I've been into music since I was a very young kid.  My tastes always ran
predominantly towards rock with only the very occasional foray into jazz
or classical.  In the past year, however, I've gotten much more interested
in classical music.  I've always assumed that Beethoven and Mozart were my
favorite composers.  I've been very surprised to discover, then, that while
I do indeed love Beethoven and enjoy Mozart, Bach and Shostakovich actually
seem to be my two favorite composers.

I have several questions (I apologize in advance if netiquette says I
should have posted these in separate emails--I thought that posting three
questions at once was more efficient and less annoying) that I'm hoping the
assembled experts on the list will be able to help with.

I have the Borodin String Quartet's version of the Shostakovich string
quartet cycle and love it.  I recently found a great price on the Emerson
String Quartet's version, however, and was wondering if anyone has heard
it.  Is it worth picking up on sale as an addition to the Borodins?

I've been enjoying Don Satz's review of various versions of Bach's "Art
of the Fugue"--perhaps my single favorite piece of music--but he hasn't
mentioned Tatiana Nikolaeva's piano version.  I love her on Shostakovich's
"24 Preludes and Fugues." Is her Bach as accomplished as her Shostakovich?
(Obviously, it impressed Shostakovich himself.) The one criticism I've
heard of her is that she tends to be slow.  Her Shostakovich IS quite slow
compared to Keith Jarrett's version.  Is her "Art of the Fugue" also on the
slow side? And does that matter?

And speaking of Shostakovich's "24 Preludes," does anyone have an opinion
on Vladimir Ashkenazy's version? How about his Rachmaninoff 6 CD set (I saw
that on sale as well)?

Thanks for helping a newcomer into this unbelievably fascinating and
rewarding if sometime overwhelming new world.  Best,

Scott Peterson
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