General Overview

According to the memoirs of his close friend Isaak Glikman, Shostakovich's conception of the 24 Preludes and Fugues was prompted by his dispatch as a representative of the Soviet delegation to the Bach Bicentennial Festival, held in Leipzig from July 23 to August 11, 1950. This trip was also part of a series of dispatches for Shostakovich to various regions, including New York, Warsaw, and Vienna, during the difficult period immediately following the so-called 'Zhdanov Decree' of 1948. However, his listening and performing experiences at the Bach Festival seem to have greatly stimulated his creative drive. After completing the first Prelude on October 10, 1950, Shostakovich worked at an astonishing pace, composing the pieces in numerical order. Four and a half months later, by February 25, 1951, he had already finished all 48 movements, modestly stating, 'I am generally satisfied. Above all, I am satisfied that I had the strength to finish it.'

In mid-May 1951, the cycle was presented by Shostakovich himself at the Union of Composers. However, he received formulaic yet scathing attacks from fellow composers like Kabalevsky and Koval, as well as from political authorities, who labeled it 'formalistic and cosmopolitan' and 'unsuited to the current demands and tastes of the Soviet audience,' in line with the doctrine of Socialist Realism. Pianists Yudina and Nikolaeva, and Sviridov, a composer who had studied with Shostakovich, argued for the great significance of the work, but they remained a minority. Nevertheless, when the public premiere (as far as records show) of Nos. 4, 12, 13, and 24 was given by the composer himself at the Small Hall of the Leningrad Philharmonic on November 18, 1951, the cycle was met with applause, and Shostakovich and other performers began to include fragments of it in their programs. The complete premiere had to wait until Nikolaeva's recitals on December 23 and 28, 1952 (in Leningrad), one year and ten months after its completion. However, perhaps due to widespread positive evaluations, the Union of Composers gradually began to officially recognize the work's importance, and the score was published by the State Publishing House in the same year as the premiere. As years passed, even during the composer's lifetime, it was acclaimed that 'by composing the Preludes and Fugues, Shostakovich reached a level that no composer had achieved in the 200 years since Bach's death.' Furthermore, it is often said that the cycle legitimately inherited the contrapuntal techniques of classical Russian composers known as masters of counterpoint (e.g., Taneyev and Glazunov).

According to Shostakovich himself, the cycle was initially conceived as a collection of etudes to aid his own contrapuntal technique. However, the concept gradually expanded, becoming 'a large-scale cycle of artistic pieces in contrapuntal form, rich in expressive content, akin to Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier.' Shostakovich entrusted himself to the 48 movements, comprising preludes and fugues, employing a wide variety of styles, expressions, and structural strategies within this microcosm. It can be said that this cycle allows one to perceive and enjoy a part of the complex and context-rich worldview found in Shostakovich's music, all through the single instrument of the piano.

Commentary on Each Piece

No. 1 in C Major

The Prelude (Moderato), according to one of the autograph manuscripts, was completed as a fair copy on October 10, 1950 (listed as Autograph C in the DSCH edition of Shostakovich's Complete Works; all subsequent completion dates are similarly sourced). A tranquil piece characterized by dance-like rhythms in two-bar units, reminiscent of a sarabande. It is likely no coincidence that the piece begins in the same register as Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier. Another characteristic is that, apart from a short yet expressive cadenza-like phrase inserted midway, the entire piece is constructed from chords.

The Fugue (4 voices, Moderato, completed October 11, 1950), like the Prelude, possesses a tranquil character and is strictly constructed. Its narrative subject is said to evoke ancient Russian church chants. The piece is played entirely on white keys without exception. Furthermore, from midway through the exposition of the second voice, most measures are filled with an uninterrupted basic rhythm of quarter notes, creating an overall impression of balance and stability.

No. 2 in A Minor

The Prelude (Allegro, completed October 12, 1950) is based on flowing arpeggios in sixteenth notes, exhibiting characteristics of an etude. By placing a sixteenth-note rest on the strong beat and beginning with an anacrusis, a dynamic sense of syncopation is created throughout. The contrast with the tenuto melody line in the latter half of the piece, though brief, is memorable.

The Fugue (3 voices, Allegretto, completed October 13, 1950) is based on a sketch from July 25, 1934. It presents a playful atmosphere, drawing a vivid contrast with the fluid mood of the Prelude. Each note is emphasized with staccato, creating a clear rhythmic sense, and the subject, spanning a wide range of intervals, scurries about. The dynamic range is also wide, from pianissimo to fortissimo, and accents on weak beats, colorful harmonies using polytonality, and syncopation collectively create a vivid impression.

