Melnikov records shostakovichs set of 24 preludes and fugues. May 11, 2010 dmitri shostakovich s 24 preludes and fugues is one of the major pianistic statements of the past century. Jan 29, 2018 alexander melnikov is bringing shostakovich s preludes and fugues to a new generation of audiences. The passages of continual motion in the a minor prelude and the bflat major prelude were executed perfectly, but what was truly remarkable in these sections was the tone. He had been invited by the great russian pianist sviatoslav richter to play a.
Jan, 2011 shostakovich 24 preludes and fugues, op 87 piano. Pianist alexander melnikov on the experience of recording. Russian pianist alexander melnikov celebrates shostakovich. Melnikov delivers a memorable afternoon of rare shostakovich. Together with andreas staier, alexander melnikov developed a program that sets excerpts from bachs welltempered clavier andreas staier, harpsichord in musical dialogue with shostakovich s 24 preludes and fugues alexander melnikov, piano. Fiona maddocks admires alexander melnikov s account of shostakovich s preludes and fugues. Dec 16, 2015 one of the biggest challenges of the day was taken by pianist alexander melnikov, who performed all 24 shostakovich s prelude and fugues.
Feb 05, 2018 throughout 24 preludes and fugues, he consistently surprised the listeners with the variety of color that can be achieved while still remaining within the realm of piano. The complete work takes about two and a half hours to play. Prelude and fugue no 16 in b flat minor according to tatiana nicolayeva, the bflat minor prelude is the only one of the forty eight pieces that make up this cycle about which shostakovich had second thoughts. Alexander melnikov graduated from the moscow conservatory under lev naumov. Alexander melnikov plays shostakovich vancouver classical music. Melnikovs mesmerizing performance of shostakovichs twentyfour. Melnikovs recording of the complete preludes and fugues by shostakovich was awarded the bbc music. Shostakovich s 24 preludes and fugues alexander melnikov piano.
There is rude humor here, pastoral bliss, great sadness, all culminating in the angry defiance of the final fugue. Jan, 2012 for this reason pianists do not often tackle all of shostakovich s twentyfour preludes and fugues in one evening, but this is precisely what alexander melnikov did at the muziekgebouw in amsterdam. Dmitri shostakovich preludes and fugues alexander melnikov. Together with andreas staier, alexander melnikov developed a program that sets excerpts from bachs welltempered clavier in musical dialogue with shostakovich s 24 preludes and fugues. Sep 26, 2019 24 preludes and fugues shostakovich the prelude is written on three staves where left and right preljdes take turns playing on the center staff. The impulse to compose the cycle came upon the composer not as a challenging task to. The preludes and fugues which is ranked number 93,094 in the overall greatest album chart with a total rank score of 2. It is one of several examples of music written in all major andor minor keys. Apr 25, 2010 fiona maddocks admires alexander melnikov s account of shostakovich s preludes and fugues. Dmitri shostakovich s 24 preludes and fugues is one of the major pianistic statements of the past century.
Traditionally played only in small doses by the composer himself and the most honoured soviet pianists, sviatoslav richter and emil gilels, it was likely the recording of the complete cycle. Melnikovs mesmerizing performance of shostakovichs twenty. Bachs the welltempered clavier andreas staier harpsichord. Intensive chamber music collaborations with partners. Alexander melnikov by ken page on january, 2011 shostakovich s op 87 represents an intellectual effort that harks all the way back to j. The preludes and fugues are full of surprises and contrasts, while still being strangely homogenous. Melnikovs mesmerizing performance of shostakovichs.
The complete work takes about two and a half hours. Bach composed his two books of twentyfour preludes and fugues, dmitry shostakovich became the first composer in musical history to follow bachs challenging experience by composing his own cycle of. Celebrating dimitri shostakovich with pianist alexander. Russian pianist alexander melnikov celebrates shostakovichs. Dec 07, 2018 prelude and fugue no 20 in c minor this is a very special pair shhostakovich pieces. Traditionally played only in small doses by the composer himself and the most honoured soviet. Works by shostakovich, schubert and brahms, chan centre, november, 2011. Despite my glowing memories of nikolaievas performances, the hyperion set was far from disappointing. Jan 16, 2014 alexander melnikov s first public encounter with shostakovich s preludes and fugues op. The preludes and fugues, opus 87 of dmitri shostakovich. Through analysis structural and stylistic of selected preludes and fugues from shostakovich s opus as well as a survey of other sets of preludes, fugues, and preludes and fugues from fischer to shchedrin we will be able to see the prelude and fugue lineage more clearly. A baroque twentieth oms library and archives canada. Jul 04, 2010 the pianist alexander melnikov has a new recording of shostakovich s set of 24 preludes and fugues. Melnikovs recording of the preludes and fugues by shostakovich was.
