Alexander Melnikov - Shostakovich: 24 Preludes & Fugues (2013)

Tracklist

CD1
01. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.1 in C major. Moderato
02. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.1 in C major. Moderato (4-voice)
03. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.2 in A minor. Allegro
04. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.2 in A minor. Allegretto (3-voice)
05. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.3 in G major. Moderato non troppo
06. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.3 in G major. Allegro molto (3-voice)
07. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.4 in E minor. Andante
08. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.4 in E minor. Adagio (4-voice double fugue)
09. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.5 in D major. Allegretto
10. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.5 in D major. Allegretto (3-voice)
11. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.6 in B minor. Allegretto
12. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.6 in B minor. Moderato (4-voice)
13. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.7 in A major. Allegro poco moderato
14. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.7 in A major. Allegretto (3-voice)
15. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.8 in F sharp minor. Allegretto
16. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.8 in F sharp minor. Andante (3-voice)
17. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.9 in E major. Moderato non troppo
18. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.9 in E major. Allegro (2-voice)
19. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.10 in C sharp minor. Allegro
20. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.10 in C sharp minor. Moderato (4-voice)
21. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.11 in B major. Allegro
22. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.11 in B major. Allegro (3-voice)
23. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.12 in G sharp minor. Andante
24. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.12 in G sharp minor. Allegro (4-voice)

CD2
01. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.13 in F sharp minor. Moderato con moto
02. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.13 in F sharp minor. Adagio (5-voice)
03. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.14 in E flat minor. Adagio
04. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.14 in E flat minor. Allegro non troppo (3-voice)
05. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.15 in D flat major. Allegretto
06. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.15 in D flat major. Allegro molto (4-voice)
07. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.16 in B flat minor. Andante
08. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.16 in B flat minor. Adagio (3-voice)
09. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.17 in A flat major. Allegretto
10. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.17 in A flat major. Allegretto (4-voice)
11. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.18 in F minor. Moderato
12. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.18 in F minor. Moderato con moto (4-voice)
13. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.19 in E flat major. Allegretto
14. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.19 in E flat major. Moderato con moto (3-voice)
15. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.20 in C minor. Adagio
16. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.20 in C minor. Moderato (4-voice)
17. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.21 in B flat major. Allegro
18. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.21 in B flat major. Allegro non troppo (3-voice
19. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.22 in G minor. Moderato non troppo
20. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.22 in G minor. Moderato (4-voice)
21. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.23 in F major. Adagio
22. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.23 in F major. Moderato con moto (3-voice)

CD3
01. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Prelude no.24 in D minor. Andante
02. 24 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87: Fugue no.24 in D minor. Moderato (4-voice double fugue)

These twenty-four preludes and fugues have become so closely associated with the personality and playing style of their ‘official interpreter’ (Tatiana Nikolaeva) that history has ended up deciding that “that’s the way to perform them” without looking any more deeply into the matter.

Yet this op.87 is brimming with fascinating answers for anyone who takes the trouble to ask the right questions; and it is not the least merit of Alexander Melnikov to have approached the work from first principles and come up with his own, eminently musical solutions.

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