An enthusiastic audience in the Muziekcentrum, Enschede turned out to hear the young Dutch American pianist, Shane van Neerden perform a programme of Debussy, Scriabin, Ives and a new commission for two pianos from Dutch composer – Rick van Veldhuizen as part of the Dutch Classical Talent programme currently touring the Netherlands.
The programme
However, in what van Veldhuizen himself described as the most daring recital programme I’ve ever encountered, van Neerden’s theatrical offering pushed the very boundaries of a piano recital.
From the outset, this felt like a sensory onslaught. Challenging intonation, a tonal landscape shifting in and out of an accepted comfort zone, and an array of sometimes brutal textures, all accompanied by evocative visual effects and bold, close-up images of the body created by video artist Frouke ten Velden, meant that this was not a recital for the faint-hearted. The audience in Enschede seemed unperturbed, rewarding the young pianist with a well-earned and very warm standing-ovation in appreciation of the enormity of his achievement.
The new commission
This was a fearless young pianist. His flawless technique and staggering dexterity allowed the expression of emotions other pianists rarely tread. In a programme which included ‘so many notes,’ one could be forgiven for the momentary lapse of concentration or loss of line. But that was not the case today. Even in the most violent and percussive moments in both the Ives and the van Veldhuizen – of which there were many – van Neerden’s unfaltering narrative navigated a journey traversing distant lights and distant stars, eventually finding solace in the comforting blanket of American folk harmonies. Quite a journey!
Pour Les Octaves from Debussy’s 12 Etudes brought the recital to a conclusion. Impressionist colours provided not only a sense of relief from the tonal torment, but hinted at a more lyrical style of playing to come.
Reviewed at the Muziekcentrum, Enschede Thursday 11th January, 2024
Just intonation
Click on the link to learn more about the highly mathematical concept of just intonation and microtonal compositions
Just intonation describes a particular practice of playing “in tune” – namely, of tuning musical intervals as small number frequency ratios to evoke a distinctive periodic resonance … This highlights unisons between partials by slowing down or eliminating the sensation of beating and, thereby, focusses the interval’s characteristic sonority.
Fundamental Principles of Just Intonation and Microtonal Composition
Thomas Nicholson and Marc Sabat
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