Shostakovich's 24 Preludes & Fugues

I love Preludes & Fugues. Very few composers wrote them, the most famous of all being Johann Sebastian as part of his Das wohltemperierte Klavier. I have been listening to 24 preludes & fugues written by another composer: Dmitri Shostakovich. They were inspired by Tatiana Nikolayeva, who also recorded them. Few pianists do, and I cannot understand why since they are fascinating works in their own right, and highly memorable. I listened to them this week in a recording by Alexander Melnikov, and this is really first-rate. Melnikov romanticises the works, and Rachmaninov often springs to mind. Quite why I love preludes & fugues I do not understand: maybe a psychologist could shed some light. Meanwhile: back to the 24 and the 48!