The first pair of Shostakovich's landmark tribute to Bach's WTC, recorded this afternoon. The Op.87 set is without doubt one of the most important contrapuntal works of the last century.

Shostakovich - 24 Preludes and Fugues Op.87 - 1: Prelude and Fugue in C major

Your chord voicing and clarity of touch are extraordinary, a dictation whiz could easily write the piece out from this recording. Beautiful!

Thanks !

Hmm, there is a composer page for Shostakovich; have we obtained a liscence that allows us to post music still under copyright? Or is Shostakovich in some kind of copyright limbo? I see you have the same Dover edition of these pieces that I do. This was not available for very long, there was some kind of legal wrangle, don't know the details.

I started dreaming while listening to this P&F pair!
The keytouch sounds beautiful to me to here, very tasteful playing. The fugue is on the very slow side (I have no comparision for that P&F, never heard before), but that even adds more to the meditative atmosphere. There is so much more in that recording what goes beyond playing the right notes only, what goes deeper. Congratulations!

AND pages for Barber and Rszewski; did I miss something while I've been away?

Chase: We have been putting up of stuff that is not strictly allowed for quite some time. If somebody complains (which we don't think wil happen, given the profusion of music on the net) we'll just take it off. Don't worry about it.

Olaf: Always the dreamer aren't you ! Yes some of S's fugues are very slow and they only make sense that way. I think this one should be even slower according to the metronome mark but this tempo is how I feel it. It is immensely deep music from one of the greatest composers ever.

Ok boss.




Your tempo is perfect.

As long as the site is non-profit, this will hardly be a problem.

So another project to completion? . There are some P/F:s that are very difficult but you are probably aware of it. I have only heard a Finnish pianist recording before where he mixed in Bach's as he found some pattern (sorry, cannot recall more details about this).

Your playing is really good and leaves little to wish for but for perhaps a bit higher tempo. At least from what I can recall, the recording I heard was a bit faster.

Arghh... I had that coming I suppose
Yes I'd love to, but with all good intentions, I'm not sure if I can ever complete this cycle. Some of them I have played only once yet. There are 2 or 3 fugues that really scare me shitless (12, 15, and, I think, 20) and will take years to master - if at all. But I will be adding some more items over time.


That would be Olli Mustonen. An extremely good anc clever pianist but one you either love or loathe (and I'm not quite sure where I stand).


Well you gotta be in the right serene mindframe for a slow S. fugue... I am sure Mustonen does them way faster, he is not a very patient musician.

I wish to echo the exact words that Olaf said.
Nice playing!

I enjoyed listening to this music. It was very sensitively played. However, I have never played anthing by Shostakovitch. No teacher ever assigned anything by him to me. I have a book of 24 Preludes, Op. 34. I've tried sightreading a few of them, but nothing "grabbed" me. Anyone have a suggestion as to which Prelude might be appropriate as a Shostakovitch first piece?

The Op.34 set is not as appealing as the op.87, a bit more modernistic. Do get the Op.87, there are itsms here for everyone, from easy to fiendish.