24 Präludien op. 34

With the 24 Preludes of 1999 based on music of Dmitri Shostakovich, the Russian-American composer is continuing a tradition that was founded, not least, by Dmitri Shostakovich and Rodion Shchedrin with their prelude compositions partially orientated on Bach.

Be that as it may, these miniatures arranged in accordance with the cycle of fifths are highly individual, colourful and surprising in their newly interpreted polystylism. Lera Auerbach has commented on the cycle as follows: “The special character of the pieces comes from observing something familiar from an unexpected perspective - and discovering that they are not as they may seem at first glance. The context and order of the Preludes are very important factors for their comprehension.”

Auerbach has now complemented the two versions of the 24 Preludes. Op. 34 for violin and piano and also for violoncello and piano with the version for viola and piano, which sounds wonderful and, incidentally, has already been recorded on CD.