RODION SHCHEDRIN’S TWENTY-FOUR PRELUDES AND FUGUES:

HISTORIC, ANALYTIC, PERFORMANCE, AND PEDAGOGIC

PERSPECTIVES

A Monograph
Submitted to
The Temple University Graduate Board

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS

By
Igor Resnianski
January, 2010

Examining Committee Members:

Alexander Brinkman, Advisory Chair, Music Studies

Harvey Wedeen, Keyboard
Charles Abramovic, Keyboard
Cynthia Folio, Music Studies
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Copyright © 2010
by Igor Resnianski

All Rights Reserved

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ABSTRACT

Rodion Shchedrin’s Twenty-Four Preludes and Fugues:

Historic, Analytic, Performance, and Pedagogic Perspectives
Igor Resnianski
Doctor of Musical Arts
Temple University, 2010
Dr. Alexander Brinkman, Primary Advisor

The Twenty-Four Preludes and Fugues of Rodion Shchedrin is the magnum opus

of perhaps the most respected living Russian composer, whose music is virtually

unknown in the United States. Inspired by J. S. Bach and following in the footsteps of

Dmitri Shostakovich, Shchedrin produced this impressive and original cycle for solo

piano. It was written during the span of about six years, from 1964 to 1970. Since then,

most of the preludes and fugues have become popular among students and pedagogues in

Russian colleges and conservatories.

The purpose of this monograph is to introduce this commendable work in the

United States and to provide comprehensive structural analysis with performance

suggestions and pedagogic overview. For each Prelude and Fugue, this monograph

provides clear structural tables, which summarize form, compositional techniques, and

rhythmic, textural, and polyphonic organization. In addition it provides performance and

pedagogic evaluation of the entire cycle, with short discussions of each prelude and fugue.

This monograph begins with a biographic overview of the composer, including a

discussion of general aspects of his style, with information about Shchedrin’s formal

music education in Soviet Russia and influences that helped form his musical language. It

also provides an historical context for Shchedrin’s cycle, citing precedents for his work.
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With the growing popularity of Rodion Shchedrin’s music outside of Russia, this

monograph will be a valuable resource for musicians who are interested in teaching,

performing, or studying selected Preludes and Fugues from his cycle.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my gratitude to the faculty members who have aided me

during my work on this monograph. First, I want to thank my primary advisor, Dr.

Alexander Brinkman for his tremendous patience, support, and guidance. During this

work I had a chance to learn from his example how to approach such an in depth research

project. His professionalism, high level of expertise, and countless hours of work helped

the monograph to evolve into a refined presentation.

I cannot express enough appreciation to Professor Harvey Wedeen, who was my

mentor during my years of study at Temple University. He helped to further improve my

piano skills, gave much valuable performance and pedagogical advice, and was an

important advisor whose recommendations enhanced this monograph.

I am thankful for the assistance of Dr. Cynthia Folio and Dr. Charles Abramovic,

both of whom offered invaluable comments during the final stages of my work.

Finally I would like to express my appreciation to all of my professors in the

Boyer College of Music and Dance. It was a profound privilege to learn from them. Their

professional expertise and their work ethic opened my mind to many aspects of music

making and learning.

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DEDICATION

This monograph is dedicated to my parents, who have supported my passion for

music since I was young. My father, Resnianski Victor Alekseevich, was a talented

amateur musician and my mother, Resnianskaya Viera Nikolaevna, is a gifted amateur

artist and poet. Thank you for your encouragement and devotion. This monograph is my

gift to you.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................... iii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................... v

DEDICATION ................................................................................................... vi

LIST OF MUSIC EXAMPLES .......................................................................... viii

CHAPTER
1 BIOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND AND GENERAL ASPECTS
OF STYLE ........................................................................................... 1

2 POLYPHONIC PRINCIPLES AND STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS ...... 16

Structural Analysis
Book I Nos. I–XII, Sharp Keys .................................................. 24
Book II Nos. XIII–XXIV, Flat Keys ......................................... 47

3 PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS AND PEDAGOGIC VALUE ..... 70

4 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................. 121

BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................. 125

APPENDIXES
A PRELUDE INCIPITS .......................................................................... 127
B FUGUE SUBJECTS ............................................................................ 133
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LIST OF MUSIC EXAMPLES

EXAMPLE Page
1. Prelude II, mm. 1-18 ............................................................................ 73
2. Fugue II, mm. 1-13 .............................................................................. 73
3. Prelude III, mm. 1-7 ............................................................................. 74
4. Fugue III, subject ................................................................................. 75
5. Fugue III, mm. 17-20 ........................................................................... 75
6. Prelude IV, mm. 1-6 ............................................................................. 76
7. Prelude IV, mm. 17-22 ......................................................................... 77
8. Fugue IV, subjects ............................................................................... 77
9. Prelude V, system 1 ............................................................................. 78
10. Fugue V, subject .................................................................................. 79
11. Prelude VI, mm. 1-9 ............................................................................. 80
12. Fugue VI, subject ................................................................................. 80
13. Prelude VII, mm. 1-9 ........................................................................... 82
14. Fugue VII, subject ................................................................................ 84
15. Prelude VIII, mm. 1-3 .......................................................................... 84
16. Fugue VIII, subject .............................................................................. 85
17. Prelude IX, opening ............................................................................. 86
18. Fugue IX, subject ................................................................................. 87
19. Prelude X, first statement of the basso ostinato (left hand) ................... 88
20. Fugue X, subject .................................................................................. 89
21. Prelude XI ............................................................................................ 90
22. Fugue XI, subject ................................................................................. 91
23. Prelude XII, mm. 1-4 ........................................................................... 92
24. Fugue XII, subject ................................................................................ 93
25. Prelude XIII, mm. 1-5 .......................................................................... 94
26. Fugue XIII, mm. 1-11 .......................................................................... 95
27. Prelude XIV, opening four systems ...................................................... 97
28. Fugue XIV, subject .............................................................................. 97
29. Prelude XV, opening ............................................................................ 99
30. Fugue XV, subject ............................................................................... 100
31. Prelude XVI, mm. 12 ........................................................................... 101
32. Fugue XVI, subject .............................................................................. 102
33. Fugue XVI, mm. 35-41 ........................................................................ 102
34. Prelude XVII, first three systems .......................................................... 104
35. Fugue XVII, mm. 1-7 ........................................................................... 104
36. Prelude XVIII, mm. 1-15 ..................................................................... 106
37. Fugue XVIII, subject ............................................................................ 107
38. Prelude XIX, mm. 1-20 ........................................................................ 108
39. Fugue XIX, subject .............................................................................. 108
40. Prelude XX, mm. 1-3 ........................................................................... 109
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EXAMPLE Page
41. Prelude XX, Climax ............................................................................. 110
42. Fugue XX, Subjects one, two, and three ............................................... 112
43. Prelude XXI, fourth system .................................................................. 113
44. Fugue XXI, mm. 12-17 ........................................................................ 113
45. Fugue XXI, subject .............................................................................. 114
46. Prelude XXII, first three systems .......................................................... 115
47. Fugue XXII, Subject ............................................................................ 116
48. Prelude XXIII, mm. 1-6 ....................................................................... 117
49. Fugue XXIII, subject ............................................................................ 118
50. Fugue XXIII, mm. 22-23 ...................................................................... 118
51. (a) Prelude I, mm. 1-6; (b) Prelude XXIV, mm. 1-6 ............................. 119
52. (a) Fugue I, mm. 1-6; (b) Fugue XXIV, mm. 1-6 .................................. 120
 1

CHAPTER 1
BIOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND AND GENERAL ASPECTS OF STYLE1

Russian composer Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin is a leading figure in the

musical arena in Russia. He developed his style during the time when the so-called

“Socialist Realism” was the leading principle that had to be reflected in Soviet literature,

art, and music. Socialist Realism required that composers write music with a strong

relationship to a mass audience through active use of folk idioms. As a result, Soviet

music was greatly isolated from Western musical techniques. Shchedrin is a living

example of a new Russian composer who, despite isolation from Western music

techniques, was able to develop a unique musical style. He worked in all major genres,

composing three symphonies; nineteen compositions for various orchestral groups,

including five concertos for orchestra; five piano concertos; concertos for violin, cello,

viola, and trumpet; sixteen choral compositions; chamber works; five ballets; three

operas; one musical; numerous compositions for solo piano; and music for movies and

plays.

Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin was born on December 16, 1932 in Moscow,

the same month and day as Beethoven. His grandfather was a pope in the Russian

Orthodox Church in Aleksin village of Tulskoi Guberniya (province) on the Oka river, a

place with many churches and beautiful pine forests. His father, Konstantin Michailovich,

was a professional musician, born in the village of Vorotki. At first he was a self-taught

1
Much of the information for this chapter is drawn from Kholopova, Valentina. 2000. Poot Po
Tsentru, Kompozitor Rodion Shchedrin (The Center Path: Composer Rodion Shchedrin).
(Moscow: Kompozitor, 2000).
 2

musician playing the violin, but fortunately he was heard by the young actress Vera

Nikolaevna Pashennya, an artist of the renowned Maliy Teatr (Small Theatre) in

Moscow. She was so impressed by the talent of the young man that she paid for his

transportation to Moscow to be introduced to the composer Ippolitov-Ivanov, the director

of the Moscow Conservatory. Konstantin Shchedrin was accepted to the Moscow

Conservatory as a violinist, and later continued his education in the music theory

department, from which he graduated in 1918. These were extremely difficult times. The

Bolsheviks came to power, Tsar Nikolas II was killed, and Russia was struggling with

international intervention. Konstantin Michailovich decided to move back to his

hometown Aleksin where he opened a music school and became its director. However,

being an active individual he soon moved back to Moscow to become one of the

founding members of the Union of Soviet Composers. Rodion’s grandmother and mother

were not musicians. Although his mother studied music at an early age she did not pursue

a professional career. She worked in the Bolshoi Theatre managing payroll and

bookkeeping.

From an early age, Rodion Shchedrin was surrounded by music listening to his

father play violin and piano. He started to take music lessons in Moscow and at first did

not display great interest. At the onset of World War II all schools in Moscow were

closed and Shchedrin’s family evacuated to Samara. Dmitri Shostakovich was evacuated

to this city as well, where he was finishing his Seventh Symphony. Young Rodion heard

the legendary premiere of this monumental work. The Bolshoi Theatre was also

evacuated to Samara, where Shostakovich and Rodion’s father directed the Union of
 3

Soviet Composers, and Shostakovich helped Shchedrin’s family through those difficult

times.

When the Shchedrin family returned to Moscow, Rodion was accepted to the

Central Music School for gifted children. However, he wanted to do something more

important during the war—he wanted to join the Soviet army. Twice he ran away from

his family to the front line. His parents finally sent him to the Marine College in

Leningrad to keep him out of trouble. Fortunately, in 1944, the Moscow Choir College

for Boys was opened and Rodion’s father was invited to teach music history and theory;

he asked that his son be accepted to this college. Singing numerous compositions from

the world’s musical literature awoke new depth in Rodion’s musical impressions. As a

result, his first compositions were for choir.

In 1947, the college initiated a composition competition among the students. The

chairman of the jury was the renowned Soviet composer Aram Khachaturian. Rodion

Shchedrin won that competition, marking the first victory of his professional music

career. The administration of the college made the students’ musical lives exciting by

inviting famous musicians to visit and perform. Dmitri Shostakovich, Aram

Khachaturian, Sviatoslav Richter, Emil Gilels and many other great Soviet masters were

frequent guests. In the college, Shchedrin’s piano teacher was Gregory Dinor. Once,

Dinor took Rodion to the Moscow Conservatory to play for Jacob Flier, the famous

Russian pianist and professor. The actual performance did not seem to impress the

maestro. Dinor then asked Rodion to play some of his original compositions for the

piano. Flier was impressed and took him into his class.
 4

In 1950 Shchedrin was accepted to the Moscow conservatory to major in two

disciplines, piano and theory-composition. He studied piano with Professor Flier and

composition with Professor Yuri Shaporin. During his conservatory years Shchedrin

developed into an excellent pianist. He got so involved in piano performance that he

asked his professor if he should stop composing. Flier wisely encouraged him to

continue. In fact, on numerous occasions the young composer would play a new

composition for his piano professor and receive a detailed critique. Flier played an

important role in developing Shchedrin’s taste as a performer and composer.

Professor Shaporin also had a significant influence on Shchedrin’s development as a

composer. Shaporin was an important figure in Soviet music. He personally knew many

famous Russian writers and poets. Among them were Maxim Gorky, Aleksandr Benua,

Aleksie Tolstoy, and Alexander Block. Shaporin was one of the first to combine both

symphonic and Russian folk instruments in the same orchestra. He believed that music

should have a variety of qualities and did not impose one way of composing on his

students.

The other important stylistic element that started to develop during Shchedrin’s

conservatory years was his interest in Russian folk music. Composition students had

obligatory “folk expeditions.” These involved trips to villages where young composers

listened to, collected, and then studied folk music. On these trips they discovered a “lost

world” of sounds—melodic and harmonic combinations one would not hear in traditional

academic music. Shchedrin especially favored “chastushka”—racy rhymes often utilizing

double meaning. Chastushka has a special place in Russian folk music. It is always
 5

funny, has potential for immediate improvisation, and often has satiric or anecdotal

meaning. Shchedrin always loved that daring folk genre.

One of the important compositions during his years at the Moscow conservatory

was his First Piano Concerto. This composition combined many important aspects of his

style, including energetic musical thoughts, motor-like rhythm, sharp elements of Russian

folk music including chastushka, clear melody, and active use of minor second intervals.

Written in 1954, with the orchestra version in 1974, this concerto was not received well

by the conservatory staff. Fortunately, the new concerto was included in the concert

program of the plenum of the Union of the Soviet Composers where Shchedrin gave an

excellent performance of his composition. Soon he received a letter that he was accepted

to the Union of Soviet Composers. This honor was not even accorded to every

experienced composer, and Shchedrin was only a fourth-year conservatory student.

The year 1958 marked an important development in Shchedrin’s life; he got

married to the Russian ballerina, Maya Plesetskaya, who was already famous in Russia,

and who later became one of the most renowned ballerinas in the world. Her silhouette

can be seen on Marc Chagall’s panel on the facade of the Metropolitan Opera in New

York. She was an inspiration for Shchedrin’s ballets, and all of them were dedicated to

her. Among them: The Hump-backed Horse, Carmen-Suite, Anna Karenina, Chaika

(Seagull), and Damma s Sobachkoi (Lady with a Lapdog). In 1959 Shchedrin graduated

from the Moscow conservatory, finishing his post-graduate study.

It is important to understand that after Stalin’s death in 1953, the USSR went

through some important political and cultural transformations. Soviet premier Nikita
 6

Khrushchev began to remove Stalin’s “cult of personality,” and more open cultural

exchanges between Soviet Union and western countries had an important effect on Soviet

composers. An atmosphere of careful tolerance from the Communist Party allowed

composers previously unacceptable freedom to explore and take chances with scores.

During these years Shchedrin managed to write extremely experimental, sometimes

avant-garde compositions, breaking from traditional forms and musical language. That

was a time when music of composers such as Hindimith, Bartók, Stravinsky, Britten,

Honegger, Poulenc, Orff, and many others just started to become available to the Soviet

public. So-called “avant-garde music,” music that was not written for the masses, was

heavily criticized as bad western influence.

Shchedrin was active in the political life of the Soviet Union. In 1962 he was

elected Secretary of the Board for the Composers’ Union of the USSR. In this new post

he worked to expand the views of this heavily ideological organization. In his speeches

Shchedrin had to walk a fine line between keeping a traditional point of view and

encouraging exploration of new compositional techniques. He proclaimed that since the

Communist Party had acknowledged mistakes made during Stalin’s time and the Soviet

Union was more open to western culture, Soviet composers should be able to explore

new horizons in music composition. In 1973 he succeeded Shostakovich as Chairman of

the Composers’ Union of Russia. He maintained this high post until 1990, the year of the

breakup of the USSR. Like Shostakovich, Shchedrin had the power to protect many

Soviet composers and musicians as well as writers and artists who wanted to experiment
 7

and explore in their art, and not necessarily follow the general direction of cultural

development determined by the Communist Party.

In 1963 Shchedrin started to incorporate humor and satiric elements in his

compositions. This tendency can be seen in his Ozornie Chastushki (Naughty Limericks)

subtitled as his First Concerto for Orchestra, and the Burocratiada cantata, the text of

which was based on instructions for the visitors of the Kyrpati vacation resort. In Ozornie

Chastushki the composer experimented with a new symphonic form, orchestration

techniques, and thematic development. The eight-minute composition includes 70 theme-

motives, which are juxtaposed by various solo instruments in the orchestra. Everything is

based on a toccata-like perpetual motion. This composition became extremely popular.

Leonard Bernstein performed it several times with the New York Philharmonic.

Choreographers, including New York’s George Balanchine, staged versions of this clever

symphonic composition. In the other composition, Burocratiada, Shchedrin explored

structural and polyphonic writing harkening back to composers such as Monteverdi,

Handel, Gluck, and Bach.

After the polyphonic experience in his first piano sonata and Burocratiada,

Shchedrin undertook one of the most important tasks in his career, writing a cycle of

twenty-four preludes and fugues. During 1963-1964 he wrote the first book, in the sharp

keys. In the following six years, from 1964 to 1970, he completed the second book, in flat

keys. In 1972, the composer wrote Polyphonic Notebook for piano, a work consisting of

twenty-five preludes, each of which targets a specific polyphonic technique, which is

stated as a title at the end of the piece (as in Debussy’s preludes). Prelude twenty-five,
 8

called Polyphonic Mosaic, incorporates beginning fragments of all twenty-four preludes.

The composer intended this composition-textbook to be used in music schools, music

colleges, and conservatories. This cycle is even less tonal then the Twenty-Four Prelude

and Fugues.

The next important step in the development of Shchedrin’s style as well as new

music in the Soviet period was his Second Piano Concerto, written in 1966. For the first

time in the history of Soviet music, a composition consisted of a stylistic collage based on

the twelve-tone avant-garde style with elements of jazz. The young composer received

jazz influences from two sources. In 1962 he learned elements of this idiom from Kara

Karaev, renowned Azerbaijani composer; at about the same time he traveled to the

United States, where he interacted with American jazz musicians Gerry Mulligan, Bobby

Brookmeyer, Stan Kenton, Dave Brubeck, Amad Jamal. Each movement of the concerto

is named. The first movement, Dialogues, consists of serious, deep, and pathetic musical

emotions. The very first piano solo is based on a dodecaphonic series. The second

movement, Improvisation, is a combination of dodecaphony and aleatoric technique. The

solo part of the score includes marked squares, which indicate that these sections should

be repeated several times at the performer’s discretion. The third movement, Contrasts, is

a collage of various elements: bells of the orchestra, imitation of piano tuning, expressive

orchestral drama, etude-like episodes in the solo part, and an unexpected jazz section

with an elegant piano solo. Shchedrin intended this contrasting material as a reflection of

the real world: a person in a practice room of a conservatory would hear a combination of

sounds from neighboring studios similar to the collage of sounds used by the composer in
 9

this final movement. Later he brings back themes from the previous movements to unite

the entire concerto.

In 1967 Rodion Shchedrin was commissioned to write an orchestra composition

for the 125th anniversary of the New York Philharmonic. Leonard Bernstein conducted

the premier performance of this work, named Chimes, in 1968. This symphonic

composition reflects archaic images of old Russia through chimes of the Russian

Orthodox Church. The score of Chimes is filled with sonorous qualities. In Russian

history, the sounds of bells accompanied many aspects of people’s life. The bells of the

Orthodox Church proclaimed both tragic events and celebratory occasions, and could be

heard miles away. Consequently the sonic image of bells became a trademark of Russian

culture and was used in compositions by many Russian composers.

The next significant composition is Poetoria. Composed in 1968, it is a concerto

for narrator, contralto, chorus, and symphonic orchestra on the texts of Andrey

Voznisensky, renowned Russian poet and friend of Rodion Shchedrin. To a certain

degree this composition echoes the spirit of the Passions of J. S. Bach, but uses modern

musical idioms that include folk and archaic Russian music elements mixed with avant-

garde style and aleatoric technique.

