[1] He dedicated it to the memory of his first wife Nina Vassilyevna Varzar, who died in December 1954.
The first violin has two sixteenth-notes followed by an eight-note while the cello answer it with straight three eight notes in the lower register.
In this second theme, the second violin and viola have steady sixteenth-notes throughout the entire section.
In addition, Shostakovich also put the second theme in the recapitulation as well with unstable harmony.
In measure 12, the viola introduces the theme, which also becomes the subject of a fugue throughout all four instruments.
The section starts with the first violin introducing a new theme answered by the other instruments.
The quartet ends with cello pizzicato leading to an F♯ major triad.