In the spring of 1940, following the Sixth Symphony and all the criticism it provoked, Shostakovich composed the Quintet for two violins, viola, cello and piano, a work acclaimed by the public and critics everywhere. Each performance by the composer with the excellent Glazunov Quartet or the equally excellent Beethoven Quartet was an important and joyful event in the musical life of Leningrad or Moscow. Shostakovich himself played the piano part with inimitable mastery, displaying an expressiveness and imaginative power unique to him. It is no exaggeration to say that in performances of this work, no less than in the Second Piano Trio, even Lev Oborin and Sviatoslav Richter could not rival him. To this day, I can hear his playing in my head. << less