During the 1960s Shchedrin’s music gained popularity on the concert stage and

recognition and respect among leading composers in Russia and around the world. In

1964 he performed his music in Norway. After the premiere of his second piano concerto

he toured Europe with the Leningrad Symphony. Despite his success, he had to

constantly overcome obstacles, which came from the higher bureaucratic echelons of the
 10

Soviet political system. In 1969, he left the Moscow Conservatory, unable to accept

criticism from untalented colleagues in high administrative positions. In 1968, Shchedrin

refused to sign a letter in support of moving the Soviet Army into Czechoslovakia; this

was announced on the radio station Voice of America. Such attention from the West

could have serious consequences for the composer. As a compromise, Shchedrin wrote

the oratorio Lenin in the People’s Heart, similar to Shostakovich’s oratorio Songs of the

Forests. Shchedrin’s image in the eyes of the establishment was restored, and in 1972 he

received The State Prize of the Soviet Union. In 1984, he was awarded Lenin’s Award,

the highest honor of the USSR, for his opera Dead Souls, his a cappella choral piece The

Execution of Pugachev, and the oratorio dedicated to Lenin.

From the mid seventies he was honored with numerous international awards

including: Member-Correspondent of Bavarian Academy of the Arts (1976); Honorary

member of American Liszt and Beethoven Societies (1978); Member-Correspondent of

Academy of the Fine Arts of Democratic Republic of Germany (1983); Honorary

member of the International Music Council (1985); Honorary member of Academy of the

Arts of western Berlin (1989).

The next step in Shchedrin’s constantly developing musical language was his

Piano Concerto No. 3 (1973). It was his most avant-garde composition yet. The piece is

atonal and the form is quite interesting: thirty-three variations mixed with a sonata form,

with the piano cadenza at the beginning of the concerto and the theme of the variations at

the end. There are no folk idioms in the musical language and no traces of classical or

neoclassical elements for a poly-stylistic effect. Dissonance is the main musical element
 11

used by Shchedrin to develop this concerto. Thematic relief is more of an expressive

impulse that does not imply any genre or style. In this complex composition expression is

transmitted through motion, dissonance, and rhythm.

In 1985, the USSR began its new political and economical transition known as

“Perestroika” (rebuilding or reconstruction). The Soviet Union became ever more open to

the rest of the world. The 1988 festival of Soviet music in Boston was an important

cultural event. At that time, many outside of Russia believed that there were no

significant Russian composers after Prokofiev and Shostakovich. This festival helped to

promote more recent composers who had continued development of Russian music. The

slogan for this festival was “Making music together,” and Russian and American

musicians collaborated in performances. About three hundred musicians, including

Shchedrin, represented the Russian group. Many of Shchedrin’s compositions were

performed, including his opera Dead Souls, with an international cast of musicians. The

festival, which celebrated Russian music and collaboration between musicians of both

counties, was an absolute success.

Rodion Shchedrin politically active during Perestroika. In 1989 he was elected by

the Composers’ Union to be a deputy to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Using his

voice as a deputy in the high echelons of the political pyramid, Shchedrin took every

opportunity to bring attention to the situation in orchestras and concert halls around the

country, to encourage cultural enthusiasm in small towns, and to recognize talented

young composers. Shchedrin played an active role in political rehabilitation of Mstislav

Rostropovich, one of the greatest cellists of the twentieth century, and his wife Galina
 12

Vishnevskaya, a renowned Russian singer. They had been forced to leave the USSR in

1978 because they supported Russian writer and dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

Shchedrin was the only composer who kept in contact with Rostropovich during the years

when his name was totally omitted from the official press in the USSR. In 1988 he even

sent him the orchestral score of his new symphonic composition Stihira, “Hymn for the

Millenary of Christianisation of Russia,” which was dedicated to Rostropovich.

Rostropovich considered that an heroic act from a Soviet composer who risked much, not

only by writing a composition glorifying Christianity, but also by sending the score to a

Russian political dissident for performance.

During the 1980s, besides composing music, Rodion Shchedrin wrote articles

about music and musicians, including such names as Olivier Messiaen, Leonard

Bernstein, Giya Kancheli, Anton Webern, and Igor Stravinsky. His compositions during

the 1980s included fundamental works for choir, symphonic orchestra, organ, and a

variety of chamber ensembles. He continued to combine Russian traditions of choral

music with western influences in further developing his poly-stylistic method of writing.

In 1981 Shchedrin wrote Notebook for the Young, a collection of fifteen pieces for piano,

commissioned by the Austrian publishing company, Universal Edition. The names of

some of the pieces reflect characters and images derived from old Russian folk music

genres such as Znamenny raspev (a type of chant), Russkie trezvoni (Russian peals), and

Derevenskaja plakalshitza (village mourner).

Many compositions of the 1980s were inspired by important dates. In 1985 the

music world celebrated 300 years since J. S. Bach’s birth. Two years before that date
 13

Shchedrin wrote Musical Offering for organ, three flutes, three bassoons, and three

trombones. It is a long composition, a little over two hours in duration, planned as a

grandiose music meditation. It is a collection of shorter prelude- or invention-like

sections based on imitative polyphony with examples of invertible counterpoint. Also, the

composer used some quotations from Bach’s compositions including the famous B-A-C-

H motive. Two other compositions written for this occasion were the “Echo” Sonata for

solo violin and Music for the City of Köthen for chamber orchestra, both written in 1984.

In 1982, for his fiftieth birthday, Rodion Shchedrin wrote a symphonic composition titled

Self-Portrait, the dark emotional tone of which surprised many of his friends. Self-

Portrait is a theme with eight variations. The theme includes several important motives

that represent elements of the musical portrait. Among them are a “scream” motive, a

musical cryptogram of Shchedrin’s name imbedded in the piano passages using the six

tones es-h-c-h-e-d (E-flat, B, C, B, E, D), and the musical cryptogram of Bach’s name

(B-flat, A, C, B-natural). In 1985 Shchedrin wrote a new ballet, Damma s Sobachkoi

(Lady with a Lapdog) for the sixtieth birthday of his wife, Maya Mikhailovna

Plisetskaya. She performed this birthday present, which she also choreographed, on the

stage of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow; the famous couturier Pierre Cardin designed her

costumes.

At the end of the 1980s Shchedrin wrote several important compositions—among

them Geometry of Sound, Stihira, and Sealed Angel. Geometry of Sound, written in 1987

for chamber orchestra, is purely experimental. The idea was to explore possibilities of

sound through stereophonic and polyphonic writing. Also, the composer used an
 14

electronic piano, the YAMAHA DX 7. Musicians were divided into three groups, one on

stage, the other two behind the stage and in the balcony. The polyphonic writing in this

composition had a striking spatial effect. The musical language is primarily neo-baroque,

with active use of imitative polyphony. Stihira was written for symphonic orchestra and

The Sealed Angel, a liturgical composition, was written for a cappella choir and

shepherd’s pipe. Both compositions are highly spiritual and influenced by archaic

Russian chants. During the 1980s Shchedrin’s popularity spread around the world. He

received commissions from Germany, Finland, Japan, the United States and many other

countries. He continued to write in many different genres: theater, symphonic, chamber

music, instrumental, and vocal.

In the beginning of the 1990s, despite invitations to teach in Canada and USA,

Rodion Shchedrin and his wife settled in Munich, Germany. He did not want to live too

far from Russia and kept his Russian citizenship. In Germany he quickly established

professional relationships with many leading publishing companies. Since 1993 he has

had an exclusive contract with Shott und Söhne, the historical publishing company that

collaborated with Beethoven, and German and English catalogues of his works have been

released on the Internet. In 1997 his name was added to the New Grove Dictionary.

During the 1990s he actively composed on commission. Also, he was a recipient of a

numerous awards including the Shostakovich Award in Russia in 1993 and the Crystal

Award in Switzerland in 1995. He was invited to participate in festivals and to judge

competitions. Festivals of his music took place in Russia, France, Finland, Germany, and

the United States. The composer’s choice of genres was largely determined by
 15

commissions and collaborations with musicians. He wrote the opera Lolita, several choral

compositions, including cantata Molenie (prayer), for choir and orchestra, and seven

concertos—six for various instruments and one for the orchestra. Among these concertos

are the fourth and fifth piano concertos, and concertos for cello, viola, violin, and

trumpet. In his orchestral compositions, such as Russian Photographs, Shepherd’s Pipe of

Vologda, Crystal Psaltery, and others, Shchedrin continued to follow the “Russian”

theme. He also wrote instrumental and chamber music, including his second piano

sonata, Sonata for cello and piano, Pastoral for cello and piano, Balalaika for violin

without the bow, Ice House for solo marimba, and many others. In many compositions,

from this period, the composer focused on lyricism, which had not been emphasized in

his earlier works.

Rodion Shchedrin still lives in Germany and is considered one of the most

prominent Russian composers since Prokofiev and Shostakovich. He writes in a wide

variety of musical genres and forms, and maintains a balance between tradition and

invention. The emotional scale in his compositions ranges from humorous to tragic, and

from liturgical to abstract. He has mastered most of the traditional forms, from miniature

pieces to gigantic compositions, often transforming them into something new and unique.

He retains a strong connection with Russian folk music. Shchedrin still has a strong

interest in writing polyphonic music for solo instruments as well as for choral and

orchestral groups. His music continues to gain popularity among listeners and recognition

among professional musicians around the world.

 16

CHAPTER 2
POLYPHONIC PRINCIPLES AND STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

The idea to write a cycle of twenty-four preludes and fugues came to Shchedrin in

1951 when he was a second-year student at the Moscow Conservatory. As Shchedrin

wrote:

… In 1951 in underground facilities of the Composers Union of the

USSR, Dmitri Shostakovich played his new composition Twenty-Four
Preludes and Fugues. He had just finished them. I, still a second-year
student at the Conservatory, was present at that memorable performance.
Shostakovich used his manuscript and I could feel nervousness in his
playing. He was adjusting his glasses often, while picking some wrong
notes and at times using harsh forte. However, the composition had such a
strong impact on me that I was inspired to write a similar cycle…1

Thus, the composer envisioned this important work when he was only nineteen, but

didn’t begin working on it until he was thirty-three years old.

Following the achievements of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Twenty-Four Preludes and

Fugues and Paul Hindemith’s Ludus Tonalis, Rodion Shchedrin produced his Twenty-

Four Preludes and Fugues, an impressive cycle for solo piano. Shchedrin completed the

first book during 1963-1964. In the following six years, from 1964 to 1970, he wrote the

second book. Shchedrin divided the Twenty-Four Preludes and Fugues into two books—

Book I contains twelve preludes and fugues covering the sharp keys; Book II covers the

flat keys.

1
Kholopova, Valentina. 2000. Poot Po Tsentru, Kompozitor Rodion Shchedrin (Way on a Center,
Composer Rodion Shchedrin). (Moscow: Kompozitor, 2000), p. 276. In a chapter titled
“Comments of R. Shchedrin about his compositions for Compact Discs and concert programs.”
Translated by Igor Resnianski.
 17

There are several precedents for tonal organization for cycles of preludes and

fugues. In The Well-Tempered Clavier J. S. Bach arranged his preludes and fugues in

parallel major/minor keys pairs, following an ascending chromatic scale (C major, C

minor, C-sharp major, C-sharp minor, etc.). Hindemith’s Ludus Tonalis (1942), subtitled

“Studies in Counterpoint, Tonal Organization, and Piano Playing,” consists of twelve

fugues, one in each key, linked by eleven modulating interludes, and preceded by a

prelude in C that serves, in retrograde inversion, as a postlude. The fugues use many

learned contrapuntal devices and are arranged according to Hindemith’s principle of

decreasing tonal relationship to the tonic of C: C, G, F, A, E, E-flat, A-flat, D, B-flat, D-

flat, B, F-sharp (making no distinction between major and minor keys). Shostakovich’s

Twenty-Four Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87 (1951-1952) proceeds in relative major/minor

pairs around the ascending circle of fifths.

Shchedrin divides his cycle into two sections, following a tonal plan similar to

Shostakovich’s. Book I, sharp keys, is arranged by increasing number of sharps in the

key signature in a circle of fifths, from no sharps to five sharps, with each major key

paired with its relative minor: C major, A minor; G major, E minor; ... B major, G-sharp

minor. Book II follows the same pattern, but progresses in decreasing number of flats,

from six flats to one flat: G-flat major, E-flat minor; D-flat major, B-flat minor; ... F

major, D minor.

Shchedrin’s cycle was dedicated to his father. The Twenty-Four Preludes and

Fugues are the work of a composer with deep spirituality, who lives with constant

internal conflicts between thoughts and feelings, dreams and the real world, rationality
 18

and emotionality. These qualities are reflected in the music. Shchedrin is creative in using

traditional polyphonic techniques, which he adapts to the diversity of twentieth century

style and emotional undertones.

Even though the entire cycle is united, the two books have some distinct

differences in various aspects. The preludes and fugues in the first book are for the most

part emotionally vivid, somewhat theatrical, and often have a touch of humor. In the

second book the emotional balance is more introverted, and the expressive scale becomes

lyrical, dramatic, and philosophical. Throughout the entire cycle Shchedrin creates a

variety of emotional zones with their rises, falls, and climaxes. Prelude and Fugue XX in

C minor serves as the dramatic climax of the entire cycle; it is the most polyphonically,

texturally, and emotionally complex. As in Hindemith’s Ludis Tonalis, Shchedrin

connects the beginning and end of the cycle: the last prelude and fugue in D minor are

exact inversions of the first prelude and fugue in C major.

Preludes

Most of the preludes in the cycle are short in length and diverse in genre, form,

and character. For example Prelude I in C major is in the character of a scherzo; Prelude

III in G major is dance-like in the style of a Siciliana or waltz; Prelude XVIII in F minor

is a two-part invention; Prelude VI in B minor is chorale-like; while Preludes VII (A

major), XXII (G minor), and XIX (E-flat major) are toccata-like. Some preludes are

written in an improvisational style and can be divided into two types. The first is
 19

virtuosic (Preludes XIV in E-flat minor, XXI in B-flat major, and XXII in G minor); the

second is more thoughtful and reflective (Preludes V in D major and XV in D-flat major).

Most of the preludes are written in a polyphonic manner that combines two or

more independent lines with different rhythms, in contrast to the imitative polyphony

used in the fugues. There are, however, some preludes that are based on imitative

polyphony as well, for example:

1. Prelude IV in E minor is a canon.

2. Prelude XXIII in F major is a rhythmic canon with a dialog between the two

voices. Textures such as this in some parts of fugues and preludes are typical for

the composer.

3. Prelude XVIII in F minor is a two-part invention in the style of J. S. Bach (in

terms of texture—not harmonic function!).

4. Preludes XVII in A-flat major and XIX in E-flat major are based on imitative

polyphony as well.

The first system of each prelude is shown in Appendix A.

Fugues

As in Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier most of Shchedrin’s fugues contain three

voices. Six fugues are four-voice fugues (Fugue III in G major, IV in E minor, VI in B

minor, XV in D-flat major, XX in C minor, and XXII in G minor); two are two-voice

fugues (VII in A major and XVI in B-flat minor); and one fugue is a five-voice fugue (XI

in B-major). Strettos are common, occurring in all but two of the fugues (IV in E minor
 20

and XXI in B-flat major). Ten of the twenty-four fugues have no episodes (free

counterpoint between subject groups). Fugue XIII (F-sharp minor) is the only fugue in

the set with a true countersubject, although there are many recurring motives in the

counterpoint. Some fugues are more complex in their polyphonic organization: Fugue IV

(E minor) and Fugue XV (D-flat major) are double fugues (two subjects), Fugue XX (C

minor) is a triple fugue (three subjects), and Fugue XXI (B-flat major) uses a cantus

firmus borrowed from Bach’s fugue in B-flat major from Book II of The Well-Tempered

Clavier.

Subjects in the fugues of the cycle as a rule are based on a combination of

smooth, mostly stepwise, movement and sharp sounding disjunct intervals—fourths,

tritones, sevenths, and ninths. They are clear and prominent, and most of the time one can

clearly hear their contours within a polyphonic texture.

In general, the melodic lines of Shchedrin’s fugues are much more dissonant than

those in Shostakovich’s fugues. One of the reasons is that the composer treats dissonance

differently. Despite the differences in style between Bach and Shostakovich they both

based their writing on functional tonality, where dissonant intervals tend to resolve to

consonant ones. Shchedrin’s linear thinking results in true dissonant counterpoint. He

looks at polyphony as a combination of independent lines where horizontal organization

of the polyphonic material becomes the primary principle. As a result, many dissonant

intervals are not resolved. Also, there are unexpected clashes between the diatonic and

chromatic linear development, along with rhythmic contrasts, which contribute to the

distinctive sound.
 21

Rhythm is sometimes a primary factor in melodic organization of the themes and

the polyphonic development of texture. Rhythmic patterns of the themes are widely

diverse, forceful, and energetic. Repetition of the same tone is a common feature in the

texture of the fugues. Fugue XIX in E-flat major is unusual in that the subject (both prime

and inverted) is rhythmically augmented to different degrees: the original durations

(sixteenth notes) are doubled, tripled, quadrupled, and sextupled in length.

In Shchedrin’s fugues the sense of the key is another important feature that is

expressed in a different way. Horizontal thinking in Shchedrin’s polyphonic writing

affects the feel of tonality. Melodic lines do not fit functional tonality, with some

exceptions usually at the borders of the form where the composer brings some harmonic

focus into the polyphonic texture. As a rule the tonic is established by assertion, or

emphasis, especially at the end. The final chord of most preludes and fugues usually

contains the tonic prominently, although added tones, often quite distant, are often

included. The subject entries in the fugues often follow the traditional tonic-dominant

entry pattern in the exposition, especially in Book I, although the subjects themselves

usually add so many non-scale tones that the tonality is obfuscated, and many subjects

ultimately sound atonal. The subjects and polyphonic textures in the second book tend to

be less tonal than those in the first, and the pitch level of entries in the expositions

becomes less predictable.

Another interesting feature that characterizes the preludes and fugues is an inverse

relationship between the melodic and rhythmic character: the more complex the melodic

line the easier the rhythmic formula and vice versa. Fugue II in A-minor is a good
 22

example of this relationship: the chromatic nature of the theme is balanced by simplicity

in the rhythmical patterns.

It seems that the fugue subjects in the first book have strong influences of various

genres such as dance, song, chorale, scherzo. There are even some jazz rhythms. On the

other hand the subjects in the second book are often influenced by the recitative—

reflecting intonations of a human voice. Toward the end of the cycle the fugues become

more introspective and dramatic in their musical expression.

The remainder of this chapter presents a brief analytic description of each prelude

and fugue in the cycle. For the preludes the description includes the tempo, meter, length,

form, texture, character, and some comments. Description of the fugues includes, tempo,

meter, length, presence or absence of a countersubject, number of subject groups and

episodes, and character. Salient features of the subject(s) are described, and more

extensive comments are included. Each fugue is illustrated in a graphic format that shows

the form, subject entries, episodes, and subject groups. The pitch level of each subject

entry is given using standard octave designations (the middle octave, beginning with

middle C, is labeled C4 - B4). Thus F#3 is the F# below middle C, and B5 is above the

first ledger line above the treble staff. On the diagrams, the following abbreviations are

used: S = Subject; SI = Inverted Subject; SR = Retrograde Subject; SRI = Retrograde

Inversion of the Subject; SAug = Subject Augmented; SFE = False Entry (subject head

only); STr = Truncated subject; STrans = transformation of the subject (described in the

commentary). Prolonged rests are indicated by a series of dots (. . .), and free

counterpoint by a series of slashes (////).

 23

I take a simplified view of the formal process in the fugues. The exposition is over

when each voice has entered, although there is sometimes a redundant entry or two (a

second subject entry in a voice that has already entered the fugue). Since these fugues are

borderline to fully atonal, and subject entries do not always follow the traditional tonic-

dominant entry pattern in the exposition, I have abandoned the distinction between

Subject (in the tonic) and Answer (in the dominant) in the exposition in favor of showing

subject entries with the first pitch indicated. After the exposition the fugue is divided into

subject groups (containing one or more “middle entries” of the subject), and episodes that

usually develop material from the subject in free counterpoint. When the connecting

material between subject entries or subject groups is short I call it a “link” instead of an

episode, and sometimes there is a short passage of free counterpoint at the end of a

section, called an “extension.”

The fugue subjects can be seen in Appendix B.

Structural Analysis

Book I: Nos. I–XII

Sharp Keys

24
 PRELUDE and FUGUE I in C major

PRELUDE

Tempo: Allegretto; Meter: 4/4; Length: 17 bars with quarter-note anacrusis. Form: ABA with Coda. Texture: strict two-voice linear writing with
scale-like and arpeggio passages with a motive that combines harmonic major or minor seconds followed by a single note. Character: energetic,
contrasting, dissonant, and somewhat sarcastic.

