This Shostakovich-inspired piece for solo snare drum will light your face on fire

4 December 2017, 15:20 | Updated: 4 December 2017, 15:44

‘Chopstakovich’ is a piece for solo snare drum played over the top of the second movement of Dmitri Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8 in C minor.

Performer and YouTuber Jesse Sieff has composed a piece for solo marching snare drum, intended to be played over the top of the second movement (Allegro Molto) of the String Quartet No. 8, Op. 110 by Dmitri Shostakovich. Like any piece inspired by Shostakovich, it’s loud, in-your-face, yet somehow beautifully hypnotic. 

On his YouTube channel, Jesse wrote:

“Written with Shostakovich’s characteristically darker and dissonant style (and career history) in mind, I found it fitting to perform this piece for my audition with the USMC Drum & Bugle Corps. For me, the biggest challenge of this piece was not playing the notes, or adjusting rhythmic time to a chamber symphony with the most unforgiving instrument in the world – it was simply having the audacity to write over a legendary composer’s masterpiece.

“The calibre of Dimitri Shostakovich’s musical genius is something I profoundly respect, and my hopes are to share the influence of his music with others by expressing it as genuinely as possible through my instrument.”

Well Jesse, we think your piece is awesome.