Shostakovich was in his early thirties when he first turned to the string quartet. He planned to produce a full cycle of 24; he completed 15.

These works embody his resistance to a crushing Soviet power that held the belief that all art should be political. At the same time, he used them as a means of personal, autobiographical expression, aimed at presenting a true depiction of himself as a man and an artist.

Bringing together nos. 3 and 8, the Novus Quartet make Shostakovich’s revolt tangible, while faithfully representing the magnificent, heartrending world of this great composer.