Piano Miniatures of Different Years
Volume 109
2018
Scherzo Op. 1a, Eight Preludes Op. 2, Theme and Variations Op. 3a, Three Fantastic Dances Op. 5, Aphorisms Op. 13, A Child’s Exercise Book Op. 69, Three Fugues Sans Op., Murzilka Sans Op., Pieces from 1918-1920
Edited by Victor Ekimovsky. Explanatory Article by Larisa Gerver and Anton Lukyanov.
Opuses:
Scherzo. Op. 1
1919 yearOp. 1
Theme with Variations
1921-1922 yearOp. 3
Three Fantastic Dances for Piano
1920-1922 yearOp. 5
Piano Pieces from 1918-1920
1918-1920 yearOp. SO
8 Preludes for Piano
1919-1920 yearOp. 2
“Aphorisms” for Piano
1927 yearOp. 13
“A Child’s Exercise Book” for Piano
1944-1945 yearOp. 69
Three Fugues For Piano
1934 yearOp. SO
“Murzilka” for Piano
1944-1945 yearOp. SO
Dances of the Dolls. Piano Pieces for Children
1952 yearOp. SO
Variations on Glinka’s Theme for Piano
1957 yearOp. SO

Scherzo, Op. 1a
This composition is the author’s piano version of Scherzo, Op. 1, for symphony orchestra. This first edition is based on the author’s manuscript kept at RSALA, rec. gr. 2048, inv. 2, f. 2. There is also a second author’s manuscript, in draft and incomplete form (the page with bars 95-107 has been lost) in Dmitri Shostakovich’s Archive, rec. gr. 1, section 1, f. 264-2. There are no articulation marks, tempo or dynamic signs, with rare exception, in either author’s manuscript. The notation also has inaccuracies and cuts. The first author’s manuscript (A) edited by the present editor according to the score published in 1984—D. Shostakovich, New Collected Works, in 42 vols., Vol. 10, Muzyka Publishers, Moscow (S) has been chosen for this edition. The most significant discrepancies between the piano score and the full score are specified in the Bar-by-Bar Comments.
Eight Preludes, Op. 2
This publication is based on the author’s manuscripts kept in the following archives:
Prelude 1—Dmitri Shostakovich’s Archive, rec. gr. 1, section 1, f. 238 (A1) and rec. gr. 1, section 1, f. 158 (A2);
Preludes 2-4—Dmitri Shostakovich’s Archive, rec. gr. 1, section 1, f. 238 (A);
Preludes 5-6—Dmitri Shostakovich’s Archive, rec.gr. 1, section1, f. 238 (A1) and RSALA, rec. gr. 2048,
inv. 2, f. 14 (A2);
Prelude 7—Dmitri Shostakovich’s Archive, rec. gr. 1, section 1, f. 159 (A).
Prelude 8—family archive of Olga Belova, Nina Kokoulina’s great-granddaughter, St. Petersburg, sheets 1-2 (A). The facsimile of the manuscript is reproduced in: Dmitri Shostakovich: Studies and Documents, Issue 4, DSCH, Moscow, 2012, p. 52 (in Russian).
The author’s manuscripts of Preludes 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 are collated with the 1983 edition—D. Shostakovich, Collected Works, in 42 vols., Vol. 39, Muzyka Publishers, Moscow, where they are published under the name Five Preludes, in Nikolay Kopchevsky’s rendition (E). Preludes 1, 4, 8 are being published for the first time.
Theme and Variations, Op. 3a
This composition is the author’s piano version of Theme and Variations, Op. 3, for symphony orchestra. This first edition is based on the author’s manuscript of the piano score kept at RSALA—rec. gr. 2048, inv. 2, f. 3 (A). There are no articulation marks, tempo or dynamic signs, with rare exception, in the author’s manuscript. There are also inaccuracies in the notation. This edition is based on the author’s manuscript, edited by the present editor according to the score published in 1984—D. Shostakovich, New Collected Works, in 42 vols., Vol. 10, Muzyka Publishers, Moscow (S). The most significant discrepancies between the piano score and the full score are specified in the Bar-by-Bar Comments.
Three Fantastic Dances, Op. 5
This publication is based on the 1983 edition—D. Shostakovich, Collected Works, in 42 vols., Vol. 39, Muzyka Publishers, Moscow (E), collated with the author’s manuscript kept at RSALA, rec. gr. 653, inv. 1, f. 2260 (A1). If necessary, the second author’s manuscript (an earlier one), kept in St. Petersburg at the Manuscript Office of the Institute of Art History, rec. gr. 28, inv. 3, f. 1230 (A2) is taken into account.
Aphorisms, Op. 13
This publication is based on the 1983 edition—D. Shostakovich, Collected Works, in 42 vols., Vol. 39, Muzyka Publishers, Moscow (E), collated with the author’s manuscript kept at RNMM, rec. gr. 146, Boris Yavorsky, f. 241 (A).
