Steve Schwartz writes concerning the 24 Preludes, Op. 34:

>There's nothing wrong with these pieces, especially in small doses,
>but other than the composer's fecundity of ideas, there's also little
>that wows you.

I have to say that the Op. 34 Preludes wow me every time I listen
to them.  I find them amazing miniatures with so much to offer, and
the many versions I have on record display an astounding variety of
interpretation ranging from the lyrical approach, to the introspective,
to the brutal.  In addition to the Scherbakov on Naxos, other versions
come from Pizzaro on Collins, Deyanova on Nimbus, Stone on Olympia,
Viardo on Nonesuch, Malikova on Real Sound, Nikolayeva on Hyperion,
Schmidt on Cypres, "Elisso" on Live Classics, Marshev on Danacord,
Volkov on Brioso, and Clarke on Athene.  I'm sure there are more that
I can't recall at the moment, and I hope to someday do a comprehensive
review of all of them - hope springs eternal.

Don Satz
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