No. 3 in G Major

What is heard from the music of the Prelude (Moderato non troppo, completed October 14, 1950) is a resonant and dignified exchange between octaves and fine note values. It is often compared to the folk choir scenes found in Mussorgsky's works, such as Boris Godunov, and the sound of bells found in other Russian composers' works.

This short Prelude, built solely on the opening dialogue, flows directly into a light, gigue-like Fugue (3 voices, Allegro molto, completed October 16, 1950), which forms a sharp contrast. The first half of the energetic subject consists of rapid sixteenth-note sequential ascents, while the second half features distinctive leaping figures with long and short rhythms. The sequential ascending figure, in particular, possesses a strong color that leaps to the forefront of the music even in the episodes and stretto, creating a vivid impression.

No. 4 in E Minor

The Prelude (Andante, completed October 22, 1950) possesses a solemn and tragic character. Above a pounding bass line based on whole notes, the inner voices create a unique effect with pulsating two-note successions, while an emotionally rich melody is sung in the upper voice.

The Fugue (4 voices, Adagio, completed October 27, 1950) is a solemn piece that inherits the character of the Prelude. This piece and the final one are the only double fugues in the cycle. The initial section is centered around a four-measure first subject that seems to plead with few words, and the music unfolds quietly. Then, suddenly, at Più mosso, the tempo increases, and a new, active eighth-note based subject is presented, contrasting sharply with the first. The music gradually builds tension, reaching a fortissimo where the first subject is sonorously played in the bass voice, followed by the soprano voice, forming a double fugue with the second subject.

No. 5 in D Major

The Prelude (Allegretto, completed October 29, 1950) is a lovely, tranquil, serenade-like piece. The arpeggios heard at the beginning, in particular, give the impression of plucked string instruments in an intimate space. In the middle section of the piece, following an unexpected modulation, the melodic and accompanying figures are exchanged, but the overall texture and atmosphere are uniformly maintained.

The Fugue (3 voices, Allegretto, completed November 1, 1950) is a light and simple fugue based on a subject characterized by staccato and repeated notes. The countersubject, on the other hand, is played legato, creating a unique effect. The staccato articulation appears continuously even in the episodes where the subject is absent, thus functioning as a foundation for the entire piece. This also creates an original sound in the stretto where the subject overlaps in three voices.

No. 6 in B Minor

The contrapuntally constructed Prelude (Allegretto, completed November 2, 1950) is permeated throughout by sharp dotted rhythms. This rhythm, combined with the key of B minor and the use of diminished seventh chords, imbues the music with strong emotion and a dramatic impression.

At the end of the Prelude, a descending figure and pianissimo lead into the dark, abyss-gazing subject of the Fugue (4 voices, Moderato, completed November 9, 1950). The subject, played in the lowest register, is divided into a long-breathed first half with half and quarter notes, and a detailed second half with eighth and sixteenth notes. The countersubject is also spun out using similar elements, creating the complex and intertwined texture of the entire piece.

No. 7 in A Major

The Prelude (Allegro poco moderato, completed November 10, 1950) seems to possess an atmosphere reminiscent of Bach, the model for this cycle. The melody, played over a tonic bass, is elegant and delicate despite frequent leaps. The piece gradually features more chromatic progressions, and just when it seems to reach a flat key, it abruptly returns to the tonic A major and concludes.

The subject of the Fugue (3 voices, Allegretto, completed November 11, 1950) possesses restrained grace and simplicity. It is highly unusual and interesting for a fugue that all notes forming the subject are constituent notes of the tonic chord. This extends the harmonic rhythm of the entire piece and enhances its harmonic stability.

No. 8 in F-sharp Minor

The Prelude (Allegretto, completed November 26, 1950) is a humorous piece. A steady rhythmic accompaniment, like pizzicato strings, is juxtaposed with a right-hand melody that leaps about. A figure seen midway (e.g., the eighth-note sequence (E♯-)E♯-E-E-D-D-D♯-D♯-E-E-D♯-D♯-D from measure 10 onwards) is called 'Iambic Prima' due to its meter and intervals, and it frequently appears in Shostakovich's works from his middle period onwards. Although this figure is often used for strong emotional expression, in this piece, despite being emphasized by a crescendo, it gives the impression of a subtle build-up.

