Preludes Fugues Op. 87

These preludes and fugures by Shostakovich are not the easiest in the world for interpretation. Think a Slavic Bach. It is unfair to call these works "modern" and it's not just because they are with the confines of a Medieval form. But sometimes the listener will catch something that is reminiscent of 20th centyury Soviet music. These works are miniatures - a form totally at odds with the usual way we consider the composer. Tatiana Nikolayeva is simply brilliant in her interpretation - the clarity is startling. It may take a while but this is a recording that appreciates the more it is heard.

Dmitri Shostakovich's epic series of preludes and fugues for solo piano was inspired by the very composer whom you would immediately suspect – Johann Sebastian Bach. Indeed, the Russian composer was motivated to write this huge work after a visit to Bach's home city Leipzig in 1950; and, in fact, it resurrects the premise behind Bach's "The Well-Tempered Clavier," providing one prelude and fugue for every major and minor key.

Keith Jarrett - Dmitri Shostakovich: 24 Preludes and Fugues Opus 87 (1992) {2CD Set ECM New Series 1469/70}
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© 1992 ECM Records | ECM New Series 1469/70
Classical / Contemporary Classical / Piano Solo

The pairing of music and musician in this exquisite recording is so serendipitous, it is almost as if Keith Jarrett were playing one of his sweeping improvisations. He is not, of course; this is Shostakovich's unmistakable voice, and it is speaks in wide-ranging profundity. Each listening takes me deeper, and exposes things I had not heard before: one of my all-time favorite recordings.