Bach may not have been the first keyboardist to couple a prelude with a fugue buxtehude beat him by several decades, but his series of preludes and fugues that form the welltempered clavier became a nearly continuous source of inspiration for countless composers who followed. Shostakovich alexander melnikov the preludes and fugues. In 2011, it was also named by the bbc music magazine. He was awarded important prizes at eminent competitions such as the international robert schumann competition in zwickau 1989 and the concours musical reine elisabeth in brussels 1991. Jun 01, 2010 pianist alexander melnikov on the experience of recording shostakovich. An essential part of melnikov s work is intensive chamber music collaboration with partners including cellist jeanguihen queyras. His recording on the hyperion label has won wide acclaim and many awards, and his powerful, communicative playing on sunday showed him the leading artist to continue the nikolayeva tradition. Additionally, the artists recently recorded a unique allschubert program of fourhand pieces. He was an extremely important mid20thcentury symphonist, and a leading writer of string quartets.
He was awarded prizes at competitions as the robert schumann international competition for. He was awarded prizes at competitions as the robert schumann international competition for pianists and singers in zwickau 1989 and the queen elisabeth music competition in brussels 1991. The cycle was composed in 1950 and 1951 while shostakovich was in moscow and premiered by pianist tatiana nikolayeva in leningrad in december 1952. The fugue is freeflowing with remarkably few dissonances, contrasting with the tense prelude. This thesis is a study of the fugal technique of shostakovich as observed in op. Melnikov plays not too badly at gardner the boston globe.
Following his superb set of shostakovich preludes and fugues two years ago, alexander melnikov has turned to the composers piano concertos. Nikolayeva studied composition with evgeny golubev, shostakoich pupils also include alfred schnittke, and she has since written two piano concertos, a sonata and much other music for solo piano, as well as vocal works. The tone is wistful, mostly pianissimo and the harmonic language is very much shostakovich s own. Jan 25, 2018 dmitri shostakovich s 24 preludes and fugues, op. The russian pianist describes recording shostakovich s 24 preludes and fugues, op. Through analysis structural and stylistic of selected preludes and fugues from shostakovich s opus as well as a. Alexander melnikov s recording of shostakovich s complete piano preludes and fugues made it onto bbc music magazines list of the 50 greatest recordings of all time. Preludes and fugues alexander melnikov on allmusic 2010. Stream adfree with amazon music unlimited on mobile.
Their most recent releases feature the brahms and mozart sonatas for violin and piano. Additionally, the artists recently recorded a unique allschubert programme of fourhand pieces, which they have also performed in concert. Melnikov graduated from the moscow conservatory under lev naumov. His most formative musical moments in moscow include an early encounter with svjatoslav richter, who thereafter regularly invited him to festivals in russia and france. His most formative musical moments in moscow include his early encounter with sviatoslav richter, who thereafter regularly invited him to festivals in russia and france. Composed between 1950 and 1951, these works were influenced by bachs welltempered clavier which, curiously enough, consists of two books of 2 preludes and fugues each. Shostakovich preludes and fugues op 87 free ebook download as pdf file. In addition to performances on the fortepiano, melnikov shares the stage with andreas staier in a special collaboration featuring shostakovich s 24 preludes and fugues alexander melnikov piano and j. Alexander melnikov, piano princeton university concerts. Alexander markovich melnikov born 1973 is a russian pianist. Alexander melnikov plays shostakovich newmans music update. Sep 05, 2018 alexander melnikov is no stranger to fanfare s pages. The emotional range of these pieces is immense, from the luminous joy of the 7th fugue to the bleak landscape of the 14th prelude. Bach, dmitri shostakovich wrote his collection of twentyfour preludes and fugues, op.
And for tonights pianist, alexander melnikov, we hear the voice of a tormented. Melnikov performs virtuosic rendition of shostakovich fugues. Celebrating dimitri shostakovich with pianist alexander melnikov. He was awarded important prizes at eminent competitions such as the international robert schumann competition in zwickau. Alexander melnikov records shostakovich preludes the new.
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