Concert prelude and fugue faulkes, william concert preludes and fugues, op. Nikolayeva studied composition with evgeny golubev, shostakoich pupils also include alfred schnittke, and she has since written two piano concertos, a sonata and much other music for solo piano, as well. I usually buy henle, but they dont publish any shostakovich and im not super familiar with any of the publishers for the preludes and fugues. For me, the set of 24 preludes and fugues is shostakovichs greatest composition. For as long as i can remember there have been two pieces of received wisdom about shostakovichs 24 preludes and fugues. Individual analyses of each of the twentyfour shostakovich pieces.
A fusion of bachian archetypes, a particularly russian counterpoint instigated in the late 19th century by taneyev, soviet classicism and shostakovichs unmistakable voice, shostakovichs op. Shostakovichs work consists of a prelude and a following fugue in each major and minor key. The impulse to compose the cycle came upon the composer not as a challenging task to. Like many of the great composers before him bach, handel, mozart, beethoven, chopin, liszt and rachmaninoff, among others, shostakovich possessed the skills of a keyboard virtuoso, and might well have sustained a successful career as such. Most piano collectors are aware of tatiana nikolayevas 1987 melodiya and 1990 hyperion cycles devoted to shostakovichs 24 preludes and fugues, together with a recently released video presentation. Discover more music, concerts, videos, and pictures with the largest catalogue online at. Sikorski just back from a trip to leipzig in the early autumn of 1950 where he heard bachs welltempered klavier at the bicentennial bach competition played by the russian pianist tatiana nikolaeva shostakovich began his own series of 24. She has the technique to play everything in the score gnarly textures, massive sonorities, hurtling tempos, and more. Jun 29, 2016 dmitri shostakovich preludes and fugues, op. Prior to the present set of preludes shostakovich had not composed anything for piano since his op. But shostakovich paid subtle homage to the earlier master. Her performances of bach inspired the composers efforts, and she received the works dedication.
He began writing it in the autumn of 1950 after a visit to leipzig as a judge in the bach competition held on the occasion of the twohundredth anniversary of the death of bach. Dmitri shostakovich s 24 preludes and fugues is one of the major pianistic statements of the past century. Im planning on playing a few shostakovich preludes and fugues, but im not sure what music to buy. Recordings of the preludes and fugues have been dominated over the years by tatiana nikolayeva. The cycle was composed in 1950 and 1951 while shostakovich was in moscow and premiered by pianist tatiana nikolayeva in leningrad in december 1952. Just like in his later work, 24 preludes and fugues opus 87, the pieces in 24 preludes form a cycle in each of the 12 major and minor keys.
Hamelin plays shostakovich prelude and fugue in dflat, op. Therefore, even though these preludes are often performed separately, or as selections made into a group, the manner. The twentyfour preludes and fugues were written with the young pianist tatyana nikolayeva in mind. This is the first booklength study of shostakovichs twentyfour preludes and fugues for piano, opus 87. Nikolayeva recorded it three timesin 1962, 1987, and 1990each taking a monumental approach to the composition that emphasized harmonic weight. The emotional range of these pieces is immense, from the luminous joy of the 7th fugue to the bleak landscape of the 14th prelude. The 24 preludes, however, show a somewhat mellowed composer, drawing, as shostakovich did at his best, upon diverse eras of the musical past, but still clearly communicating his own rather melancholy personality. Dmitri shostakovich 19061975 24 preludes and fugues for piano, op. Shostakovich wrote his massive cycle of 24 preludes and fugues op. An edition that contains useful fingering and pedaling suggestions will be most ideal to minimize difficulty of learning the pieces. This is the first booklength study of shostakovich s twentyfour preludes and fugues for piano, opus 87. Mar 30, 2017 s hostakovich s 24 preludes and fugues pay tribute to js bach, but are they parodies. Dmitri shostakovichs 24 preludes and fugues is one of the major pianistic statements of the past century. Towering over those pieces are the 24 preludes and fugues, written for tatiana nikolayeva after shostakovich heard her at the bicentennial bach competition in leipzig in 1950.
