This Dutch Neo-Classical Pianist Will Remind You of Beauty in the Little Things
Out of history, people have been able to bear witness to innovative and creative greatness born from The Netherlands. Dutch artists and painters have gained a spot in halls of the most famous galleries and textbooks line shelves declaring their feats. From the 1600’s we have Vermeer and Rembrandt. From the late 1800’s we’re graced by the nimble fingers of Van Gogh. And I predict the next gracing of nimble fingers will come from todays – in the form of a Dutch painter of sound, if you will, a neo-romantic pianist named Frank DeLange.
DeLange experiences his world in a unique way, and it reflects in his work. You see, he lives life through the lens of seeing music in colors and shapes (a condition called chromesthesia, or sound-to-color synesthesia). As he puts it, “For me, it has always been natural to picture sounds in my mind, but now I could take advantage of it and compose music as a painter works on a painting: with shapes and colors playing the leading part.”
“Cascade,” which released February 2022, is one of his newest works, and truly gives light to delicate touch, and finding beauty in all the moments of life – the sign of a truly great classical musician to take listeners on emotional journeys like a novel. Sprinkling notes wind up to a lilting melody that feels fit for walking through Central Park in light snowfall with your lover while the wistful gaps between the bridge gives way to imagining yourself looking at ancient ruins in Greece in the summer heat by yourself, imagining bygone times. In fact, I felt so many different colors, sights, and feelings that I went and immediately listened to his other works on Spotify and experienced a whole plethora of emotions – it was amazing. With classical music making a generational comeback debut for YouTube playlists, study-centric listening and literature inspiration, now is the perfect time to expose yourself to something timeless and unusual as DeLange’s soundscapes.
DeLange released his debut album in September 2020, which is relatively recent given how developed his artistry is, and thus far has already gained over 18 million streams worldwide. His most current tour is around the Netherlands if you can manage to catch him – they famously sell out tickets to see him, so you’ll have to be quick! For those of you who can’t make it overseas, you can do what I do, and listen to “Cascade” and all his other work on YouTube, Spotify and beyond.
Thank you for these beautiful words