A comforting soundtrack of the present

Composer Stephen Emmer is a man of many talents. He is currently campaigning to urge public broadcasters to embrace art and culture even more wholeheartedly during these times of corona. He gained fame in pop music, and as a media composer, creator of countless television theme tunes, he received the Buma Oeuvre Award. He knows both sides of the creative process: the inspiration and the craft. "Poets wait for moonlight and copywriters press start."

With Maison Melody, Emmer returns to the musical world of his youth, when his uncle (the classical composer Robert Heppener) introduced him to the serene piano sounds of the Catalan Federico Mompou. Mompou's Musica Callada inspired him to compose ten pieces for piano, string quartet, and sampler.

In this music, Emmer reveals the connection between the composer and the silent walls surrounding him. He mirrors his own introverted character against that of Mompou. The solitude and reflection of these pieces suddenly take on a deeper meaning in times of corona. They become a soundtrack of the present, which nevertheless offers comfort rather than depressing.

**** 4 star review ****

[NRC - Joost Galema]

Listen to Maison Melody on your favourite platform here

Or buy the digital version of Maison Melody here