Karlheinz Essl

VIRIBVS VNITIS

for two toy pianos (one player) and two-manual harpsichord
2014

Commissioned by Isabel Ettenauer and Goska Isphording
Dedicated to my father

In February 2015, VIRIBVS VNITIS was selected at the composer's competition of Prix Annelie de Man (Amsterdam) among 170 applications.

Basics | Score | Videos | Performances

VIRIBVS VNITIS (2014)
Performed by Goska Isphording and Anne Veinberg
Het Orgelpark, Amsterdam (28 May 2015)

VIRIBVS VNITIS (2014)
Recording of the premier performed by Isabel Ettenauer and Goska Isphording
Essl Museum, Klosterneuburg (3 Dec 2014)

About

In this piece, two toy pianos are combined with a two-manual harpsichord - an instrument with a long history and an impressive repertory, as opposed to the toy piano. Although both keyboards are so different in every respect, they are forming a unit where the differences are reconciled and their individual "weakness" is counter-balanced by the other instrument. With "united forces" (so the translation of the latin title), they are creating a new entity which results in a new sound, something that has never been heard before.

Instruments

M: a three-octave Michelsonne toy piano (f – f3) with removed front enclosure (required for the glissandi on p. 9)

S: a two-octave Schoenhut Table Top toy piano (c1 – c3)

I + II: a two-manual harpsichord (1F – f3) with the registers: 8' + 8'' + 4'

DB: a "Cabanaz" desk bell (tuned in a) for each player

Setup

The toy piano player is standing during the performance. For this purpose, the two instruments have to be placed on a table:

Schoenhut Table Top toy piano (c1–c3) with desk bell & Michelsonne toy piano (f–f3)
© 2014 by Karlheinz Essl

Videos

Goska Isphording (harpsichord) and Isabel Ettenauer (toy pianos) premiering VIRIBVS VNITIS
Essl Museum Klosterneuburg (3 Dec 2014)

Goska Isphording (harpsichord) and Anne Veinberg (toy pianos) performing VIRIBVS VNITIS at Prix Annelie de Man
Orgelpark Amsterdam (28 May 2015)

Ere Lievonen (harpsichord) and Anne Veinberg (toy pianos) performing VIRIBVS VNITIS
Amsterdam (October 2017)

Score

The score of VIRIBVS VNITIS can be downloaded from the Donemus webshop.
Here are some excerpts:

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Updated: 24 Aug 2021