A Child’s Exercise Book, Op. 69
This publication is based on the 1983 edition—D. Shostakovich, Collected Works, in 42 vols., Vol. 39, Muzyka Publishers, Moscow(E), collated with two author’s manuscripts—one kept at RSALA, rec.gr. 2048, inv. 2, f. 18 called “Six Pieces for Beginners” (A1) and the other at RNMM, rec. gr. 32, f. 78 called ‘A Child’s Exercise Book’ (A2). The same file in RNMM contains a draft and fair author’s manuscript of item No. 7—‘The Birthday’ (A3). The items are in a different sequence in the author’s manuscripts: in A1, No. 3 is ‘Sad Tale’ and No. 5 is ‘The Bear’, while in A2, they are the other way round. This publication follows A2 and the 1983 edition (E).
In A2 and E, the fingering is given in the first five items. This publication follows A1, where there is no fingering.
Three Fugues, Sans Op. (1934)
This first edition is based on the author’s manuscript kept at RSALA, rec. gr. 2048, inv. 2, f. 116. There are no tempo signs, dynamics or phrasing in the author’s manuscript; there are also inaccuracies in the notation. The present editor has edited the author’s manuscript for this edition.
Murzilka, Sans Op.
This publication is based on the first 1983 edition—D. Shostakovich, Collected Works, in 42 vols., Vol. 39, Muzyka Publishers, Moscow (E), collated with the author’s manuscript kept at RSALA, rec. gr. 2048, inv. 2, f. 21 (A).
Pieces from 1918-1920
Funeral March in Memory of the Victims of the Revolution (1918)
This first edition is based on the author’s manuscript kept in the family archive of Olga Belova, Nina Kokoulina’s great-granddaughter, St. Petersburg, sheet 2rev. (A). The facsimile of the manuscript is reproduced in: Dmitri Shostakovich: Studies and Documents, Issue 4, DSCH, Moscow, 2012, p. 54 (in Russian).
Nostalgia (1918)
This first edition is based on the author’s manuscripts kept in Dmitri Shostakovich’s Archive—rec.gr. 1, section 1, f. 271 (A1) and rec. gr. 1, section 1, f. 264-1 (A2). The second author’s manuscript is almost identical to the first, but incomplete—without the last four bars and has a different name—‘Melancholia’.
Both author’s manuscripts have a draft appearance: they are written carelessly, do not comply with the rules of music graphics, and have note, articulation and dynamic slips and inaccuracies; some fragments are illegible.
The first author’s manuscript has been chosen for this edition, which has been edited by the present editor.
[Piece in C major] (1919)
This first edition is based on the author’s manuscript kept in Dmitri Shostakovich’s Archive—rec. gr. 1, section 1, f. 264-1 (A).
The author’s manuscript has a draft appearance: it is written carelessly, does not comply with the rules of music graphics, and has note, articulation and dynamic slips and inaccuracies; some fragments are illegible.
The present editor has edited the author’s manuscript for this edition.
Prelude-March (1919)
This first edition is based on the author’s manuscript kept in Dmitri Shostakovich’s Archive—rec. gr. 1, section 1, f. 264-1 (A).
The author’s manuscript has a draft appearance: it is written carelessly, does not comply with the rules of music graphics, and has note, articulation and dynamic slips and inaccuracies; some fragments are illegible.
The present editor has edited the author’s manuscript for this edition.
In the Forest (1919)
The author’s manuscript has a draft appearance: it is written carelessly, does not comply with the rules of music graphics, and has note, articulation and dynamic slips and inaccuracies; some fragments are illegible.
The present editor has edited the author’s manuscript for this edition.
Bagatelle (1919)
This first edition is based on the author’s manuscript kept in Dmitri Shostakovich’s Archive —rec. gr. 1, section 1, f. 270 (A).
The author’s manuscript has a draft appearance: it is written carelessly, does not comply with the rules of music graphics, and has note, articulation and dynamic slips and inaccuracies; some fragments are illegible.
The present editor has edited the author’s manuscript for this edition.
Three Pieces (1919-1920)
Minuet. Prelude. Intermezzo
This publication is based on the 1983 edition—D. Shostakovich, Collected Works, in 42 vols., Vol. 39, Muzyka Publishers, Moscow (E), collated with the hand-written copy (HWC) kept at RNMM, rec. gr. 32, f. 44.
APPENDIX I
Variations on Glinka’s Theme
Collective Cycle Based on the Theme of Vanya’s Song from the Opera Ivan Susanin
A collective work in which the following eight Soviet composers participated: Eugen Kapp, Vissarion Shebalin, Andrei Eshpay, Rodion Shchedrin, Georgy Sviridov, Yuri Levitin, Dmitri Kabalevsky and Dmitri Shostakovich.
This publication is based on the first edition—Sovetskaya muzyka magazine, No. 2, 1957, Music Appendix. Dmitri Shostakovich wrote Variations VIII, IX and XI (Finale).
The author’s manuscripts are kept in Dmitri Shostakovich’s Archive: Nos. 8, 9—rec. gr. 1, section 1, f. 162, No. 11—rec. gr. 1, section 1, f. 161.
APPENDIX II
Dances of the Dolls
Seven Pieces
This publication is based on the first edition of 1952 (State Musical Publishing House) under the heading Selected Fragments from Works by Soviet Composers. The author did not compile the suite, but the composition with this name has become a regular part of the Russian and world piano repertoire.