Prelude in E major - A conversation between the two ends of the keyboard
results in some fine mood painting.  The low end is stern and probing;
the high end is whimsical and questioning.  It's a little like listening
to interaction between two alien cultures.

Ashkenazy takes a subdued approach and I feel it takes much of the bite
and vibrancy out of the conversation.  Scherbakov has more life and
projection than Ashkenazy; it's a fine performance with exquisite right
hand expressiveness.  Nikolayeva I sounds rather flat and clinical; the
sound likely adds to the effect.  Jarrett is quick but very well defined;
I would have liked a more stern attitude from the left hand.  Nikolayeva
II is the most rewarding interpretation.  In her hands, the conversation
between voices is the most distinctive and stimlating.  Also, Nikolayeva
applies what I consider the perfect pauses between voices; it sounds like
just the right amount of time to digest the other voice and provide a
response.

Fugue in E major - This is the only fugue in the set which is an invention
in two parts.  The music is fast, propulsive, busy, and generally
optimistic.  Ashkenazy, Nikolayeva I, and Scherbakov do well but can't
compete with Nikolayeva II; she is sharper and bolder than the other three
and keeps churning out a reserve of energy bubbling from the low end of
the register.  The sharpness and reserve of energy make this performance
outstanding.  Jarrett does not keep any energy in reserve; every bit of
it is on display in a thrilling performance of virtuosity.  Although not
similar to Nikolayeva II, Jarrett's jet propelled offering is just as
rewarding.

Prelude in C sharp minor - Fantasia-like in style, this prelude can
convey a wide range of emotions.  Conversations between left and right
hand dominate the architecture, and because of the fast speed of the music,
I prefer a frenetic interaction.  Jarrett's tempo is the fastest of the
five versions and decidedly the most frantic as well.  It has an eerie
quality which is most appreciated.  The other versions just sound quite
similar to one another except that Nikolayeva I engages in some
chord-banging.

Fugue in C sharp minor - If any fugue of Opus 87 inhabits the architecture
and sound-world of Bach's WTC, the C sharp minor is the one for me.  This
is a contrapuntal masterpiece of great subtlety which encompasses the full
range of human thought.  The feature that most impacts me is the fugue's
high level of determination and inevitability.

I first listened to Scherbakov's reading of almost six minutes and found
it very rewarding.  Ashkenazy, a little over five minutes, was next and
sounded so much better that I went back to Scherbakov to figure out the
differences.  First, Scherbakov's rhythm is somewhat flabby compared
to Ashkenazy.  Second, there is little determination in Scherbakov's
performance; by contrast, Ashkenazy displays an invincibility of spirit
that is at full level and has largely been missing from the previous fugues
in his set.  Jarrett may be very determined but he's fast and superficial;
this is the least rewarding issue.  Nikolayeva I is at Scherbakov's level;
she displays slight inevitability and, to my ears, is too loud at times.
Nikolayeva II is excellent and only surpassed by Ashkenazy who possesses
all the subtlety, determination, and nuance that I could possibly want.

Prelude in B major - This prelude is thoroughly inside the world of a child
except for some serious reflection toward the conclusion which represents
a stark contrast with the prevailing playfulness and mischief in the music.
Jarrett is too smooth and superficial again; Scherbakov is an improvement,
but he telegraphs segments and sounds episodic.  Nikolayeva I is excellent
and wonderfully optimistic at the beginning, but her performance on
Hyperion is sharper, more strongly accented, and much more evocative of
a child's world.  Ashkenazy is just as effective with a faster tempo in
creating images of youth.  He and Nikolayeva II get inside the music.

Fugue in B major - This piece is very similar to the B major Prelude
in mood and tempo.  Where they differ considerably is that the child's
world of the prelude is replaced by a priority on propulsion in the fugue.
Ashkenazy is just as good here as in the prelude; his performance hits on
all cylinders, and I can't keep still when listening.  The only movement
I wanted to make when listening to Jarrett was to take him out of the
cd player.  I don't know how he is able to go so fast and yet display
no propulsion at all; maybe I should give him points for this feat.
Nikolayeva II is much slower than Jarrett but provides more momentum;
however, the reading is somewhat restrained.  I think she would have been
better off at a faster tempo.  Scherbakov's performance is similar to
Ashkenazy's but with less excitement.  Nikolayeva I takes a more serious
approach than the other artists; she adds much urgency and even traces
of anger.  I love what she does to this fugue and find it an excellent
alternative to Ashkenazy's interpretation.

Prelude in G sharp minor - For me, this is as good as music can get,
an absolutely riveting composition which is alternately brutal, hopeful,
tender, and triumphant.  The G sharp minor is an Andante of majestic
stature.  Scherbakov and Jarrett are the quickest in the three minute
range, Ashkenazy is about four minutes, and both Nikolayeva issues clock
in at a little over five minutes.  Scherbakov is darker than Jarrett, but
I prefer Jarrett for his greater tenderness and lyricism.  Ashkenazy's
brutal beginning provides the signs that his will be the 'lights out'
interpretation.  Hope is in short supply, but the bleakness of life rings
out with full force.  Nikolayeva I starts out in a brooding, not brutal
manner.  She tends to maintain a less than forceful delivery but does
display much tenderness and mystery.  Also, triumph is an important aspect
of her interpretation.  Overall, it's an excellent reading from start to
finish.  Nikolayeva's Hyperion performance is the one for me - it has
everything of value from the other issues plus phrasing and accenting to
die for.  The recorded sound is a perfect match, and the magic just keeps
flowing from Nikolayeva's fingers.  Every note in this musical feast is
sharply etched in my memory.

Fugue in G sharp minor - This is a thrilling four-voice fugue.
The propulsion is tremendous as is the amount of energy that seems to
instantaneously collect and discharge with a fury.  At the same time, there
is an irresistably delicate quality to the music which provides for great
contrast.  Another added attraction is the delicious winding down over the
last minute as the fugue goes out like a lamb.  Both Nikolayeva versions
are slower than the norm, but the Hyperion version seems much slower.
Nikolayeva I puts much more bite into the music and gives it a continuity
largely lacking with Nikolayeva II; the earlier issue also provides an
eerie atmosphere not present in the more recent performance.  Most unusual,
I find the Hyperion performance the least rewarding of the reviewed
versions.

Jarrett, Ashkenazy, and Scherbakov give fine and exciting performances
enhanced by their faster tempos.  Ultimately, I have to give the nod to
Nikolayeva I; although slower, she handles the quick-changing energy flows
superbly.

Half-Time Update:  Although I'm not surprised that I am finding
Nikolayeva II the most rewarding set, I am surprised that she is well
ahead of her earlier readings and light-years ahead of the other three.
Ashkenazy is starting to excel with greater frequency, and he has reached
Schebakov's level which isn't too shabby.  Jarrett has been on the bottom
from the opening notes of the set, and he's still occupying that position.
It appears likely that Mr.  Jarrett either does not identify intimately at
all with Shostakovich's sound-world or life experiences, or he just can't
let it out.  Even so, it's not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.

Red Alert!  CD 1 of the Nikolayeva/Hyperion set is showing significant
corrosion on both sides.  Amazingly, it's still playing note perfect, even
in the small portable player I have which has always detected problems
before my other cd players found them.

Don Satz
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