Re: GG: Harpsipiano

[Robert Clements <clemensr@mailhost.world.net>]

At 16:53 10/1/1997 -0500, Bradley P Lehman wrote (replying to Mary Jo Watts):
>
>> Well now I *must* ask Bradley and everyone else what do you think of GG's
>> "harpsipiano" experiments???  
>
>The only one I remember hearing so far is the Bach cantata with Russell
>Oberlin.  I thought it sounded silly and distracting in the ensemble,
>especially when GG doubles the violin parts needlessly.  Unfortunate,
>because that instrument could probably be effective in different
>repertoire, especially solo rep.  Scarlatti, anyone?  CPE Bach?  
>
>There actually are some 20th-century works for tack piano.  Cage, Crumb,
>Partch, or somebody else, I can't remember which at the moment.  Anybody
>know?  There's a very effective spooky passage for toy piano in Crumb's
>"Ancient Voices of Children," playing "Bist du bei mir." 

The tack-piano (like GG's _harpsipiano_ & the Pleyel _monster_ harpsichord)
was an attempt to create an instrument with the _sound_ of a harpsichord
which could actually be heard in a modern concert venue. Like it's siblings,
it was pretty much a short lived experiment; although Lou Harrison (with
whom the tack-piano is particularly associated) still seems to be writing
music with the instrument in mind.

Aesthetically, i tend not to have much enthusiasism for these _prepared_
pianos - they tend to eliminate the advantages of using a modern _grand_
without putting anything useful in its place....

All the best,


Robert Clements
clemensr@mailhost.world.net