Shostakovich: The String Quartets

While his symphonies were subjected to scrutiny and censure by the suffocating Soviet government, the string quartets were chamber pieces into which he felt free to pour all his sadness, anger and boldest musical ideas. They are some of the most passionate, deeply affecting works in the classical canon, and these Emerson Quartet performances have won universal acclaim for their virtuosity and emotional power. Includes all 15 quartets on 5 CDs.