Glazunov A. Preludes and Fugues. For Piano

Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov (1865–1936) is truly recognized as the jewell in the crown of the «silver age», the really significant period in the Russian culture. It was piano to be his passion for good. Glazunov’s fruitful and diverse creative work evinced both in large-scaled canvases (concertos, sonatas, fantasies, variations) and miniatures. Balakirev, Borodin and Liszt stirred his executive manner. Although the composer wasn’t virtuoso, he could penetrate into piano abilities. Hence his opuses are tasteful and brilliant altogether.

Besides, his eye for polyphony made him match Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev with his bag of polyphonic tricks. Piano preludes and fugues are the kind of harvest reaped by the composer on the field of piano polyphonic skill.
Prelude and Fugue (double one) d minor op. 62 dates July 7, 1899, being dedicated to August Rudolphovich Bernard (1852—1908), professor and later director (1898–1905) of the Petersburgian Conservatoire.

The four preludes and fugues united in op. 101 refer to 1918—1923. Thus the Prelude A minor appeared on March 13, 1923; Fugue A minor on June 7, 1918; Prelude C sharp minor on April, 1923; Fugue C sharp minor on July 22, 1918; Prelude C minor on March 25, 1923, Fugue C minor on October 19, 1918; Prelude C major on April 9, 1923, Fugue C major on June 29, 1910.

The Prelude and Fugue E minor was completed on July 31, 1926 in Gatchina. It’s dedicated to Leonid Nikolayev (1878–1942), pianist, composer and professor of the St Petersburg Conservatoire. The organ version of the Prelude and Fugue E minor appeared in 1929. Glazunov himself determined this composition’s fate, i. e. its concealed kernels, which grow into different hypostases.

Contents:

PRELUDE AND FUGUE, op. 62;
PRELUDE AND FUGUE, op.101, № 2;
PRELUDE AND FUGUE, op.101, № 3;
PRELUDE AND FUGUE