Canellakis, Minnaar, Shostakovich and De Graaff

Following her inaugural concert in 2019, Karina Canellakis is once again conducting Shostakovich at the Matinee. The Tenth will now be followed by his poignant Eighth Symphony.

Shostakovich's tragic Eighth
On Oct. 12, 2019, Karina Canellakis' much-discussed inaugural concert ended with a stunning performance of Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony. Today, she returns to the Russian composer with her favorite: the Eighth Symphony. This second "war symphony," written in 1943, has been called Shostakovich's most tragic work. Those in power therefore deemed the work completely unsuitable for Soviet propaganda. The symphony went into banishment shortly after its premiere until 1956.

Hannes Minnaar plays piano and luthéal
The Dutch composer who, when it comes to grand gestures and finesse, can rival Shostakovich is Jan-Peter de Graaff. Le café de nuit, a previous Saturday Matinee commission, already demonstrated his "remarkable command of the orchestral palette," according to the Parool. Again commissioned, this time he answered Hannes Minnaar's interest in the luthéal, an extension of the grand piano from the early twentieth century on which the timbre can be changed with different registers. A beautiful renewed acquaintance with this special instrument.