What are the odds of hearing the entire cycle of Shostakovich’s Preludes and Fugues performed live in one evening? That is precisely what pianist Hannes Minnaar presented for his Hong Kong debut. Inspired by Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, Shostakovich employed a rich variety of fugal techniques and Baroque dance forms in this set, while infusing it with his unique harmonic language. Unlike Bach, however, he organised the cycle in the circle of fifths, echoing the structure of Chopin’s 24 Preludes, Op. 28.
© cemwi / HKU MUSE
From the very beginning, Minnaar explored and revealed the kaleidoscope of characters and emotions embedded within the set: simplicity bordering on naïveté, religiosity, playfulness, biting sarcasm, and profound despair. Throughout the cycle, there are constant shifts between light and shadow even within a single piece, often through unexpected modulations. These moments were given due emphasis, bringing out not only colouristic changes but also their emotional weight. For example, the unanticipated modulation to A-flat major in Prelude No. 4 in E minor provided a fleeting sense of calm amid desolation.
Minnaar’s refined dynamic range (he produced some of the finest pianissimo I’ve heard in a while) and tonal control were consistently impressive, taking the crystalline quality he brought to the right hand in Prelude No. 9 in E major as an example. Just a few pianistic details here, nevertheless – I personally would prefer a more detached right hand in Prelude No. 3 in G major for the marcato effect and a more defined articulation of the eighth notes in Prelude No. 4 in E minor. More discreet pedalling might have added contrapuntal clarity to the slower fugues as well.
The technically precipitous fugues (e.g. No. 12, 15, 24) were executed with steely precision and electrifying energy. Particularly memorable was Fugue No. 15 in D-flat major, a sardonic parody of serialism, with its irregular bar lengths and snarling dissonances in full display. Minnaar certainly brought the house down with this fugue – at least I had to resist the urge to leap to my feet and cheer immediately. The final fugue in D minor, clearly penned with Bach’s The Art of Fugue in mind, exhibited richly woven contrapuntal textures and orchestral sonorities towards the triumphal conclusion.
It’s evident that Minnaar approached the work not as a collection of 48 isolated pieces but as an organic entity, with logical connections both within and across pairs of preludes and fugues. For instance, Prelude No. 8 in F-sharp minor can come across as an inconsequential satire, but there’s something disturbing and aching beneath its whimsical outlook, especially when paired with the subsequent fugue, essentially an extended sigh. Similarly, he created a literal shock in Prelude No. 14 in E-flat minor with its ominous tremolo, shattering the serenity of the preceding fugue. The final fugue in D minor had a tightly controlled buildup of tension before the subject made its climactic proclamation, propelling the music to a glowing, divinely glorious conclusion of this monumental cycle.
After rounds of rapturous applause from the audience, Minnaar offered a touching encore: Bach’s Prelude No. 1 in C major from The Well-Tempered Clavier. It was a befitting tribute – the sense of return is reminiscent of the reprise of the Aria in Bach’s Goldberg Variations.
© cemwi / HKU MUSE
Such a programme is surely as physically and mentally taxing for the performer as it is for the audience. What’s perhaps more impressive than Minnaar’s pianism was the extraordinary focus and concentration throughout the two-plus hours. To perform the entire cycle of Preludes and Fugues with such exceptional musicianship is absolutely a tour de force. When Minnaar returns to Hong Kong one day, I will certainly be there.
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