Search - Shostakovich, Petrushansky :: 24 Preludes & Fugues

Stunning Shostakovich by Pianist Petrushansky

A. Braid | New York, NY | 11/19/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pianist Boris Petrushansky does a fantastic job with this monstrous work by Shostakovich. The 24 Preludes and Fugues, op.87 are a tour de force for pianists (three CDs worth of music), which may explain why so few pianists record them. In any case, Petrushansky shows remarkable closeness with the music--his performances are extraordinarily nuanced, every detail is present. There is nice attention to the wonderful dissonances; tempos are appropriately chosen; there is a sense of continuity and relativity between the movements that is present while also making each prelude and fugue distinct by showcasing the various textures and images depicted by the composer. And I have not yet said anything about the work itself!! It is a remarkable piece of music. Shotakovich acted as a jury member at an international Bach competition in 1950 and was so inspired by one of the competitors that he set about imitating Bach's books of the Well-Tempered Klavier. (The two books of the Well-Tempered Klavier each have 24 preludes and fugues in all of the major and minor keys, hence 48 pairs of preludes and fugues total.) Every day Shostakovich composed a fugue or prelude until, about three months later, the work was completd. The work is exquisite in its beauty and contrasts, exemplary in it's masterful counterpoint, and astonishing in its size and scope. A truly wonderful work that is very trypical of Shotakovich--crunching dissonances, wit, wonderful expression, all within a very strictly neo-classic paradigm. It's a truly excellent piece of music and Boris Petrushanksy is up to the task."