Reflection of Shostakovichian motifs in the music of Boris Tishchenko: an analysis of the First String Quartet

The aim of the present study is to identify the artistic features of Boris Tishchenko’s (1939–2010) First String Quartet within the context of the formation of the composer’s creative individuality during his conservatory years. Special attention is given to establishing the common traits of Tishchenko’s musical language with the works of Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975), as well as to analyzing the development of the young composer’s artistic principles against the ideological backdrop of the leading trends of his senior contemporary’s era. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that Tishchenko’s String Quartet No. 1 is, for the first time, subjected to in-depth research analysis both in terms of conceptual understanding and the formation of the composer’s style. The study reveals that this early work combines artistic and compositional methods of Shostakovich, yet is characterized by several significant distinctions: an enhancement of timbral-sonorous intonation, predominance of continuous thematic development, and, consequently, a departure from typical formal models toward an intonational-phasal structure.