When did Dmitri Shostakovich write the 24 Preludes and fugues?

When did Dmitri Shostakovich write the 24 Preludes and fugues?

24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87 by Dmitri Shostakovich is a set of 24 preludes and fugues for solo piano, one in each of the major and minor keys of the chromatic scale. The cycle was composed in 1950 and 1951 while Shostakovich was in Moscow and premiered by pianist Tatiana Nikolayeva in Leningrad in December 1952; it was published the same year.

Which is the longest Fugue in Shostakovich F sharp minor?

NO. 8 IN F SHARP MINOR: One of the briefest preludes sits beside the longest fugue by far of the twelve we hear tonight – nearly nine minutes in Melnikov’s performance. The Prelude is written in simple two-part texture, and in Shostakovich’s inimitable fashion combines a playful ambiance with a touch of the sinister.

Which is the B major prelude by Shostakovich?

NO. 11 IN B MAJOR: The B major Prelude suggests an orchestral conception, particularly the jocular, light-hearted movements of Symphonies Nos. 6 and 9. For sheer, unabashed joy and an almost reckless sense of abandon, the Fugue is hard to beat.

When was the Shostakovich fugue cycle first performed?

The cycle was not given as a unit until a year later when Tatiana Nikolayeva performed it at the same venue in two sessions, on December 23 and 28, 1952. There is conflicting evidence as to Shostakovich’s feelings about whether the 2½-hour cycle should be played complete in performance.

What kind of music is the prelude by Shostakovich?

The prelude is a two-part invention that begins with a tonic pedal and a cheerful, delicate motif that comes close to Bach in its style.

What is the tone of the fugue in Shostakovich?

The tone is wistful, mostly pianissimo and the harmonic language is very much Shostakovich’s own. The tone continues in the Fugue; whereas Bach begins with a scaled 4th, Shostakovich has a bleak bare 5th. In contrast to the characteristic harmonic complexity of the prelude, the fugue is written in pandiatonic C major, without a single accidental.

Which is the first piece in the Shostakovich cycle?

For example, Shostakovich begins his C major prelude, the first piece in the cycle, with exactly the same notes that Bach uses in his own C major prelude, BWV 846, which likewise begins The Well-Tempered Clavier.