From the lightness of the Prelude, the atmosphere shifts dramatically in the Fugue (3 voices, Andante, completed November 27, 1950). The fragmented subject, with its striking tritone emphasized by a crescendo, sounds as if it is speaking in distress, bringing a sense of unease and tension to the entire piece. This atmosphere is further intensified by the frequent use of the middle and lower registers throughout the piece. The stretto, where the subjects respond to each other, also echoes like a hollow reverberation due to the gradually decaying piano sound caused by the subject's extended rhythm.

No. 9 in E Major

The structure of the Prelude (Moderato non troppo, completed November 30, 1950), with its solemn octave subject presentation and high-register responses throughout, resembles the Prelude in G Major (No. 3), again evoking responding choirs. Here, the repeated notes and pauses inserted after each response replace the majestic bell sounds of the earlier Prelude. The unsettling chromatic figure in the middle section is instantly negated by the return of the main section, concluding quietly while slowing down.

The Fugue (2 voices, Allegro, completed December 1, 1950), with its suddenly lively subject, is the only two-voice fugue in the cycle. Both the subject and countersubject are relatively simple, but Shostakovich's masterful contrapuntal technique and rhythmic treatment result in a very rich sound.

No. 10 in C-sharp Minor

The opening structure of the Prelude (Allegro, completed December 5, 1950), with its exchange between sixteenth-note motion and quarter-note stops in both hands, is reminiscent of the Prelude in E-flat Major from Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1. The chorale inserted midway sometimes reaches extremely low registers, creating an unsettling impression. Finally, with the chorale's final chord as a pedal, the eighth-note passage quietly fades away.

The subject of the Fugue (4 voices, Moderato, completed December 7, 1950) is desolate. It possesses a complex four-voice texture where voices are spun out across a wide range, yet the piece as a whole is calm and meditative, without becoming agitated. While there are sections that reach forte in tense modulations and stretto, these also gradually subside, moving towards a conclusion.

No. 11 in B Major

The Prelude (Allegro, completed December 9, 1950) is a playful and joyful piece. The accompanying figure is reminiscent of bagpipes and drums played at a festival. The previously gentle joy is abruptly interrupted towards the end by the insertion of a fragmentary chorale in a remote key, but it quickly returns to the original B major mood, leading into the Fugue.

The Fugue (3 voices, Allegro, completed December 11, 1950) is a fast and lively piece with a cheerful subject full of bouncing staccato and syncopation. The countersubject, primarily consisting of sixteenth notes over four measures, and the signal-like phrases with quarter-note accents, further propel the energetic subject.

No. 12 in G-sharp Minor

The Prelude (Andante, completed December 13, 1950) is based on a passacaglia. A solemn bass subject is repeated ten times over twelve measures, while a contrapuntal melody is primarily spun out in the highest voice. In the seventh repetition (from measure 73 onwards), the right and left hands invert, and the bass subject, which had previously served as background, vividly leaps to the foreground. Finally, even the melodic voice moves to the lower register, accompanying the bass voice, and the music fades away in pianississimo, hinting at the first half of the Fugue's subject.

The Fugue (4 voices, Allegro, completed December 15, 1950) is an active piece in 5/4 time, forming a strong contrast with the Prelude. The subject contains many leaps and uses a natural minor scale lacking a leading tone, making the tonality ambiguous. Furthermore, frequent interruptions by rests bring an unbalanced metrical feel to the foreground of the piece. The syncopated countersubject also seems to promote the irregularity of the subject's rhythm. The complexity and mood of the piece both reach their climax midway, then quiet down over the support of a tonic pedal. After a stretto where complexity returns, it leads to a chromatic Picardy third ending.

No. 13 in F-sharp Major

The Prelude (Moderato con moto, completed December 20, 1950) is entirely structured by the interplay between a flowing melody played in the uppermost voice and echoing accompanying chords, conveying a romantic warmth and emotion.

The Fugue (5 voices, Adagio, completed December 22, 1950) is based on a restrained subject with a narrow melodic range. As the only five-voice fugue in the cycle, it boasts a texture so rich that almost half of the piece is notated on three staves. Especially in the stretto in the latter half of the piece, the compression and simultaneous presentation of the subject gradually but steadily build to a climax.

