Dvořák wrote string quartets his entire life. When he wrote his thirteenth string quartet, some ten years before his death, he had had an eventful year. He had just returned from his trip to America and his sister-in-law – who also happened to be his first love – had passed away. You would expect this quartet to carry a sentiment of some of those impressive events, but it is cheerful and light as really only Dvořák’s music can be.

Although these quartets are rather bright in Shostakovich-terms, there is always something dark luring in his music. When Shostakovich started writing his second string quartet, he was already halfway through his life. He would quickly write a total of fifteen string quartets, of which the second and seventh are extremes. The second string quartet is one of his longest quartets and the seventh the shortest. Those extremes can also be found in the music: elongated recitatives against fast, pointed rhythms – but both in that unmistakable Shostakovich style.