Friday, April 29, 2005

shostakovich string 4x no. 8 mvt II

the movement is marked allegro molto. The 1st violin has the melody. It is bassed off the DSCH note scheme...D - Eflat- C - B. The violin has the melody with this as the main focus. It is a march style. 16th note patterns are heard alot that are very chromatic. While the other 3 players play sparse unison accompaniment that adds to the already ominous and intense ethos. As the melody goes so does the intensity of the accompaniment. there is transition material with 16th notes all over the place as the music just flies off the page. Then brief interruption of the DSCH are heard but in small segments passed between the players. The viola then takes over the focus with a version of the melody played at the beginning. The violin then layers over that, then the cello over that, then the violin back over that as things become more and more chromatic. We then hear a new melody that is like a twisted russian dance that is very long and smooth. Then the DSCH melody is heard again though this time intertwined with the long russian dance theme just heard and it is passed from instrument. The beginning then repeats though this time with the melody in the cello. The 16th notes get passed back to the violin as it makes more statements with the DSCH theme. There is a subito piano and a massive crescendo brining to the highest intesnity we have come to. It is a shout chrous off all the melodies...the beginning melody, the DSCH melody, the long russian dance, and the interwine between the DSCH and the russian dance.

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