No. 14 in E-flat Minor

The Prelude (Adagio, completed December 27, 1950) possesses a peculiar sound within the cycle. The music maintains tension throughout, with a long, narrative melody played over the left hand's incessant tremolo on B-flat at the beginning. A chorale-like phrase towards the end of the piece offers a momentary sense of rest but is quickly cut short by the return of the tremolo accompaniment. Some point to similarities with Mussorgsky's music due to the characteristic tremolo accompaniment; indeed, the eerie introduction to the song 'Trepak' and With the Dead in a Dead Language from Pictures at an Exhibition seem to echo within this Prelude.

The modal subject of the Fugue (3 voices, Allegro non troppo, completed December 28, 1950) is melancholic, and scholars and critics interpret deep sorrow within it. At the same time, it is also important to note that it carries a rapid triple-meter dance-like rhythm. Each voice, including the countersubject, continues almost without rests, lending fluidity to the whole.

No. 15 in D-flat Major

The Prelude (Allegretto, completed December 30, 1950), beginning with a bouncing right-hand accompaniment, is a lively and joyful piece with distinct articulation. The subject, repeated to a waltz rhythm, is strongly memorable, but its unrestrained brightness and ironic chromatic harmonic progression clearly distort the original elegance of the waltz, containing parodic elements. The middle section, biased towards the high register, is simple and flat in terms of timbre, serving to heighten anticipation for the upcoming brilliant recapitulation.

The subject of the Fugue (4 voices, Allegro molto, completed January 8, 1951) is so free and uninhibited that it could be described as carnival-like. If one voice is likened to two, it takes a shape where intervals expand around D-flat and then contract. Since 11 out of 12 notes in an octave are used, it sounds atonal in terms of sonority. One of the subject's characteristics is its construction using asymmetrical changing meters: 3/4 + 3/4 + 3/4 + 2/2 + 3/4 + 5/4. This creates a unique imbalance and resulting dynamism. The countersubject is chromatic, supporting the character of the subject. In the latter half of the piece, the opening accompaniment of the Prelude is directly quoted, leading the piece to converge into a bold and brilliant D-flat major conclusion.

No. 16 in B-flat Minor

The Prelude (Andante, completed January 11, 1951) is shaped in the style of a chaconne, a classical variation form. The subject, consisting of a clear melody and accompaniment, has a mournful expression, and as the piece progresses, ornamental passages of fine note values are added above it.

According to Aleksandr Dolzhansky, a Russian scholar contemporary with Shostakovich, the Fugue (3 voices, Adagio, completed January 13, 1951) is underpinned by improvisation found in Russian folk songs. The subject, pulsating and expanding and contracting metrically and in note value, transitions to the dominant and is then spun out in each voice. The interplay of fine and long note values continues until the end of the piece, creating a unique, contemplative atmosphere.

No. 17 in A-flat Major

The Prelude (Allegretto, completed January 15, 1951) begins with a simple melody and arpeggios, with the melody exchanged between the soprano and bass voices. The middle section features an impressive dactylic meter of long-short-short, adopting a playful yet shadowed expression. In the recapitulation, the subject is ornamented by notes a parallel minor third below, creating a peculiar sonic effect.

The subject of the Fugue (4 voices, Allegretto, completed January 21, 1951) is lighthearted, oscillating between the Lydian and Ionian modes, creating a somewhat humorous and popular atmosphere. The entire piece, in 5/4 time, is permeated by a 2+3 metrical structure, aligning with the subject's construction, giving a sense of rhythmic balance. A cheerful mood pervades the whole, and Shostakovich's contrapuntal mastery is fully displayed, as seen in the use of inversion and augmentation in the latter half of the piece.

No. 18 in F Minor

The Prelude (Moderato, completed January 21, 1951) has an archaic elegance with a slow dance-like character. In the middle section, the tempo abruptly drops to Adagio, modulating to a quiet and solemn E major, before returning to the opening musical idea. The ending features an A natural in the upper voice and an A-flat in the lowest voice, creating a mysterious impression that is neither clearly major nor minor.

From the modal subject and flowing rhythmic sense of the Fugue (4 voices, Moderato con moto, completed January 22, 1951), contemporaries reportedly recalled Russian vocalism, particularly folk 'nobe-uta' (extended songs). This character of the subject is carried over into the countersubject and episodes. Therefore, their opinion, this fugue is filled with Russian melodies throughout. The echoing contrapuntal texture of the stretto and the resulting sound are deeply evocative. The ending, like the Prelude, has an ambiguous modal quality, creating a unique sense of suspension.

No. 19 in E-flat Major

From the solemn opening of the Prelude (Allegretto, completed January 26, 1951), a church-like chorale is heard. This is contrasted by a humorous phrase played over a sustained final note in the bass. The mezzo-staccato indication and chromatic voice leading sound particularly ironic.

