In the final concert by the Carducci String Quartet this season they present a fascinating profile of Dimitri Shostakovich through words about and music by the composer. It was developed by the quartet for performances at the Barbican in London and received wide critical acclaim. Through this and other performances the Carducci established their reputation as leading interpreters of Shostakovich’s music.

The Carducci take a journey deep into Shostakovich’s psyche, as he walked a delicate tightrope balancing political pragmatism with personal expression against the backdrop of Josef Stalin’s tyrannical Soviet regime. Historical sources and letters from the composer to one of his closest confidantes, read by writer, composer and broadcaster (The Independent, The Guardian, Radio 3’s Discovering Music) Stephen Johnson, are paired with extracts from contemporaneous quartets, painting a fascinating picture of how music offered a much-needed emotional outlet in the most difficult of times.

Few artists have been so affected by the connections of politics and power that surrounded them.