SECTIONS A B A Coda
BARS 1–5 6–10 11–15 16–17

FUGUE
(a 3 voci)

Tempo: L’istesso tempo; Number of voices: 3; Meter: 3/2; Length: 30 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: none; Subject Groups: 2; Strettos: 1.
Character: energetic and elegant. Subject: four bars long with a rhythmic motive consisting of two contrasting elements—two longer tones
ascending stepwise, followed by a 16th note figure; this rhythmic motive occurs four times in succession. The half-note figures descend and then
ascend by step: C-D, B-C#, A-Bb, B-C. Comments: This fugue has no episodes, and no passages without a subject except at the very end. The
exposition, with entries on C, G, and C, follows the classic tonic-dominant-tonic pattern. Subject Group 1 has entries on D#, F, and G#. The final
subject group is a three-voice close stretto with entries on C, E, and C, effectively returning to the tonic. The subject appears three times in each
voice, once in the exposition and once in each subject group.

Exposition Subject Group 1 Subject Group 2

stretto a3
S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(C5) ///////////////////////////////////////// S(G#5) . .S(C4) ////. .
A S(C4) ///////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////// S(F4) //////////////////// .S(E3) . ///. .
B . . . . . . . . . . . . S(G2) //////////////////// S(D#3) ////////////////////////////////////////// S(C2) . . .////. .
m. 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12; 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24; 25 26 27 28 29 30 .

25
 PRELUDE AND FUGUE II in A minor

PRELUDE

Tempo: Vivace; Meter: 3/8; Length: 64 bars. Form: A - A - B - A. The A sections are in A minor, B is similar but begins in C major and modulates
back to A. Texture: two voices with combination of 16th-note Alberti-bass-like seven-note figure and arpeggios and scales, primarily in the top
voice, and 8th-note triplets in the low voice; each section begins with imitation and ends with a hemiola. Character: energetic with the touch of
neo-baroque flavor.

SECTIONS A A B A
BARS 1–16 17–32 33–48 33–64

FUGUE
(a 3 voci)

Tempo: Moderato; Number of voices: 3; Meter: 4/4; Length: 63 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: 4; Subject Groups: 3; Strettos: 5; Character:
serious and dark. Subject: three bars long plus a one-bar tail; combines a repeated quarter-note figure followed by descending motion in eighth and
quarter notes. The subject begins on the dominant and ends on the tonic. Comments: The subject begins on the dominant and ends on the tonic, so
the entries in the exposition on E, B, and E follow the classic pattern except that the answer is not tonally adjusted. Subject Group 1 consists of
two strettos, the first with entries on C, C, and G#, and the second with entries on F# (inverted), D, and F (inverted). Subject Group 2 begins with a
close three-voice stretto with entries on D# (retrograde), B (inverted), and G# (retrograde). This is followed by two entries (inverted) on G#.
(Continued on next page)

Exposition Episode 1 Subject Group 1 Episode 2 Subject Group 2

stretto a3 stretto a3 (=Ep. 1) stretto a3

S S(E5) ////////////////////////////////. . . /////////////// . . . . . .S(C5) ////// S(D5) //// //////////////// . . . SR (G#4) .

I R
A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(E4) /// /////////////// . /////////////// S(G#3) /// S (F3) // //////////////// S (D#3) ///
I I
B . . . . . . . . . S(B3) //////////////////// /////////////// S(C3) ////////////// S (F#2) ////. . . //////////////// . S (B2) ////////
m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10; 11 12 13; 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24; 25 26 27; 28 29 30 31 32

26
Comments (continued): Subject Group 3 has a three-voice stretto with entries on A, G, and C#, followed by a two-voice stretto with entries on Bb
and A (the tonic). Episodes 1, 2, 3, and the Coda are identical except for transposition (down a step each time), resulting in a Ritornello effect.
Each of these sections ends with an identical figure (four 16th notes tied to a dotted half note) that helps to articulate the form.

Subject Group 2 (cont.) Episode 3 Subject Group 3 Episode 4 Coda

(=Ep. 1) stretto a3 stretto a2 (=Ep. 1)

S SI(G#3) //////////////////// //////////////// . . .S(A5) ///////////////////. . . .S(A4) // ////////////////////////// ///////////////

A ///////////////////// SI(G#5) //////////////// //////////////////// S(C#4) ////////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// ///////////////
B ///////////////////////////////////// //////////////// . . . . . . S(G3) /////// S(Bb2) ///////////// ////////////////////////// ///////////////
m 33 34 35 36 37 38 39; 40 41 42; 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55; 56 57 58 59 60; 61 62 63.

27
 PRELUDE and FUGUE III in G major

PRELUDE

Tempo: Largetto, ma rubato; Meter: 6/8; Length: 16 bars; Form: A A’ and Coda; A’ is almost identical to A except for the first measure and some
octave displacement. Each section is divided into two contrasting episodes: the first dance-like in the manner of a “Siciliana,” the second (Più
mosso) fast and light. Texture: loose three-voice linear writing; Character: calm and tranquil.

SECTION: A A’ Coda
BARS: 1–8 9–14 15–16

FUGUE
(a 3 voci)

Tempo: Allegro assai; Number of voices: 4; Meter: 3/4; Length: 130 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: 3; Subject Groups: 3; Strettos: 1;
Character: boisterous and confident. Subject: four bars long and energetic—based on a combination of four single 8th notes and three pairs of
descending second intervals, all separated by rests. Comments: It is interesting that the subject (and most subject groups) feel like 6/8, while the
episodes clearly reflect the notated 3/4 meter, thus this fugue makes extensive use of hemiola. The subject begins on the leading tone and the
exposition uses the traditional tonic-dominant entries. Subject Group 1 begins in the supertonic area (entrances in A and E, twice) and then follows
a sequential pattern of entries in F#-C#, B-F#. (Continued on next page)

Exposition Episode 1 Subject Group 1

S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(C#4) ////////////////////////////////////////// . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(F#3) //////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////////// . . . . . . . . . . . . S(D#4) .
T . . . . . . . . . . . . S(C#3) ////////////////////////////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////////// S(G#3) ////////////////////
B S(F#2) //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////
m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16; 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24; 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

28
Comments (continued): Subject Group 2 returns to the tonic-dominant relations of the exposition. Subject Group 3 is a five-entry stretto with all
entries in the tonic G.

Subject Group 1 (continued) Episode 2 (not strict 4 voice)

S S(G#4) ////////////////////////////////////////// S(B#4) ///////////////////// S(E#5) ///////////////////////////////////////////////
A ////////////////////////////////////////////. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S(A#3) ///////////////////// ///////////////////////////////////////////////
T /////////////////////////////////////////// S(E#3) /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////////////////////////////
B . . . . . . . . . . . . S(D#2) ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////////////////////////////
m 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56; 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65

Subject Group 2 Episode 2 Subject Group 3

(= Episode 1) stretto a4 (5 entries)
S ////////////////////// . . . . . . . . . . . S(C#5) ////////////////////////////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////////// . . . . . . . . . . . S(F#5) .
A ////////////////////// S(F#4) /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////////// S(F#4) ////////
T ///////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////////// S(F#3) ///////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////////// ////////// S(F#3) .
B ///////////////////// . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(C#3) ////////////////////////////////////////// . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
m 66 67 68 69; 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85; 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93; 94 95 96 97 98 99

Subject Group 3 (continued) Coda

Extension
S S(F#5) ///////////////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
A //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
T //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
B S(F#2) //////////////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
m 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109; 110 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 130.

29
 PRELUDE and FUGUE IV in E minor
PRELUDE
Tempo: Allegretto; Meter: 2/4; Length: 58 bars; Form: A A’. Each section is divided into two contrasting episodes, the first a two-voice canon,
and the second an interlude. The first canon is at the octave with the lower voice leading. The second canon is invertible counterpoint of the first at
the 15th. The interludes are identical except at the very end. Texture: two-voice counterpoint in the canons, and chordal in the interludes. Each
voice of the canon includes all twelve notes of the chromatic scale in the first seven bars. Bars 5-7 (the first three bars of the second voice) also
complete the aggregate with the two voices combined. Character: witty and energetic.

SECTIONS: A A’
Canon Interlude Canon Interlude
BARS: 1–16 17–28 29–44 45–58

FUGUE
Double Fugue (a 4 voci)
With combined exposition

Tempo: Lento; Number of voices: 4; Meter: 4/2; Length: 38 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: none; Subject Groups: 2; Strettos: none;
Character: not rushed and somewhat abstract. Subjects: The two contrasting subjects differ in their rhythmical formulas: S1, which is three bars
long, consists of half and hole notes and is chromatic in its intervallic structure; S2, which is one and a half bars long, is more active, and based on
three rhythmically identical motives—three eighth notes with a grace note followed by a half note. Comments: S1 and S2 almost always occur
together in double counterpoint (like subject and countersubject). In the exposition, each subject appears in the tonic and dominant (answer),
however the second S1 begins on D# instead of E. (Continued on next page.)

Exposition Link Subject Group 1 Link Subject Group 2 Extension

S . . . . S2 (E5) //////////////////////////////////////////// S1(B4) ////// S1 (C#5) ///////////////////////// //////////////// . . S2(D#5) //////////
A S1(E4) ///////////////////////////////////////////////////// S2(B4) ///// . . . . S2(G4) ///////////////////////// /////////////// S1(D#4) /////////
T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S2(B3) ///// S1(D#3) ////////////////////////// ///////////////////. . . . S2(C#3) //// S1 (F#3) . . . ///////////////////
B . . . . . . . . . . . S1(B2) //////////// S2(E2) ////////////////////////// /////. . . . . . . .S1(D2) ///// //. . S2(F#2) /////////////////////////
m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16; 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24; 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32;

30
Comments (continued): The coda begins with a false entry (truncated subject) in the tonic key.

Coda (Upper voices from S2)

S ////////////////////////////////
A . . . . //////////////. . .//////
T . . . . . . . . . /////. . .//////
B S1FE(E1) ///////////////////
m 33 34 35 36 37 38.

31
 PRELUDE and FUGUE V in D major
PRELUDE
Tempo: Tempo ad libitum, rubato; Meter: unmetered; Length: 4 bars (subdivided with dotted bar lines); Form: four sections of one bar each. Each
section consists of single-voice passage work followed, after a dotted bar line, by a short subsection consisting of dry chords marked “quasi
pizzicato.” Texture: alternates single-voice scale-like passages and staccato chords; Character: improvisatory and reflective.
SECTIONS I II III IV
BARS 1 2 3 4
FUGUE (a 3 voci)
Tempo: Sostenuto; Number of voices: 3; Meter 4/4; Length: 51 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: none; Subject Groups: 2; Strettos: 2;
Character: energetic. Subject: five bars long with numerous embellishments that play an important role in the fugue. Comments: The subject
entries in the exposition follow the traditional tonic-dominant-tonic pattern. Entries in Subject Group 1 follow a descending 5th pattern (F#-B-E).
Subject Group 2 consists of two close strettos (a2 and a3), with entries outlining the tonic triad (D-A, F#-D-F#). There are no episodes. The coda is
based on motives from the subject.

Exposition Subject Group 1 Link

S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(D6) /////////////////////////////////////////////////// S(E6) //////////
A S(D5) ///////////////////////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////// S(B4) /////////////////////////// //////////
B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(A3) ///////////////////////.. S(F#3) ////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////
m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15; 16; 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30; 31 32;

Subject Group 2 Coda

stretto a2 stretto a3 (based on motives from the subject)
S . .S(A5) S(D6) // ///////////////////////////////////////////////
A ////. . . . . . . . . . // S(F#4) . . . . . //////////////////////////////////////////
B S(D3) . . S(F#3) /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////
m 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42; 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51.

32
 PRELUDE and FUGUE VI in B minor

PRELUDE

Tempo: Comodo; Meter: 3/4; Length: 21 bars with one-beat anacrusis; Form: A-A’-B, each section is 7 bars long; Texture: four-voice chorale;
Character: solemn with lyric top voice and bitterness in the dissonant harmonies.

SECTIONS A A’ B
BARS 1–7 8–14 15–21

FUGUE (a 4 voci)

Tempo: Moderato; Number of voices: 4; Meter: 3/1; Length: 41 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: none; Subject Groups: 3; Strettos: 1;
Character: slow, gloomy, and filled with sorrow; Subject: four bars long; each bar has the same rhythm and contour—three half notes ascending
followed by two descending quarters and two descending half notes. The first note in each of the first four bars form a descending chromatic line
from the mediant to the tonic (D-C#-C-B). Comments: This fugue is unusual in that the subject is always present, i.e., there are no episodes. The
subject entries in the exposition alternate between the mediant and the dominant (D and F#). Subject Group 1 features an augmentation of the
subject in the soprano (F#) against two consecutive statements in the tenor (D#) and bass (C). (Continued on next page)

Exposition Subject Group 1 Subject Group 2

Aug
S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(F#4) S (F#4) . . . . . . . . . . . .S(D#4) .
A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S(D4) //////////////////// ///////////////////////. . . . . . . . . . . S(A#3) ////////////////////
T . . . . . . . . . . . . S(F#3) ///////////////////////////////////////// S(D#3) //////////////////// /////////////////////////////////////////
B S(D3) /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// . . . . . . . . . . . . S(C2) /////////////////////////////////////////
m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16; 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24; 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32;

33
Comments (continued): The coda returns the entries to the original pitch levels, with the subject in parallel 10ths (F# and D) and in close stretto at
the 6th below (D and F#).

Coda
stretto a2
S ///////////////////////. S(D4) //
A S(F#3) .. S(F#3) //
T /////////////////////////////////////////////////
B S(D2) //////////////////////////
m 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 .

34
 PRELUDE and FUGUE VII in A major

PRELUDE

Tempo: Allegro; Meter: 2/4; Length: 38 bars; Form: through-composed; Texture: two voices; the top voice 16th -note passage-work in perpetual
motion, and the bottom 8th note rhythmical accompaniment; Character: vigorous in its perpetuo moto. Accents sometimes imply polyrhythm.

SECTIONS A
BARS 1–38

FUGUE
(a 2 voci)

Tempo: L’istesso tempo; Number of voices: 2; Meter: 4/4; Length: 78 bars; Countersubjects: none; Episodes: 2; Subject Groups: 2; Strettos: 3;
Character: continues the energy of the prelude with its neo-classical flavor; suggests Mozart’s opening from the overture of the Magic Flute;
Subject: four bars long, rhythmically uniform, based on 8th notes only; consists of repeated notes with occasional leaps; ascends in the first half
and descends in the second. Comments: The exposition states the subject on A and E (tonic and dominant). The first eight measures of Subject
Group 1 are invertible counterpoint of the exposition, with subject entries on G and B, followed by a three-entry stretto with entries on D#, D
(augmented and embellished), and E. The subject group ends with a false entry on G. Episode 1 is a canon at the octave after two quarter notes,
with the upper voice leading. (Continued on next page)

Exposition Subject Group 1 Episode 1

stretto a2 (3 entries) (canonic)
S S(A3) //////////////////// S(G3) //////////////////// S(D#4) S(E3) SFE //////////////////////////////////////////
B . . . . . . . . . . . . S(E2) ///////////////////// S(B1) //// SAug(D4) //////////////////////////////////////////
m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08; 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25; 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33;

35
Comments (continued): Subject group 2 has a subject entry on A in the upper voice with a syncopated counterpoint in the lower voice, followed by
an entry on B in invertible counterpoint of the previous four bars. This is followed by two close strettos with entries on D-G, and A#-B. Episode 2
begins as invertible counterpoint of Episode 1, then changes to syncopated patterns (from m. 34, ff.), and scales (from m. 17). The Coda begins
with subject at the original pitch level (but in bass and an octave lower).

Subject Group 2 Episode 2

(ctp. sync.) Inv. ctp stretto a2 stretto a2 (canonic = episode I) (syncopated, (16th note scales,
of 34–37 from m. 34) from m. 17)
S S(A3) ///////////////////// S(D5) S(A#3) /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
B ///////////////////// S(B1) . .S(G3) // Str.(B1) /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
m 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49; 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65;

Coda
S ../////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
B S(A2) ////////////////////////////////////////////////
m 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 .

36
 PRELUDE and FUGUE VIII in F-sharp minor

PRELUDE

Tempo: Adagio; Meter: 3/4; Length: 18 bars with one-beat anacrusis; Form: Short introduction and three sections (A-B-A’). Motives in the B
section prefigure the countersubject of the fugue; Texture: Double-dotted rhythms persist through the entire prelude. A single voice with wide
intervals expands to two and three voices; Character: motionless, empty, gloomy, and mysterious.
SECTIONS Introduction A B A’
BARS 1–4 5–10 11–13 14–18

FUGUE (a 3 voci)

Tempo: Moderato; Number of voices: 3; Meter: Mixed—3/2, 4/4 and 7/16; Length: 45 bars; Countersubject: yes (marked xxx); Episodes: 2;
Subject Groups: 3; Strettos: 1; Character: sad, full of sorrow, and yet poetic; Subject: five bars long with a narrative quality (in the first entry the
first bar is in 3/2; the last bar is usually 7/16); consists of five motives, four of which are based on a combination of a long tone followed by a
group of 16th notes. The long notes descend by second, the last with octave displacement (up a 7th). The fifth motive consists of seven 16th notes in
ascending and descending motion. Comments: This is the only fugue in the set with a real countersubject. In the exposition the entries are on C#,
F#, and C# (dominant-tonic-dominant). Both episodes feature 16th notes in the right hand and 8th notes in the left. Subject Group 1 has entrances
on C and D#. (Continued on next page)

Exposition Link Ep. 1 Subject Group 1

S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S(C#5) ///////// xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx ///////
A S(C#4) xxxxxxxxxxxxxx /////. /. . / . . /. . / . . . . . . . . . . . S(C4) .. /. . / . . /. . / . . . . .
B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(F#2) ////////////////////////////// ///////// . /. . / . . /. . / . . . . .S(D#2) .
m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16; 17 18; 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28;

37
Comments (continued): Subject Group 2 is a close stretto on F# and F#. Subject Group 3 has one truncated entry on E and leads to a short coda in
two-voice contrary motion.

Subject Group 2 Episode 2 Sub. Group 3 Coda

stretto a2
S . .S(F#5) //// ////////////////////////// xxxxxxxxxxx ////////////. .
A /////////////////////////// . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .//…//…//…//.. .........
B // S(F#3) // /////////////////////////// Str.(E2) ////////////. .
m 29 30 31 32 33; 34 35 36 37 38; 39 40 41 42; 43 44 45.

38
 PRELUDE and FUGUE IX in E major

PRELUDE

Tempo: Quasi improvisato (ma sostenuto assai); Meter: non-metric; Length: 11 bars; Form: four sections plus the ending bar. Sections A and A’
are four bars long (dotted bar lines); sections B and B’ are each one (long) measure. Section B (beginning with the fourth note) states the first 4
bars of fugue subject in free rhythm. Section B’ is the retrograde of Section B. Texture: alternates four-voice texture with grace notes and single
line doubled at the octave in the low register. Character: serene and mystifying.

SECTIONS A B A’ B’ End
BARS 1–4 5 6–9 10 11

FUGUE
(a 3 voci)

Tempo: Allegro moderato; Number of voices: 3; Meter: 4/4; Length: 75 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: 1; Subject Groups: 2; Strettos: 2.
Character: serious and at times mysterious; Subject: nine bars long, chromatic in its nature with Baroque rhythmical patterns. Comments: The
subject entries in the exposition are in ascending fifths (B-F#-C#). A short link leads to Subject Group 1, which is a four voice stretto with
entrances on C, G, D, and A (the last three again in fifths). (Continued on next page)

Exposition Link Link Subject Group 1

stretto a4
S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(C#5) //// . . . . . . . . . . . .S(G5) .

A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(F#5) ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// S(C4) .

B S(B3) /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////
m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29; 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37

39
Comments (continued): Episode 1 (the only episode) utilizes 2:1 counterpoint in the soprano and bass, with sustained notes in the alto. Subject
Group 2 (a three-voice stretto) returns to the original pitch level (B) for the first two entries, but the last is on C.

Subject Group 1 (continued) Episode 1 Subject Group 2 Codetta

stretto a3
S S(A5) //////////////// S(B4) ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
A //////////////. . . . . . . . ////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////// /////////////////////////////////////////////// S(C5) //////////////
B ///// S(D4) /////////////////// //////////////// /////////////////////////// S(B2) ///////////////////////////////////
m 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51; 52 53 54; 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75.