In the Fugue (3 voices, Moderato con moto, completed February 3, 1951), the subject, which includes a descending augmented second formed by F-flat, sounds grotesque. The unbalanced 5/4 rhythm, alternating between 2+3 and 3+2 phrases, and the forte dynamics further enhance the unusual atmosphere. The countersubject, lacking a strong beat, gives the entire fugue a distinctive rhythmic character. Although the piece concludes gently over a tonic pedal in the bass, the sense of resolution is highly ambiguous due to the rhythmic character and the sound created by the added accidentals.

No. 20 in C Minor

The Prelude (Adagio, completed February 7, 1951) sounds as if it is a dialogue between two individuals. A solemn octave melody and an improvisatory-sounding melody played in the high register appear alternately, creating a clear contrast in range and character.

The subject of the Fugue (completed February 14, 1951) shares its first four notes with the opening subject of the Prelude. However, the character of the fugue subject does not inherit the Prelude's heaviness; despite being in a minor key, the piece as a whole has a gentle sound. The alternation of 4/4 and 3/2 meters seen in the episodes, combined with the lively melody played in those sections, brings a certain exhilaration to the musical idea.

No. 21 in B-flat Major

The opening of the very fast Prelude (Allegro, completed February 15, 1951), combined with the left hand's accompaniment pattern regularly alternating between tonic and dominant, sounds like a mechanical etude with rapid right-hand motion. However, as the piece progresses, the impression changes frequently: the accompaniment becomes harmonically animated, a festive mood is heightened by clear staccato, or conversely, shadows are cast where the overall range of the music shifts significantly to the lower register.

The energetic subject of the Fugue (3 voices, Allegro non troppo, completed February 16, 1951) resembles a brass fanfare. In contrast, the countersubject appears fragmented, serving to add distinctiveness to the piece's texture. According to Nikolaeva, the first complete performer of the cycle, the subject of this piece inherits the fanfare-like subject of Borodin's Symphony No. 1.

No. 22 in G Minor

The melodic part of the quiet but tense Prelude (Moderato non troppo, completed February 17, 1951) is dominated by a continuously pulsating 'Iambic Prima' divided into two-note groups, and its monotone style could be described as etude-like. In the preceding Prelude in B-flat Major, which was also etude-like, changes in the accompaniment pattern led to shifts in mood, but this piece, despite exchanges between melodic and accompanying voices, is filled with a uniformly dim atmosphere throughout.

The Fugue (4 voices, Moderato, completed February 18, 1951), with its simple and lyrical subject in triple meter, seems to have reminded Soviet audiences of Russian folk songs at the time. The countersubject, consisting of eighth-note passages, seems to accompany the narrative subject, appearing to remain strictly in an accompanying role.

No. 23 in F Major

The Prelude (Adagio, completed February 20, 1951) is in a concise ternary form. The subject of the main section is pseudo-classical, with a melody including turns, and it embodies a meditative tranquility. In the middle section, the turn melody shifts to the left hand, and tension increases through modulation and dissonance, but it then returns to the tranquility of the main section.

The subject of the Fugue (3 voices, Moderato con moto, completed February 23, 1951) is simple and gentle. On the other hand, the countersubject is centered around rapid eighth notes, driving the piece forward. Nevertheless, the piece as a whole does not have a violent climax, maintaining a calm and restrained atmosphere throughout, inherited from the Prelude.

No. 24 in D Minor

The Prelude (Andante, completed February 23, 1951) is passionate with solemn low notes and thick chords, reminiscent of organ playing. The middle section, which modulates to a major key, maintains the solemnity but suddenly becomes enveloped in tranquility. Furthermore, the first subject of the Fugue is already anticipated in this section. After the main section is quietly recapitulated, the middle section's subject echoes in the bass, leading emotionally into the Fugue.

The Fugue (4 voices, Moderato, completed February 25, 1951), which crowns the cycle, is a magnificent double fugue. The first subject, as mentioned, was already foreshadowed in the quiet middle section of the Prelude. The second subject, introduced when the subject is fragmented and the music quiets down, is the continuously flowing eighth-note 'Iambic Prima,' which then prompts the music to increase in tempo. Amidst the maximum tension heightened by successive fortissimos, modulations, and octave repetitions, the first subject is re-presented at its loudest, and the two subjects resonate sonorously like bells, grandly concluding the entire cycle in D major.