Charlemagne Palestine, Seppe Gebruers

Tip! In the depths of Geneva’s Fonderie Kugler red-lit-boudoir, stand four grand pianos surrounded by divinities. The two elder Erard brothers are tuned down a quarter tone lower than their neighbours, a twin pair of gleaming and valiant Yamaha’s. Charlemagne and Seppe both sit facing each other, managing the 428Hz tuning from the tip of their left hand, while the right hand controls the conventional 440Hz machine. This four-piano fantasy was born a few years ago, when these two gentlemen met around a carillon, and realised they had a common “passion for unusual tunings and the playing of multiple pianos”. This microtonal duo first premiered at the Bijloke in Ghent (2019), and has since remained slightly concealed until Konnekt provided the little spark to reignite this mystical-keyboard-beast. When the two pianists swap places, during a short moment of inhabited silence, we get a chance to taste what seems to lie beyond the notes. Perhaps the key to appreciating and sharing beauty is magicallyyy mysterioussss after all.