Very Rapid Prelude

The opening of the very rapid Prelude (Allegro, completed February 15, 1951) sounds like a mechanical etude due to the rapid motion in the right hand, coupled with the left hand's accompaniment pattern that regularly alternates between tonic and dominant. However, as the piece progresses, the impression constantly changes: the accompaniment becomes harmonically more vibrant, a festive mood is heightened by clear staccatos, or conversely, sections are cast in shadow as the overall range of the music shifts significantly towards the lower register.

Energetic Fugue

The theme of the energetic Fugue (3 voices, Allegro non troppo, completed February 16, 1951) resembles a brass fanfare. In contrast, the counter-subject that appears is fragmentary, serving to add contrast and definition to the piece's texture. According to Nikolaeva, the work's first performer, the theme of this piece inherits the fanfare-like theme from Borodin's Symphony No. 1.