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New piano music film with an astronomical touch
Dutch astronomer (and former KNA-RNAS chair) Peter Barthel and Italian pianist Marco Rapetti have produced a new film featuring the Au Télescope piano suite by Polish-French composer and pianist Alexandre Tansman (1897–1986). In the film, Italian pianist Marco Rapetti delivers a stellar performance. The astronomical visuals were created by astronomer Peter Barthel (based in Groningen), who accompanied the music with fitting imagery from the cosmos.
*Au Télescope* is a six-part piano suite by Polish-French composer Alexandre Tansman (1897–1986). He composed the suite in 1951, drawing inspiration from various celestial bodies and constellations. The music includes, for instance, an almost military march for Mars, a waltz for Venus, and a parody of a bullfight inspired by the constellation Taurus.
"This music is rarely, if ever, heard and is seldom performed in concerts," says Rapetti. "Yet it is fascinating music to both play and listen to. At times, it is humorous and ironic—such as in the bullfight parody for the constellation Taurus and the quasi-military march for the planet Mars."
Rapetti is a faculty member at the Florence Conservatory and performs in Italy and abroad. He has recorded several CDs and holds a doctorate in music and musicology.
Barthel is also enthusiastic about the suite: "Tansman composed highly engaging and evocative pieces, including a charming waltz for the planet Venus and a fugue for the Great Bear and the Little Bear. The seven stars of these constellations form the musical theme." Barthel initiated this new music film. The combination of astronomy and music has long fascinated him. "In Au Télescope, those two worlds come together beautifully: Tansman’s music allows you to view the starry sky with fresh eyes, while the visuals truly bring the music to life."
The film is available on YouTube.
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