Dmitri Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 1 in C major (Op. 49) was composed in six weeks during the summer of 1938. This string quartet has none of the bravura of the fifth symphony which preceded it. Instead, the composer seemed to have discovered a new kind of distinctly Russian neoclassicism. The tone is chiefly optimistic, although the minor-keyed inner movements provide a contrast. Shostakovich wrote of this quartet "I visualized childhood scenes, somewhat nave and bright moods associated with spring."

This edition contains the full score. Published by DSCH.

Difficulty: 5

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