Shostakovich himself said that his String Quartet No 4 was "written for the drawer," a poetic way of saying that it was not for public consumption, especially since works similar in style and mood had already been banned in the Soviet Union. Completed in 1949 the first performance of the quartet did not take place until after Stalin's death. The work is haunting in its use of Jewish themes and motives. In this week's Regional Spotlight is a January performance from Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church with the Artaria String Quartet, part of their series of presenting the complete set of Shostakovich quartets this season and next.
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