Shostakovich

The myth of Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8, often labeled the Dresden quartet, is that it was inspired by a tour of the fire-bombed city of Dresden in 1960. The carnage and destruction that Shostakovich witnessed apparently inspired him to write the piece in a remarkable 3 days, and he dedicated it to 'the victims of fascism and war'. Later on, scholars began to realize that the dedication to the 'victims of fascism and war' is really a coded dedication to the victims of Stalin's Soviet regime. It is also thought that Shostakovich had composed much of the piece in his head, prior to writing it down.
One of the reasons this quartet is so appealing to modern audiences, myself included, and one of Shostakovich's most popular, is due to its unyielding, almost maniacal rhythmic drive. The famous second movement, now known as the "Dance of Death", incorporates a Jewish melody turned on its head. Interruptive and shocking accents abound throughout the piece, and the melody is belted out with such super charged motion that it seems on the verge of collapse.