The latest installment of Rob Kapilow's popular series, What Makes It Great? took place on Friday evening at Jordan Hall. Rob and the Pacifica Quartet took on Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8, a work that has spawned numerous theories as to its meaning(s) and politics ("Just what is Shostakovich saying about Soviet oppression?"). The 8th quartet is considered by some to be a kind of orgy of self-reference, possibly even a self-requiem. Evidence abounds, from the theme, which built on Shostakovich's initials, to the snippets of his own compositions littered throughout (though grotesquely re-imagined). Rob's take on the 8th quartet (laid out with clear examples from the composer's correspondence) falls into this camp.
In any case, here are some photos of the event, none of which add to the 8th quartet debate in any way...
I especially like this last shot where Rob describes a particularly rancid bit of Shostakovichian (?)harmony.
Rob returns on March 25 (Family Musik) and June 2 (What Makes It Great?).
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