Prelude & Fugue in B flat major - The Prelude is a study in running
semiquavers, 'moto perpetuo', accompanied by a bouncing bass.  The Fugue
is a syncopated and quirky dance dripping with irony.  I think of this
series as depicting 'humans out of control'.  In the Prelude, the bass
is walking/running away from the semiquavers which keep pestering and
intruding.  In the Fugue, everyone is scattered and hyper with no idea
what they're doing.

This is a great series for Ashkenazy and Nikolayeva I.  Both convey
excellent projection, expressiveness, and detail in the Prelude;
Ashkenazy's semiquavers are particularly pesty and enveloping.  For the
Fugue, Ashkenazy is fast and whips up a perpetual frenzy; Nikolayeva is
so detailed and nuanced, wonderfully highlighting the irony in the music.

Nikolayeva II is as fine as her counterpart in the Fugue, but her Prelude
is a little soft-grained.  Neither Scherbakov nor Jarrett impacts me; their
semiquavers exhibit little expression, and their fugues are
one-dimensional.

Prelude & Fugue in G minor - This series belongs to the Nikolayeva twins.
The two readings each last about eight minutes, while the other three are
each in the five minute range.  What the Nikolayeva versions do with those
three additional minutes makes all the difference; detail, depth, emotional
breadth, and atmosphere are all greatly heightened.  As an example, the
best that any of the other three prelude versions can do is punch the
walking bass and give the piece immediate and consistent tension; Ashkenazy
even does little of this.  The Nikolayeva versions savor the music and
build up tension and contrast with a wide degree of mood painting.  Given
that Nikolayeva is considered the 'benchmark' performer for Opus 87, I'm
surprised that neither Ashkenazy, Scherbakov, nor Jarrett paid any
attention to the Nikolayeva tempos in terms of its advantages.

Prelude & Fugue in F major - The Nikolayeva versions also own this series
as well.  Their preludes are much slower than the other three.  I find
serenity to be the emotional foundation of the prelude, and the slower
tempos are advantageous.  Also, the Nikolayeva endings to the prelude
are perfectly formed and so lovingly conveyed.  A generally delicate and
youthful propulsion carries the Fugue.  It's amazing how much greater the
propulsion is from both Nikolayeva versions than even Jarrett who is the
fastest of the group.  Speaking of propulsion, Scherbakov exhibits very
little; he sounds like a guy over the hill.  Overall, Nikolayeva shows a
natural and deep connection with the music that the other artists would
appropriately envy.

Prelude & Fugue in D minor - What a way to make an exit!  Just about
every emotion conveyed by Shostakovich in the previous pieces comes to
center-stage in the D minor series.  The Prelude aternatates between
tenderness and a powerful austerity; its coda essentially becomes the
primary theme of the Fugue which heats up tremendously about half way
through the work and ends in triumph.  For me, the D minor series traverses
the history of the Soviet Union, and the concluding and defiant triumph
leaves one with the issue of who or what has been triumphant.

There's no contest among the five versions; the Nikolayeva performances are
inspirational and authoritative.  The other three have their virtues but do
not display a consistent identification with the emotional themes.

Conclusions:  Tatiana Nikolayeva is the performing artist most associated
with Opus 87; she was even rehearsed by Shostakovich prior to the first
public performance.  Listening to the different sets, it's easy to
understand the recognition.  Nikolayeva brings Shostakovich to the
listener; the others are only successful in doing this now and then.
Jarrett is the lowest in this area as he often seems to be clueless that
he's playing the music of a Russian composer.

Which Nikolayeva set is the best? Although I do rate the Hyperion set
higher than the Melodiya, I wouldn't allow myself to be without either.
The interpretations are not uniformly similar, and the sound engineering
is quite different.  The Hyperion sound is stark, while the Melodiya sound
is dry and clinical.  This often creates contrasting atmospheres of sound.
In the Melodiya issue, Nikolayeva is more primitive and even brutal.  On
Hyperion, she is more cosmopolitan.  If owning one version is your
preference, change the goal to two and buy both Nikolayeva sets.

The other three sets do have much to offer.  Even Jarrett finds himself in
Russia occasionally; actually, he outshines the other four versions in a
few preludes and fugues.  If cost is not much of a problem and you really
love these works, pick up all five sets.

Don Satz