Rapa Nui

Rapa Nui — also known as Easter Island — is an island in the Pacific Ocean famed for its iconic Moai statues and its fascinating culture.

The Rapa Nui culture is unique, having developed on the isolated island over thousands of years. Its native people are known for a deep bond with nature and the world of spirits, expressed through their art, music and dance.

When I was asked to write a composition for the Hanzefestival Overijssel 2023, on the theme “Making music is an art”, I soon found myself drawn to this remarkable island. There, making music is not only an art but a part of life itself. Because of the limited means available — the first piano was flown in only at the end of the last century — traditional instruments are still used, such as the two stones that can be heard in this composition. The traditional melodies are handed down from one to another and have already survived a thousand years.

Three of these melodies form the basis of the work. The Hoko — the Haka of Rapa Nui, a warriors’ dance — carries us to the island full of Moai: great statues carved from volcanic rock. The theme based on Tu’u Maheke (a traditional chant) depicts the power of the wind and the sea. And the beautiful I he-a Hotumatu Ia sings of the island’s beauty and its starry sky.

How the island’s early inhabitants, the makers of the Moai, moved the statues from the volcanic quarry — sometimes to the far side of the island — remains unknown. The most evocative theory is the use of ropes: the statue was pulled upright with ropes on either side, and by hauling in turn on each side it seemed to walk across the island. Because this took many people and careful coordination, songs were sung, supported rhythmically by stones among other things. Once the Moai has been moved, the I he-a Hotumatu Ia theme returns — now performed by the whole orchestra, bringing the journey across Rapa Nui to its close.