24 preludes opus 34 by Dmitri Shostakovich

On this page you can listen to the recording of the 24 preludes opus 34 of Dmitri Shostakovich, executed by Jeroen Riemsdijk in 2005 at Studio Van Schuppen. Jeroen Riemsdijk has a special interest in performing 24 preludes as a genre. His repertoire comprises cycles such as those of Kalkbrenner, Zwaag, Rääts and Shostakovich. In 2010 two of Riemsdijk's articles are published in the PianoBulletin of the EPTA concerning the genesis of the 24 preludes as a genre. The 24 Préludes opus 28 by Frederic Chopin were published in 1839. In his articles Riemsdijk considers the questions: which composers have written 24 preludes prior to Chopin? Which of those cycles, from which many are rather simple pedagogic works - examples of 'the art of preluding' - merit performing as a cycle?

The history of 24 prelude cycles composed after Chopin's opus 28 is also interesting. Until now the cycle of Alkan (1847) is considered the first after Chopin.

Beginning with the 24 Préludes op. 17 composed by Felix Blumenfeld in 1892, various Russian composers have contributed to the genre: Scrjabin (1896), Cesar Cui (1903), Glière(1907), and Rachmaninow (1892-1910) opus 3, 23 and 32. In the year 1934 three composers from Saint Petersburg wrote 24 preludes: Sjostakovits op. 34, Boris Goltz op. 2 and Valery Zhelobinsky op. 20. Kabalewsky wrote his op. 38 in 1944. These composers all came from Saint Petersburg and Moscow.

Among these cycles The 24 preludes opus 34 by Dmitri Shostakovich form a unique composition. One of the trademarks of Shostakovich's style is his continuous use of derailments. These derailments are present in most of his 24 Preludes. His fugue-like prelude no 4 opens in an intimite and profound mood, but midway through it suddenly breaks into fury. As if nothing has happened the piece concludes in serenity. In other preludes such derailments are more subtle. For the listener it is important to understand that his preludes are not meant as mere exercises in aesthetical beauty, but explore a conflict of beauty and destruction.

Sjostakovits 24 preludes opus 34 by Jeroen Riemsdijk, piano

Prelude 1 in C major

Prelude 2 a minor

Prelude 3 G major

Prelude 4 e minor

Prelude 5 D major

Prelude 6 b minor

Prelude 7 A major

Prelude 8 f sharp minor

Prelude 9 E major

Prelude 10 c sharp minor

Prelude 11 B major

Prelude 12 g sharp minor

Prelude 13 F sharp major

Prelude 14 e flat minor

Prelude 15 D flat major

Prelude 16 b flat minor

Prelude 17 A flat major

Prelude 18 f minor

Prelude 19 E flat major

Prelude 20 c minor

Prelude 21 B flat major

Prelude 22 g minor

Prelude 23 F major

Prelude 24 d minor