrismuscarlier can get together and jack off to Truimph of Will or Schindlers List, they'll find that sexy as well.

[AbsoluteZ3R0]

@iamalittlespy I hate to further appear to be a dick but this quartet was not actually dedicated to the victims of totalitarianism. Shostakovich dedicated it to himself in fear that he would die a lonely death. I believe it was his son who recommended changing the dedication when it was going to be published because dedicating a piece to yourself looks bad. If this piece were truly dedicated to the victims of WWII, it wouldn't be nearly as depressing.

[iamalittlespy]

@AbsoluteZ3R0 I don't think you're being a dick. There is ongoing debate in Shostakovich scholarship as to how much of his music is actually autobiographical. People who believe "The Testimony" seem to subscribe to that opinion, however Testimony has also been challenged by some scholars as to being not completely accurate.

[iamalittlespy]

@AbsoluteZ3R0 (cont.) I am not enough of an authority to argue what this quartet is actually dedicated too, maybe its autobiographical, maybe by including the prominent Jewish theme he is commemorating victims of Holocaust. Shostakovich was also known make official dedications, that would keep party beaurocrats off his back while actually dedicating his music to something entirely different. Your point is valid, even there are a few counter-arguments.

[iamalittlespy]

@AbsoluteZ3R0 (cont.) The "knocking" theme of the fourth movement has always reminded me of Stalinist Repression....of the secret police coming to take the person away. Historically speaking, 1960's was actually a more positive time in Shosty's life. Stalin died 7 years ago, Khrushev's cultural thaw, was making way for a more free artistic expression and official "party" denouncements of 1936 and 1948 where behind him.

[iamalittlespy]

@AbsoluteZ3R0 (cont.) The historical context of this quartet makes for a fascinating discussion beyond the scope of Youtube comments (just for the reasons of limited characters that are allowed). My main point was that this is the music of great personal torment, regardless of dedication. To call it "sexy", shows a certain kind of ignorant dismisiveness.

[chrismuscaroler]

@iamalittlespy I disagree. I am neither dismissive nor ignorant, am currently writing a paper on Russian music, emphasizing Shostakovich's relationship with totalitarianism. But you can't interpret a song based on the context in which it was written and only pay attention to the corresponding musical aspects. Everyone will hear the song a little differently, and if you understand that you can begin to break the habit of telling people how to interpret a piece of music.

[iamalittlespy]

@chrismuscaroler First of if you want to sound intelligent and informed when discussing classical music, please stop using the word "song". This is not a song, there is no human voice involved. This is a string quartet, the words "piece" or a "movement" would also be appropriate. Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber have songs, this is Shostakovich. One way to give away that you're relatively new or inexperienced to this field is to call pieces of music songs, when they aren't. 

[iamalittlespy]

@chrismuscaroler Second, are you suggesting that we completely dismiss historical, cultural and social context, when discussing a piece of music ? Yes there is no strict mathematical formula to determine why composer wrote what he wrote. But there is something called scholarly and historical consensus. If you're doing a paper on Shosty and are even remotely familiar with his music, you will know that most of it is not of the happy / bubbly kind and there is a very good reason for that.

[iamalittlespy]

@chrismuscaroler (continued) If you have evidence that this is piece is about the composer having or thinking of sex, being constipated or overcooking his omelet (sorry for sacrcasm), I would love for you to present it. Otherwise, your line of argument is very similar to the creationists proving that you can't prove evolution because "you weren't there." In other words before making a statement there has to be some evidence and background to it.

[iamalittlespy]

@AbsoluteZ3R0 (cont) As as for being less depressing if it was actually dedicated to victims of WWII, I respectfully disagree. Shost. was a victim of WWII. He himself lived through the siege of Leningrad and I am sure noticed all the dead strarving bodies. There is an intimate link between his life and events of the 20th century since he both personally suffered from Stalin's oppression and Nazi invasion.

