String quartet celebrates Russian composer
The Carducci string quartet will present a concert celebrating the work of Russian composer Shostakovich in Shrewsbury on Friday .
It will be held at St Alkmund's Church.
The quartet has built a reputation for its broad range, from new works and music with folk origins to classic quartets such as Haydn. In 2016, it won the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for its Shostakovich Quartets.
The composer walked a delicate tightrope, balancing political pragmatism with personal expression against the backdrop of Josef Stalin’s tyrannical Soviet regime. Historical sources and letters from the composer to one of his closest confidantes, read by writer, composer and broadcaster Stephen Johnson, are paired with extracts from contemporaneous quartets, painting a fascinating picture of how music offered a much-needed emotional outlet in the most difficult of times.
The music includes a Polka and ten movements from nine of Shostakovich's string quartets.
Tickets are available from TicketSource or, if available, on the door.
