String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110 : Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110: III. Allegretto

About "String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110 : Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110: III. Allegretto" by Borodin Quartet

Shostakovich's Allegretto is a sardonic dance on a grave. The Borodin Quartet digs into the bitter wit—staccato jabs, a folk-like lilt turned grotesque. Calm gives way to unease as the melody repeats like a nervous tic. It's music that smiles with clenched teeth.