40
 PRELUDE and FUGUE X in C-sharp minor

PRELUDE

Tempo: Adagietto; Meter: 10/4, the last bar is 15/4; Length: 10 bars; Form: Continuous variations on a ground bass; five two-bar sections, each
covering one repetition of the basso ostinato; section 5 functions as recapitulation. Texture: linear writing, consists of three and four voices in
sections I, II, and V and three voices in sections III and IV; Character: serious and emotionally introverted passacaglia.

A-------------------------------- B ------------------------------------ A’
SECTIONS I II III IV V
BARS 1–2 3–4 5–6 7–8 9–10

FUGUE
(a 3 voci)
Tempo: Andantino moderato; Number of voices: 3; Meter: 9/8; Length: 47 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: 2; Subject Groups: 2; Strettos: 1;
Character: mysterious dance-like fugue. Subject: three bars long; the first two bars consist of 8th-note triplets, each repeating the same note; the
third bar has a short trill followed by a group of 16th notes. Comments: Although the subject begins on C#, notes outside of the key (D and G) are
quickly introduced. The counterpoint is often dissonant and angular, with many large leaps. The exposition has subject entries on C#, G#, and C#.
Subject Group 1 has entries in an ascending fifth pattern (E, A, B). Subject Group 2 has entries on D, C# and A (stretto), and D, before returning to
the original pitch levels, C# and G#. The first episode uses 16th notes in the right hand and 8th notes in the left; the second episode reverses this
pattern. (Continued on next page.)

Exposition Episode 1 Subject Group 1 Episode 2 Subject Group 2

stretto a2
S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(C#5) /////////////// //////////////////////////////// S(B4) //////////////// S(D4) /// S(A4) .
A S(C#4) //////////////////////////////// /////////////// . . . . . . . . . S(A3) /////////////// . . . . . . . . . . . . ///////////////////////////////
B . . . . . . . . . S(G#2) /////////////// /////////////// S(E2) /////////////////////////////// /////////////// //////////////// S(C#2) ///
m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09; 10 11 12; 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21; 22 23 24; 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

41
Comments (continued): The first three bars of the coda feature an ostinato in the soprano and bass, with a free voice in the middle. The soprano is
based on the first three pitch classes of the subject with octave displacement. Despite the tonic-dominant entries in the exposition, the descending
fifth pattern in the first subject group, and the ending on C#, much of the fugue sounds atonal.

SG 2 (cont) Link Coda

S ////////////////////// S(C#4) /////////////// ////////////////////////////////
A S(D3) //////////////////////////////////// ////////////////////////////////
B ///////////////////////////////////// S(G#1) ////////////////////////////////
m 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41; 42 43 44 45 46 47.

42
 PRELUDE and FUGUE XI in B major

PRELUDE
Tempo: Lento assai; Meter: 3/2; Length: 8 bars; Form: Period (two phrases). The prelude repeats at the end of the fugue, so the overall form is
ternary. Texture: chorale/linear, 4 voices; Character: somber.

SECTIONS Prelude Fugue Prelude

BARS 1–8 1–60 61–68

FUGUE (a 5 voci)
Tempo: Lento; Number of voices: 5; Meter: 3/2; Length: 68 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: 1; Subject Groups: 3; Strettos: 7; Character:
combination of strength and tranquility. Subject: four bars long and based on the combination of half and quarter notes; begins with conjunct
motion and becomes more disjunct with progressively larger leaps; the general contour is ascending. Comments: This fugue begins with fairly
consonant counterpoint, but quickly becomes very dissonant. The rhythmic motion constantly increases: exposition and episode 1 are mostly half-
notes with some quarters; Subject Group 1 quickly becomes all quarter note motion; Subject Group 2 increases from eighth notes to triplets;
Subject Group 3 reverses the process, moving from eighth notes to quarters to mostly half notes with a few quarters. The recapitulation of the
prelude provides release both in rhythmic motion and in more consonant sonorities. The Exposition alternates subject entries on F# and B
(dominant and tonic). Subject Group 1 contains three two-voice close strettos with entries on B-E, A#-D#, and E-A (each a descending fifth).
(Continued on next page)

Exposition Episode 1 Subject Group 1

stretto a2 stretto a2
S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(F#5) //////////////////// . . . . . . . . . ////// S(D#5) .
A . . . . . . . . . . . . S(B4) //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////// . . . ////////////////. . . . . . . . . . . .
T1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(F#4) ////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////// ..S(E3) ////////////////////
T2 S(F#3) ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////// . . . . . . . . . . . . S(A#3) .
B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(B2) //////////////////// //////////////////// S(B1) ////////////////////
m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20; 21 22 23 24; 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

43
Comments (continued): Subject Group 2 begins with another close stretto in descending fifth pattern C-E#, followed by an entry on D and a pair of
entries in parallel sixths (D#/F#). Subject Group 3 again features three two-voice close strettos: (E#-G, F#-B#, and E-E). Note that there is no
return to the tonic. The coda is a recapitulation of the prelude, marked Lento assai, tempo preludio and returning to four voices, with some octave
displacement.

SG 1 (cont) Subject Group 2 Subject Group 3 Coda

stretto a2 stretto a2 (Parallel 6ths) stretto a2 stretto a2 stretto a2 (Prelude recapitulated)
S ////////////////////// ////////////////////////////////. . //////////////////////////// . . . . . . . . . . . . S(F#5) ///////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////
A S(E5) . S(E#5) /////////. . . . . . ///////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////////// S(E4) . //////////////////////////////////////////
T1 ////. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ///////////////////// S(D#3) S(E#4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . //////////////////////////////////////////
T2 . S(A2) ///////////////////// S(D4) S(F#2) //////////////////////////////////////////// S(E3) . ........................
B ///////////////////// S(C2) ////////////////////////////////////////// . . . STr(G2) S(B#1) ////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////
m 33 34 35 36; 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48; 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60; 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68.

44
 PRELUDE and FUGUE XII in G-sharp minor

PRELUDE
Tempo: Allegro; Meter: 4/4; Length: 36 bars; Form: A-A!-A!!. Each section consists of three parts defined primarily by rhythm: a—16th notes in
upper part with eight 16ths followed by a held note in the bottom; b—16th notes in top, 8th notes in bottom; c—begins like a, then alternates
motion between parts; Texture: two voices in the manner of a Toccata; Character: energetic and somewhat humorous.

SECTIONS A A! A!!
PARTS a b c a b c a b c
BARS 1–2 3–7 8–11 12–13 14–20 21–24 25–28 29–35 36

FUGUE (a 3 voci)
Tempo: L’istesso tempo; Number of voices: 3; Meter: 12/8; Length: 100 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: 2; Subject Groups: 3; Strettos: 1;
Character: same as prelude with tarantella feel in the rhythmic pattern; Subject: six bars long, energetic in its 8th-note triplet motion repeating the
same note for two beats and then gradually expanding to two octave range; the first subject entry inserts one bar of extra repeated notes at the
beginning. Comments: The pattern of entries in the exposition is non-standard, with the first subject on B, and the next two a fifth below and a
fifth above the first. Subject Group 1 is a single entry on G# (finally the tonic!). Episode 1 begins in the low register and ascends (in the manner of
a Shepard tone!). (Continued on next page)

Exposition Subject Group 1 Episode 1

S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(E5) . . . /////////. . ////////////// . . . . . . /////////////////////////////////////
A S(B3) /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ////. . . ////////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////////////////
B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(F#2) /////////////////////////////// S(G#2) ////////////////////////////////////////////////
m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19; 20 21 22 23 24 25; 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34;

!
A Shepard tone, named after Roger Shepard, is a sound consisting of a superposition of sine waves separated by octaves. When played with the
base pitch of the tone moving upwards or downwards, it is referred to as the Shepard scale. This creates the auditory illusion of a tone that
continually ascends or descends in pitch, yet which ultimately seems to get no higher or lower. (Wikipedia). In these episodes Shchedrin
repeatedly introduces notes in the lower register and ascends, creating the illusion of continuous ascent.

45
Comments (continued): Subject Group 2 has entries on C#, D#, and A#. Sometimes the texture varies as a voice divides into chords. Episode 2 is
more extended, and continues the Shepard tone effect. Subject Group 3 has an entrance on B (the original pitch level), followed by a close three-
voice stretto with entrances on D (altered), G# (tonic), and B. Much of the extended coda occurs over a G# pedal, finally giving the fugue real
tonal focus.

Subject Group 2 Episode 2

S S(C#4) ///////////. . /. .///////////// S(A#4) / ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ./////. . . .////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
B //////////////////////////////// S(D#2) /////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
m 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52; 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69,

Subject Group 3 Coda

stretto a3
S ///////////////// S(B6) . .S(G#5) /// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////…
A //////////////// //////////////////////////////// S(D4) (altered) . . . . //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////…
B //////////////// ////////////////////////////////. . . S(B2) . //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////…
m 70 71 72; 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85; 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100.

46
 Structural Analysis

Book II: Nos. XIII–XXIV

Flat Keys

47
 PRELUDE and FUGUE XIII in G-flat major

PRELUDE

Tempo: Sostenuto assai; Meter: 4/4-3/4; Length: 11 bars, with 8th-note anacrusis; Form: A-B-A’. The A sections feature mirror writing (contrary
motion) between the outer voices; B is similar to A, but has sustained tones in the outer voices and syncopation in the alto. Texture: 4 voices,
linear writing (the tenor voice functions as a mediant (Bb) pedal tone throughout the entire prelude; Character: sad, poetic, tender, and simple.

SECTIONS A B A’
BARS 1–4 5–7 8–11

FUGUE
(a 3 voci)

Tempo: Allegretto; Number of voices: 3; Meter: 5/8; Length: 60 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: 2; Subject Groups: 2; Strettos: 2; Character:
light and playful with active staccato, contrasting with the prelude; Subject: five bars long and uniform in its 2 + 3 rhythmical grouping of 8th notes;
combines repeated tones and expanding intervals, with ascending contour at the beginning and descent toward the end. Comments: The exposition
outlines the tonic triad with subject entries on Db, Bb, and Gb. The entries in Subject Group 1 follow an ascending fifth pattern (D-A-E) before
returning to Db. (Continued on next page)

Exposition Episode 1 Subject Group 1

S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S(Gb5) ////////////////////////// ////////////////////////////. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A S(Db5) //////////////////////////////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// S(A3) .
B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(Bb3) ///////////////////////// ////////////////////////// S(D2) /////////////////////////
m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15; 16 17 18 19 20; 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

48
Comments (continued): Subject Group 2 has two close strettos, with entrances on Cb-F, and Ab-C. Episodes 1 and 2 utilize a descending 2nd
sequence based on the last measure of the subject. The coda features contrary motion (like the Prelude), with the soprano ascending and the bass
descending.

Subject Group 1 (cont.) Episode 2 Subject Group 2 Coda

stretto a2 stretto a2
S S(E5) S(Db6) ///////////////////////// . . . S(F5) //////////////////// //////////////////////////
A ///////////////////////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////// S(Cb4) //// S(C5) //////////////////////////
B ///////////////////////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////// ////////////////////////// S(Ab2) //////////////////////////
m 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40; 41 42 43 44 45; 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55; 56 57 58 59 60.

49
 PRELUDE and FUGUE XIV in E-flat minor

PRELUDE
Tempo: Presto; Meter: free; Length: 7 bars; Form: 3 sections of contrasting material. A varied version of the first section comes back in the coda
of the fugue, thus the Prelude and Fugue represent a continuous uninterrupted form. Texture: The first section combines two improvisatory-like
passages interrupted by two fermatas, first on a low perfect fourth (C1-F1) and then on a five-note chromatic cluster; the second and third sections
are more rhythmic, utilizing triplets that anticipate the last four measures of the fugue subject. Character: stormy cascading opening passages
followed by energetic triplets (leading into the fugue), which ascend from the lowest register pp to the highest register on ff.

SECTIONS I II III
BARS 1–4 5 6–7

FUGUE
(a 3 voci)
Tempo: Tempo precedente (Allegro) and later Presto; Number of voices: 3; Meter: 3/4; Length: 109 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: 2;
Subject Groups: 4 plus 1 embedded in the coda; Strettos: 3; Character: eruptive and explosive in its core; Subject: seven bars long, powerful in
dynamic, rhythmical, and persistent ascending direction. The rhythm is a striking progression from quarter notes to triplets to sixteenth notes,
followed by two measures of triplets. During the fugue the subject is often truncated to four or five measures. Comments: The subject entries in
the exposition follow an ascending fifth pattern (Eb, Bb, F) with the third entry inverted. Subject Group 1 is a three-voice stretto, with entries in
descending minor 3rds (D, B, Ab=G#). The first entry, in the bass, extends for four measures; the last two are only two beats apart. (Continued on
next page.)

Exposition Link Subject Group 1 Link

stretto a3
S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SI(F6) ///////////// /////////////////////// S(Ab4) ////
A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(Bb3) ///////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////// S(B3) /////
B S(Eb1) ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// S(D2) ////////////////////
M 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23; 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33;

50
Comments (continued): Subject Group 2 is like Subject Group 1 with the order of entries inverted—the first entry is now in the top voice, inverted
and beginning on Ab; the second two (alto and bass) are in close stretto and begin on Eb and F#. Subject Group 3 has two entries on C and Eb.
Episode 1 is derived from the triplets at the end of the initial subject. Measure 62 has a single entry of the subject on the tonic Eb. The extended
coda brings back material from the prelude. The first part recalls the prelude by its 16th-note rhythm and similar contours, with a hint of the subject
inverted in the bass; the last part (m. 101ff) quotes from the first part of the prelude more directly. In the middle is a three-voice close stretto in m.
93.

Subject Group 2 Link Subject Group 3 Episode 1 Subject Gr. 4 Episode 2

stretto a3
S SI(Ab4) ///////////////////// S(C4) /////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////// ////////////////////// /////////////////////////
I
A ///////////////////// S (Eb3) /////////// ///////////////////////// S(Eb4) //////////////////////////////////////////////// ////////////////////// /////////////////////////
B //////////////////////// SI(F#2) ///// //////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////// S(Eb1) /////////////////////////
M 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43; 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52; 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61; 62 63 64 65; 66 67 68 69 70

(cont.) Coda (includes material from the prelude and the fugue subject) (Subject Group 5) Coda (continued)
stretto a3
S //////////////// ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// . . S(Ab4) ////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////
A //////////////// . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// . S(Eb3) /////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////
B //////////////// ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// S(F2) ////////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////
M 71 72 73; 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92; 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100; 101 102 ------------- 109.

51
 PRELUDE and FUGUE XV in D-flat major

PRELUDE
Tempo: Lento improvisato; Meter: free; Length: 5 bars; Form: two sections of somewhat contrasting material. Section 1 progresses at a slow pace
with free rhythm on the same pedal and in pp dynamic level; section 2 combines cluster chords in one hand with faster passage work in the
other—alternating hands, ending with slower 8th-note progression without pedal; Texture: mostly single voice linear writing. The effect of the first
section is pointillistic; Character: abstract, strange, ghostly.

SECTIONS I II
BARS 1 2–5
FUGUE (double fugue a 4 voci)
Tempo: Andantino moderato; Number of voices: 4; Meter: 3/2; Length: 61 bars; Countersubject: subject 2 usually functions as a countersubject to
subject 1; Episodes: none; Subject Groups: 3; Strettos: 2 combining both subjects (in Subject Group 3); Character: lonely, sad, and expressive;
Subject 1: five bars long with a metrically displaced repeat (the first statement begins on beat one, the second on beat 3); melodic in its nature and
rhythmically based on half and quarter notes. An interesting feature of this subject is the intervallic contraction toward the end of each half. It
begins on ascending 4th and progressively contracts to a minor 2nd at the end of the subject. Subject 2: three bars long. It begins with stepwise
descent, and then introduces fourth and third leaps. Rhythmically, the notes get progressively shorter—whole tied to half, whole, half, and ending
with a syncopated quarter-half-quarter pattern. Comments: This is a double fugue with both subjects introduced together, forming an aggregate (all
twelve tones). Both subjects occur in prime form, inversion, retrograde, and retrograde inversion, in various combinations. In the exposition, the
first two entries are S1 and S2, the second two are I of S1 and I of S2. Subject Group 1 uses the RI of S1 with RI of S2 in close stretto followed by
a R of S1. Subject Group 2 uses the I of S1 and I of S2, followed by S1 and S2 (rectus), followed immediately by the R of S1 with R of S2, and
then RI of S1 with RI of S2. (Continued on next page)

Exposition Subject Group 1 Link Subject Group 2

S S1(Ab4) /////////////////////////////// . . . S2RI(C5) ///////////////////////////////////// S1I(Ab5) //////////////////////////
A . . . . . . . S2(F4) /////////////////////////////// S1RI(Gb4) //////////////////////////////// . /////////////////////////////////////. S2(A4) .
I
T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S1 (Bb3) /// . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ./////////////////////////// . . . . . . . S2I(Cb4) //////////////////////////
B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S2I(Db3) /// . . //////////////////////// S1R(Eb2) //// . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S1(C3) .

m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11; 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22; 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 .

52
Comments (continued): Subject Group 3 consists of two strettos a2, with close entries of S1 and I of S1 with RI and R of S2. The short link
passages at the end of Subject Groups 1 and 2 feature the hands in contrary motion with some parallel motion. The coda begins with this gesture,
followed by a chromatic descending passage, ppp, over a pedal Db that brings back some clusters reminiscent of the prelude.

Subject Group 2 (continued) Link Subject Group 3 Coda

stretto a4 (both subjects) x 2
S S1R(A5) //// S2 RI(Ab5) S2 RI(Ab5) //// . . .S2RI(aug)(C5) S1(C5) / /////////////////////////
A ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// . .S1I(Bb4) S2 R(aug)(Bb4) /////////////////////////
T //////////////////////. . . S1 RI(D4) /////////////// . . . S2R(aug)(Gb3) S1I(A3)* //// /////////////////////////
R RI(aug)
B ///// S2 (Eb3) /////////////////////////////////////////////// S1(Ab2) /// S2 (C3) // /////////////////////////
m 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45; 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56; 57 58 59 60 61.

*
This entry of I of S1 is transposed to begin on Bb, but the first note is changed to A-natural for compositional reasons. Thus, the first interval is a
descending major third rather than a perfect fourth.

53
 PRELUDE and FUGUE XVI in B-flat minor

PRELUDE

Tempo: Giocoso; Meter: 4/8; Length: 41 bars with an 8th-note anacrusis; Form: two sections with coda. The first section consists of four
contrasting short motives: 1) an energetic five-note motive that combines a dotted 16th-note rhythm and descending 8th-note figure; 2) a seven-note
motive in the low register and even in its rhythm; 3) (the longest) a combination of repeated 8th notes and dotted 16th notes; 4) a ten-note ascending
figuration in triplet 16th-note rhythm. The second section is based on the same four elements. The coda is derived from the ascending 16th-note
triplets in the fourth motive of section 1. Texture: mostly two-voice linear writing with occasional chords; Character: energetic, contrasting,
sarcastic, and march-like.

SECTIONS I II Coda
BARS 1–14 15–38 40–42

FUGUE
(a 2 voci)

Tempo: L’istesso tempo; Number of voices: 2; Meter: 6/8; Length 94 bars with 8th-note anacrusis; Countersubject: none; Episodes: 3; Subject
Groups: 2; Strettos: 3; Character: expressive, sad, and longing; Subject: 18 bars long (the longest in the entire cycle), linear song-like writing in the
first half and recitative-like with some tremolos and repeated notes (related to repeated notes in the Prelude) in the second half. After the first
statement, the subject is often modified by extending the duration of some notes, truncating the end, and/or octave displacement of some notes.
The subject is very chromatic, completing the aggregate by the beginning of the fifth bar; the tonic Bb is never clearly established. Comments: In
the exposition the subject begins with Le-Sol (b6-5) in Bb minor. The second entry (answer) is transposed to the dominant, although neither key is
strongly established. The answer has octave displacement of several notes and some altered durations. The counterpoint uses several motives from
the subject. (Continued on next page).

Exposition
S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(Db5) .
B S(Gb4) //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35;

54
Comments (continued): Episode 1 is an imitative sequence that descends by seconds. Subject Group 1 is a stretto with entries on Bb (bass) and D
(soprano). When the soprano enters, the repeated notes in the bass subject are transformed from duplet eighths to triplets. Episode 2 is another
descending-second imitative sequence. Subject Group 2 consists of two close strettos, with all entries truncated to 8, 7, or 6 bars. Episode 3 uses
the same material as Episode 1. A short codetta, beginning on the second beat of m. 91, features homophonic texture and contrary motion.

