Help for Shostakovich Fugue no.1 in C

[schuberkovich]

Hello I am a basically a beginner pianist (but advanced in cello) and was wondering if someone could help me. I have always loved the simplicity of this particular fugue, and thought I could play it as it does not seem that difficult. However the actual syntax in this sheet music is really confusing - could someone explain what the diagonal lines across the right and left hand parts. Attached is the music

Thanks¬!

[bubffm]

The lines show where the Theme is moving as is crossng between the right and left hand. Not sure this is a piece for a beginner though as it poses quite a few challenges.

[schuberkovich]

Oh right thank you!

I understand about the challenges - I just like the idea of working on it. I can play a lot of the bits fine, so hopefully for me it will be a fun project.

So just to clarify, I play with the RH everything on the RH stave, and with the LH everything on the LH stave, and the direction of the note stems(?) isn't really very important and just signifies the different lines, and the diagonal lines are just their for help?

[j_menz]

So just to clarify, I play with the RH everything on the RH stave, and with the LH everything on the LH stave,

That isn't a hard and fast rule, though in this case it will work that way.

and the direction of the note stems(?) isn't really very important and just signifies the different lines,

There are conventions about it to do with ease of reading, but the stem direction has no meaning at all. It does not identify voices/lines.

and the diagonal lines are just their for help?

Yep.