Lera Auerbach’s “Cetera Desunt,” Sonnet for String Quartet No. 3: Aftertones of Shostakovich
Cetera desunt translates from Latin as “the rest are missing.” Russian-American composer Lera Auerbach (b. 1973) chose this title for her String Quartet No. 3, composed in 2006. She describes the work as a “sonnet for string quartet.” Its eight sections, each bearing a Latin title, mirror the form and rhyme scheme of a strambotto romagnuolo sonnet, a poetic structure which dates back to 12th century Sicily. Cetera desunt is an homage to the …
