Shostakovich: Preludes & Fugues Op. 87

Featuring

Yulianna Avdeeva
Dmitri Shostakovich
Krzysztof Meyer

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Compositional Technique

Unlike Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, Shostakovich's 24 Preludes and Fugues are arranged in the order of the circle of fifths, visualizing all possible major and minor keys.

Composition History

A previously unfinished C-Sharp Minor Prelude sketch by Shostakovich was found in 2005 by Olga Digonskaya, chief of the Shostakovich Archive in Moscow.

Recording & Production

This album features the first recording of the completed Shostakovich/Meyer Prelude and Fugue in C-Sharp Minor in the context of the entire Op. 87.

Composition History

Dmitri Shostakovich was inspired to compose his 24 Preludes and Fugues after visiting Leipzig in 1950 for a Bach festival and competition.

Composition History

The unfinished C-Sharp Minor Prelude sketch was reconstructed and completed by Olga Digonskaya and Polish composer Krzysztof Meyer, a close friend of Shostakovich's, between 2018 and 2020.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Shostakovich's 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87, represent the entire spectrum of his soul, expressing his deepest feelings and thoughts honestly.

Composition History

Shostakovich was particularly inspired by Soviet pianist Tatiana Nikolaeva, who was prepared to perform any of Bach's 48 Preludes and Fugues from the Well-Tempered Clavier.