Recently, I flew over a crowd
of thousands of people in Brazil
playing music by George Frideric Handel.
I also drove along the streets of Amsterdam,
again playing music by this same composer.
Let's take a look.
(Music: George Frideric Handel, "Allegro." Performed by Daria van den Bercken.)
(Video) Daria van den Bercken: I live there on the third floor.
(In Dutch) I live there on the corner.
I actually live there, around the corner.
and you'd be really welcome.
Man: (In Dutch) Does that sound like fun? Child: (In Dutch) Yes!
[(In Dutch) "Handel house concert"]
(Applause)
Daria van den Bercken: All this was a real
magical experience for hundreds of reasons.
Now you may ask, why have I done these things?
They're not really typical for a musician's
day-to-day life.
Well, I did it because I fell in love with the music
and I wanted to share it with as many people
as possible.
It started a couple of years ago.
I was sitting at home on the couch with the flu
and browsing the Internet a little,
when I found out that Handel had written works
for the keyboard.
Well, I was surprised. I did not know this.
So I downloaded the sheet music and started playing.
And what happened next was
that I entered this state of pure,
unprejudiced amazement.
It was an experience
of being totally in awe of the music,
and I had not felt that in a long time.
It might be easier to relate to this when you hear it.
The first piece that I played through
started like this.
(Music)
Well this sounds very melancholic, doesn't it?
And I turned the page and what came next
was this.
(Music)
Well, this sounds very energetic, doesn't it?
So within a couple of minutes,
and the piece isn't even finished yet,
I experienced two very contrasting characters:
beautiful melancholy and sheer energy.
And I consider these two elements to be
vital human expressions.
And the purity of the music makes you hear it
very effectively.
I've given a lot of children's concerts
for children of seven and eight years old,
and whatever I play, whether it's Bach, Beethoven,
even Stockhausen,
or some jazzy music,
they are open to hear it,
really willing to listen,
and they are comfortable doing so.
And when classes come in
with children who are just a few years older,
11, 12, I felt that I sometimes already had trouble
in reaching them like that.
The complexity of the music does become an issue,
and actually the opinions of others —
parents, friends, media — they start to count.
But the young ones, they don't question
their own opinion.
They are in this constant state of wonder,
and I do firmly believe that we can keep listening
like these seven-year-old children,
even when growing up.
And that is why I have played
not only in the concert hall
but also on the street, online, in the air:
to feel that state of wonder,
to truly listen,
and to listen without prejudice.
And I would like to invite you
to do so now.
(Music: George Frideric Handel, "Chaconne in G Major." Performed by Daria van den Bercken.)
(Applause)
Thank you.
(Applause)