At Le Mans, the 24 Hours of the Piano promises immersive and unusual experiences

The Pianoctambule marathon begins Saturday, December 2 at 3 p.m. at the Le Mans school of art and design and will end the next day at the same time. An astonishing artistic performance for piano enthusiasts in all its forms.

The city of Le Mans in Sarthe is about to experience an extraordinary race, the Pianoctambule festival is organizing 24 hours of non-stop piano playing.

From 3 p.m. this Saturday, December 2, a dozen pianists will take turns within the school of fine arts to offer music lovers around twenty original musical experiences.

24 hours of piano immersion

A few hours before the start of the concerts, the pianists are warming up their fingers like high-level pilots. Sitting in front of her grand piano, concert pianist Domitille Bès tirelessly repeats her score.

On Sunday, at dawn, she will welcome spectators for a gentle morning wake-up call. A unique adventure in an unusual setting for those who are more accustomed to auditoriums. “Bringing music to a place that is not designed for that, that is not made for that with all the unforeseen things that entail regarding acoustics or proximity to the public, that’s what makes the very specific little touch of this moment”, she rejoices. For one hour, Domitille Bès will perform twelve studies by women composers.

Like every year since 2017, this tour of the dial dedicated to the piano offers visitors a free stroll through the spaces of the school of fine arts. “They can sit down for an hour of concert, lie down in a nap room, we are immersed,” explains Guillaume Fournier, the artistic director of the event.

Classic and unusual

On the program for this seventh edition of Pianoctambule, spectators will be able to enjoy traditional recitals, mechanical piano or barrel organ concerts. Guest musicians will play works by Chopin, Franz Liszt, Rachmaninoff and Debussy.

Several festive and original proposals are also programmed like this karaoke piano jukebox hosted by pianist Gwendal Guideley who invites spectators to sing their favorite hits.

Among the unusual performances which will punctuate these 24 hours of piano, the concert of 100 metronomes by the Romanian composer György Ligeti (1923-2006). This symphonic poem composed in 1962 will beat time more or less quickly. Arranged in the school hall, the 100 metronomes are launched simultaneously at different speeds. They stop one after the other, the fastest first, then the slowest. “A work which escapes the science of the creator, the technicality of the performer and which reserves for the listener an unpredictable result from an improbable instrument” said the composer about his creation.

Pianoctambule at the Le Mans School of Art and Design from Saturday December 2 at 3 p.m. until Sunday December 3, 2023 at 3 p.m.

Prices: 24-hour pass – €24 and €18