Hamelin plays Shostakovich - Prelude and Fugue in D-flat, op. 87 No. 15 Audio + Sheet music

Dmitri Shostakovich's mind-blowing Prelude and Fugue in D-flat major, op. 87 No. 15. Live performance by Marc-André Hamelin.
Sorry for any timing mistakes in the fugue - it's very difficult to follow it...

[@fka1608]

The first notes of the left hand gave me the feeling of "we wish u a merry christmas"

[@mildredmoira]

It's on purpose

[@dirtycolossus7465]

It was composed sometime in late December so it makes sense.

[@jendathesaxplayer]

The Christmas with the frosty grandfather Stalin.

[@neutral_puma845]

F ka just about to comment that lol

[@michaelwilliamybarra2409]

Thought the same thing.

[@YostPeter]

"We wish you a merry chr- *dammit!* "

[@ShaunakDesaiPiano]

Well actually it’s “we wish you a merry Christmas- dammit”.

[@stanthonyofpadua1]

Great piece, the sight reading exercise from hell. I love how the prelude sneaks into the fugue towards the end. There's another piece in the set where the opposite happens--when the subject of the D minor fugue makes an early debut in the middle of its prelude.

[@itamarbar9580]

🤣🤣🤣🤣"the sight reading exercise from hell" No better way to put it, and IMHO, the fugue gives me a proto-Ligeti impression, before and during the reoccurrence of the prelude's theme, fueling comedic chaos.

[@eustacequinlank7418]

I have to admit I hadn't heard of Hamelin before this, but his performance of the Fugue is just about up there with Richter's. It's one of the pieces I always wanted to play in such a way before I busted up my right hand.

[@ChrisBreemer]

This darn fugue is one of the most mind-boggling and frustrating things ever written for piano. Having strugged with it for ages I decided to put it aside for a while - maybe indefinitely. I'm in total awe of Hamelin but I've heard more convincing performances of this one though - it sounds indifferent and a bit pedantic. Maybe he only learnt it the day before...

[@annulrsolformrkelse4023]

lol

[@marktabla5434]

I first heard this on a Hyperion CD played by Tatiana Nikolayeva and her performance is more lyrical, as much as Shostakovich's material can be lyrical.

[@landynerick2477]

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[@landynerick2477]

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[@AJtheGuitarist38]

That's pretty impressive. Especially that fugue.

[@bronktug2446]

if you think that then you gotta try BACH

[@anthonyjensen8347]

@@bronktug2446 - Bach's fugues are good, but I prefer Shostakovich's work.

[@austrianguurlx3377]

Total Shostakovich style, I love it!

[@MelodiousThunk]

One earlier comment says that the fugue only has a few passing references to the prelude, and another suggests that the subject of the fugue doesn't appear in the prelude. I thought I'd weigh in on these misconceptions. The subject of the fugue consists of motifs that are closely related to those found in the prelude. The fugue's subject consists of two overlapping motifs. The first motif alternates between two chromatic lines: one that falls a minor third from Db to Bb, and one that rises a minor third from D to F. The second motif is the Bb, F, Gb, F phrase, which starts on the penultimate note of the first motif (this motif occurs in some other movements too, e.g. the C major and E minor fugues). The minor third of the first motif is an important interval that we hear throughout the prelude. The prelude begins with chords; Shostakovich wants us to pay attention to minor thirds right from the outset. The left hand melody begins with a sequence that descends by thirds -- a minor third, from Db to Bb, followed by a major third, from Bb to Gb. In bars 10-14, the right hand replies with phrases that rise and fall between Ab and Cb -- more minor thirds. Then in bars 15-16, we get the first taste of the idea of alternating between a falling chromatic line (D to Db) and a rising chromatic line (G to Ab). The right-hand phrase in bars 21-23 gives us more rising minor thirds -- C to Eb followed by Bb to Db. Bar 23's descending quaver chords (which are mostly minor thirds) lead us to bars 24-27, where we _almost_ get a full statement of the fugue subject's first motif. More specifically, we hear alternation between chords (a minor third) and a line that chromatically descends a minor third, from E to Db. The first clear appearance of the fugue's second motif is in the right hand in bars 30-31. But the left-hand accent in bar 29 suggests that the F to Db scale in that bar, followed by the first C of bar 30, is an earlier example of the motif. The left hand's alternation between low bass notes and a falling interval from Gb to F also prefigures this motif. The prelude plays around with this material for a little while. In bars 71-72, we hear a new idea, consisting of a descending minor third in the right hand from Cb to Ab over a descending fifth in the left hand. The descending fifth involves a long Eb followed by a short Ab, so it has a similar shape and rhythm to the second motif of the fugue's subject. At bar 87 we get a new theme. The first phrase of this theme is a mostly-diatonic alteration of the fugue subject's first motif. Like that motif, it alternates between falling intervals and rising intervals, but the two interleaved lines change direction half-way through -- the line starting on Ab rises to Bb, and then descends by step to F, while the line starting on G falls to F, then jumps down to Db and rises to Eb. The second phrase alternates between rising and falling intervals too, but both lines rise. The phrases from bar 103 until the return of the first phrase make heavy use of thirds again, until bars 116-120, where he returns to alternating rising and falling intervals. The rest of the prelude revisits/develops these ideas. So almost everything in the prelude is connected to the fugue subject!