Episode 1 Subject Group 1 Episode 2

(Imitative sequence) stretto a2 (Imitative sequence)
S ///////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////////////////////// S(D6) //////////////////////////////////////////
B ///////////////////////////////////// S(Bb4) ///////////////////////////////////// /////////////////////////////////////////
m 36 37 38 39 40 41 42; 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63; 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71;

Subject Group 2 Episode 3 Codetta

stretto a2 stretto a2 (=Episode 1)
S Str(F5) Str(E4) ///////////////////////////////// ///////////////
B // Str(C4) ////// Str(B4) //////////////////////////////// ///////////////
m 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85; 86 87 88 89 90 91; 92 93 94.

55
 PRELUDE and FUGUE XVII in A-flat major

PRELUDE
Tempo: Rubato; Meter: free; Length: 7 bars; Form: A-B-A1-B1-A2-Coda. The A section features descending seconds followed by short
descending scalar patterns and long notes, in imitation, that form cluster-like chords; A1 inverts the descending second, and A2 inverts both
patterns. The B sections are four-voice pseudo-canons based on repeated 16th notes. Although each voice uses repeated notes, the contours are
different in each voice. Texture: a combination of short 16th-note motives, ranging from 3 to 8 notes per group in combination with long notes that
form cluster chords in the A sections. In the B sections the texture progressively thickens as each of the four voices enters; Character: intense,
dramatic, and powerful—recitative-like.

SECTIONS A B A1 B1 A2 Coda
BARS 1–2 3 4 5 6 7

FUGUE
(a 3 voci)
Tempo: Moderato; Number of voices: 3; Meter: 4/4; Length: 36 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: none; Subject Groups: 2; Strettos: none;
Character: Strange, complaining, and yet undisturbed; Subject: four bars long and based on short motives—pairs of the eight notes each separated
by rests, somewhat reminiscent of the beginning of the Lacrimosa from Mozart’s Requiem. The ascending and descending seconds also relate to
the same motive in the A sections of the prelude, as do descending scale patterns in the counterpoint. The subject ends with a distinctive ascending
2nd with a grace-note turn. Comments: In the exposition the subject entries (on Eb, F, and Bb) do not follow the traditional tonic/dominant pattern,
although the first and third are on the fifth scale degree of the tonic and dominant keys (Ab and Eb). In Subject Group 1 the subject is transformed
by inversion, sustaining notes through some of the rests, and lengthening some durations (distance between attack points). The subject entries are
on B, F and F#. The end of this section has the thickest texture in the fugue, and sounds episodic, except for the presence of the subject.
(Continued on next page.)
Exposition Subject Group 1
I
S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(Bb5) /// . . . ///////////////////////////////////// S Trans (F#5) .
I
A S(Eb5) //////////////////////////////////////////////// S Trans (B3) //////////////////////////////////////////
I
B . . . . . . . . . . . . S(F4) ///////////////////////// ///////////////////// S Trans (F3) ////////////////////
m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13; 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25;

56
Comments (continued): Subject Group 2 returns to the original version of the subject; the entries on Bb and Eb nominally suggest the dominant
and tonic keys. The contrary motion between the outer voices in the short coda again suggests Mozart’s Lacrimosa, this time the monophonic
setting in bar 5 of the text: qua re-sur-get ex fa-vi-la ju-di-can-dus ho-mo re-us. Translation: [Most sorrowful of days,] when the world rises from
the ashes, full of sin and ripe for judgment.

Subject Group 2 Coda

S ///////////////////// S(Eb5) ////////////////
A . . . . . . . ////////////////////////////// ////////////////
B S(Bb3) //////////////////// ////////////////
m 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33; 34 35 36 .

57
 PRELUDE and FUGUE XVIII in F minor
PRELUDE
Tempo: Allegretto; Meter: 3/8; Length: 51 bars; Form: two sections plus coda. This is a two-part invention (à la Bach). In the A section, the
subject enters on C4 in the top voice, followed four bars later on Ab3 in the lower voice. The “episode” in the b section features polyrhythm, with
2/8 implied in the left hand against 3/8 in the right, see mm. 13–15; c uses hemiola with 3/8 in the right hand against implied 3/4 in the left, see
mm. 20–21 and 23–24. Measures 25–40 are an almost exact repetition of 1–16 with some octave displacement, mostly in the left hand. Section c is
replaced by a single statement of the subject with hemiola (from c) in the left hand. In the seven bar coda the left hand has the rhythm of the
subject in a descending pattern, against an ascending upper part (contrary motion). Texture: two-voice counterpoint. Character: dance-like, waltz,
light
SECTIONS A A1 Coda
PARTS a b c a b a/c
BARS 1–8 9–16 17–24 25–32 33–40 41–45 46–51

FUGUE (a 3 voci)
Tempo: Andante recitativo, poco rubato sempre; Number of voices: 3; Meter: 6/4; Length: 32 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: 1; Subject
Groups: 2; Strettos: 2; Character: expressive, heroic, and brave; Subject: four bars long; the first bar, which is angular and ascends in disjunct wide
intervals, is followed by three bars of gradual descent using mostly scale-like motion in 8th and 16th notes, covering almost two octaves. Comments:
In the Exposition, the subject entries on B, E, and B do little to imply the key of Fm. Subject Group 1 has entries on F and Ab, followed by a close
stretto in the two lower voices on D. The single short episode in bars 25–26 differentiates the three voices by rhythm: mostly 16th notes in the top
voice, 8th notes in the middle, and quarter and half notes in the bass. Subject Group 2 returns to the original pitch level of B with entries in the
soprano and alto one bar apart in stretto followed by a false entry in the soprano on E, before cadencing on the tonic F with added E and D.

Exposition Subject Group 1 Epi- Subject Group 2

stretto a2 sode 1 stretto a2

S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S(B3) //////////////////// S(Ab4) ///////////////////// ////////// S(B2) SFE(E4) /

A . . . . . . . . . . . .S(E3) ///////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////////// S(D3) ////////// /// S(B1) /////
tr
B S(B2) ////////////////////////////////////////// S(F2) ////////////////////// S (D2) // ////////// ////////////////////////////////
m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12; 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24; 25 26; 27 28 29 30 31 32 .

58
 PRELUDE and FUGUE XIX in E-flat major
PRELUDE
Tempo: Allegro capriccioso; Meter: 2/4, 3/8, 3/4; Length: 76 bars, with eighth-note anacrusis; Form: seven part, based primarily on texture. Each
section uses variations of the subject of the fugue as melodic material, with an added anacrusis and set in duple meter. The head of the subject
occurs rectus and inverted, sometimes with substantial changes in rhythm; Texture: the A sections use melody in one voice punctuated by staccato
chords in the other, with occasional short sections of homophony (chords in both hands). The B sections use the head of the subject in quadruple
and double augmentation (relative to the first statement in the prelude). B’ is the inversion of B. C is a single line compound melody (the lower
part descends down an octave stepwise from C5). The final A (coda?) continues the texture of C but again quotes the primary subject. Character:
filled with invention and intrigue.
SECTIONS A B A B’ A C A
BARS 1–16 17–20 21–37 38–41 42–52 53–62 63–76

FUGUE
(a 3 voci)
Tempo: L’istesso tempo; Number of voices: 3; Meter: 6/16; Length: 121 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: none; Subject Groups: 3; Strettos: 4;
Character: energetic in its perpetual motion; Subject: six bars long in constant 16th-note motion and mostly stepwise. It rises in the first three bars
and then slowly descends to the starting point. Comments: We could call this an “augmentation fugue,” since the subject (either rectus or inverted)
appears in four different augmentations: 2x, 3x, 4x, and 6x, i.e., the basic unit (originally 16th notes) is set as eighths, dotted eighths, quarters, and
dotted quarters. Since the meter is compound (6/16), when the augmentation is 2x it is, in effect, a hemiola. While the rhythmic development is
extraordinary, the tonal structure is quite traditional, at least in the pitch levels of the subject entries at the beginning and end. In the exposition, the
first entry is on Eb, the answer on Bb (aug. 3x=dotted eighth notes), the third entry on Eb (aug. 2x=quarter notes). There is a fourth (redundant)
entry on Eb (aug. 6x = dotted quarter-notes). (Continued on next page.)
Exposition
stretto a2 (redundant entry)
(aug2x)
S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. S (Eb5) .
(aug6x)
A S(Eb4) ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////. . . . . . . . . . . . . S (Eb5) .

B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S(aug3x) (Bb2) //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////. . . .

m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32;

59
Comments (continued): The first subject group has four entries in stretto, on F, F, C, and C#. The first entry is in the original format, the second
inverted and augmented 3x, and third augmented 3x. The final false entry (truncated) is inverted and augmented 6x. The second subject group
moves farther from the tonic Eb. The first entry, on B, is followed by a close stretto of the subject on F#, inverted and augmented 4x, and the
subject on F. This is followed by an entry on D, augmented 2x (hemiola), and a short link to the next subject group. The third subject group returns
to the tonic, with three entries in stretto on Eb, Eb (aug. 3x) and Bb (aug. 2x); followed by another stretto a2, with entries on Eb, D (aug. 3x), and
an inverted false entry on E, augmented 3x. There is a six-bar coda in two-part counterpoint, ending on Eb in octaves.

Subject Group 1
stretto a4
S //. . . . SI(aug3x)(F5) //////////////////////////////////////////////
(aug3x)
A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S (C4) ..
I(aug6x)FE
B S(F3) //////////////////////////////////////////S (C#4) ////
m 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52;

Subject Group 2 Link

stretto a2

S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SI(aug4x)(F#5) . . . . . ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////. . .
A . S(B3) //. . . . . . /. . . . . ////////////////////////////. . . . S(aug2x)(D4) ///////////////////. . . .
B ////////////////////////////////.S(F2) //////////////////////////////////////. . . . . . . . . //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
m 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83;

Subject Group 3 Coda

stretto a3 stretto a3

S S(Eb3) ///////////////////////////////////////////////////// S(Eb5) /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ////////////

(aug3x) (aug3x)
A ..S (Eb4) ............S (D3) ////////////////// . . . . . . .
(aug2x) I(aug3x)FE
B .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. S (Bb1) //////////////////////////////////////. . . . . S (E3) ////////////////// . ///////////
m 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115; 116--121.

60
 PRELUDE and FUGUE XX in C minor

PRELUDE

Tempo: Improvisato, quasi cadenza; Meter: free; Length: three bars in the introduction, unmeasured middle section, one bar coda; Form: three
sections with the middle being the longest. Sections I and Coda are based on the same material. Section II is unmeasured and about four pages
long. Texture: linear quasi imitative texture in the introduction and coda. The long middle section progresses from slow 8th notes to 16th notes to
32nd notes (with some points of imitation) to a dramatic climax in dotted-16th-32nd-note rhythm in contrary motion. This is followed by a long
descent into the low register with gradual decrease in rhythm, with constant 32nd notes (in groups of eight) in the right hand against six, then four
then three subdivisions in the left hand. Character: builds from light and slow, somewhat empty and abstract statement to gradually louder and
increasingly faster dramatic, highly dissonant, and tragic climax at the end of the prelude. The Coda returns to the opening mood.

SECTIONS I II Coda
BARS 1–3 free (4 pages) one bar

FUGUE
(triple fugue a 3 voci)

Tempo: Adagio con moto; Number of voices: 4; Meter: 8/4; Length: 34 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: none; Subject Groups: 3; Strettos: 5
(see comments, below); Character: similar to the prelude. The fugue is highly chromatic and dissonant and progresses from lost and abstract to a
powerful and tragic ending; Subjects: The first two subjects are two bars long, not contrasting, and highly chromatic. Subject 1 is an arch with a
long ascent and shorter partial descent; subject 2 is primarily ascending. Subject 3 is two bars long, more active with repeated notes and also
ultimately progresses upwards. Comments: Exposition 1 introduces subjects 1 and 2, which always appear together. The voices are paired
(soprano and alto, tenor and bass). The pairs alternate, and each states the subjects in invertible counterpoint (S1/S2 - S2/S1 in upper voices and
S2/S1 - S1/S2 in the lower voices). The S1/S2 or S2/S1 entries are always at the tritone: F#/C, D/G#, Bb/E, and G#/D. Subject Group 1 consists of
two more statements of the paired subjects, again alternating S2/S1 with S1/S2, and again, at the tritone: A/Eb and B/F. The second exposition
introduces the third subject. The first three entrances are in the alto (on D), the bass (on A), and soprano (inverted on C). This is followed by a
three-part close stretto with entries in the bass on C, the alto on E, and, and the bass (inverted) on D. Subject Group 2 is a stretto in all four voices
with seven entries, the upper three voices in close stretto, twice, connected by an entry in the bass. The entries, in order, are on B, Ab, A, Eb, E,
G#, and A. (Diagram on next page).

61
 Exposition 1 Subject Group 1 Exposition 2 Subject Group 2
stretto a3 stretto a4 (7 entries)
S S1(F#4) ////////// S2(Bb5) //////////// //////////// S1(B4) . . . . . . . . . . . .S3I(C6) ///////////////////// . . . S3(A4) //S3(E5) ///
A S2(C4) /////////// S1(E5) /////////// . . . . . . .S2(F4) S3(D4) /////////////////////. S3(E3) ////////// /S3(B3) /////////S3(G#4)/
I I I
T . . . . . . . S2(D3) //////////// S1(G#3) S2 (A3) . . . . . . . ///////////////////////////////. . . . . . . S3 (D4) / //S3 (Ab3) //////////S3(A3)/
B . . . . . . . .S1 (G#2) /////////// S2(D3) S1 (Eb3) /////////// . . . . . . .S3(A2) ///////////S3(C2) ////////// . . . . . . . . .S3I(Eb3) ///////
I

m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 ; 09 10 11 12 ; 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 ; 22 23 24 25 26 ;

Comments (continued): The final subject group combines all three subjects in stretto. The tenor and bass voices each divide into two, resulting in
five- and then six-voice texture. This subject group features three close strettos, a4, a3, and a3, in quick succession. The first three entries (S1 on
F#, S2 on C, and S3 on D) reflect the original pitch levels of each subject, with an added false entry of S3 on Ab. The second stretto has entries of
S2 on D, S1 on E, and S3 on E. The final stretto has entries of S2 on Eb, S1 on A, and S3 in parallel sixths on F and Ab. The short Coda is a
collage constructed from incipits of all three subjects over a pedal consisting of a C-major triad with added F in the lowest register of the piano in
the left hand. The final chord in the right hand adds the pitches (from bottom to top: D G Ab Bb C E). Thus the final chord contains all of the notes
in the C natural minor scale with a raised third: C D E F G Ab Bb.

Subject Group 3 Coda

Stretto a4, a3, a4
S S1(F#5) /////////////S1(A5) // /////////////
A S2(C5) . . S3(E4) S2(Eb5) / /////////////
T . S3 (D4) S2 (D3) /////////////// /////////////
T /////////////// /////////////
I, FE
B . . S3 S1(E2) . .S3 (F2) /////////////
(Ab3)
B . ./////////// . .S3 (Ab1) /////////////
m 27 28 29 30 31 32 ; 33 34 .

62
 PRELUDE and FUGUE XXI in B-flat major

PRELUDE
Tempo: Allegro, ma non troppo, rubato parlando; Meter: free; Length: one page (no bar lines); Form: free, consisting of 4 descending 16th note
passages. The opening gesture—two descending steps followed by an ascending fourth (marked by a bracket in the score)—is the inversion of the
incipit of the fugue subject. The first three notes, descending by step, also suggest the beginning of the Bach fugue subject used as a cantus firmus
(see below). This three-note pattern is again bracketed at the beginning of the final descending passage of the prelude. Texture: a combination of
monophonic linear passage work with occasional two-voice intervals in the left hand. Before the last passage the top voice in the left hand quotes
the famous B-A-C-H theme. This, along with Bach’s cantus firmus in the fugue, indicate that this Prelude and Fugue set is a special tribute to the
Baroque master; Character: light, and improvisatory, and marked p throughout.

SECTIONS I
BARS none

FUGUE (a 3 voci)
Tempo: Moderato tranquillo; Number of voices: 3; Meter: 9/8; Length: 61 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: 3; Subject Groups: 3; Strettos:
none; Character: warm, peaceful, and flowing; Subject: three bars long, fairly diatonic and rhythmically consistent. Comments: This fugue uses the
beginning of the subject from Bach's Fugue in B-flat major from WTC Book II as a cantus firmus, which appears in each episode in dotted quarter
notes, always at the original pitch level—beginning on C and ending on Bb. In the exposition, the first subject, beginning on D, is clearly in Bb, at
least to start out. The second entry, beginning on F, is less sure of its tonality. The third entry, again on D, augments the three-note descending
stepwise pattern in the third bar, prefiguring the entrance of the cantus firmus three bars later. Episode 1 uses figures derived from the subject to
accompany the cantus firmus, which appears in the top voice. Subject Group 1 has entries on A and E, both quite distant from the home key.
Episode 2 again features the cantus firmus in the top voice. (Continued on next page).

Exposition Episode 1 Subject Group 1 Episode 2

S S(D3) /////////////////////////////// /////////.. Cantus firmus . . S(A3) //////////////// . Cantus firmus ..
A . . . . . . . . . S(F2) /////////////// /////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////// ///////////..///////////////////
B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(D2) /////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////// S(E2) ////////////////..//////////////
m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09; 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17; 18 19 20 21 22 23; 24 25 26 27 28 29;

63
Comments (continued): Subject Group 2 features the subject inverted on Ab and F. Episode 3 moves the cantus firmus into the middle voice. The
final subject group has three subject entries. The first two return to the same pitch level as in the exposition. The third, beginning on A is truncated
(a false entry). The coda has two statements of the cantus firmus in the bottom and top voices, connected by a final statement of the subject on D
in the tonic Bb. The bass's cantus firmus extends the final Bb into a five-bar pedal point, while the top voice converges on Bb at the end, forming a
stronger sense of tonic than is found in many of these fugues.

Subject Group 2 Episode 3 Subject Group 3 Coda

S SI(Ab5) /////////////// //. . ///////////////////////////////////// /////////////// S(F4) //. . ///////////////////////////////. .Cantus firmus .
I
A . . //////////// S (F4) /////. . . . Cantus firmus .. S(D3) ////////////// //////////////////////// S(D3) ///////////////////////
B ////. . //////////////////////// //.. ////////////////////////////////////// . . . . . . . . . . SFE(A2) . . . . . . . . . . . Cantus firmus /////////////////////
m 30 31 32 33 34 35; 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43; 44 45 46 47 48 49; 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61.

64
 PRELUDE and FUGUE XXII in G minor (For the left hand)
PRELUDE
Tempo: Grave assai, Doppio movimento, Poco più mosso; Meter: free; Length: Two pages, mostly without bar lines; Form: Introduction (one
measure subdivided into three with dotted bar lines), two long unmeasured sections, and a short coda, all highly chromatic. The introduction
consists of highly dissonant chords and clusters—the first three chords use all twelve pitch classes with no repetition. The Doppio movimento
section mostly ascends and then ends in the lower register. The Poco più mosso section continues the registral ascent and gets progressively louder
and faster. The climax is in the Coda, which returns to the mood of the introduction. It is marked fff and consists of two arpeggiated dissonant
chords that again use all twelve pitch classes. Texture: mostly single line with some compound melody (implying two voices) and some two and
three-note chords in the Doppio movimento. Character: to some extent echoing the dramatic mood of the C minor Prelude and Fugue with
declamatory expression and highly dissonant writing.
SECTIONS Intro (Grave assai) Doppio movimento Poco più mosso Coda
BARS 1 measure unmeasured unmeasured 1 measure
FUGUE (a 4 voci)
Tempo: Dolente; Number of voices: 4; Meter: 4/4; Length: 60 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: 2; Subject Groups: 2; Strettos: 3; Character:
dark, introverted, and dramatic with highly chromatic writing; Subject: seven bars long and constructed from short motives ornamenting a
descending chromatic scale, it is often truncated (Tr.) and with minor variations in rhythm; each gesture has a decrescendo, resulting in a sighing
effect—very lonely and full of sorrow in its expression. Comments: There is very little here to suggest G minor, except for the coda. The
exposition has subject entrances on Bb, E, C and D (in Bb whole-tone scale, contrasting with the chromatic subject). Episode 1 features ascending
chromatic motion (inverting the motion of the subject). Subject Group 1 consists of two strettos a2 (Tenor-Soprano and Bass-Alto), separated by a
short link. The subject entries are on A-D and B-C#. (Continued on next page).

