The cycle ''Twenty Four Preludes for Piano'' op. 34, composed by D. D. Shostakovich in the beginning of the 1930ies has been taking central positions in piano concert programs of students and mature performers. The kind of musical masks they are, the diversity of genres, characters and moods, able to carry away both youngsters and wizards.
The Petersburgian composer and pianist Grigory Korchmar presents his own transcription of Shostakovich’s cycle, dating 1990. This is the version for string orchestra, the cast he is welded with for almost forty years, performing piano and clavecin parts. Grigory Korchmar penetrates inside the instrumental nature and essential peculiarities of the strings texture to be accounted some special way, so as the sound to be expected. Korchmar’s manner is close to orchestral one, peculiar to Shostakovich. Meanwhile, he manages to create, but not just good transcription of piano original. These are Shostakovich’s preludes, most familiar to us, and simult aneously these are absolutely new pieces for string orchestra.
String orchestras of different levels will no doubt enjoy these transcriptions, making them be on roll all over the world.

Alexander Kharkovsky

Contents:

I. C-dur
II. a-moll
III. G-dur
IV. e-moll
V. D-dur
VI. h-moll
VII. A-dur
VIII. fis-moll
IX. E-dur
X. cis-moll
XI. H-dur
XII. gis-moll
XIII. Fis-dur
XIV. es-moll
XV. Des-dur
XVI. b-moll
XVII. As-dur
XVIII. f-moll
XIX. Es-dur
XX. c-moll
XXI. B-dur
XXII. g-moll
XXIII. F-dur
XXIV. d-moll