[@DynastieArtistique]

Omg thank you for this

[@bc_7644]

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[@DynastieArtistique]

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[@bc_7644]

@@DynastieArtistique W

[@pikapuff123]

Does anyone else think 1:29 is a reference to "We Three Kings of Orient Are"? I know the "We wish you a merry christmas" reference is well known.

[@sarahfiles8501]

Knowing Shostakovich and how many allusions are in his symphonies (i.e. William Tell Overture in his 15th symphony), I wouldn't be surprised if there's an allusion in this too!

[@BruceXuHasADream]

yeah! I hear it~

[@sneddypie]

shosty liked quoting stuff

[@jamesrockybullin5250]

@@sneddypie Another comment said the first theme of the prelude sounds like "We wish you a merry Christmas". Might not be coincidental.

[@richardjchandler]

Dmitri Shostakovich's response to JS Bach's Prelude and Fugues was his own 48 Preludes and Fugues. Here is #15 in a live performance by Marc-André Hamelin. Score following lend insight to the work. The fugue is played so fast that it was challenging for me to even follow it!

[@ConstantinosAspris-ie8mg]

24 actually

[@thegoldenboy12]

He has another earlier set

[@ConstantinosAspris-ie8mg]

@@thegoldenboy12 the earlier set is only preludes, no fugues

[@GarySchmidtPianist]

Holy crap. How do you play that fugue. i can't imagine memorizing the thing.

[@AsrielKujo]

It's Hamelin, that's how

[@user-74652]

Oh, god, the fugue is indeed bizarre and chaotic and contrasts greatly with the prelude, with only a few passing references. I would say that it is definitely not for the weak-hearted. I wonder if the similarity of the theme of the prelude to "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is deliberate or coincidential.

[@luiarthur]

Random user #74652819 Great observation. This composition was dated 20 December and may explain the resemblance to "We Wish you a Merry Christmas". See Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24_Preludes_and_Fugues_(Shostakovich)

[@dariusgoh5314]

2:53 fugue

[@marktabla5434]

2:53 Would love to watch a conductor trying to direct that 3/4, 4/4, 3/4, 5/4 fugue subject in an orchestrated version. Wonder how conducting Schoenberg compares...

[@garrysmodsketches]

An orchestrator might re-bar it to make it look more regular on the page

[@ShaunakDesaiPiano]

⁠​⁠why, when many conductors perform Rite of Spring remarkably well? This fugue subject’s multiple time signatures are nowhere near as confusing and off-putting as the Sacrificial Dance. Having said that, the main subject of the fugue theme actually fits in a pure 3/4 time signature, so I’m not sure why Shostakovich felt he had to change the time signature frequently.

