Piano Trio No. 2 (Shostakovich)
Encyclopedia
The Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67, by Dmitri Shostakovich
was written in 1944, in the midst of World War II.
, a Russian polymath
and avid musician, who had recently died at age 41. The work received its premiere in Leningrad
on 14 November 1944. The piece consists of four movements, with a complete performance running 25 to 27 minutes.
The Jewish melody from the last movement was quoted in Shostakovich's famous String Quartet No. 8
. The third movement is featured in choreographer John Neumeier's ballet "The Seagull" (Hamburg, 2002).
Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century....
was written in 1944, in the midst of World War II.
Composition history
The composition was dedicated to Shostakovich's good friend, Ivan SollertinskyIvan Sollertinsky
Ivan Ivanovich Sollertinsky was a Russian polymath of the Soviet period. He was an expert in theatre and Romance languages, but is best known for his musical career. He was a professor at the Leningrad Conservatory, as well as artistic director of the Leningrad Philharmonic...
, a Russian polymath
Polymath
A polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
and avid musician, who had recently died at age 41. The work received its premiere in Leningrad
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
on 14 November 1944. The piece consists of four movements, with a complete performance running 25 to 27 minutes.
Structure
- Andante -- Highly dissonant, it begins with an incredibly difficult passage in the cello, all harmonics. The rest of the movement is a mad fugue, requiring incredible amounts of technical prowess from all three instruments
- Allegro con brio -- A frenzied dance that never finds a settling place
- Largo -- Against a repeated background of piano chords, the violin and cello trade off dark, slow, and somber melodic lines. It fades into the last movement with hardly a break.
- Allegretto -- Staccato repeated notes begin this movement, which introduces a Jewish-style melody, and revisits the thematic content of the previous three movements. It ends in a tortured E Major chord, almost inaudibly.
The Jewish melody from the last movement was quoted in Shostakovich's famous String Quartet No. 8
String Quartet No. 8 (Shostakovich)
Dmitri Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8 in C minor was written in three days . It was premiered that year in Leningrad by the Beethoven Quartet....
. The third movement is featured in choreographer John Neumeier's ballet "The Seagull" (Hamburg, 2002).
Recordings
- Isaac SternIsaac SternIsaac Stern was a Ukrainian-born violinist. He was renowned for his recordings and for discovering new musical talent.-Biography:Isaac Stern was born into a Jewish family in Kremenets, Ukraine. He was fourteen months old when his family moved to San Francisco...
, Yo-Yo MaYo-Yo MaYo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...
, Emanuel AxEmanuel AxEmanuel Ax is a Grammy-winning American classical pianist. He is currently a teacher on the faculty of the Juilliard School. He is considered one of the best known concert pianists of the 21st century.-Early life:... - Beaux Arts TrioBeaux Arts TrioThe Beaux Arts Trio was a noted piano trio. They made their debut on July 13, 1955 at the Berkshire Music Festival, known today as the Tanglewood Music Center. Their final American concert was held at Tanglewood on August 21, 2008. It was webcast live and archived on NPR Music...
- Greenwich Trio
External links / references
- http://www.classicalarchives.com/work/60844.html
- http://www.classicalarchives.com/work/60844.html#tvf=tracks&tv=about
- http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:HzzWKTJ5kFkJ:www.oberontrio.com/Files/English/Program%2520Notes/Shostakovich_Op.67.doc+shostakovich+trio+op+67&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShZoCJMDKb_rOfJP_VjN74XKlm1xTVEtM0u_B35cP6X2OnZqklX5W6CBI7EaZp5w2_iGL8wCas3u8OACxvw5y9NGeXDBQwI2lMzQCMgwhSSWvcozDHvDHdoB200M7M6-wfmIla3&sig=AHIEtbRiznxKSgBNekM4ABN5Z0M4tZZp7w