Music Studies Colloquium Series | David Castro, music theory (St. Olaf College)

David Castro will speak as part of the Music Studies Colloquium Series.

This School of Music event is free and open to the public.

Motivic Catharsis in Shostakovich’s 14th String Quartet

Abstract: Like most of his late quartets, Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 14 is rather enigmatic. Nevertheless, my goal is to address the conclusion of the quartet, which ends in a surprisingly quiet manner. I will establish the personal significance of the brief series of ideas presented in those closing measures for the composer, thereby enabling a quasi-narrative reading of this conclusion. In order to do so, I will show the historical origins of the musical ideas in question, establishing their original context, then showing how they continued to resonate throughout Shostakovich’s compositions for the rest of his life. The gradual evolution of those musical ideas over time and in a variety of contexts will lead back to the 14th string quartet. In the end, I hope to show that a plausible, if not likely, narrative reading is one of profound peace and acceptance.

David Castro is Professor of Music Theory at St. Olaf College.

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