Unusual: an ocular harpsichord concert at the Hôtel de la Marine!

In the exceptional setting of the Cour de l'Intendant at the Hôtel de la Marine, harpsichordist Alessio Zanfardino and actor Adrien Madinier present a musical and theatrical performance written as a tribute to Father Castel's scientific, aesthetic and philosophical research.

Father Louis-Bertrand Castel (1688-1757) was a French Jesuit philosopher, mathematician and physicist. He was interested in many fields, including optics, acoustics and the correspondences between the senses. The ocular harpsichord was based on a simple yet revolutionary idea: each musical note could be associated with a specific color.

On paper, the instrument resembled a classical harpsichord, but when you press a key, it's not sounds you hear, but colored panels that open or light up. The eye replaces the ear, and the melody becomes a luminous choreography. An extraordinary musical instrument, halfway between dream and reality, Father Castel's ocular harpsichord was of particular interest to Rameau, Diderot and Voltaire.

Imagined as early as the 1720s, this astonishing harpsichord never existed in fully functional form, although a partial demonstration was given around 1755. This project, at the crossroads of art, science and philosophy, has inspired generations of artists, composers and researchers, fascinated by the possibility of a universal language of sensation.

Today, this dream takes on a new form with a contemporary performance that pays homage to Father Castel's theories. Through a combination of music, light projection and visual interpretation, the artists recreate the idea of music for the eyes, and question the way we perceive sounds, colors and their correspondences.

Part sensory experience, part poetic reflection, this immersive creation offers to rediscover Père Castel's work in a new light, immersing the spectator in an atmosphere where the boundaries between the senses are blurred.

An unusual, not-to-be-missed event for fans of experimental art, the history of science and innovative performance:
Alessio Zanfardino: harpsichord, writing and adaptation, scenographic design.
François Longo: sound and light design.
Mathis Songzoni: staging and direction.
Adrien Madinier, actor.

INFORMATION AND RESERVATIONS

This event is part of the exhibition La couleur parle toutes les langues. Selected works from the Al Thani Collection.

Color speaks all languages: the Al Thani collection exhibition at Hôtel de la Marine
The Hôtel de la Marine presents an original exhibition in the style of a cabinet of curiosities. From October 3, 2024 to October 5, 2025, come and admire the exhibition La couleur parle toutes les langues. [Read more]