A composer often overlooked for his connection to the Soviet regime, Dmitri Kabalevsky’s many official positions within the Party didn’t stop him from being accused of “formalism” by Andrei Jdanov, just as Aram Khachaturian, Gavriil Popov, Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Chostakovitch, Nikolai Miaskovski and Vissarion Chebaline were also accused. He was one of the few composers to strictly adhere to the official cultural policy guidelines after this.
Kabalevsky was a renowned teacher and produced an abundance of works in his life, covering a range of genres. Preludes, Op. 38, composed in 1943-44, is a set of twenty-four pieces that draw on the model of Frédéric Chopin’s Préludes, each of them based on popular melody and each following a cycle of fifths, as many other composers also chose to do before him.
Pianist Michael Korstick captures the distinct style of each of these short, pedagogical pieces and showcases their virtuosity, insolence, and humour, conveying the mysterious poetry of the music in a wide range of tones and playing styles. The 24 Preludes are rounded off with 6 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 61 and two earlier Preludes that were not included in the complete cycle. A wonderful discovery. © François Hudry/Qobuz