The work was broadcast through seven speakers spread under the Erasmus Bridge on Willemsplein Seven Tears to be heard: a work of art that the Scottish artist Susan Philipsz based on the composition Pavane Lacrimae by the Dutch composer Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562 – 1621). Sweelinck in turn based his Pavane Lacrimae on the song Flow My Tears by his contemporary, composer John Dowland (1563–1626). This song by Dowland, written for lute and voice, was very influential at the time. It is one of the first examples of the then-current trend of melancholy, the emotional mood that was much written about at the time. Philipsz experimented for Seven Tears with various timbres. An initial string version was followed by a wind version with organ pipes, followed by the final version. In the work for Willemsplein, Sweelinck's composition was played by musicians on glasses filled with water. Sweelinck is considered the most important Dutch composer of the Early Modern Period, in the transition from Renaissance to Baroque music. The composition referenced the dripping of tears as a motif and the element of Baroque lament, thus appealing to the idea of happiness as a fleeting emotion. Through specially designed speakers, the sounds and fragments of music blended with the sounds of the city. The soundscape thus accompanied the passersby walking under the bridge along the Meuse River with a remarkably unobtrusive sound, playing every evening at sunset.. Due to technical issues, the installation is currently unavailable. For more information: Sculpture International Rotterdam.
