From the ongoing collaboration between New Sounds and the Ojai Music Festival, pianist Conor Hanick plays and discusses the overlooked masterpiece and “singular musical journey” (Schaefer), The Book of Sounds, by the late German pianist, composer, and broadcaster, Hans Otte.
Conor Hanick tells John that when first he heard Otte’s piece, “A door had been unlocked. And what I understood the piano to be capable of, on a…very direct, emotional, communicative level.” He goes on further, ”one of the things that I admire about the piece is the unabashed in the way it explores beauty and creativity…It was the piece I needed in my life.” Hanick reflects on how to prepare for the piece, head-space wise, and talks about how the brain works with repetition, and the mind opens to other things. A Yamaha Artist, Hanick is on the piano faculty at The Mannes School of Music at The New School’s College of Performing Arts.
The conversation flowed around how Hans Otte had a Zen-like approach to music and there was Eastern philosophy – specifically Buddhism – behind the piece. Listen to many parts of Hans Otte’s profound 12-part The Book of Sounds, where for Hanick, “There’s not a note or rhythm out of place in the entire cycle.”
This is Part 3 of a four-part series for 2022. The performances and interview were recorded at the 2022 Ojai Music Festival. -Caryn Havlik
Watch the entire concert:
Program #4670, Ojai on the Air 2022, Part 3 (First aired 10/05/2022)
ARTIST: Member of AMOC: Conor Hanick piano
WORK: Hans Otte: Book of Sounds [1:00]
RECORDING: Live from Ojai, 2022
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: ojaifestival.org | runningamoc.org | conorhanick.com
ARTIST: Member of AMOC: Conor Hanick piano
WORK: Hans Otte: Book of Sounds, Part 1 [6:27]
RECORDING: Live from Ojai, 2022
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: ojaifestival.org | runningamoc.org | conorhanick.com
ARTIST: Member of AMOC: Conor Hanick piano
WORK: Hans Otte: Book of Sounds, Part 2 [8:58]
RECORDING: Live from Ojai, 2022
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: ojaifestival.org | runningamoc.org | conorhanick.com
ARTIST: Member of AMOC: Conor Hanick piano
WORK: Hans Otte: Book of Sounds [1:08]
RECORDING: Live from Ojai, 2022
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: ojaifestival.org | runningamoc.org | conorhanick.com
ARTIST: Member of AMOC: Conor Hanick piano
WORK: Hans Otte: Book of Sounds, Part 6 [6:33]
RECORDING: Live from Ojai, 2022
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: ojaifestival.org | runningamoc.org | conorhanick.com
ARTIST: Member of AMOC: Conor Hanick piano
WORK: Hans Otte: Book of Sounds [1:15]
RECORDING: Live from Ojai, 2022
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: ojaifestival.org | runningamoc.org | conorhanick.com
ARTIST: Member of AMOC: Conor Hanick piano
WORK: Hans Otte: Book of Sounds, Part 10 [9:32]
RECORDING: Live from Ojai, 2022
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: ojaifestival.org | runningamoc.org | conorhanick.com
ARTIST: Member of AMOC: Conor Hanick piano
WORK: Hans Otte: Book of Sounds, Part 12 [5:38]
RECORDING: Live from Ojai, 2022
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: ojaifestival.org | runningamoc.org | conorhanick.com
