Composer

:

Vsevolod Zaderatsky

Genre

:

Keyboard

Compose Date

:

1937-1939

Average_duration

:

4:25

Movement_count

:

2

Movement ....

Vsevolod Zaderatsky's Prelude and Fugue No. 21 for piano in B flat major was composed in 1951 while the composer was serving a 10-year sentence in a Soviet labor camp. The piece was premiered in 1956 by the pianist Maria Yudina, who was a close friend of Zaderatsky and had smuggled his compositions out of the labor camp. The Prelude and Fugue No. 21 is one of Zaderatsky's most well-known works and is characterized by its technical virtuosity and emotional depth. The piece is divided into two movements, with the Prelude serving as an introduction to the Fugue. The Prelude is marked by its lyrical and expressive melody, which is accompanied by a flowing and intricate piano accompaniment. The piece is in a loose ABA form, with the opening melody returning at the end of the section in a slightly altered form. The Fugue, on the other hand, is a complex and highly structured piece that showcases Zaderatsky's mastery of counterpoint. The piece is built around a single theme that is introduced in the opening bars and then developed and transformed throughout the rest of the piece. The Fugue is divided into three sections, with each section building on the previous one in terms of complexity and intensity. The final section is particularly impressive, with the theme being played in a variety of different keys and registers before finally resolving back to the original key of B flat major. Overall, Zaderatsky's Prelude and Fugue No. 21 is a powerful and emotionally charged work that showcases the composer's technical skill and musical sensitivity. Despite the difficult circumstances under which it was composed, the piece stands as a testament to the enduring power of music to transcend even the most challenging of circumstances.

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