String Quartets 3

The Third Quartet is a very large, impressive work in five movements that begins with one of those innocent-sounding dance tunes of which Shostakovich was a master--the type of theme that immediately loses its musical virginity, and spends the rest of the movement trying to recapture its freshness and simplicity. The Fifth Quartet--widely considered to be one of the finest in the set--has three large movements, each almost exactly 10 minutes in length. It's a superbly balanced and eloquently argued piece of chamber music. These quartets really reward serious listening, and this excellent series allows you to take the plunge at a very modest price.--David Hurwitz