Singing with Light (Bulbs)

Can we see sound? Does music possess color, texture, movement? We may never know, but the terrifically inventive work that arose from one artist’s seeking will spark your imagination in new ways.

In a Wonderchew that explored the phenomenon of Chladni Plates, I mentioned that whenever I find myself at a concert I can’t help but look over the audience and wonder how the sound appears swirling above their heads. And isn’t there a way we can see it?

While the piece you’re about to witness doesn’t address this question directly, it caught my attention because it explores music in a new and inventive way. One that incorporates not only light and color and rhythm but also physical movement through space.

The animation/film/performance leads the mind down many other avenues beyond the one I’ve mentioned, but rather than talking more about it I’ll let you experience the work for yourself. And see what it conjures for you.

The work, by director and artist Alan Warburton, visually interprets two compositions from J.S. Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier (Prelude in C and Fugue in C Major) employing thousands of fluorescent light bulbs mounted and coordinated throughout a virtual gallery space and parking garage.

You can learn more about how the artist and his team created the piece at Sinfini Music.

Music performed by Pierre-Laurent Aimard.

Image from The Theatre Lux Eterna