L'une des œuvres majeures de Charlemagne Palestine : une pièce spectaculaire de plus de 140 minutes basée sur un instrument unique, un double piano dont un clavier est joué avec les pieds.
« Several years ago Martin Kaufmann of Kaufmann Pianos in Brussels told me he had seen and heard an amazing and unique instrument in Italy A piano with 2 separate bodies!
One with a normal grand piano body having 88 notes to be played with the fingers, and below this piano was a second piano also with a grand piano body which could play simultaneously the lower 37 notes of a grand piano with pedals for the feet.
Having known my music for years and that i had been a carilloneur where one plays with both fists and feet simultaneously Martin Kaufmann thought that the Borgato would be perfect for my music The inventor of this unique instrument was Luigi Borgato from Padua who developed this instrument with his wife Paola.
I was intriqued and through an intermediary, the Italian pianist Roberto Posseda visited the Borgatos in Lonigo where they have their workshop and found that their instrument was perfect for my body and my music We immediately decided to organise recording sessions in a local church for one week and “From Etudes to Cataclysms” is the result! »
Charlemagne Palestine
Depuis les années 1970, l'artiste multi-média, compositeur-interprète, soliste et vocaliste Charlemagne Palestine (né Charles Martin en 1947 à Brooklyn, New York) propose des créations intenses et ritualistes, allant à l'encontre des préconceptions sur la beauté et le sens supposés de la musique. Bien que ses premiers travaux aient été des compositions pour carillon et drones électroniques, il est surtout reconnu aujourd'hui pour ses œuvres au piano. Les performances de Charlemagne Palestine sont fortement ritualisées : entouré d'animaux empaillés, il fume un grand nombre de kretek (cigarettes indonésiennes aux clous de girofle) et boit du cognac.
