In a grand tribute to the 100th anniversary of French composer Erik Satie’s death, a 14-hour piano marathon unfolded at the Elements shopping mall in Tsim Sha Tsui East. The event brought together over 160 pianists to perform Satie’s famously puzzling one-page composition Vexations, which the composer instructed to be played 840 times in succession.
Part of this year’s French May Arts Festival, the unique musical relay began at 7 a.m. and featured 168 pianists from various backgrounds. Each participant performed the piece five times consecutively, handing off to the next without long pauses, in an extraordinary day-long performance.
This artistic feat earned a new Guinness World Record for the “Most Musicians to Play the Same Piano in Relay,” paying homage to Satie’s minimalist genius. The marathon allowed every pianist to interpret the repetitive piece in their own style, highlighting its hypnotic and meditative nature.
Notable performers included veteran pianist Raymond Young, Julie Kuok, Robin Zebaida, Nancy Loo and her student Cedric Chan, Schubert International Piano Competition winner Shum Kinwai, and Amelia Chan, Concertmaster of the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong. Also joining were Alan Chu and Johnny Pun, co-founders of IACM, and artist Lily Hong.
The event also featured pianists from the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of Hong Kong, as well as students and teachers from universities, primary and secondary schools. Talented musicians from Macau and Zhuhai added to the impressive lineup.
The centerpiece of the marathon, Vexations, stands as one of music history’s most mysterious pieces. Composed in 1893, it consists of a single page of music with an unusual note by Satie: “It is necessary to repeat this theme 840 times to grasp its true meaning.”
Erik Satie, renowned for minimalist classics such as Gymnopédies, Gnossiennes, and Je te veux, continues to intrigue audiences worldwide. This historic piano marathon not only honored his legacy but also celebrated Hong Kong’s vibrant and diverse musical community.
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