[@meifennellysieu7510]

When I first listened to this piece, I thought it sounded like the "speaker" in the piece was incredibly frustrated and/or frazzled. Funny thing: the psychiatric definition of "fugue" is: A state or period of loss of awareness of one's identity, often coupled with flight from one's usual environment, associated with certain forms of hysteria and epilepsy. ... Which is what this kind of sounds like.

[@ericrakestraw664]

The fugue subject reminds me of the Bach "Wedge" fugue for organ or Fugue #10 in E minor from the Well- Tempered Clavier, Book 1.

[@rvn10rvn17]

the fugue has to be desodre's little brother.. what a mind-blowing performance.. happy new year!

[@arielorthmann4061]

That’s straight on, totally agree

[@madlovba3]

@rvn10rvn17 It reminds me of "The Devil's Staircase" a bit, actually, but that Ligeti is a good guess, too! :) It is an amazing piece. Happy New Year! :)))

[@joshscores3360]

The A minor prelude also reminds me of Ligeti

[@madlovba3]

@endofthecorridor His Shostakovich is absolutely thrilling indeed, how he plays the fugue is especially mind-boggling. And my answer is yes, I've got Nos. 7 and 14 as well, however I'm not going to upload those.

[@AKhosrobeik]

this is one of the most owesomes !!!

[@lsbrother]

Well this seems a wonderfully dynamic driving performance to me with the almost brutal percussive element which is needed. Curious how there's almost a dichotomy of views with some not liking what one called the metronomic character. Can't please everyone I guess

[@luciancrosby6331]

At 1:17 I don't know which is wrong, but it appears Hamelin plays a D-flat in the right hand, and the score dictates an F.

[@jerryxu521]

Two different versions probably. I was expecting (and prefer) an F too.

[@flockofscallops]

I mean, this is a live performance, so maybe he just messed up 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@MegaBenjo26]

There are lots of mistakes

[@cubycube9924]

How the hell did you find that

[@ShaunakDesaiPiano]

I think Hamelin did it deliberately. If you follow the score and play the written F, you end up with a parallel octave situation with the bass, since the bass notes are also Eb then F. With the D flat, you instead get contrary motion with the bass, which works much more nicely. It makes me think the F is a typo.. I might be wrong.

[@342567345]

One of better pianists in the world......

[@Baton793]

1:24 *INHALES* boi

[@ga199337]

Thanks for upload ! Amazing piece and incredible performance !

[@KingDollaDolla]

The first part of this piece is saying; "I wish you a merry Christmas!"

[@madlovba3]

@endofthecorridor I doubt he would, unfortunately. Hamelin played these pieces very sparsely: out of the many live recordings I know by him, only this concert included Shostakovich Preludes and Fugues, and only 3 of them. I'd be happy if I was wrong, though!

[@god77992003]

fugue 2:53

[@endofthecorridor]

@madlovba3 Oh, do you have the other two? I think he gets the brutal percussive humour of Shostakovich so brilliantly.

[@anaklasis]

In fact he composed this piece at Christmas.

[@marcopilati7464]

Hei ehi ehi... ma questo è puro DELIRIO!

[@wllm4785]

Whole lotta bangin' and rushin'.

[@marcvincenti6720]

Well, one has to be grateful that a human being can write such a thing, and another human being can play the darn incredible thing. But I find this rendition a little on the dry side, and the prelude heavy-handed. I'd prefer a touch more lyricism, where Mr. Hamelin is metronomic. I think this is all just a matter of individual taste though; there's no right or wrong. After all, Shostakovich does mark the fugue as "sempre marcato," and as a pianist Shostakovich was always known for his rather dry sound. In any case, this fugue made me almost jump out of my skin! Marc Vincenti

[@jamesbachreeves]

+Marc Vincenti I read somewhere (I forget where) that this work was one fo his most bitter and sarcastic indictments of Soviet Russia; so if that is true the metronomic dryness is appropriate.

[@endofthecorridor]

I hope he plays more Shostakovich - perhaps the whole set? Pretty Please? His CD of the 2 piano concertos is also wonderful.

[@tteu123]

First 4 bars remind me of Das Fischermadchen by Schubert o.O

[@robertlangslet9108]

Hamelin "fixed" the counterpoint by playing a Db in the right hand at 1:14, instead of an F (8th measure of the page). I wonder what Mr. Shostakovich would think!

