Yann Tiersen - L'absente (Piano Solo)
520Yann Tiersen is no doubt a genius composer and multi-instrumentalist. However, the vast majority of people who recognize him probably only know him as the composer of the soundtrack of the 2001 movie "Amélie". Although I myself too like a few of the instrumental compositions for that soundtrack, in my eyes, Tiersen is primarily a brilliant pianist with a very unique style across his entire discography.
"L'absente", a solo piano piece released on an album from the same year as the above movie, is a great piece of evidence that Tiersen is a masterful artist. It starts off slowly, then picks up the tempo in the spirited middle section only to slow down again and build up a tension before the grand finale. The final part hits the unsuspecting listener by surprise, being very fast and dynamic.
The ending is extremely challenging to play with its quickly alternating staccato and legato segments with peculiar dynamics. It takes an exquisite technique to make the ending sound good and the way it was meant to sound. I haven't come across a single piano rendition on YouTube which gets this part right despite the piece being 15 years old, which motivated me to contribute with my own rendition. I don't claim my performace to be perfect, and I don't think I will ever master the piece and play it the same way Tiersen does. But I hope this video at least fills in a minuscule gap in the vast YouTube ecosystem.
Enjoy the music and live with passion!
Composed by Yann Tiersen, all rights go to him.
Performed by JuriQ.
Cinematography by JuriQ.