String Quartets nos. 3, 7 & 8 cover

String Quartets nos. 3, 7 & 8

Dmitri Shostakovich · 1998

68 min · 13 tracks · opera

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Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

Instrumental
94 /100
Summit
Higher than 100% of albums we've rated

The three quartets make a compelling arc from No. 3's broad contrasts through No. 7's compression to No. 8's recurring, self-referential motifs; performance-specific craft is less…

What we noticed

  • No. 3 moves through five contrasting movements, from a brisk opening to an Adagio and a slow, unresolved-feeling close.
  • No. 7 compresses three movements into a much shorter span; its finale links Allegro and Allegretto without restoring the scale of No. 3.
  • No. 8 follows with five movements, opening and closing in Largo; its central faster movements interrupt rather than dispel the surrounding austerity.
Composition 25% of the score
9/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
7/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
9/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
9/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
8/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 7/10

Defined its genre or moment. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

  • 1 String Quartet no. 3 in F major, op. 73: I. Allegretto 6:54
  • 2 String Quartet no. 3 in F major, op. 73: II. Moderato con moto 5:19
  • 3 String Quartet no. 3 in F major, op. 73: III. Allegro non troppo 3:58
  • 4 String Quartet no. 3 in F major, op. 73: IV. Adagio 6:30
  • 5 String Quartet no. 3 in F major, op. 73: V. Moderato - Adagio 9:48
  • 6 String Quartet no. 7 in F-sharp minor, op. 108: I. Allegretto 3:24
  • 7 String Quartet no. 7 in F-sharp minor, op. 108: II. Lento 4:14
  • 8 String Quartet no. 7 in F-sharp minor, op. 108: III. Allegro - Allegretto 5:48
  • 9 String Quartet no. 8 in C minor, op. 110: I. Largo 5:17
  • 10 String Quartet no. 8 in C minor, op. 110: II. Allegro molto 2:49
  • 11 String Quartet no. 8 in C minor, op. 110: III. Allegretto 4:29
  • 12 String Quartet no. 8 in C minor, op. 110: IV. Largo 6:36
  • 13 String Quartet no. 8 in C minor, op. 110: V. Largo 3:49

What to play next

Shostakovich: Symphony no. 15 / Mussorgsky: Songs and Dances of Death
Listen next

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1998
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Shostakovich Plays Shostakovich

1998
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Reference: MusicBrainz