Abstract
Dmitri Shostakovich’s most prominent stylistic and musical concepts are prevalent in his string quartets. Inspired by the composers of the Classical Era, and their relatively uncluttered compositional style, Shostakovich chose to express his musical ideas using predominantly transparent textures. The main concentration of the current study will be to discuss transparency of texture in Shostakovich’s last five string quartets (No. 11 in F minor, Op. 122, No. 12 in D-flat Major, Op. 133, No. 13 in B-flat minor, Op. 138, No. 14 in F-sharp Major, Op. 142, and No. 15 in E-flat minor, Op. 144), which serves as a platform to incorporate different stylistic aspects in these works. The study will explore the last five quartets’ unique stylistic characteristics, look into their origins, elaborate on the formative elements that shaped Shostakovich’s creative choices, and investigate the techniques used to achieve transparency in his musical expression. This study will advocate for the inclusion of the textural factor into analysis of Shostakovich’s quartets as a key to understanding the composer’s style for the purpose of more informed interpretation and performance.