Yann Tiersen at the Barbican

The music of Yann Tiersen shimmers a simple Parisian façade filled with nostalgia and tugs at the emotions of audiences from across the world. The French contemporary musician, and genius behind famous film soundtracks like Amélie and Goodbye Lenin, graced the Barbican Hall with an intimate show featuring new tracks from his latest album Eusa, and a handful of his most emblematic pieces.  

Every concert by Tiersen comes with a promise of seeing and hearing something remarkable and enchanting. The dim canvas of the stage revealed a warm orange ambience, and in taking his seat in front of the piano, Tiersen immersed the audience in a magical world of melancholic melodies, glistening piano harmonies and atmospheric field recordings of the Breton coast that conjured a personal and naturalistic backdrop.   

The first half saw him play a number of tracks from his new album, including Porz Goret. Reminiscent of the delicate waltzes of Chopin and Parisian colours of Erik Satie, the harmonic progressions gently flowed from Tiersen’s exquisite playing and absorbed his listeners in pure musical splendour. Serene melodies and pianistic colours may sound like something any musician could play, but Tiersen pulls off every note, chord, subtle rubato and pedal change in a manner that cannot be mirrored by others.

During the performance Tiersen wandered around the stage picking up an array of instruments and stretching their technical and sonic potentials: from the frenetic violin arpeggios and tremolos of Sur Le Fil (from the film Amélie) and 7pm to sitting on the floor tinkering away on toy pianos. However, it was the glassy piano solos that showcased Tiersen at his most captivating. From Penn Ar Roc’h to La Longue Route, the musician illuminated the hall in a cinematic shine with their tranquil harmonic narratives and wistful melodies.

Yann Tiersen’s music is best explained without words. The sounds that trickled from the stage spoke for themselves and resonated an extraordinary beauty in their simplicity. It is unlikely that anyone could witness a more poignant and personal account of the Breton musician. 

Isaku Takahashi
Photo: Rob Ball

For further information about Yann Tiersen and future events visit here.

Watch the video for Porz Goret here: