Kai Schumacher – Metamorphoses

‘Metamorphoses’ does not tell of sudden transformations, but of changes that take place slowly and almost imperceptibly – in timbres, structures and in the way people hear.

At the heart of the programme lies Philip Glass’s iconic cycle ‘Metamorphosis’, which, from a beguiling simplicity, unfolds an intense pull. Melodic patterns, subtle polyrhythms and trance-like arpeggios create a state of limbo between inner calm and driven restlessness. From there, the instrument itself begins to transform: prepared strings and electronic textures expand the sound of the grand piano.

The journey leads through the ghostly landscapes of Anna Thorvaldsdóttir, into the nervous flickering of a night-time underground station in Brooklyn with Christopher Cerrone, and on to the open musical systems of Terry Riley and Steve Reich, whose hypnotic, repetitive patterns already offer a glimpse of what would later be further developed in electronic club culture.

Kai Schumacher also carries this aesthetic forward in his own pieces. Rhythms circle around one another, shift against one another, merge and collapse in on themselves, until perception begins to tip between frenzied activity and seemingly motionless soundscapes. The immersive fulldome visualisations pick up on the changes in sound and rhythm, allowing them to be experienced visually as well.

About Kai Schumacher

Kai Schumacher is a pianist and composer whose work spans minimal music, contemporary American piano music, pop and electronic music. Since 2009, he has released albums featuring works by John Cage, Steve Reich and George Crumb, amongst others, as well as his own compositions. His concert engagements have taken him to stages across Europe, Asia, and North and South America. Since 2015, he has been teaching piano as a principal subject at the Folkwang University of the Arts.