As a fervent lover of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, Dmitri Shostakovich had a deep understanding of counterpoint and exceptional skill in this area. After visiting Leipzig to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Bach's death, Shostakovich began his extensive cycle of work, the 24 Preludes and Fugues for piano, as a tribute to his great predecessor.

Although these works were initially ignored and undervalued, both in the Soviet Union and in the West, they gradually established themselves in the concert repertoire.

The preludes and fugues, in two volumes of twelve pieces each, are presented here.