Dudok Quartet Amsterdam’s catalogue continues to grow with the addition of another brilliant recording, delving into the music of Shostakovich and Saariaho. Shostakovich regarded his 3rd String Quartet as one of his best works and initially gave each of the movements titles such as ‘blithe ignorance of the future cataclysm’ and ‘Forces of war unleashed’, but then withdrew the titles shortly after completing the work. Why he did this we do not know, maybe he was wary of the Soviet authorities reading unpatriotic meanings into them. Whatever the reasons, the 3rd is a powerful statement containing the composer’s dry humour, with a good dash of sarcasm, the sinister and the passionate.

Saariaho’s Terra Memoria, her 2nd String Quartet bears the dedication ‘for those departed’. The composer said that’ we continue to remember those who are no longer with us. Their life is complete, nothing will be added…our experiences of being with them, different aspects of their personality, certain memories haunt our dreams, some remain clear flashes which we can relive’