Goleminov / Sofia String Quartet / Chouchkov - Shostakovich & Goleminov [CD]

The present release, performed by SOFIA STRING QUARTET of the Bulgarian National Radio and the pianist Victor Chouchkov, continues the series Bulgarian Musical Heritage, which aims to recall the creative achievements of performers and composers who had a lasting impact on Bulgarian as well as on world culture. String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110 by Dmitri Shostakovich is among the most performed quartets of the 20th century. This composition of five movements is a kind of autobiographic kaleidoscope: it can to a great extent be associated with the life of the composer - his great hopes, expectations and problems in the period of Stalinism. The Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op. 57 of the composer is another of his chamber works which is popular. It's structure, which is again of five movements, points clearly to Shostakovich's exceptional compositional technique. String Quartet No. 4 "Microquartet" by Marin Goleminov belongs to the most popular and most performed Bulgarian works. The microquartet brings to the highest point the composer's aspirations for a concise form and expression. The work is extremely difficult to comprehend and perform and requires in-depth penetration even in the smallest detail.