Exposition Episode 1 Subject Group 1 Link

stretto a2
S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .STr(C5) ////////////. . /. . / . . . . . //////////////// //////..STr(D5) ........
A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .STr(D4) //////////////// ///////////////////. . . . . ////. . .
T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STr(E4) //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////// STr(A3) ////////////////
B S(Bb3) ///////////////////////////////////////////////////. . . . ///////////////////// //////////////// ////////////////////////////////////
m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22; 23 24 25; 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 .

65
Comments (continued): Episode 2 has both ascending and descending chromatic lines and mixed rhythms moving from triplets to eighth notes to
sixteenth notes and quintuplets. Subject Group 2 begins with an entry in the soprano on F, with many notes doubled at the minor 7th below in the
alto, followed by a close stretto on Ab and F# in the bass and soprano. This subject group (m. 43) is marked ff, and is the climax of the fugue. The
coda features a final subject entry in the bass (recalling the Prelude) descending chromatically through the octave from G2 to G1. The last measure
has a tritone (F#/C) in the lowest octave, perhaps implying the dominant of Gm.

SG 1 (cont.) Episode 2 Subject Group 2 Coda

stretto a2 stretto a2
S . . . . . . . . ////. . ///////////////// /////////////// STr(F6) . . STr(F#4) .. ........................
A . . . //////////. .SI,Tr(C#4) /////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////. . . / . / . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
T ///////////////////////////////////// /////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////. . . / . / . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B SI(B1) //// /////////////// //////////////////////S(Ab3) S(G2) ./.
m 33 34 35 36 37 38 39; 40 41 42; 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52; 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60.

66
 PRELUDE and FUGUE XXIII in F major

PRELUDE

Tempo: Comodo; Meter: 7/4; Length: 14 bars; Form: Binary (A-A') with seven bars for each section. The second section begins in bar 8 with the
main theme in the bass voice. Bars 12–14 function as a recapitulation or coda with the main theme returning to the original key in the alto voice
and imitated in the upper voice; Texture: three-voice linear writing with sustained notes in one hand and eighth-note motion in the other. The
eighth notes pass from hand to hand as in a dialogue. Character: lyrical, calm, and full of wonder and serenity.

SECTIONS A A1
BARS 1–7 8–14

FUGUE
(a 3 voci)

Tempo: Moderato; Number of voices: 3; Meter: 3/4; Length: 76 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: 2; Subject Groups: 2; Strettos: 1; Character:
a combination of strength and lyricism with mysterious episodes; Subject: seven bars long beginning with an ascending 10th, in dotted half notes,
marked ff and accented, followed by progressively longer eighth-note ascending figures, marked p. The subject, which is quite atonal, uses all
twelve pitch classes. Comments: The subject entries in the exposition follow a pattern of ascending fifths: D - A - E. Although there is not a real
countersubject, two motivic patterns do recur in the counterpoint: 16th-note triplet to eighth note, and four 32nd notes to eighth note. Episode 1 has
a surprising change to a non-contrapuntal texture—legato 8th notes in the left hand and pairs of staccato repeated 16th note dyads in the right hand.
Subject Group 1 has entries in each voice: alto on G, inverted in the soprano on D, and inverted in the bass on F#. (Continued on next page)

Exposition Episode 1 Subject Group 1

S S(D4) /////////////////////////////////////. . . . . . . . . . . . . ////////////// ////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////
A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S(E3) ////////////////////////////////////// S(G3) .

B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(A2) //////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////////////////// . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . //////

m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21; 22 23 24 25 26 27 28; 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 .

67
Comments (continued): Episode 2 returns to the same texture as Episode 1. Subject Group 2 is a three-voice stretto, with (truncated) entrances on
F, G (inverted), and C, followed by four measures of free counterpoint and a one-bar transition (in 7/4 meter) leading to the coda, which brings
back measures 1–6 + 14 of the prelude.

Subject Group 1 (continued) Episode 2 Subject Group 2

Stretto a3 Extension
I I
S S (D6) ///////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////// /////////////// S (G5) ////////////////////////////
A . . . . . . //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////// S(F4) /////////////////////////////////////////
B ////////////////////////////////////// SI(F#3) ///////////////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// S(C2) ////////////////////
m 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49; 50 51 52 53 54 55 56; 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69;

Coda (= mm. 1-6 + 14 of Prelude)

S /////////////////////////////////////
A /////////////////////////////////////
B /////////////////////////////////////
m 70 71 72 73 74 75 76.

68
 PRELUDE and FUGUE XXIV in D minor
(Exact inversion of Prelude and Fugue I in C major)

PRELUDE

Tempo: Allegretto; Meter: 4/4; Length: 17 bars with quarter-note anacrusis; Form: ABA with Coda; Texture: strict two-voice linear writing with
scale-like and arpeggio passages with a motive that combines harmonic major or minor seconds followed by a single note. Character: energetic,
contrasting, dissonant, somewhat sarcastic.

SECTIONS A B A Coda
BARS 1–5 6–10 11–15 16–17

FUGUE

Tempo: L’istesso tempo; Number of voices: 3; Meter: 3/2; Length: 30 bars; Countersubject: none; Episodes: none; Subject Groups: 2; Strettos: 1;
Character: more thoughtful with a touch of philosophical undertone than in the C major prelude; Subject: four bars long with a rhythmic motive
consisting of two contrasting elements—two longer tones descending stepwise, followed by a 16th-note figure; this rhythmic motive occurs four
times in succession. The half-note figures ascend and then descend by step: A-G, Bb-Ab, C-B, Bb-A. Comments: This fugue has no episodes, and
no passages without a subject except at the very end. The exposition, with entries on A, D, and A, reverses the classic Tonic-Dominant-Tonic
pattern. Subject Group 1 has entries on Gb, E, and Db. The final subject group is a three-voice close stretto with entries on A, F, and A. The
subject appears three times in each voice, once in the exposition and once in each subject group.

Exposition Subject Group 1 Subject Group 2

Stretto a3
S . . . . . . . . . . . . S(D5) //////////////////// S(Gb4) ////////////////////////////////////////// S(A5) . . /// . .
A S(A3) ///////////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////// S(E3) ///////////////////// . .S(F4) ////. .
B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S(A2) /////////////////////////////////////////// S(Db2) . . S(A3) ///. .
m 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12; 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24; 25 26 27 28 29 30 .

69
 70

CHAPTER 3
PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS AND PEDAGOGIC VALUE

The wealth of emotions, characters, and wide variety of technical challenges

presented in Shchedrin’s Twenty-Four Preludes and Fugues provides interesting and

exciting material for the creativity of the performer and makes this set valuable from a

pedagogic standpoint. For many years, selected preludes and fugues have been a part of

the standard repertoire in music colleges and conservatories in Russia. I have performed

eight prelude and fugue pairs from this opus in concert, and have studied the rest while

working on this monograph, and can testify that each individual set is worthy of

performance and rewarding to play. Performing the entire cycle would be a monumental

tour de force.

Shchedrin’s cycle is a perfect marriage of thought, expression, and technical

means. Contrast is a vital feature, which permeates all aspects of the music: dynamic,

rhythm, meter, color, character, register, etc. Ambiguity—both metrical and tonal—is

common throughout the cycle. Some preludes and fugues will attract one’s attention for

their fairly simple and melodic nature, some not. The search for melodic material is not

always fruitful, since Shchedrin’s chromatic idiom often combines distinct rhythmical

patterns with short motives that are melodic in nature and elaborate in intervallic

structure. This does not mean that the cycle lacks simplicity and beauty. For example,

Prelude III in G major is uncomplicated and expressive, with dissonant intervals and

seventh chords providing a wonderful harmonic frame to the song-like melody. Prelude

XIII in G-flat major has this same quality. On the other hand many preludes and fugues
 71

border on atonal and expressionistic writing; some even give an impression of destruction

of tonality. Prelude and Fugue XX in C minor is an example of this. Starting as an

abstract combination of pianissimo tones that do not give any sense of the main key, the

Prelude develops to a highly dissonant fortissimo with chord-clusters that are strikingly

atonal. The fugue follows the same scenario. Such diversity of character in the cycle

provides interesting pedagogic material and requires technical as well as emotional

flexibility from the performer.

The remainder of this chapter presents concise performance descriptions and

pedagogic evaluations of each prelude and fugue in the cycle. The primary focus is to

give my view of the character of each set, to provide possible interpretation strategies,

and to resolve technical and sound problems one might encounter while working on

selected preludes and fugues.

Book I: Nos. I–XII, Sharp Keys

Prelude and Fugue I, in C major

This set feels united, since the three-voice fugue, though with a subject of

somewhat contrasting character, is a natural continuation of the prelude. The Prelude

(Allegretto) is energetic and somewhat humorous with unexpected dissonances and

sudden dynamic changes. The Fugue (L’istesso temo) is energetic as well, but more

elegant than the prelude and at times mysterious. Sudden changes between dissonance

and consonance, loud and soft, and staccato and legato are the most important aspects of
 72

this Prelude and Fugue. The performer should carefully follow the dynamic indications in

both pieces, since they play an important role in the structure of the set.

This Prelude and Fugue set is uncomplicated, polyphonically clear, and lightly

textured, and is a good choice for a first encounter with the cycle. The student should

cultivate quick reactions to sudden changes in dynamics and articulation that will require

emotional as well as physical flexibility. (See examples 51 and 52 on pages 119–120.)

Prelude and Fugue II, in A minor

This popular choice in music colleges in Russia is marked by a clear contrast

between the prelude and the fugue. The energetic and light Prelude (Vivace) resembles a

Bach invention in texture (example 1), while the serious, thoughtful, dark, and mysterious

three-voice Fugue (Moderato) is chromatic and dissonant (example 2). One should plan

the choices of tempos and colors between the two pieces of the set. The Vivace in the

prelude must not compromise clarity of the sixteenth notes, while the Moderato in the

fugue should not detract from the seriousness of character. The change of sound colors

between the Prelude and the Fugue is essential in successful presentation of the set.

The prelude is a good choice for developing clear articulation and quick reactions

to changes in dynamic and textural patterns. The student should consider using arm-

rotation movement that will greatly assist in playing sixteenth-note passages. The fugue

is beneficial in working on clear voice leading within legato articulation, pedaling, finger

substitution, and evenness in shaping horizontal lines.

 73

Example 1. Prelude 1, mm. 1–18

Example 2. Fugue 1, mm. 1–13

 74

Prelude and Fugue III, in G major

This set also features contrast between the prelude and the fugue. The Prelude

(Larghetto) is a lyrical and serene Siciliana that intertwines with light and fast episodes

marked Piu mosso (example 3). While the Piu mosso sections are each two bars long, the

Siciliana sections get shorter with each return. It is important that the harmonies that

usually accompany the first and third notes of the eighth-note triplets do not obscure the

melodic material. Also, it is essential to feel the dance-like Siciliana rhythmic patterns to

prevent the tempo from being too slow. The dynamic indications include pp, p, mf, and f.

Most of this short prelude is marked p and pp and requires clear distinction between

them. The forte in the short coda adds noticeable sonic fullness, but one should be careful

not to change the peaceful character of the prelude.

Example 3. Prelude III, mm. 1–7

The four-voice Fugue (Allegro assai) is full of energy and optimism. It is

polyphonically and dynamically clear, with subject groups marked forte and episodes
 75

piano. The subject (example 4) has clear rhythmical patterns that are largely based on the

use of hemiola (the subject feels like 6/8 instead of indicated 3/4 time signature). The

contour is easily recognized in the polyphonic texture of the fugue. Episodes tend to

conform to the indicated 3/4 time signature (example 5). The performer should plan the

dynamic shape of the subject to enhance its energetic character. My suggestion is to

crescendo during the first four notes of the subject to the first group of the descending

two-note figure in the third bar, then to diminuendo to the end of the theme. This will

make the shape of the subject clear and will unite what seem incoherent elements of the

theme.

Example 4. Fugue III, subject

Example 5. Fugue III, mm. 17–20

This set has several pedagogic benefits. The prelude can help the student to

develop a sense of harmonic colors within the linear texture that requires clear voice

leading and careful control of the phrasing. The fugue, besides its technical and

polyphonic challenges, is a wonderful example of rhythmic ambiguity and requires

careful dynamic planning.

 76

Prelude and Fugue IV, in E minor

Despite the contrast in character between the prelude and the fugue, extensive use

of chromatic intervals (tritones and seconds) in the melodic contours unifies this set. The

energetic and witty Prelude (Allegretto) is a combination of two contrasting sections that

are stated twice. One is a two-voice canon with elegant but odd-sounding melodic

material that is “hushed” in dynamic range (example 6), the other is an interlude that

interrupts the canon with forte and is more energetic and aggressive in character

(example 7). It is essential for the performer to distinguish these sections not only by

following the dynamic indications but also by creating contrasting timbres. A diversity of

articulation can greatly assist in this process. In the canon I recommend using a light

pizzicato-like touch for the non-legato parts, and energetic and clear (but on the surface

of the keys) touch for the legato parts. The interludes require a rather deep and accented

sound in which the plucking motion of the fingertips of the canon is replaced by a more

vertical and hammer-like finger strike with fast acceleration into the keys. It is also

important to use a rotation movement in the right hand for the sixteenth-note progressions

in bars 17–24 and 45–52; there will be faster acceleration of the rotation motion toward

the dyads from the single notes that come in between.

Example 6. Prelude IV, mm. 1–6

 77

Example 7. Prelude IV, mm. 17–22

Example 8. Fugue IV, subjects

The four-voice double Fugue (Lento) is slower than the prelude and gives a

somewhat abstract impression. The two subjects are presented simultaneously (example

8). The first subject is three bars long and consists of half and hole notes in mostly

disjunct motion. The second subject is one-and-a-half-bars long and more active. It is

based on three rhythmically identical motives consisting of three eighth notes with a

grace note on the second, followed by a half note. The melodic line ascends by sixths

followed by descending leaps. The distinct rhythmic patterns keep the subjects

recognizable in the texture of the fugue. Nevertheless, it is essential for the performer to

provide each with a distinct character, while keeping transparency in both. Using

different articulation is the solution. The first subject needs a deeper touch into the keys

while the second subject requires a lighter touch on the surface. Also, it is important to

use finger-substitution technique throughout the entire fugue to retain legato when

needed and to hold the suspended notes.

 78

This set is an excellent choice for developing fine differentiation between legato

and detached articulations. The student will learn to respond to sudden changes in

dynamic in the prelude, and will improve finger-substitution technique for dealing with

suspended notes in the fugue.

Prelude and Fugue V, in D major

This is another contrasting set where the Prelude (Tempo ad libitum, rubato) has

improvisatory and reflective character while the Fugue (Sostenuto) is energetic with

neoclassical characteristics and numerous embellishments. The entire prelude consists of

four two-measure sections. Each section begins with a mostly-stepwise single-line

passage and ends with a long tone accompanied by group of staccato chords (example 9).

Most of the prelude is quiet (ppp to mp); only one chord on the first beat of bar 6 is

marked mf. The performer should create an image that is transparent, light, and airy, and

a light touch should be used. The staccato chords at the end of each passage, marked

quasi pizzicato, should not interrupt the mood of the prelude. One should plan tempo

rubato so that each of the four sections differs from the others.

Example 9. Prelude V, system 1

 79

Example 10. Fugue V, subject

In the three-voice fugue it is essential to select a tempo based on the speed of the

thirty-second notes, or it will be difficult to keep the fast notes clear (example 10). Also,

aside from sf and occasional p, mf, cresendo, and diminuendo Shchedrin indicates few

dynamics, so the dynamic plan is left to the performer. My suggestion is to use forte for

the theme and most of the eight-note sections, and keep the thirty-second-note passages

piano or mezzo piano, depending on the melodic contours, with an occasional crescendo

to forte when necessary.

The metrically free prelude and highly metric fugue offer a variety of

interpretation possibilities and enable interesting pedagogic choices. The student can

benefit from exploring variations in tempo rubato and fine changes in color in the

prelude, as well as developing clear articulation, virtuosity, and dynamic planning that

clarify the structure in the fugue.

Prelude and Fugue VI, in B minor

This homogeneous set is melodically beautiful and emotionally melancholic. The

dissonant chords of the chorale-like Prelude (Comodo) are balanced by the expressive

melody in the top voice (example 11). This is a short interlude before the more extended
 80

fugue. It is important to choose a tempo that is neither rushed nor stagnant and reflects

the dance-like 3/4 meter without being too lighthearted. Also, it is essential to clearly

articulate the three seven-bar phrases. My suggestion for the first phrase is to make a

continuous diminuendo from the first bar to the seventh; this will unite the entire phrase

and reflect the general contour. The second phrase contains the climax of the prelude and

requires an even crescendo toward the downbeat of the fifth bar. The conclusive third

phrase has an unexpected mf in the fifth bar that should not outweigh the f in the second

phrase.

Example 11. Prelude VI, mm. 1–9

Example 12. Fugue VI, subject

 81

The subject of the four-voice Fugue (Moderato) is expressive and gloomy

(example 12). The arching contour in each bar combines ascending consonant leaps with

descending seconds at the top of each musical gesture. This falling second, combined

with the descending chromatic motion of the lowest notes, adds an element of sorrow to

this theme. It is essential to plan the dynamics in this fugue. There are two dynamic

waves that clarify the structure. The first is from pp to the mf in the first half of the fugue,

the second from pp to the ff from the middle to near the end of the fugue; the last three

bars are marked diminuendo to pp. In playing the subject, I recommend using a gradual

diminuendo to reflect the overall contour of the subject. Be sure to bring out the

descending chromatic line formed by the first note of each measure, and emphasize the

descending seconds at the top of each measure by playing them with a deeper touch to

bring out the element of sorrow. Another vital aspect in this fugue is the use of legato

articulation that varies from light to deep. Some sections will require use of finger-

substitution technique to enable the performer to play legato in one voice while holding a

suspended note in another. In the f and the ff sections one should be careful to maintain

the linear and shaped legato sound while expressing the poco pesante indicated by the

composer.

The seriousness of musical concept makes this Prelude and Fugue an excellent

choice for developing a sense of unity between the idea and the corresponding sound

color. The serene and melancholic prelude and the thoughtful and dramatic fugue will

require a wide range of color, careful dynamic planning, and clear understanding of the

emotional changes throughout the set.

 82

Example 13. Prelude VII, mm. 1–9

Prelude and Fugue VII, in A major

The Prelude and Fugue in A major form another homogeneous set, but unlike the

previous set, it is full of energy. The near-perpetual motion and two-voice linear writing

in both the prelude and the fugue unite the set. The Prelude (Allegro) combines

continuous sixteenth-note motion in the top voice with staccato eighth notes in the lower

voice (example 13). The performer should make a clear contrast in articulation between

the right hand, which plays with a light legato touch, and the left hand with light but clear

staccato. Since the contour of the passages in both hands changes constantly, it is

important while practicing, especially in the right hand, to clearly understand the borders

of similar technical formulas and to find hand gestures that facilitate their execution. In

general there are four different patterns in the right hand:

 83

1. Ascending or descending arpeggios from three to four notes in one direction;

except for the last passage in which an A-major arpeggio descends over four

octaves

2. Scale passages from three to nine notes in one direction

3. Various sequential patterns

4. Repeated notes, occasionally used in the first fourteen bars of the prelude

The left hand combines disjunct and stepwise motion. In the right hand I

recommend using rotation and “off-the-keys” touch, where only the finger that is actually

playing touches the key, and the remaining four are positioned above the keys until their

turn to strike. This will help to keep the texture clear and the articulation light. In the left

hand I recommend using a combination of finger plucking, arm dropping, and arm-

rotation techniques. The performer should carefully execute the indicated accents in bars

18–20; these create an interesting polyrhythmic effect with an implied 3/8 against the 2/4

meter.

The polyphonically uncomplicated two-voice Fugue (L’istesso tempo) uses

mostly the same technical patterns as the prelude and requires similar approach in

preparation. The subject, which suggests the primary motive from Mozart’s overture to

The Magic Flute, is energetic and based primarily on repeated notes (example 14).

Throughout the fugue, the performer should heed the indicated articulations. The staccato

articulation used in most of the fugue contributes greatly to the cheerful character of the

piece. The short groups of notes that are marked legato or marcato add an interesting

rhythmic dimension. They confirm the meter when the first note of the short connected
 84

group falls on the strong beat, and create a slight metrical confusion when they start on

the weak beat. Some of the legato and marcato passages also feature syncopation.

Example 14. Fugue VII, subject

This Prelude and Fugue is an excellent choice for developing light and clear touch

and quick reaction to the constantly changing technical patterns, accents, and dynamics.