[AbsoluteZ3R0]

@iamalittlespy You make some interesting/good points. My reasoning for stating that this piece would be less depressing if it were dedicated to the victims of WWII is because if you listen to any other piece dedicated to war victims, like Strauss's Metamorphosen, Elgar's cello concerto, or some of Hindemith's works there is always a sense of objectivity to it. The music almost seems distanced and impersonal, regardless of how directly affected the composer was by the war. No matter how good a

[AbsoluteZ3R0]

@iamalittlespy a human is at empathizing with the suffering of other humans, nothing compares to the experience of personal depression. I myself have been legitimately depressed for extended periods of time and I thoroughly understand the sensation. This piece is reeks with the intangible stench of personal despair and loneliness. I am so familiar with the sensation that I can confidently state that I KNOW that this piece is the embodiment of Shostakovich's personal suffering.

[AbsoluteZ3R0]

@iamalittlespy There is a great deal of difference between pieces written by composers dedicated to the suffering of others and pieces written about their own suffering. In the first category would be the works I mentioned earlier, in the second category would be this quartet, Tchaikovsky's 6th symphony (especially the last movement), and possibly Bach's chaconne for violin. The latter of the three I have no evidence for, except that it shares the same aesthetic qualities as the other examples

[chrismuscaroler]

@iamalittlespy I hate to comment twice, but I want you to reallize how incredibly offensive that was. There is a difference between respect for what a composer went through when writing a piece, and blindly interpreting it within the narrow region you think Shostakovich might have wanted. Also, I dont think you really understand what the word 'sexy' means in the sense I or unpoop use it.

[iamalittlespy]

@chrismuscaroler Third, you are the one who called AbsoluteZ3RO an idiot for rightly saying that calling this piece of music "sexy" is retarded at best. Looks like you can dish it out, but you can't take it. Stop using personal insults in intellectual discussions and you won't be "incredibly offended".

[iamalittlespy]

@chrismuscaroler Lastly, my statement about you and unpoop (what a great name) was a little over the top and I apologize if I got a little nasty. Its just really irritating when people take stuff out of their ass and then argue about it as if they know what they're talking about. I completely disagree with you that you can't use context to judge work of art. There are instances when you're right, for example Mozart wrote some "happy" sounding music in time of personal torment.

[chrismuscaroler]

@iamalittlespy (continued) which, i suppose, is what it comes down to. I relate a lot with Shostakovich, and his music. And I can really, truly feel the personal anguish and hopelessness in this MOVEMENT. But I can also see, extremely well, how someone might find it sexy. And I find both interpretations valid.

[iamalittlespy]

@chrismuscaroler (contintued) However to entirely separate context form a piece of music and to say anyone's interpretation no matter how ignorant and uninformed is still valid is preposterous.

[chrismuscaroler]

@iamalittlespy lets not stress over words, okay? i have a lot of trouble with words.

I'll keep this short. I DO know what I'm talking about, and I have seen Triumph of the Will. And while I respect your view on how a piece can, may, and should be interpreted, I frankly think that any real, solid emotion a piece stirs in anyone is valid, and I wouldn't be offended if someone found my music sexy, or happy, or some other emotion I wasn't planning to evoke.

[ADhauZ]

MASTERPIECE!!!!!! A TRUE DIAMOND....

[pyrofiliac]

pretty mad good

[greendemon77]

this movement is by far one of the most difficult movements to put together. but when done correctly its absolutely amazing. i love this movement. i love the entire piece.

[whythewar1]

Shostakovitch may have been old and ugly when he wrote this but he sure as hell new the difference between a fiddle and a violin.

[HolyGK]

Very powerful, you can feel the energy... Amazing

[beethomozart]

interesting and original section of this quartett, let us remember that this work is considered with a strong autobiographic content

[profoundlysecret1]

Shostakovich is a big Expressionist. It's the distortion of "living" and "being" he seeks.

[atralfalgar]

the greatest mouvement of the quartet