The Art not Playing a Bösendorfer

This piece was part of my "digital detox" project, which started in August 2022 by experimenting with analog electronics. A Doepfer DARK ENERGY analog synthesizer is controlled by a small Yamaha MIDI keyboard. The sound is transmitted via a transducer to the soundboard of the piano, where it can create panchromatic resonances when the pedal is pressed. After more than two years and countless explorations in the field of analog electronic music, such as my ongoing project Coastlines, I composed a new version in January 2024, which will be premiered on March 8, 2024 during my solo recital at the Alte Schmiede in Vienna.

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The first problem was the keyboard, which represents a well-tempered tuning that has no meaning here. So I modulated the pitches with the velocity of the MIDI keyboard, which allows me to play different (microtonal) pitches even on a single key.

The second point was sound projection. Since I am very sensitive to conventional loudspeakers, I placed a transducer on the soundboard of my Bösendorfer. This filters the synthetic sound of the analog synthesizer through the acoustic properties of the grand piano, creating a fascinating fusion between an electronic and an acoustic instrument.

Updated: 12 Jan 2024