Example 15. Prelude VIII, mm. 1–3

Prelude and Fugue VIII, in F-sharp minor

The atmosphere of this set is lyrical, serious, and sorrowful. The Prelude (Adagio)

is somewhat abstract and mysterious and the Fugue (Moderato) is expressive and

melodic. The prelude suggests a combination of abstract and mysterious, yet sensitive

images. The double-dotted rhythmic pattern recalls the old French-Overture style with its

processional character (example 15). The performer should keep the double-dotted
 85

rhythm accurate and consistent throughout the prelude. In this mostly-transparent and

non-melodic texture, special attention should be given to the expressive melodic motives

that occasionally form in the top voice; play them with a deeper touch. The simple

dynamic shape, from pp to f and back to pp, with the climax in the middle of the piece,

gives this prelude structural clarity.

The three-voice Fugue is one of the most beautiful in the entire cycle. The

peaceful rises and falls of the subject create an expressive and touching image filled with

sadness and lyricism (example 16). One should explore the diversity of sound colors for

different entrances of this subject. To avoid possible unevenness of the melodic line, one

should not accent the first sixteenth note after the long sustained notes in the first four

bars of the subject. The detailed dynamic indications range from ppp to f, with most of

the fugue marked p and mp. The f is used only in the climax at the end of the piece, in

bars 39–41.

Example 16. Fugue VIII, subject

This Prelude and Fugue set requires musical maturity and emotional flexibility

from the performer and is a good choice for the advanced student to develop a sense of

connection between expressive content of the piece and the sound that reflects it.
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Prelude and Fugue IX, in E major

This set has a colorful prelude and a serious and expressive fugue. The Prelude

(Quasi improvisato ma sostenuto assai) alternates harmonically interesting, tranquil, and

colorful sections in the middle and the high registers, with mysterious and dark

descending sections in the low register (example 17). One should seek different shades of

sound color to contrast these two spheres. In the tranquil sections I suggest using a slight

accent on the first note of the grace-note figure before the dyads in the upper register to

keep the color light and to avoid over-emphasis of the downbeats. The low-register

sections should be played legatissimo, with deeper sound in the left hand to emphasize

the dark mood.

Example 17. Prelude IX, opening

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The three-voice Fugue (Allegro moderato) is mysterious, narrative, and

chromatic, with a tenuous sense of tonic. The subject is nine bars long and has a distinct

silhouette that is intervalically and rhythmically complex (example 18). The general

descending direction of the subject can be reflected through diminuendo especially in the

last four bars. The dynamic plan of the fugue is well indicated by the composer with the

climax in the middle of the fugue. The biggest challenges in this fugue are to make the

subject expressive and structurally clear, and to project convincingly the overall shape of

the fugue by building the dynamic intensity toward the climax in bars 43–49 with the

subject in the upper voice. The chromaticism of this fugue poses difficulties in

memorization. In the early stages of learning one should partition the entire piece into

relatively short sections, no longer than nine bars each, and consider memorizing these

sections hands-alone before memorizing them together.

Example 18. Fugue IX, subject

The sonority of the prelude and complexity of the fugue provide excellent

pedagogic material. The student should explore a variety of sound colors in the prelude

and develop a sensitive touch. In the fugue, careful planning of the overall dynamic shape
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will make the structure clear. Memorization will require extra effort with careful planning

and in-depth analysis of the polyphonic writing.

Example 19. Prelude X, first statement of the basso ostinato (left hand)

Prelude and Fugue X, in C-sharp minor

This is an interesting set with a beautiful prelude filled with harmonic and linear

metamorphoses and a rather rhythmic, mysterious, oddly sarcastic, and strange fugue

that, to some extent, recalls the musical style of Dmitry Shostakovich. The Prelude

(Adagietto) is wonderful in its compositional simplicity. It is a passacaglia with five clear

statements of the basso ostinato (example 19). The melodic and harmonic material in

variations one, two, and five are expressive and beautiful, while variations three and four

are light and airy. The top voice develops rhythmic intensity by progressing from eighth,

quarter, and half notes in a single voice in variation one, to constant eighth notes divided

between two voices in variation two, to one-line sixteenth notes in variation three and

thirty-second notes in variation four. Variation five returns to the rhythmic interplay
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between the two upper voices of variation two. It is essential in variations one, two, and

five to convey the intensity of the minor seconds and wide leaps in the top voice through

meticulously planned shape and an unrushed, steady pace. Since the dynamic climax of

the prelude is in the second variation, one should carefully plan the dynamics before and,

especially, after the climax. It is also important to attend to the suspensions that add

harmonic sumptuousness to the texture of the prelude. The quiet dynamics—pp

dolcissimo in the third variation and pp leggierissimo possible in the fourth variation—

provide a welcome release of tension after the early climax in the second variation. In

these sections the mostly-stepwise passagework in the right hand requires a light legato

touch on the surface of the keys, and care in shaping the line when it changes direction.

The three-voice Fugue (Andantino moderato) brings a clear contrast to the

introverted mood of the Prelude. Written in a 9/8 time signature, it is a mysterious dance

with uncomplicated and clear polyphonic texture. The subject is shown in example 20.

Diversity in dynamics and articulation are the primary tools that the performer should use

when interpreting this fugue. The mysterious and somewhat sarcastic nature of the fugue

requires a degree of exaggeration in articulation and dynamic change with special

attention to the sudden contrasts in each domain.

Example 20. Fugue X, subject

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As pedagogic material, this is an excellent set to explore the beauty in harmony,

melody, and sound color in the prelude and the diversity of dynamics, articulation, and

texture in the fugue.

Prelude and Fugue XI, in B major

In this set the prelude and the fugue are linked into one continuous three-part

composition; the eight-bar Prelude (Lento assai) returns as a postlude after the chromatic

and complex Fugue. A chorale-like texture with short groups of grace notes and a soft

dynamic level (p legatiss.) characterize this Prelude (example 21). One should balance

vertical and horizontal aspects of this short piece. I recommend using legato as much as

possible to achieve a smooth and coherent sound. Finger-substitution technique will

facilitate this result.

Example 21. Prelude XI

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The five-voice Fugue (Lento) is the most polyphonically complex in the first book

of the cycle. The wedge-shaped subject, which is four bars long and mostly diatonic,

starts in fairly confined intervallic range of a minor third, but quickly expands to an

eleventh at the end of the theme (example 22). The relatively even rhythmic pattern (a

series of half notes followed by two quarters, twice) makes it more difficult to hear this

subject in the polyphonic texture of the fugue. Balancing voices and planning the

dynamic shape of the subject will make this theme audible. I recommend using a

crescendo toward the end of the subject to emphasize the intervallic expansion; this will

provide a distinct shape that will be recognizable throughout the fugue. Since the fugue is

complex, it is essential to plan the overall dynamic shape; Shchedrin’s dynamic markings

help, and clearly position the climax in bars 45–48.

Example 22. Fugue XI, subject

This set is for the advanced student. The complexity of the fugue will demand

thorough examination of the subject entrances, structural dynamic planning, careful voice

leading, and exploration of sonority.

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Example 23. Prelude XII, mm. 1–4

Prelude and Fugue XII, in G-sharp minor

This is one of more substantial Prelude and Fugues in length—thirty-six bars in

the Prelude and one hundred in the Fugue. Both pieces are energetic and technically

demanding. With an element of humor, the Prelude (Allegro) alternates short ff gestures

with sixteenth notes in both hands with longer pp sections with sixteenth notes in the

right hand and mostly eighth notes in the left (example 23). The sixteenth notes in the

right hand and the fast tempo make this prelude technically demanding. Memorizing

hands separately and analyzing and practicing similar patterns will assist in efficient

learning and successful performance of the prelude. I recommend using arm rotation and

off-the-keys finger position to ensure comfortable and light execution of the passages.

The following drills will be helpful:

1. Playing in dotted rhythm

2. Stopping on the first note of every four, then eight, then sixteen-note groups
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3. Playing one bar at a time repeatedly in tempo, stopping on the downbeat of the

following bar

4. Repeat with two-bar units

Careful dynamic planning and clear sense of pulse will make the performance of this

prelude interesting and exciting.

Example 24. Fugue XII, subject

The three-voice Fugue (L’istesso tempo) is in 12/8 meter with tarantella-like

rhythm (example 24). It is exciting, energetic, and, like the prelude, technically

demanding. Although the fugue is not as polyphonically complex as the previous one, the

dynamic shape of the subject should still be carefully planned and retained throughout.

As in the B-major fugue, the range of the subject expands. I recommend using continuous

crescendo to the end of the subject, with the last twelve notes (marked with accents)

being the loudest. Take care in performing the initial grace note of the subject. For most

entries, when the subject is in the right hand the grace note is played with the left; when

the subject is in the left hand the first note after the grace note is played with the right.
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This alteration of hands facilitates making the grace note quick while accenting the first

note of the following triplet. Diversity in articulation and well-planned dynamics will

bring variety in sound and structural clarity in the fugue.

This set is a good choice for the advanced student. Both pieces require careful

analysis, wise dynamic planning, and memorization that uses pattern recognition.

Book II, Nos. XIII–XXIV, Flat Keys

Example 25. Prelude XIII, mm. 1–5

Prelude and Fugue XIII, in G-flat major

The second volume of the cycle opens with a compact set that is contrasting in

various aspects. The Prelude (Sostenuto assai) is lyrical, poetic, melodic, and sad, despite

the major key. The meter and rhythmical patterns reflect a sense of balance and
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symmetry, and much of the prelude uses mirror writing (contrary motion) between the

outer voices, with some parallel motion between the bass and alto (example 25).

The three-voice Fugue (Allegretto) is energetic and playful with a strange

and somewhat mechanical subject. The asymmetrical 5/8 time signature and five-measure

subject impart a sense of imbalance sometimes intensified by accents that conflict with

the primary 2+3 metric grouping (example 26). The somewhat abstract quality and

primarily staccato articulation of the subject contribute to the mechanical character of

this fugue. The performer should emphasize the contrast between the two pieces of the

set: explore the melodic and narrative nature in the prelude with smooth legato playing,

and heed the staccato articulation and micro dynamic of the subject in the fugue. I

recommend two short crescendos from bar one to bar two and from bar three to bar four,

with a diminuendo in bar five. Also, despite the dynamic changes, I suggest keeping the

character of the entire fugue uniform.

Example 26. Fugue XIII, mm. 1–11

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This set does not require virtuosic technique. The student will enjoy searching for

ways to reflect the clear contrast in character between the prelude and the fugue.

Prelude and Fugue XIV, in E-flat minor

This is my favorite Prelude and Fugue. The combination of abstract, aggressive,

turbulent, and distractive images expressed through highly virtuosic writing makes this

set extremely exciting. The gravitational power of this set for the listener is similar to

Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 7. The Prelude (Presto for the opening and Allegro for the

main section) starts with two descending mixed-pattern single-line passages marked ff—

each terminating with a crash on a sustained sff dyad or chord. The first ends on a perfect

fourth (C-F) in the lowest register of the piano, the second on a five-note chromatic

cluster in the middle register (example 27). The rest of the prelude is a continuous ascent

from the lowest register of the instrument and p dynamic level to the highest register and

ff dynamic level. It is vital for the performer to emphasize these extreme changes in

dynamic and register. For the ff, I recommend using high fingers, hammer-like touch, and

a narrow dynamic shape. For the p one can use a combination of plucking finger-

movement for the staccato, deep and clear touch for the legato, and wider (noticeable)

dynamic shape. I also recommend using the left hand for the opening e-flat at the

beginning of the prelude to insure accuracy and enough strength for the indicated ff

dynamic level. This opening should be visually striking to the audience. In the opening,

one should plan the fingering and arm gestures in both descending passages based on the

direction and pattern of small groups of sixteenth notes.

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Example 27. Prelude XIV, opening four systems

Example 28. Fugue XIV, subject

The attacca three-voice Fugue (Tempo precedente, Allegro) continues the

excitement started in the Prelude. The ascending subject (example 28) is seven bars long,
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and assertive. Every element of this theme projects power. To insure accuracy, the

opening e-flat in the low register could be struck with the side of the left hand clenched in

a fist. The explosive character of the subject requires that each short ascending motive

have a crescendo toward its last note. The fugue itself is a series of dynamic waves:

Bars 1-23 Bars 24-43 Bars 44-73 Bars 74-109

f p to f f to ff to sff climax p to f to sff and ff

It is essential to plan the dynamics carefully so that f, the most common dynamic

indication, does not sound too heavy and has a variety of shades and clarity in texture.

The p is indicated twice in the entire fugue and provides sudden contrast to the preceding

f or ff. The markings ff and sff are saved for the climax and the ending sections of the

fugue. Well-planned dynamics will insure structural clarity of the entire composition.

This technically advanced set will challenge even the most proficient student. It

demands physical stamina, careful dynamic planning, and thorough memorization.

Prelude and Fugue XV, in D-flat major

This set is filled with strange, abstract, and ghostly images in the short prelude

and expressive, lonely, and sad images in the polyphonically complex fugue. Just like in

the Prelude and Fugue V in D major and IX in E major the Prelude of this set (Lento

improvisato) is an instance of the improvisatory style (example 29). The dynamic

indications are limited to p and pp and the texture is mostly a single line. The performer
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should use a light touch and different shades of sound color. Note that the first section of

the prelude is played with one sustained pedal and the second section is marked senza

Ped. It is necessary in the first section to balance the sound between the low, middle, and

high registers to prevent the texture from blurring. Considering the general pp dynamic

level, I recommend using brighter sound color and clear horizontal shape in the higher

register, softer and suffused sound in the middle register, and deep but diffused sound in

the low register.

Example 29. Prelude XV, opening

The four-voice double Fugue (Andantino moderato) is polyphonically complex.

Both subjects give an impression of minor mode rather then D-flat major; they are

introduced simultaneously and collectively contain all twelve tones of the chromatic scale
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(example 30). The first subject fills the chromatic in the middle octave from a-flat up to

d-flat, and the second subject completes the chromatic below the first, from d up to g.

The first subject is five bars long, with a metrically displaced repeat. The first statement

begins on beat one of the first bar and the second on beat three of the third bar. The

subject is a compound melody implying a repeated d flat in the upper voice with a line

ascending from a flat to d flat in the lower voice. The second subject is three bars long

and enters on the second beat of the third bar of the first subject. It begins with stepwise

descent, and then introduces fourth and third leaps. Throughout the fugue both subjects

remain together and occur in prime form, inversion, retrograde, and retrograde inversion,

in various combinations. Careful analysis will provide a clear picture of all subject entries

and their permutations. One should distinctly shape the subjects, which will help make

them recognizable in the complex polyphonic texture. Another aspect of this fugue

should be considered: most of the fugue is written in a soft dynamic range from pp to mp,

with one climactic episode that is marked f in bars 38–44. The performer should use an

array of shades in the quiet sections, and avoid making the climactic episode too heavy,

so that it maintains its melodic quality.

Example 30. Fugue XV, subject

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The opportunity to explore sonority in the prelude and expressiveness and

polyphonic complexity in the fugue make this set a good pedagogic choice. The student

will have to trace all the permutations of the subjects and plan the overall dynamic in the

prelude and, especially, the fugue.

Example 31. Prelude XVI, mm. 1–12

Prelude and Fugue XVI, in B-flat minor

In this contrasting set the Prelude (Giocoso) is an energetic, humorous, and at

times sarcastic march-like miniature, and the two-voice Fugue (L’istesso tempo) is sad,

expressive, and sometimes mysterious. Despite differences, both pieces share some

similar musical elements. The repeated-note figure at the beginning of the prelude

(example 31) becomes an important element in the fugue subject (example 32), which is

the longest in the entire cycle. The descending and ascending sixteenth-note triplets in
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bars 29–33 and at the very end of the prelude appear as the eighth-note triplets in the top

voice of the fugue in bars 43–50. While the triplets maintain their light and airy identity

in both pieces, the energetic repeated-note figure in the prelude becomes expressive and

lyrical in the fugue. One should explore the diversity of articulation and dynamic

contrasts in the prelude and the expressive lyricism of the subject in the fugue.

Example 32. Fugue XVI, subject

Episode 1

Example 33. Fugue XVI, mm. 35–41

The dynamic indications in the prelude are clear and self-explanatory, outlining

the different shades of this humorous march. In the fugue, extended sections in the same
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dynamic level need some variety. For the subject I recommend using a diminuendo

toward the eighth bar followed by a crescendo to the fourteenth bar and another

diminuendo to the end. In the episode (bars 36–40 of example 33) I recommend playing

the sixteenth notes extremely lightly to ensure that the dotted-half notes remain audible in

the following bar.

This set is a good choice for the intermediate level student. The fugue is

polyphonically uncomplicated, which will offer some dynamic-planning possibilities.

The prelude is vivid in its characteristics and will demand flexibility in the sudden

dynamic changes and accuracy and diversity in articulation.

Prelude and Fugue XVII, in A-flat major

The humor and lyricism of Prelude and Fugue XVI in B-flat minor progress to

declamation and lamenting images in the A-flat major Prelude and Fugue, where both

pieces give the impression of a minor mode. Despite technical and polyphonic simplicity

in this set, the seriousness of the character will require some maturity from the performer.

The Prelude (Rubato) is a combination of two texturally and dynamically contrasting

episodes that alternate during this piece (example 34). The ff section is expressive, and

one can imagine powerful yet ascetic declamation. The sixteenth-note figures in this

section should be played actively but without rushing. The following section is soft,

mysterious, and spooky. It consists of a sixteenth-note pattern in groups of four repeated

notes that expands from unisons to dyads to three- and four-note chords. I recommend

holding the sustain pedal lightly to create an echo-like effect.

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Example 34. Prelude XVII, first three systems

Example 35. Fugue XVII, mm. 1–7

The three-voice Fugue (Moderato) offers noticeable contrast to the Prelude. The

intonation of the human voice is at the heart of the lamenting subject (example 35). It is
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based on seven mostly-descending eighth-note pairs separated by the rests, reminiscent of

the Lacrimosa from Mozart’s Requiem, followed by a three-eighth-note figure with a

written-out turn on the second note. To emphasize the lamenting nature of the subject,

one should play the second note of the two-note motives softer than the first. In shaping

this theme, I recommend following the contour of the melody, making the fourth

(highest) eighth-note pair the loudest. In the counterpoint against the second subject

entry, Shchedrin introduces staccato sixteenth notes. In keeping with the mournful

character of the fugue, one should consider not making the staccato too extreme, to avoid

changing the mood to playful. Most of this compact thirty-six-bar fugue is written at a

piano dynamic level, with a forte climax in bars 22–24. The performer should explore

different shades of sound within the soft dynamic range.

This set is a wonderful choice for the intermediate level student. Within a

compact setting, it offers seriousness of character and diversity in texture, articulation,

and sound. A detailed polyphonic analysis will be required to trace all subject entries,

including inversions and various transformations.

Prelude and Fugue XVIII, in F minor

This is another contrasting set. The Prelude (Allegretto) offers a dance-like

character in a light two-voice texture reminiscent of Bach’s Two-Part Inventions

(example 36), while the Fugue (Andante recitativo, poco rubato sempre) is dramatic,

heroic, and brave. In the Prelude one should use a light touch, clear articulation, and non-

percussive finger strokes. The hemiola implied by the melodic contour of the sixteenth
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notes in bars 13–14 (and again in 37–38) can be brought out by using a slight accent on

the first note of each four-note group, providing momentary relief from the otherwise

straight-forward 3/8 meter. The general dynamic level in the prelude is piano with three

bars of mf at the beginning of the recapitulation of the binary form and light forte closer

to the end.

Example 36. Prelude XVIII, mm. 1–15

The high intensity level of the fugue demands a deeper touch. It is notated forte

except for ff in the climax (bars 24–26) and in the last bar. To avoid extreme textural

density in the continuous forte of the fugue, one should first plan the dynamic shape of

the subject (example 37). The first measure has wide leaps and a rapid ascent that

requires a crescendo. The following three bars is a gradual descent that needs a
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continuous diminuendo. For the most part a real forte should be reserved for the subject

entries; keep the other voices in the mf dynamic level.

Example 37. Fugue XVIII, subject

Planning general dynamics in this fugue can be problematic for the student. It

requires understanding of the structure and some dynamic adjustment in the secondary

voices. In contrast, the Prelude is a dynamically and texturally clear composition that

requires flexibility in articulation and clarity in touch.

