In the world of music, there have been composers who wrote both symphonies and string quartets. While some remained active in both genres, others focused primarily on quartets. Dmitri Shostakovich (September 25, 1906 – August 9, 1975), a Soviet composer and pianist, was a master of both forms, although he devoted himself to them with varying degrees of intensity at different stages of his life.
From 1939 to 1962, Shostakovich created works in both genres simultaneously. His compositions demonstrate an extraordinary mastery of both chamber music and the symphonic form. Despite certain similarities, his string quartets and symphonies each possess unique structural and expressive qualities.
His First String Quartet in C major, Op. 49, was composed in the summer of 1938 within six weeks. Shostakovich began work on it on the morning of May 10, 1938—his daughter Galina's second birthday. He himself said that in this quartet he "visualized childhood scenes, somewhat naive and bright moods associated with spring."
The Third String Quartet in F major, Op. 73 (1946), represents another milestone in his development as a quartet composer. Also noteworthy is his Tenth String Quartet in A-flat major, Op. 118, which he composed between July 9 and 20, 1964. He dedicated this work to the Polish composer Mieczysław Weinberg, a close friend and student. Their relationship was characterized by mutual influence and a certain rivalry, which partly motivated the dedication.