Le Rêve de Reynaldo

This month, we finished our re-composition of "L’Heure Exquise", a piece by Reynaldo Hahn. Reynaldo was a Venezuelan composer who migrated to France and became friends with Marcel Proust.

While composing it, I was thinking a lot about what we desire and what brings us happiness.

In the music industry, the premise of nearly every motivating video or article aimed at young musicians is that you should persist through hell if you want to reach your goal and be successful. Don’t give up!

Here is an alternative view.

It's true, of course, that there is an external recognition that is defined like success. And it's true that this kind of success is "lumpy": for a long time there is nothing, then it comes. So don't give up. "It" will come.

But ask yourself: what is this "it" that you are chasing?

I recently read Richard Feynman, who says he didn't care about winning the Nobel prize. I believe him. Who cares if the king of Sweden gives you a medal? He's not a scientist! He doesn't know what you know! Even the people on the Nobel committee don't know what you know! In fact, that's the joy of discovering something new in science: for some time you are the only person in the world to know it! Like a very important secret only you know. Doesn't that make you feel special?

Composing music is like that too. It's really magical: in the morning you wake up and the music doesn't exist in the world. It only exists in your head. Then at night you go to sleep, except now a new composition exists in the world. You can even listen to it in your car. It's real! There is even the pleasure in being the only person to know it, just like a beautiful, musical secret.

So, for me, "it" is itself. The joy is in doing this. In other words, it is autotelic, just like dancing. The point of dancing is not to win dance prizes. The point of dancing is not to get to the other side of the dancefloor. The point of dancing is dancing.

Many things are like that, if you think about it. When you go for a swim in the sea, are you swimming to get somewhere? Or are you swimming to feel the joy of swimming?

From this point of view, this "don't give up" premise makes no sense. Don't give up? Why would I give up?

Luckily for the few fans we have, we don’t keep our musical secrets very well, or you would have nothing to listen to. I hope you enjoy this piece as much we enjoyed composing it.

Con mucho cariño,

Belle and Pierre

PS: this composition is available to buy in the store.

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Music: Belle & Pierre
Creative Direction: Alexander Gallé
Illustration: Jason Brooks
Copyright and phonographic rights: © and ℗ Belle & Pierre Ltd. 2023. All rights reserved.

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