Create a program for the String Quartet

We have seen examples of program music throughout this course. In this assignment your task is to create a program for the String Quartet no. 8 by Shostakovitch. Create a story to go along with this quartet by correlating specific music examples in each of the movements to, characters, action, and themes in your narration. (It may help to imagine this music being set to a film.) The piece is in 5 movements played without break. I have provided the movements for this recording to help you in your assignment.

This piece is bears the dedication “to the victims of fascism and war.” To give you a starting point, here is what Shostakovitch himself said about his music.

(From Testimony, The Memoirs of Dimitri Shostakovitch)

“I feel eternal pain for those who were killed by Hitler, but I feel no less pain for those killed on Stalin’s orders. I suffer for everyone who was tortured, shot, or starved to death. There were millions of them in our country before the war with Hitler began… The majority of my symphonies are tombstones. Too many of our people died and were buried in places unknown to anyone, not even their relatives. It happened to many of my friends. Where do you put the tombstones? Only music can do that for them. I’m willing to write a composition for each of the victims bu that’s impossible, and that’s only why I dedicate my music to them all.”

0:00 — 1

5:18 — 2

8:12 — 3

12:33 — 4

18:30 — 5

Guidelines: Assignments should be typed and submitted via Dropbox. Assignments should be 7-10 paragraphs in length and include an introduction and conclusion. The introduction should include some basic background about the piece. If using sources other than the book, they should be cited appropriately. You must relate your story to specific music examples in each of the movements.