The Starry Night (Van Gogh)

“The Starry Night” (1889) by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) is one of the most iconic paintings in Western art history. Van Gogh’s original way of depicting the stars in the night sky are extravagant and full of color and form. In my reinterpretation of this post-impressionistic masterwork, I chose to play with the mixolydian and dorian modes in the high register of the piano. The left hand defines the horizon with perfect fifths, whereas the right hand freely moves in the upper range depicting the stars. I chose to play with silences and soft dynamics in order to recreate the ample space of a starry night.