Serious Humour – Inner Emigration VI

Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 3 is an absolute masterpiece that tells the dramatic story of two decades in the Soviet Union like few others. It begins with an apparently carefree reminiscence of the 1930s, filled with sharp-witted yet cheerful borrowings from folk music, before the ominous threat of 1939 shifts the mood. The wartime years of 1941 burst in with forceful, satirical military march quotes, followed by a profoundly moving Adagio that evokes the form of a requiem and is dedicated to the victims of war. In the end, the work attempts a cautious step back toward life – but the path remains uncertain. This powerful, realistic painting, like so many of Shostakovich’s works, faced harsh condemnation from Soviet censors. Later in the evening, the Hagen Quartet adopts a more relaxed tone, presenting another highlight: Joined by Japanese pianist Mao Fujita, winner of the 2017 Clara Haskil Competition in Vevey, they bring Brahms’s monumental Piano Quintet in F Minor to the stage. Originally conceived without piano, Brahms eventually realised the work’s full potential, adding the piano to transform it into a consummate showpiece of chamber music.