Appropriating light and using it in a way derivative of James Turrell, Alan Warburton has transformed Bach's iconic The Well-Tempered Clavier into an extraordinary art piece. It demonstrates one of the composer's "most ambitious works" and is contained in a 5-minute post found on the user-video sharing website, Vimeo.
Beginning and ending on a single shot, driven through a dreamlike museum, Warburton was able to convey the intricacies of Bach (performed by the talented Pierre-Laurent Aimard) through neon light depictions. Having incorporated a modern texture in the background, the juxtaposition between classical and "office space culture" isn't something unlike a Warburton original.
Per the video's description, Warburton discusses how he achieved the desired effect, saying:
"In 1722, Johann Sebastian Bach began one of his most ambitious works: a 24-part comprehensive guide to the keyboard, demonstrating the musical qualities of every major and minor key. The first part, C Major, saw Bach create two masterful compositions that explore musical structure in very different ways."
Continuing about where the idea came from, he said the film "draws inspiration from minimalist sculpture and graphical notation."
Much in the vein of his previous video, Psychometrics, Warburton has been able to create a style contrived from the mundane modern setting, which is, somehow, able to encapsulate the magnitude of J.S. Bach.
Don't take my word for it, though. Get up on Bach: The Well Tempered Clavier below.
