'It took decades for Shostakovich's string quartets to assume their rightful place in the Western concert repertoire, and it has taken even longer for commentators to catch up with their richness of meaning and their subtlety of construction. Judith Kuhn guides the reader gently but authoritatively through the first seven of the cycle of 15 works, balancing astute musical observation ... Read morewith rich detail on context, reception and theory, and offering level-headedness without stuffiness, information without condescension, description without tautology, interpretation without coercion. For performers, listeners and scholars with any interest in these masterpieces, her study is now the obvious first source to consult.' David Fanning, University of Manchester, UK 'Kuhn's meticulous survey of Shostakovich's quartets draws upon personal, analytical and historical resources to forge a valuable scholarly resource. The field of Shostakovich studies is all the richer for it.' Pauline Fairclough, University of Bristol, UK 'Kuhn's sensitive musical ear and her gift for narrative writing create a series of exciting and interesting descriptions that shed a bright new light on the works discussed. ... Despite her theoretical references, Kuhn's writing is not speculative. She supplies the reader with a clear and perceptive discussion of complex scenarios, where political and aesthetic ideologies clash and contradict yet also converge. Her careful and detailed analysis is accompanied by tables and many musical examples, and her fluent narration, sometimes even touching on the poetic, makes reading the book not only an exciting voyage into new insights, but also a sheer literary pleasure.' Slavic Review 'It's very hard for a musicologist to present a technical argument that is both comprehensible and convincing to lay readers, but Kuhn has done a first-rate job.' London Review of Books 'The book [...] provides impressively comprehensive analysis of these extremely complex works, show Show Less