Quartet No. 10 in A flat major, Op 118

Available for over a year

Written in 1964 as a companion to his ninth quartet, this quartet began the third and final cycle of Shostakovich’s quartet writing. Whilst the ninth can be best described as intense, the tenth’s predominant emotion is one of relaxation and peace. The third movement Adagio is particularly noteworthy – a passacaglia written in the style of a theme and 8 variations all given Shostakovich’s customary Soviet twist. Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich Performers: Armida Quartet Recording date: 14 June 2015 Date of broadcast: 22 October 2015