Sat, 26 Aug
|St Mary's Cathedral
Festival Lunchtime Recital - Joana Gama
A free lunchtime recital series running throughout August at St Mary's. Today's is given by pianist Joana Gama. Sponsored by Fundação GDA.
Time & Location
26 Aug 2023, 13:00 – 13:45
St Mary's Cathedral , Palmerston Pl, Edinburgh EH12 5AW, UK
About
Free lunchtime recitals every day from 2nd to 31st August, except Sundays and 16th. An opportunity to hear emerging and established artists performing in a wide variety of styles, genres, and instruments. This long-running series is undoubtedly one of the hidden gems of the Fringe.
Joana Gama | Piano
Das Buch der Klänge (The Book of Sounds) Hans Otte (1926-2007)
Sponsored by Fundação GDA.
Written between 1979 and 1982, The Book of Sounds (Das Buch der Klänge) is Hans Otte's masterpiece and a moment of rare luminosity in the artistic creation of the 20th century. Almost four decades after its premiere, this composition for solo piano remains hidden from the general public, like a treasure that needs to be shared from hand to hand in a chain of appreciation. The discovery marvels new audiences, opening doors for a fruition that also reveals much of our own conquests.
The Book of Sounds is, therefore, a lesson the size of life: in repetition, it unveils an invitation to introspection; in minimalism, it shows the simplicity of artistic forms; in restraint, it hands us over to humility, in sound, it explains the minutia of details, in the richness of harmonies, it accompanies us on a walk through nature. At a time when the world presents us with obstacles and many uncertainties, this work inevitably resonates stronger, touching us in a singular and emotional way, demonstrating how its qualities expand and show themselves at the precise moment when we need them. Pedro Santos, Culturgest
Joana Gama is a Portuguese concert pianist who is also involved in collaborations with the performing arts. In 2016, she marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of Erik Satie with the European tour "SATIE.150 - A Celebration in the Shape of an Umbrella." She has played Erik Satie's "Vexations" on four occasions, in performances lasting forty minutes, fifteen hours, fourteen hours, and seven hours, respectively (non-stop). In 2018, she played John Cage's 4'33'' in the National Pantheon in Lisbon; in 2019, she played Federico Mompou's "Musica Callada" in the Grand Auditorium of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation; and, in 2020, she premiered in Portugal the piano cycle "The Book of Sounds" by Hans Otte. She also plays a red toy piano in performances for younger audiences. Website: www.joanagama.com