Solipsism

Dutch pianist Joep Beving had always felt a connection with the piano, but a wrist injury he suffered in his early teens forced him to put his dreams to one side. At age 38, however, he felt able to return to music, and the upright piano he inherited from his grandmother became his identity. Its muted, muffled timbre was the ideal vehicle for music cast in a simple but beguiling minimal style. That gentle sound, somehow reminiscent of sepia photos, can be heard on Beving’s debut album, Solipsism, where contemplative tracks like “Etude” and “Day Dream” recall the music of French composer and pianist Erik Satie. After its release, Beving was signed by Deutsche Grammophon, and his albums for the yellow label have seen him introduce further instrumental layers into the mix. Solipsism, however, offers us something closer to Beving’s original inspiration, sitting at home, playing his grandmother’s beloved instrument.