Vladimir Ashkenazy may be in his early 60s, but if these Shostakovich Preludes and Fugues are any indication, his mind and fingers have been dipping in the fountain of youth. The faster Preludes are dispatched with assurance and pinpoint accuracy regarding phrase shape and balance, surpassing even Nikolaeva’s idiomatic readings. In turn, the more introspective fugues move at a pace that proves more judicious and convincingly sustained compared with Richter’s freeze-frame severity. Although the recording took place in several venues over a two and a half year period, there’s a remarkable constancy of sound, dramatic flow, and continuity that makes it tempting to take in all 24 preludes and fugues en masse. Ashkenazy doesn’t recommend that you do so, but his heartfelt playing deserves undivided attention. Beyond question, this is Ashkenazy’s finest piano recording in years.
