Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87 (1950/1951)
Dmitri Shostakovich/Krzystof Meyer (b.1943)
Prelude and Fugue in C-Sharp Minor
Yulianna Avdeeva (piano)
rec. 24 February – 4 March 2025, Mendelssohn-Saal Gewandhaus, Leipzig.
Pentatone PTC 5187 480 [2 CDs: 146]
Yulianna Avdeeva was winner of the First Prize at the 16th International Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 2010, and at that time the first woman to take the prize in nearly half a century. She has already proven her excellent qualities as a recording artist in 20th century Russian repertoire with her recital album Resilience on the Pentatone label (review), followed in 2024 by Chopin Voyage on PTC5187233.
Shostakovich is one of those composers who can be unexpectedly divisive. There have been years where you could hardly open your front door for new sets of the symphonies, but little bandwagons of critics can be found who consider him to be massively overrated, and who are unable to get past perceived kitsch, bombast and dramatised tales of Stalinist woes. Tastes will always differ, but to my mind works such as these 24 Preludes and Fugues can and should be regarded objectively as towering masterpieces.
We are fortunate to have plenty of choice when it comes to this Opus 87, though this is a fairly recent development. The set was composed quite swiftly and premiered by Tatyana Nikolayeva in 1952, inspired by her award-winning performances of J.S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier. Shostakovich consulted Nikolayeva while working on his preludes and fugues and so, while neither are technically perfect, her recordings have to be something of a reference. Her 1962 recording is a bit special, done in the presence of the composer, and her 1987 recording re-released on Regis (review) clocks in 168 minutes and stretched over 3 CDs. The first complete recording available in the West was in 1975 with Roger Woodward (review) who comes in at around 126 minutes and always wins the fast-tempo prize even today. Timings are deceptive however, and Nikolayeva can whip up plenty of rapid impact and excitement to go along with her sustained expressiveness elsewhere. In her booklet note Yulianna Avdeeva reminds us that it was in the fine acoustic of the Leipzig Gewandhaus that Nikolayeva won her Bach prize, and thus where the seeds of this Opus 87 were planted, which is a nice association for this recording.
Yulianna Avdeeva’s piano sound in this recording is a perhaps bit darker than some, with rich mid and bass registers but a bit less of the sparkle more commonly found in piano recordings these days. It’s a shame the instrument isn’t named in the text, but the sound suits the music well and all of Avdeeva’s virtuosity and depth is communicated superbly. You might not even notice this on your system but this is my impression through pro headphones. She follows convention for the most part while giving these pieces plenty of life and character, to the point where just about every moment is a highlight. Just to spotlight a few tracks, she keeps up a decent momentum in that deliciously dark/light Prelude No. 4 in E minor, suspending us further in the opening pages of the following fugue, which is a fine demonstration of her handling of increasing intensity and complexity of voices. Song-like lyricism contrasts with acuity of rhythm and articulation, and there are some unexpected dramas such as the Prelude No. 6 in B minor which holds all of its impact and power while driving forwards at a precipitous tempo – the attached fugue being an architectural tour de force that builds over a relatively compact four minutes, seemingly understated but brimming with restless energy. The highlights go on, with Avdeeva fearsome and fearless in the Prelude and Fugue No. 15 in D-Flat major, and by turns exquisitely tender in No. 16. In short, there are no weak spots that I can detect throughout the whole set, and the whole also has a satisfying feeling of a narrative traversal, right down to that simple but inspired Prelude No. 17 that hints of arrival, and the final landing in D minor, the last fugue again with its now familiar sense of flow and momentum without loss of expressive weight.
We get a small bonus with two further tracks made from an original C-Sharp minor prelude that Shostakovich apparently intended for this Op. 87 but left unfinished. It is fascinating to hear this ‘new’ addition to the collection, but you can also sort of hear why Shostakovich left it aside. It has plenty of his character and has a powerful impact in this performance but is a bit aimless. When compared with the prelude and fugue in the same key in the final set you again have the feeling that this is not the strongest in the collection, so maybe it wasn’t his best key in which to work – that, or his piano needed tuning.
Collectors, fans and newcomers to the 24 Preludes and Fugues Op. 87 need not hesitate in seeking out Yulianna Avdeeva’s recording as it is very, very good indeed. There are of course other comparisons to be made. Konstantin Scherbakov on the Naxos label (review) is fine but a bit soft-edged. Igor Levit on Sony is clearly a force to be reckoned with (review), and I still very much enjoy Peter Donahoe on Signum (review). Vladimir Ashkenazy on Decca is a safe bet as is Keith Jarrett on ECM, though his playing is somewhat generic. Avdeeva need have no fear of any competition however, and this is an excellent recording from start to finish.
Dominy Clements
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