String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110
Dmitri Shostakovich
Work background
Researched classical background
Shostakovich's Eighth Quartet connects five movements through recurring material, especially the four-note musical signature associated with his initials. Quotations from his earlier works give the piece a strongly retrospective character. Its published dedication commemorates victims of fascism and war. The relationship between that public dedication and the work's personal meanings remains a subject of interpretation, so no single secret program is asserted here.
Inspiration and creative background
The published dedication commemorates victims of fascism and war; extensive self-quotation supplies documented autobiographical material.
String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110 - LA Phil
Work identity, chronology where stated, and the specific musical or historical context summarized in this entry. | Reviewed 2026-10-19
A listening guide
Follow the four-note signature across slow and fast movements, noticing how its character changes with the texture.
Listening suggestions are editorial guides to the music.
Forces: Two violins, viola, and cello
Composition: 1960
Written in Dresden; the published dedication and autobiographical musical references should be distinguished from later interpretations.
This entry describes the musical work or cycle. Composition, premiere and publication dates describe different events. Performers and recordings can be explored through the external listening search.
Date, title and version notes
Broader claims about a single hidden political or personal program remain interpretive.
String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110 - LA Phil
Work identity, chronology where stated, and the specific musical or historical context summarized in this entry. | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Sources for this work
String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110 - LA Phil
Work identity, chronology where stated, and the specific musical or historical context summarized in this entry. | Reviewed 2026-10-19
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1960-2025. Each year contains 150 selections.