Search - Shostakovich, Beethoven Quartet :: Piano Quintet in G Op 57

As a young man, Dmitri Shostakovich was known for his playing of Beethoven's Hammerklavier sonata--in other words, he was quite a virtuoso. He did not keep his technique up for long, becoming involved in composition. But he did make some impressive recordings of his own music, including this powerful version of his great Piano Quartet. The Beethoven Quartet, which performed with the same four players for 50 years, was one of Russia's greatest chamber ensembles. Shostakovich wrote most of his quartets for them, and their performances are certainly authentic. You can also get their entire series of 15 quartets on the Consonance label. --Leslie Gerber