Joep Beving

Joep Beving, a sensation of the contemporary classical streaming world, returns to his solo piano roots with Hermetism. The Dutch composer/pianist’s fourth album for Deutsche Grammophon was released globally on 8 April 2022. Inspired by ancient philosophy, Hermetism is an album in search of universal ideas. “I hope that it will have a comforting and communal effect on listeners,” says the artist.

Written during the dark days of the pandemic, in an age of fear and polarisation, Hermetism blends poignant melancholy with an offer of hope, spanning twelve new tracks recorded on Beving’s cherished Schimmel piano. He has used music to explore some of life’s big philosophical questions in three hugely successful albums – Solipsism, Prehension, and Henosis.

After his trilogy, Beving turned to composing for a Dutch film and stage play. Eventually, he returned to solo piano, drawing on everything he had learned. “I came back to the piano to feel at home and in tune with myself and my surroundings,” he notes.

The album draws on Hermetism, a spiritual philosophy based on writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. Its core principles — such as rhythm, polarity, and cause and effect — are about finding balance. “The teachings around these principles feel so truthful to me and I hope they will inspire others,” says Beving.

The track “Last Dance” reflects the principle of rhythm: what goes up must come down. The music circles, falls, rises, and repeats — like a mantra. The Middle Eastern-inspired “Dervish” channels his fascination with George Gurdjieff. “Nocturnal” was the first single released from the project.

Beving imagined Paris while writing much of Hermetism — as both a romantic and wounded symbol of Western civilization. From “La fée verte” to “Paris s’enflamme”, the album is steeped in moody, French-tinged atmosphere.

Since self-releasing Solipsism in 2015, Joep Beving has become a viral streaming phenomenon, with over half a billion plays and sold-out concerts worldwide. “In all the madness of recent times, this album has been the thing I’ve kept coming back to,” he reflects. “In that sense Hermetism has been my own medicine for the pandemic.”