Borodin String Quartet plays Shostakovitch: String Quartet No. 15

When Shostakovich began composing his String Quartet No. 15 in 1974, he planned it as the first of nine new works to bring his total to 24. As it turned out, the work – made entirely of slow movements – was his final essay in this most exacting of musical genres. His ill-health meant he could only with difficulty acknowledge the standing ovation that greeted it`s premiere in November 1974; nine months later he was dead. At this 2002 performance at the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, few ensembles that performed Shostakovich with more authority and commitment than the Borodin String Quartet, whose cellist, Valentin Berlinsky had studied with Shostakovich. The result is a moving performance of this quartet swan song – and one to treasure.