She had been a competitor at the leipzig competition where shostakovich was a judge, and it was her relentless championing of the whole cycle in her later years that did much to persaude others to take the pieces so seriously. Original works, recordings and arrangements by this person cannot be uploaded here until january 1, 2026 without confirmed permission of the owner. Shostakovich was asked after completing this work whether he would compose another set, to parallel bachs two sets. Dmitri shostakovich keith jarrett 24 preludes and fugues op. The opus 87 preludes and fugues for solo piano were written in 195051 as a homage to bach for the pianist tatyana nikolaieva during a particularly bleak period in the composer s life. Shostakovich preludes fugues download free sheet music and. It is modeled after bachs twovolume welltempered clavier which consists of two volumes of preludes and fugues in each key. Shostakovich midi files download for free midiworld. Work title 24 preludes and fugues, book i alt ernative. An exciting and brand new recording by lithuanian pianist muza rubackyte.
Whatever one wants in shostakovichs 24 preludes and fugues wit, whimsy, passion, tenderness, optimism, pessimism its there in these performances by the young lithuanian pianist muza rubackyte. To this listener, jarretts etherial, near egoless playing is perfect for the work. Shostakovichs 24 preludes for solo piano were composed within a relatively short space of time during the winter of 19323. However, it is public domain in canada where imslp is hosted and in other countries china, japan, s. The faster preludes are dispatched with assurance and pinpoint accuracy regarding phrase shape and balance, surpassing even nikolaevas idiomatic readings. Dmitri shostakovichs mindblowing prelude and fugue in dflat major, op. The 24 preludes, however, show a somewhat mellowed composer, drawing, as shostakovich. Shostakovich piano sheet music best sheet music editions.
Orchestra with chorus 1929 shostakovich made a reduction of the score for solo piano, including the vocal score of the final chorus as op. S hostakovich s 24 preludes and fugues pay tribute to js bach, but are they parodies. Shostakovichs 1950 visit to leipzig to attend the bicentennial bach competition, where he heard and was impressed by tatiana nikolayeva playing bachs welltempered clavier, served as an impetus to write his own set of twentyfour preludes and fugues, loosely modelled on bachs. Prelude and fugue in aflat minor prelude and fugue in a major prelude and fugue in a minor prelude and fugue in bflat major prelude and. Piano sheet music book by dmitri shostakovich 19061975. Shostakovich visited leipzig for the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of bachs death 1950.
Shostakovich preludes and fugues op87 nikolayeva ds. Shostakovich assembled a suite of the from the bedbug for orchestra as op. These brash works, immediately preceded by the equally brash piano sonata no. For the most part, shostakovich edited his music very well, so any edition should be fine. One of shostakovichs greatest and most powerful works of the late stalinist period is his huge cycle of twentyfour preludes and fugues for piano. Shostakovich tatiana nikolayeva 24 preludes and fugues. Bach composed his two books of twentyfour preludes and fugues, dmitry shostakovich became the first composer in musical history to follow bachs challenging experience by composing his own cycle of. Celebrated international pianist peter donohoe begins a new series of shostakovich releases on signum classics with a new recording of dmitri shostakovichs 24 preludes and fugues, op. To top up an almost overflowing vessel, she performs the complete 24 preludes.
Dmitri shostakovich 1906 1975 was a great composer from the soviet union. Shostakovich was inspired by the playing of tatiana nicolayeva, whom he heardsignificantly performing bachwhen he was a jury member at the leipzig bach competition in 1951. Shostakovich arranged the music to the budbug for piano as op. Mark mazullo explains the cultural context in which shostakovich composed, relates the cycle to piano works by bach, hindemith, and others, and offers individual commentaries on each of the preludes and fugues. Also, as with the opus 34 preludes, the preludes and fugues were composed in the order in which they are published. Shostakovich, dmitry all original works compositions and arrangements of this person are still under in canada, the eu, japan and elsewhere and are thus subject to immediate deletion. Officially denounced in the late 1940s, shostakovich began to retreat into himself, churning out several uninspiring propaganda pieces whilst expressing his true. There is rude humor here, pastoral bliss, great sadness, all culminating in the angry defiance of the final. Vladimir ashkenazy may be in his early 60s, but if these shostakovich preludes and fugues are any indication, his mind and fingers have been dipping in the fountain of youth. For me, the set of 24 preludes and fugues is shostakovich s greatest composition. Dmitri shostakovich keith jarrett dmitri shostakovich. Jarretts performance is poles apart from the generally favoured, more emotional performance of tatiana nikolayeva. This thesis is a study of the fugal technique of shostakovich as observed in op. His admiration for nicolayeva and his desire to create these works for her was such that he produced all twenty four preludes and fugues in a few months.