Hauschka at NPR: Random Gifts

Listening to a piece by Hauschka can be deceiving: What sounds like an ensemble of musicians and instruments is just one man, performing at one piano. His real name is Volker Bertelmann, and he hails from Dusseldorf, Germany, where he works with his "prepared piano." He wrests disruptive sounds from the instrument's 88 keys by outfitting the strings or mallets with objects such as ping-pong balls, aluminum foil and leather. His new album is titled Foreign Landscapes, and he recently visited NPR's studios to demonstrate his craft.

For more, visit NPR.ORG/MUSIC

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Hauschka
• Volker Bertelmann
• NPR
• Guy Raz
• NPR Music
• National Public Radio
• prepared piano
• All Things Considered
• ATC
• ASC
• Foreign Landscapes

[ScottKeefer1]

Eventually someone will come along and think 'that's not that cool or impressive' and he or she will give this video a thumbs-down (probably because they have hotdog fingers). After 5 or 6 of these people thumb-down the video, someone will comment about how 'we should cut (5 or) 6 people up and put them on that guys piano and see what noise they make'. That comment will be the highest scored.

[stevendomingue]

Can this guy please get together with RadioHead and do an acoustic album.

[TehGabe]

@ScottKeefer1 or someone else will post a lame comment with the sole intention to try and get thumbs ups. and that person will be both of us.

[TheFishWalking]

iamma buy me a piano...

[Splendliferous]

Have they miced up the piano with Rode NT2a's?

[DoctorJaguarChannel]

5 people should be cut up and put on this guy's piano to see what kind of noise they make.

[ernesto1985]

@violmaster94 No, what I'm saying is that it develops nothing. The materials are a little strange, but the form and the harmonies are completely old school, there is no "noise", this is really just a few strange sound arranged to be as listenable as possible, to be sold to as many people as possible, etc. Really, listen to John Cage's Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano... it's this kind of sounds but serving to a much more original outcome.

[violmaster94]

@ernesto1985 With music like this that 1. Doesn't make use of traditional instruments 2. Is improvised 3. Is made to serve a purpose; you can't expect all music to be enjoyable. The most sensational and artistic developments in music history have occurred when composers chose to articulate a idea or philosophy in their piece. Hauschka serves a dictum; to unveil a world of mystery where music is noise and not melody.

[hyfyv]

seashells + piano = harpsichord

[SardonicFox1994]

"What sounds like an ensemble of musicians and instruments"

actually it just sounds like a kid playing with trash cans

[ernesto1985]

The sounds are great but I found the music really normal, boring and formally obvious...

[midicenter]

EL legado de John Cage :)