Piano Quintet by Shostakovitch

This music starts with a movement adopting counterpoint which sounds like a magnificient architecture. The slow movement expresses most harrowing sentiment. I have never listened such a beautiful music. The counterpoint technique is again used in most impressive way. The last movement pokes our surprise. It is a light touched music. What has Shostakovitch thought when he put such a movement for the last? Has he tried to balance the too grave emotion throughout the movements prior to it or had any political meaning as he has often confromted to? 

In this ensemble, Jansen, the most famous performer among them, is playing the 2nd violin part. It is unusual. Of course, the 2nd violin occupies the important position in this chamber music. But she could have played the 1st violin. Nevertheless, all members, including Jansen, seem to enjoy playing this piece. Jansen sometimes smiles at the other players during playing it. It must be a fun for them to play it, not just a work. They show how enjoyable it is to play chamber music together. As the tiltle of this video tells, they must be personally good friends as well as good company performers.

Enjoy this!