This treatise is an analytical research on Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8. Shostakovich is a composer who employed new musical expression methods by embracing both Russian and neo-Classical elements. His music is characterized by chromatic scales...
This treatise is an analytical research on Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8. Shostakovich is a composer who employed new musical expression methods by embracing both Russian and neo-Classical elements. His music is characterized by chromatic scales based on tonality, chord centered on interval sets and emphasis of rhythm. Of his works, many pieces used the skill of counterpoint particularly and this feature was also found in his String Quartet No. 8. This piece composed of five movements in total flows without stopping throughout the entire movements.
This piece develops with motifs of four figures including D-E-C-B based on intervals made in the initials of the composer himself. The first movement, made in fugue form, develops the motif through tonal answers using the form of question and answer, and has the structure of expanding and developing by means of interval relations between minor 2 and minor 3. It has rondo form building on this fugue. The second movement, based on toccata form, develops to four canons and elevates to atmosphere in which passionate exasperation is vomited as a result of piled pathetic emotion. The third movement in rondo form is made of the waltz atmosphere, while the fourth movement in free rondo form is made of strong chords as if a violent explosion. The fifth movement is developed by repeating the latter part of the first movement and in fugue form compressing the fourth movement.
This work composed through counterpoint elements as such, maximizes the idea of counterpoint such as fugue, toccata and combines new sound elements, eventually making itself one of masterpieces of its kind.