Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich ： Aphorisms No.4 Elegy Op.13-4

Shostakovich’s “Elegy,” No. 4 from Aphorisms, is a miniature that compresses restrained sorrow and tension into a brief span. Against distinctive harmonic sonorities, its singing melody contrasts strikingly with weighty, darkly resonant chords. Rather than pursuing a broad development, the piece may be heard as a succession of shifting, fragmentary expressions moving toward a lingering close. In performance, the melody should not become overly sentimental; careful balance between the inner voices and chords is essential for revealing the shading of each line. Maintaining tension within the quietness, and attending to rests and the fading of each sound, brings out the work’s solitary beauty.