[@bobschaaf2549]

I think Shostakovich would have reservations about the performance beyond whether this or that note was played.

[@yuichituba]

Thank you for asking. I prefer Ashkenazy because of his understanding of the composition and consistency. He understood the humor of it, which is crucial for this Prelude. Plus he doesn't play a wrong note like Hamelin does here.

[@arielorthmann4061]

Hamelin's is a live performance though, whereas Ashlenazy's is a recorded version if I'm not mistaken, so it makes sense it would be cleaner

[@brandonscherrer]

Playful and cute! :)

[@annakimborahpa]

So was this the music that the Pied Piper of Hamelin played to entice the evacuation of rats and children from the city? Was the Prelude for the children and the Fugue for the rats?

[@sakulakomusic]

so cool !!!!

[@benaiah93]

Who do you prefer? (And I'm being sincere)

[@BachIdealized]

This is a great recording, but I still prefer Richter's account! More dynamics in Richter's account, less "dry", even if the fugue isn't played quite as fast. MAH's technique is, as always, stupendous.

[@ceinwenbran]

I know, I fancy some Shostakovich for my diploma, the prelude seems doable and then the fugue 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

[@mouf725]

Not sure if this will still be useful advice, but for my diploma 2 years ago I played the 5th prelude and fugue in D major - still tricky but definitely one of the easier ones, at least in my humble opinion! You could also try the lovely 1st p+f in C major, or the gorgeous 7th in A :) Have a listen to the whole set and see if theres any you particularly like - I also really wanted to play this one but decided I'd come back to it later and outside of a stressful exam context!

[@ChopinIsMyBestFriend]

this sheet music in the fugue doesn’t sound like what’s written

[@DanielMartinez-nw1pn]

I thought merry Christmas was coming 😔

[@GMahlerVerehrer]

Am I wrong or is there an mistake on the third note in the left hand in bar 12?

[@heathervere7217]

No one can play this like Tatiana Nikolayeva

[@lylecohen1638]

John vere Richter plays it really well too

[@heathervere7217]

@@lylecohen1638 Oh defiantly, my comment was only my opinion on the matter.

[@KingDollaDolla]

I mean; "We wish you a merry Christmas!" (mistake)

[@aprilh3882]

i also hear "o du lieber augustin" at 0:12

[@dsm2240]

Bach would be scratching his head and saying "Hmmm". The prelude was interesting, the fugue...???

[@MegaPianogenius]

7th bar at 3.42 he missed the g natural and a little slow for me

[@crispusattucks4007]

😂 thanks for the helpful criticism

[@1stukrainianfront]

christmas in siberia

[@yuichituba]

I completely agree. This is how somebody with no taste or sense of humor plays this Shostakovich.

[@MrLTBell]

This performance is like looking at a Rembrandt painting of a fish; beautifully executed but meaningless.

[@flockofscallops]

Yeah, his interpretation is not my favorite. Hamelin can be hit-or-miss for me. The prelude feels a little bit ... obvious? Too rehearsed? He came to perform at my university and I didn’t like his Scriabin b minor fantasy at all, but his Prokofiev Sarcasms were incredible.

[@lucienfournier5399]

Great but I prefer Bach

[@DA-ok6rf]

Horrible interpretation of this prelude and fugue. Is like a machine was playing.

[@sasha42196]

May we hear your own interpretation?

[@titust4243]

In my opinion, it’s a really nice interpretation, the machines-like mechanical playing of the pianist compliments the dry, erratic sounds of the prelude and fugue. Goes to show how flexible music is huh?

[@10mimu]

Don't confuse dry and ferocious with unexpressive - plus, there are some pretty delicate passages during the prelude

[@WEEBLLOM]

@@sasha42196 That's probably the worst awnser you could have made to refute their argument

[@pierfrancescopeperoni]

@@10mimu Exactly. Now can I burn you at bonfire?

[@MrPaevo]

God-awful...

[@minjuncho4157]

fugue 2:52

[@anaklasis]

In fact he composed this piece at Christmas.