Is it another piano, or what else? Rick van Veldhuizen spent months tuning to make “Lanterns (lointaines)” heard in a perfectly just (in other words ‘pure’) tuning.
Van Veldhuizen draws on historical tunings such as those of Christiaan Huygens, as well as recent developments in intonation research, to create a futuristic piano where no note is the same. Thus, harmonics become audible that are more reminiscent of bells, violins or flutes from a simple buffet piano. With the central question: can an instrument transcend its physicality? Just as Huygens developed not only tunings but also clocks and compasses, this work asks us to look beyond musical boundaries. Toward perception of time, toward the “essence” of what makes a piano a piano.
The young virtuoso Shane van Neerden is touring the country for Dutch Classical Talent with a daring program, where Van Veldhuizen’s piece will cause a mind-boggle alongside Ives, Skrjabin and Debussy.
Composers in the crosshairs of our attention