Sunset Piano Opus Two
This month, twelve pianos appeared along the hills and bluffs of the San Mateo County coastline. They sit on cliffs and above beaches, patiently awaiting discovery by anyone with the time to stop and play a few notes for the sea.
Intended to call attention to the fragile states and uncertain futures of our oceans and of the personal acoustic piano in today’s world, the project does just that, all while just being a whole lot of fun. I mean, I don’t have the first clue how to play a piano, but the awe and wonder of stumbling upon these beauties in their surreal and amazing habitats is just something else.
The brainchild of local artist and musician Mauro ffortissimo, this fantastic project expands upon the earlier Opus One, in which Mauro gave a brief new life to a single neglected grand piano by placing it by the sea for all to enjoy and providing nightly performances. Within two weeks, however, one governmental agency or another had determined that the presence of this piano was a violation of code, and Opus One was brought to a close with a final cremation ceremony for the beyond-repair piano.
Due to overlapping governmental jurisdictions, misunderstandings, and bureaucracy, several of the dozen pianos brought out for Opus Two have met the same fate, having already been collected by the authorities or brought back from their seaside posts. A handful remain in the wild, and performances will continue through the week, or as long as the final pianos last.
Last weekend, I made a journey down the coast to catch the pianos while they remained. In return, I was rewarded with some amazing views, a performance by Mauro on a 1917 vintage grand piano in Half Moon Bay, and a childlike sense of wonder that we just don’t seem to get enough of in the real world these days. (oh yeah, and a parking ticket to snap me right back to reality… Don’t park in the Half Moon Bay beach lots after 8:30)
Catch them before they’re gone! You won’t regret it.
More info on the project can be found here: http://sunsetpiano.com/
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