Intuitively Martin Kohlstedt feels his way into this body of wood, felt hammers and steel strings. The young composer, who grew up in the forests of Thuringia, doesn’t just put on an anonymous fingerplay – he perpetually opens himself up with each and every moment, with every stroke of the keys. It’s an attempt to create something close and personal beyond sophisticated classics or artificial pathos. The first captivating ideas are formed with the piano – but when space and audience require it he may electrify your mind with noise and bass or abruptly fall silent.
Kohlstedt isn’t reenacting a play, he’s holding a musical conversation with his instruments. At times he might even lose his self-control and get carried away. Particularly in a concert setting, one might take note of this kind of aggressive straightforwardness, perhaps making him seem vulnerable. If you were simply a bystander, you could even find this cheesy. But the argumentation between character and piece is so fierce, that there is no way of not being taken in. Consider yourself lucky under these circumstances – because that’s exactly what Martin Kohlstedt needs, this soundbox, his audience.
Afterparty with Sielle (piano, vocals). Their first album Etincelante douceur will be out soon.
The evening will end with Klein Hits The Piano offering a revisited version of the Rotondes piano bar.
>20:30 — Martin Kohlstedt — Grande Salle (Rotonde 1)
>22:30 — Sielle - Klub
>23:30 — Klein Hits The Piano — Buvette
>22:30 — Sielle - Klub
>23:30 — Klein Hits The Piano — Buvette