Prehension

Description

This book contains the sheet music for all 15 compositions by Joep Beving to be performed by solo piano. 

Artwork and design by Rahi Rezvani. 

The book is printed on high quality uncoated fine Munken paper.

“Prehension” is described as an interaction of a subject with an event or entity which involves perception but not necessarily cognition. The title was borrowed from mathematician turned metaphysical philosopher Alfred North Whitehead.

Joep Beving:

"With Prehension things were quite similar as with Solipsism. I looked back at the process and the music that came out and realized I had taken a step back, or better, zoomed out from the initial intimacy and nakedness of Solipsism. And then the thought came to mind that this was maybe not as much about my relationship to reality, but more our interpretation of reality as a species. I went looking for the right perspective and found the writings of Alfred North-Whitehead, who had been a mathematician for the biggest part of his life. Together with Bertrand Russel he wrote the Principae Mathematica, one of the most influential books on mathematics. But he turned philosopher after this. Even more so, meta-physical philosopher, which was quite up my alley. His idea was to look at reality as an organism. With fractions of reality unfolding in fractions of seconds. And we as actors are responsible for the way this reality unfolds. Through our actions and reactions we shape the course of reality and there is an emphasis on (environmental) responsibility and the power of creativity. Prehension is descibed as an interaction of a subject with an event or entity which involves perception but not necessarily cognition. We don’t know but we are actors in and spectators of the unfolding."