Just back from a trip to Leipzig in the early autumn of 1950 where he heard Bach's Well-Tempered Klavier at the Bicentennial Bach Competition played by the Russian pianist Tatiana Nikolaeva Shostakovich began his own series of 24 Preludes and Fugues Op. 87 based on Bach's model. He composed them quickly starting on October 10 1950 and finishing on February 23 1951. While his work would pay …

Shostakovich?s 24 Preludes for solo Piano were composed within a relatively short space of time during the winter of 1932/3. Just like in his later work 24 Preludes and Fugues (Opus 87) the pieces in 24 Preludes form a cycle in each of the 12 major and minor keys. Therefore even though these Preludes are often performed separately or as selections made into a group the manner of their composi…