Royal Conservatoire
Hindemith Reconstructed — Reshaping a masterpiece for the modern stage
This classical performance fuses tradition and innovation, making an 80-year-old sonata relevant again to contemporary audiences.
— CHALLENGE
Reawakening A Classical Music Treasure
Sanne Bakker, a master's student at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, confronted the challenge of harmonizing music with visual elements in her study. Focusing on Paul Hindemith’s ‘Sonata für Harfe,’ a composition rich in narrative and structural complexity, Sanne sought to explore beyond conventional boundaries. Her primary challenge was to interpret the sonata’s intricate narrative—enriched by Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty’s poem in its third movement—through lighting design. This approach aimed to elevate the lighting from a mere accompaniment to a central narrative force, adding a new dimension to the musical experience.
— SOLUTION
Bridging Classical Music and Modern-Art
The goal was to transform Hindemith's sonata into a audiovisual experience that goes beyond traditional performance. Together with Sanne we envisaged a performance where light and music interplay to tell a story, making the piece more accessible and engaging to contemporary audiences. Our role was to collaborate closely with Sanne in conceptualizing and executing this vision. We focused on designing an immersive environment where light and sound were intertwined, each enhancing and echoing the other’s narrative elements. By employing innovative lighting techniques and synchronization with the music's rhythms and themes, we aimed to create a multi-sensory experience that deepened audience engagement with the classical piece.
Narrative Mapping:
We began by dissecting the sonata’s narrative structure and its integration with Hölty’s poem. This analysis helped in identifying the emotional and thematic peaks that would guide our visual design. Understanding the narrative structure enabled us to craft a visual language that mirrored that reflected the sonata's emotional journey.
Location-Based Scenography:
Our scenographic approach was tailored to the unique setting of Het Langhuis Zwolle. The final design featured minimalist yet impactful lighting, utilizing the building's 600-year-old wooden girders as a framework. Symbolic elements in the scenography deepened the audience's connection, brought together through the collaborative efforts of the interdisciplinary team.
Interactive Music and Visuals:
The lighting design was timed to synchronize with the musical performance, ensuring a cohesive narrative experience. Light patterns and colors were crafted to align with the sonata’s emotional arc. Our approach also included the use of real-time interactive elements such audio reactivity to enhance the visual impact and cohesion with the music.
“Hindemith Reconstructed culminated in a series of performances at Het Langhuis in Zwolle, where audiences experienced a blend of classical music and immersive storytelling.”
Project: Hindemith Reconstructed
Client: Royal Conservatoire the Hague
Commissioned by Sanne Bakker
Special thanks to Het Langhuis Zwolle
- This project was realised while part of Studio Smink -