Prelude and Fugue XIX in E-flat major

This Prelude and Fugue is a combination of intrigue, perpetual motion, and

technical maneuvers. The transparent texture in both is mostly linear with primarily

stepwise passagework. The first five measures of the Prelude (Allegro capriccioso) are

based on a variant of the head of the fugue subject, cast in duple meter with an anacrusis

(example 38). This pattern persists in each section of the prelude, using various

rhythmical and directional permutations. Perhaps the biggest contrasts between the two

pieces are in articulation and tempo; most of the prelude is written in eighth notes with

non legato articulation, while the fugue is in sixteenth notes and legato.
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Example 38. Prelude XIX, mm. 1–20

Example 39. Fugue XIX, subject

The Fugue (L’istesso tempo) enters attacca and is a natural continuation of the

prelude in diminution (sixteenth notes in 6/16 meter, see example 39). The set is closely

related texturally and thematically and should be played as a continuous composition

without interruption. The dynamic plan is clearly notated. The prelude is marked piano

with a short crescendo to the climax in bar 42, and a long diminuendo to the end; the
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fugue remains piano until bar 53 and gets gradually louder to the end, sixty-four bars

later. The performer could explore possibilities of tone color and shades of sound to

enhance interest in long stretches of similar dynamics.

The pedagogic benefit of this set is in developing a sense of invention in

somewhat simple and rather uniform material. The student should identify all of the

subject entries, which occur in various unusual augmentations, sometimes in inversion.

Example 40. Prelude XX, mm. 1–3

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Prelude and Fugue XX, in C minor

This Prelude and Fugue is the climax and the most significant musical fresco of

the entire cycle. Emotionally charged, this set spans a range of expression from

hopelessness and despair to annihilation, and explores the extremes of every parameter:

from the slower tempo to the faster, from simple rhythms to complex polyrhythms, from

linear texture to vertical (chordal), from extremely soft to extremely loud dynamics. The

Prelude (Improvisato quasi cadenza) begins and ends with pianissimo sections in a slow

tempo that suggests images of solitude, lament, and despondency (example 40). The

eighth-note progression in the second bar in the alto voice in the right hand will become

the second subject in the fugue. The middle section, which is the longest, has no bar lines.

From the lowest spectrum in all aspects such as texture, tempo, dynamic and emotions,

this section raises to the highest point of intensity in the cascade of fortissimo dissonant

chords in dotted rhythm and contrary motion at the climax (example 41).

Example 41. Prelude XX, Climax

Probably the biggest challenge in this prelude is to maintain the continuum of the

ever-increasing emotional scale. Despite the abstract musical language, one should notice

some lamenting melodic elements, mostly in the upper voice. As the texture becomes
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denser one should use pedaling that helps to increase the sound mass without

compromising clarity.

The four-voice triple Fugue (Adagio con moto) to some degree follows the

emotional and dynamic path of the prelude, but unlike the prelude, ends on a highly

intense note. Simultaneously presented and equal in length, the first and the second

subjects (S1 and S2) recall the character of the opening section of the prelude. (See

example 42.) The third subject (S3), which first appears in the middle of the fugue, is

more rhythmically active and diverse and has a wider range than the others. This subject

becomes the driving force of the fugue, and leads to a series of strettos combining all

three subjects (beginning in bar 27), before the gigantic climax in the final three bars. As

in the prelude, one should strive for a sense of constantly growing emotional and

dynamic intensity throughout the entire fugue. For structural clarity, it is essential to plan

the dynamics on the micro and the macro levels. Consider the similarities and differences

between subjects one and two. Rhythmically, S1 is almost all quarter notes, while S2 is

all half-note durations (anticipating the beat by a thirty-second). S1 begins with two four-

note motives, ascending stepwise in the first bar, followed by an upward leap and

descent. S2 begins with two descending-second motives, also moving upward in the first

bar. In the second bar S2 continues to ascend, augmenting the four-note motive from S1,

while S1 ends with a descending second (from S2) and its inversion. Bringing out these

relationships through dynamic shaping will help give each subject a distinct sound

identity. On the macro level it is important to follow the composer’s dynamic indications,

keeping in mind that the ff that appears quite frequently should have some variety based
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on register, textural density, and location in the form. Also, special attention should be

given to suspended notes and the interesting harmonies that result as notes change around

them.

Example 42. Fugue XX, Subjects one, two, and three

This set requires pianistic and emotional maturity from a student. One can benefit

from exploring the polyphonic complexity of the triple fugue and finding an adequate

solution for uniting the idea, the structure, and sound, while bringing out each subject

entry clearly.

Prelude and Fugue XXI, in B-flat major

This set is a diversion from the previous drama. Like Preludes and Fugues V in D

major, IX in E major, and in XV D-flat major, this Prelude (Allegro, ma non troppo,

rubato parlando) is an example of free, improvisatory style. Absence of bar lines and

soft, single-line sixteenth-note passages (with occasional dyads at the ends of phrases)
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create a fluid and weightless impression. A light touch should be used within the rubato,

which should differs from one passage to another. Shchedrin used two quotations from

J.S. Bach in this set. The prelude states the well-known B-A-C-H theme before the last

passage (example 43), and the Fugue uses the first twelve tones of J. S. Bach’s subject

from the Fugue in B-flat major from the second book of The Well-Tempered Clavier as a

cantus firmus (example 44). The inclusion of Bach’s theme adds an interesting element to

this fugue: Shchedrin pays tribute to the composer who inspired him and others to write

prelude-and-fugue cycles.

(B A C H)

Example 43. Prelude XXI, fourth system

Example 44. Fugue XXI, mm. 12–17

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The three-voice Fugue (Moderato tranquillo) continues the peaceful and tranquil

character of the prelude. The three-bar subject has an uplifting shape that is for the most

part rhythmically uniform (example 45). Absence of dynamic indications, except for the

first bar that has the indication non f legatiss. sempre, offers a variety of possibilities. One

should explore the possible colors based on the natural feel of the registers of the

instrument, keeping the upper register light and clear and the lower register deep. For the

most part the shape and the general dynamic will reflect the directions of the melodic

lines.

Example 45. Fugue XXI, subject

Exploring the sound colors in the soft and middle dynamic ranges in both pieces,

looking for the various solutions for the tempo rubato in the prelude, and planning the

general dynamic of the entire set make this prelude and fugue an interesting and useful

composition for the intermediate and advanced student.

Prelude and Fugue XXII, in G minor

This set, written for the left hand (only), is filled with declamatory writing. The

Prelude (Grave assai) to some degree recalls the mood of Prelude XIV in E-flat minor

and Prelude and Fugue XX in C minor. Despite the uniformly loud dynamic, which

ranges from f to fff, the texture offers a noticeable contrast. The entire prelude is a
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combination of vertical chords and single-voice horizontal lines (example 46). The

chordal sections are dissonant, broad, and dramatic statements; the single-voice sections

are faster and united in their continuous ascent from the low to high register during the

course of the prelude. One can create an antagonistic tension between the two spheres by

playing the chords that interrupt the linear ascent in a loud and settled manner, and the

single line progression a little softer at first and then accelerating with a crescendo after

the Poco piu mosso to the end of the prelude.

Example 46. Prelude XXII, first three systems

The four-voice fugue (Dolente) is a vivid contrast to the prelude. The images of

conflict, strength, and declamation are left behind, and strange, lamenting, dark, and

introverted characters take the center stage. The constant interruptions of the melodic line

in the subject, the descending direction of the short motives, and the slow tempo create a
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weeping effect (example 47). The entire fugue is intense, chromatic, and dark. The

driving force is the two dynamic waves from pp to ff and back to pp in bars 1–34, and

from pp to fff and down to pppp in bars 34 to the end. One should carefully plan this

macro dynamic to portray the structure of the fugue. Also, in the subject the micro

dynamic has to reflect the lamenting element of the falling short motives.

Example 47. Fugue XXII, Subject

The absence of any beautiful melodic formation in the entire set and presence of

highly chromatic writing create a mood of repulsion, obliteration, and despair. This

characterization will help in planning an adequate interpretation. This is the first example

in the history of music of an entire Prelude and Fugue written for the left hand. A student

can develop physical mobility and an ear for detail while working on this set. The

performer must find ways to differentiate the sound quality for each horizontal layer. This

will require detailed analysis of the polyphonic writing, careful planning of the dynamics,

and finding the physical means to execute it with one hand.

Prelude and Fugue XXIII, in F major

In this Prelude and Fugue the two pieces are linked together with a recapitulation

of the prelude at the end of the fugue. The set is filled with images of lyricism, serenity,
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strength, and mysticism. The Prelude (Comodo) is lyrical and peaceful. The three-voice

linear texture is a dialogue in which eighth-note motion passes back and forth between

the right and left hand, while one or two longer tones are sustained or move in slower

motion (example 48). One should create a sense of conversation, where each participant

is slightly different in its characteristics depending on register, horizontal pattern, and

direction. In addition it is important to personalize the longer notes that form short

motives by playing them with shaped and distinct sound.

Example 48. Prelude XXIII, mm. 1–6

The Fugue (Moderato) is more active then the prelude. The subject has two

contrasting elements. The first is an energetic gesture of two dotted half notes, accented

and forte, leaping up a minor 10th. The second is soft and consists of four ascending
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eighth-note motives separated by the rests, and increasing in length (example 49). This

contrast is the major driving force in this fugue, and should be brought out not only by

dynamics but also in sound quality. After the two opening notes, one should use a light

touch, legato articulation, and dynamic shaping that follows the melodic contour.

Example 49. Fugue XXIII, subject

There are two episodes in a contrasting texture in bars 22–28 and 50–56. These

episodes are soft and rhythmically uniform: legato eighth notes in the left hand and

staccato sixteenth-notes in the right hand with repeated dyads (example 50). The

character of these episodes is mysterious and strange. I suggest playing the left hand with

a deep legato touch and a dynamic shape that rises and falls with the melody, and the

right hand with light staccato and extremely soft sound. The dynamic plan—based on the

sudden contrast—is clearly indicated in the score. One should explore the possibilities of

different characteristics with each change.

Example 50. Fugue XXIII, mm. 22–23

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This set is beneficial for exploring variety of color and character. The serene
prelude requires light legato touch and evenly shaped melodic lines. The fugue requires
vivid contrasts and a search for variety in musical characteristics.

(a)

(b)

Example 51. (a) Prelude I, mm. 1–6; (b) Prelude XXIV, mm. 1–6
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Prelude and Fugue XXIV, in D minor

This set is an exact inversion of the Prelude and Fugue in C major and displays

the same characteristics. But now the change of the direction might offer some slight

variations within the same character. It is a clever conclusion that creates a musical arch

of the entire cycle. Examples 51 and 52 show the opening of the prelude and fugue of

each set for comparison.

(a)

(b)

Example 52. (a) Fugue I, mm. 1–6; (b) Fugue XXIV, mm. 1–6
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CHAPTER 4
CONCLUSIONS

Rodion Shchedrin’s Twenty-four Preludes and Fugues have a long pedigree.

Bach’s timeless Well-Tempered Clavier (Book 1, 1722 and Book 2, 1742) was the

culmination of an extended development period for both prelude and fugue. Although

similar ideas had occurred before, and equal temperament had been used for string

instruments such as lute and theorbo about two hundred years earlier, it was Bach who

united pairs of Preludes and Fugues in compelling cycles in twenty-four keys, with each

book following the chromatic scale beginning on C, pairing parallel major/minor keys.

Bach’s death in 1750 signaled the end of the Baroque era. Imitative polyphony

was not forgotten, although it was no longer the predominant musical paradigm—sonata

form became the primary model for the following generation of composers. Despite the

new homophonic style, classical composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and especially

Beethoven, left some extraordinary examples of contrapuntal writing.

During the early Romantic era, revived interest in J. S. Bach inspired some

composers to re-visit the prelude and fugue as a compositional genre. For example,

between 1832 and 1837 Felix Mendelssohn wrote a set of six Preludes and Fugues, Op.

35, for piano. During the same period, other composers wrote non-polyphonic collections

of short pieces in all keys. Between 1835 and 1839 Chopin composed his Twenty Four

Preludes, Op. 28, which progress in ascending fifths with every major key paired with its

relative minor. Liszt wrote his twelve Transcendental Etudes (last revised in 1852) in six

major keys in descending fifths—each paired with its relative minor. The concept of
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grouping short non-contrapuntal pieces into cycles covering all keys lasted well into the

twentieth century. Almost all major composers of the Romantic period, except for

Chopin, used fugues in their keyboard, instrumental, orchestral, and sacred vocal music;

Verdi even used the fugue to end his opera Falstaff.

During the twentieth century, development of the fugue had many interesting

permutations. Arnold Schoenberg used fugue as well as canon in Pierrot lunaire (1912)

in “Der Mondfleck.” Alban Berg set the second scene of act two of Wozzeck (1914–

1922), as a prelude and triple fugue. However, the composers of the Second Viennese

School seemed to prefer canon as their primary imitative technique.

The wave of neo-classicism, which began in the early 1920s, provided a fertile

environment for fugal writing. Stravinsky used fugue in a somewhat traditional manner

with tonic-dominant subject entries in the second movement of Symphony of Psalms

(1930), which is a double fugue. The first movement of Bartók’s Music for String

Instruments, Percussion, and Celesta (1936) is a fugue with subject entries alternating

between ascending and descending circles of fifths, symmetrical around A.

It was just a matter of time before cycles of preludes and fugues in all keys made

a successful comeback. Hindemith’s Ludus tonalis (1942), intended by the composer to

be the twentieth-century equivalent to Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, was the first

example. His work included only twelve fugues because he did not distinguish between

major and minor keys. The twelve fugues, with the key scheme ordered according to

Hindemith’s principle of decreasing tonal relationship to the tonic of C (C, G, F, A, E, E-

flat, A-flat, D, B-flat, D-flat, B, F-sharp), were linked by eleven modulating interludes,
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with the first Praeludium in C in retrograde inversion serving as a Postludium at the end

of the cycle.

The first twentieth-century cycle of Preludes and Fugues in all keys was

composed in 1950–1951 by Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. His cycle, which

followed Chopin’s key progression of paired relative major/minor keys in ascending

fifths, used many learned contrapuntal devices, and was written in a manner that was

basically functional tonality adapted to Shostakovich’s own style. It inspired Rodion

Shchedrin, who had been fascinated with polyphony from his formative years, to write a

similar cycle. He created a cycle that is complex, inventive, and unique.

Shchedrin’s prelude-and-fugue cycle shares many features with those of Bach and

Shostakovich. Shchedrin followed the same tonal scheme as Shostakovich. Like The

Well-Tempered Clavier, his cycle displays a wide variety of genres, characters, and

polyphonic techniques. Most of the preludes in the cycle are short. Also, like Bach, the

majority of Shchedrin’s fugues are three-voice, and range from two to five voices. The

common polyphonic techniques used in Baroque such as augmentation, diminution,

inversion, retrograde, and retrograde inversion can also be found in Shchedrin’s cycle,

which includes two double fugues and a triple fugue. Although the general formats are

similar, the compositional style is very different. While Bach and Shostakovich based

their writing on functional tonality, Shchedrin’s linear thinking results in true dissonant

counterpoint. He looks at polyphony as a combination of independent lines where

horizontal organization of the polyphonic material becomes the primary principle.

Although there are tonal moments, with wonderful melodies supported by dissonant but
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tonally functional harmonies, and many of the fugues superficially follow the classic

format, with subject entries nominally in the tonic and dominant, most of them ultimately

sound atonal, especially in the second book. Another true innovation is Prelude and

Fugue XXII in G minor, which is the first prelude and fugue written entirely for the left

hand.

Despite the lack of traditional melodic and harmonic material, the composer was

able to portray a variety of emotions—from humorous, lyrical, light, and ethereal to sad,

tragic, and epic. Some preludes and fugues have a strong rhythmic drive that combined

with a fast tempo make them exhilarating. In the cases of extreme atonality there is still a

strong emotional message, and each prelude-fugue pair makes a meaningful musical

statement. This set provides excellent pedagogic material; some prelude-and-fugue pairs

are playable by intermediate students, while others require more advanced technique and

maturity.

Because of their artistic and pedagogic merit, Shchedrin’s Twenty-Four Preludes

and Fugues are a valuable addition to the piano repertoire. They should be considered for

auditions and competitions that require selections from the twentieth century. They will

be a rare treat for the casual listener as well as the jury panel. They are also wonderful

recital pieces.

In conclusion, I hope that this monograph will stimulate interest in Shchedrin’s

Twenty-four Preludes and Fugues, and facilitate entry by those who choose to perform or

study them. The structural analyses and performance suggestions will provide insights to

trigger creativity in performers, pedagogues, and scholars, alike.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Fisher, Stephen C. “Prelude.” Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy, 2007.

<www.oxfordmusiconline.com> (14 May 2008).

Komissarski, V. O Dramaturgicheskih Printsipah Tvorchestva R. Schedrina (About

Dramaturgic Principals of R. Shchedrin). Moscow: Sovetski Kompozitor, 1978.

Kholopova, Valentina. Poot Po Tsentru, Kompozitor Rodion Shchedrin (The Center

Path: Composer Rodion Shchedrin). Moscow: Kompozitor, 2000.

Ledbetter, David. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier: The 48 Preludes and Fugues. New
Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2002.

Ledbetter, David, and Howard Ferguson. “Prelude.” Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy,
2007. <www.oxfordmusiconline.com> (14 May 2008).

Lihacheva, E. 24 Preludee I Fugi R. Schedrina (Twenty-Four Preludes and Fugues of R.

Shchedrin). Moscow: Muzika, 1975.

“Ludus Tonalis.” Wikipedia, n.d. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludus_Tonalis> (25 July

2009).

Peklman, Seth Harte. “Tonal Organization in the Twenty-Four Preludes and Fugues of
Dmitri Shostakovich, Rodion Shchedrin, and Niels Viggo Bentzon.” DMA diss.,
Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, 1988.

“Prelude and Fugue.” Wikipedia, n.d. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prelude_and_fugue>

(2 July 2009).

van Rijen, Onno. “Rodion Shchedrin, Internet Edition.” 7 September 2008.

<http://home.wanadoo.nl/ovar/shched.htm> (15 November 2009).

“Rodion Shchedrin.” Wikipedia, n.d. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodion_Shchedrin>

(6 October 2009).

Romadinova, D. Polifonicheski Tsikl R. Schedrina (The Polyphonic Cycle of R.

Shchedrin). Moscow: Sovetski Kompozitor, 1973.

Shchedrin, Rodion. Twenty-Four Preludes and Fugues, vol. 1 and 2. Boca Raton, FL:
Masters Music Publications, 1970.
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Shchedrin, Rodion. 24 Preludes and Fugues, 25 Preludes (‘Polyphonic Notebook’).

Murray McLachlan, Piano. Olympia Compact Discs, OCD 438 A+B.

“Shepard Tone.” Wikipedia, n.d. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepard_tone> (7 August

2009).

“Twenty-Four Preludes and Fugues (Shostakovich).” Wikipedia, n.d.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24_Preludes_and_Fugues_(Shostakovich)> (28
November 2009).

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<http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com> (9 May 2008).
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APPENDIX A
PRELUDE INCIPITS

Book I, Sharp Keys

Prelude I, in C Major

Prelude II, in A minor

Prelude III, in G major

Prelude IV, in E minor

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Prelude V, in D major

Prelude VI, in B minor

Prelude VII, in A major

Prelude VIII, in F-sharp minor

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Prelude IX, in E major

Prelude X, in C-sharp minor

Prelude XI, in B major

Prelude XII, in G-sharp minor

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Book II, Flat Keys

Prelude XIII, in G-flat major

Prelude XIV, in E-flat minor

Prelude XV, in D-flat major

Prelude XVI, in B-flat minor

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Prelude XVII, in A-flat major

Prelude XVIII, in F minor

Prelude XIX, in E-flat major

Prelude XX, in C minor

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Prelude XXI, in B-flat major

Prelude XXII, in G minor

Prelude XXIII, in F major

Prelude XXIV, in D minor

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APPENDIX B
FUGUE SUBJECTS

Book I, Sharp Keys

Fugue I, in C Major

Fugue II, in A minor

Fugue III, in G major

Fugue IV, in E minor

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Fugue V, in D major

Fugue VI, in B minor

Fugue VII, in A major

Fugue VIII, in F-sharp minor

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Fugue IX, in E major

Fugue X, in C-sharp minor

Fugue XI, in B major

Fugue XII, in G-sharp minor

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Book II, Flat Keys

Fugue XIII, in G-flat major

Fugue XIV, in E-flat minor

Fugue XV, in D-flat major

Fugue XVI, in B-flat minor

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Fugue XVII, in A-flat major

Fugue XVIII, in F minor

Fugue XIX, in E-flat major

Fugue XX, in C minor

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Fugue XXI, in B-flat major

Fugue XXII, in G minor

Fugue XXIII, in F major

Fugue XXIV, in D minor