KLAVIERKLANG

KLAVIERKLANG, a cinematic tone poem, follows a young girl in post-war Germany who grows up loving the piano. She takes piano lessons—but instead of freeing the girl to play, the lessons make her frightened of making mistakes. The girl’s ears shut down, making music an uninspiring chore.

Later as a young woman, she travels to central British Columbia, to a ghost town and an abandoned house. There she spots a piano—perfectly ruined, a piano on which no note could be a mistake. She learns to listen again—and the girl and her music are free.

That girl went on to become celebrated soundscape composer / activist Hildegard Westerkamp. In this experimental music video, she joins forces with performer Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa, a renowned pianist who also performs Klavierklang’s text. Together, they explore the liminal space between music and sound.

In a celebration of the piano as an extraordinary instrument, Iwaasa plays both its keys and plucks its strings, as if exploring a sound sculpture. Her non-linear spoken narrative interacts with intricate soundscapes evoking Westerkamp’s childhood in Germany. These are layered and digitally manipulated with Iwaasa’s recorded reflections on the piano, “this creature, this instrument, that you think you know.”

Filmmakers and installation artists Nettie Wild (director) and Michael Brockington (editor) capture this performance, interpreting the composition’s drama with lyrical imagery coloured and shaped by the music itself.

Duration 17 mins 35 secs including credits

Huge thanks to the many devoted Indiegogo backers who made it possible to finish this film.