Favorite Shostakovich Quartets

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

As a totality, I think the quartets are his greatest achievement. They are all good, which means that by limiting your choices to 3, this poll is going to cause a lot of anguish. 

Have fun!

[Karl Henning]

Yer a right cruel bastahd, ain't ye?   I like your style.

[amw]

9, 12 & 13. I didn't even break a sweat voting for them.

[SymphonicAddict]

8, 12 & 15 were my choices. This is a solid cycle where there is no even one bad.

[Karl Henning]

8, 12 & 15 were my choices. This is a solid cycle where there is no even one bad.

No bad choices, indeed.

[aligreto]

I have long regarded this cycle as being on a par with that of Beethoven's. It is a magnificent body of work. However, if I had to chose as I did in the vote, I opt for nos. 13-15.

[schnittkease]

Nos. 8, 13, 15 are my favorites. I don't care for the earlier quartets.

[Sergeant Rock]

Let me give some of the earlier quartets some love: 2, 3, 7.

Sarge

[The new erato]

Let me give some of the earlier quartets some love: 2, 3, 7.

Sarge

No 3 i s extraordinarily fine IMHO.

[Jo498]

I voted 3, 5 and 11. Admittedly I don't know all of them well enough, especially 12-15 would need more of my attention I think. I don't much care about are the first two.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

So far a distinct preference for the later 4tets, starting with #8. Interesting.

For what it's worth, I listen to nos. 5 and 6 a lot. 5 has one of the few real sonata-allegro 1st mvts. in the DSCH oeuvre, and it's a darn good one. With 6, I just like the atmosphere a lot - it's a very "welcoming" piece.

[JBS]

I picked 3,8 and 15.   This is one of those things where the choice depends on the mood of the moment.  Another time I might have chose others (although 8 would probably always be among them.)

[Klaze]

Without much anguish I vote for 9, 10 & 13.

[Brahmsian]

I vote for the last three that I've listened to!   

[shirime]

13 is the only one I'd listen to again, I think.