A TANGLED WEB OF RELATIONSHIPS –
24 PRELUDES AND FUGUES, OP. 87,
BY DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH

THE SOUNDS AND COLORS OF SHOSTAKOVICH IN A SPOKEN WORD AND PIANO ESSAY

Photo by Jens Paape

Inspired by The Decadent Review's invitation to write about Dmitri Shostakovich, I revisit his Preludes and Fugues, op. 87 on the piano, a piece I have explored for years. This in turn leads me to two beautiful novels which imagine Shostakovich's psyche, as well as to look into historical and musicological perspectives on the work. The result is a personal spoken word and piano essay.