Improvisations and Harmonies

Documentary by Maartje Seyferth and Victor Nieuwenhuijs about the adventurous life of pianist Polo de Haas.

Polo de Haas is an unusual, versatile and also somewhat transverse pianist who can't be categorized in one single box. Hij plays both classical as contemporary and improvised music and initiated many crossover projects with theater, poetry and visual arts. He made furore with his performances of Canto Ostinato, as pianist in the first Shaffy Chantant, with his presentation of his tv-show Playing with Music and with his own concertserie in Beurs van Berlage and in the Royal Concertgebouw.

Filmmakers Maartje Seyferth and Victor Nieuwenhuijs followed him for three years and conducted a loving portrait that at the same time forms a time frame of the Dutch musical history. In the documentaries interviews and concert registrations with Polo de Haas are shown, as well as conversations with composer Theo Loevendie, drummer Pierre Courbois, Liesbeth Listh, Leoni Jansen, actress Hannah de Leeuwe, a rehearsal with Ramses Shaffy and Jazzen in the Amsterdam Zuiderbad. De Haas also recounts about his collaboration with bass clarinetist Harry Sparnaay and with Peter Schat (STEIM). His own composition 'Improvisations and Harmonies' forms the main thread of the film. The piece starts with thumping, low basses and eventually moves to the highest register of the clavier. In august of 2020, De Haas recorded a CD with piano improvisations.

Cast

Polo de Haas

Ariëlle Vernède

Kees Wieringa

Hannes Minnaar

Matthias Havinga

Pierre Courbois

Intervies by Maartje Seyferth

Crew

directed and edited by: Victor Nieuwenhuijs, Maartje Seyferth

camera: Victor Nieuwenhuijs, Maartje Seyferth, Tarek, July Janssen

sound mixing: Floris Jonker

thanks to: Polo de Haas, Ilona Verdurmen, Hannah de Leeuwe, Pierre Courbouis, Leoni Jansen, Theo Loevendie, Floris Guntenaar, Rob vna de Poel, Nico Bes, Pjotr & Colette, Colette Noël, Royal Concertgebouw, BIM Huis, Amstelkerk, Jamine Abbas, Jos de Haas & Friends, Ivo Niehe, AT5, VARA, AVRO, NOS, Martin van Duynhoven, Gaudeaumus, Breble Nijmegen

produced by: Moskito Film, stichting Roer

The full documentary is available on: https://muziek247.nl/improvisations-and-harmonies-documentaire/