String piano is a term coined by American composer-theorist
Henry Cowell
Henry Dixon Cowell (; March 11, 1897 – December 10, 1965) was an American composer, writer, pianist, publisher and teacher. Marchioni, Tonimarie (2012)"Henry Cowell: A Life Stranger Than Fiction" ''The Juilliard Journal''. Retrieved 19 June 202 ...
(1897–1965) to collectively describe those pianistic
extended technique
In music, extended technique is unconventional, unorthodox, or non-traditional methods of singing or of playing musical instruments employed to obtain unusual sounds or timbres.Burtner, Matthew (2005).Making Noise: Extended Techniques after Exper ...
s in which sound is produced by direct manipulation of the
strings, instead of or in addition to striking the
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
's
keys
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
. Pioneered by Cowell in the 1920s, such techniques are now often called upon in the works of avant-garde classical music composers.
Techniques
String piano compositions can involve a wide range of techniques. Among those employed by Cowell, the first major proponent of the approach, are:
*plucking (
pizzicato
Pizzicato (, ; translated as "pinched", and sometimes roughly as "plucked") is a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a string instrument. The exact technique varies somewhat depending on the type of instrument :
* On bowed ...
)
*flicking back and forth across a string with a fingernail (similar to a
mandolin
A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...
tremolo
In music, ''tremolo'' (), or ''tremolando'' (), is a trembling effect. There are two types of tremolo.
The first is a rapid reiteration:
* Of a single Musical note, note, particularly used on String instrument#Bowing, bowed string instrument ...
)
*sweeping
chromatically across the strings with the fingers
*sweeping across the strings with the flat of the hand (producing a
tone cluster)
*sweeping along one or more strings with the flesh of the finger(s)
*scraping along one or more strings with the fingernail(s)
Strings may also be pressed at specific points along their length with the fingers of one hand while being played by the other to produce different
harmonic
A harmonic is a wave with a frequency that is a positive integer multiple of the ''fundamental frequency'', the frequency of the original periodic signal, such as a sinusoidal wave. The original signal is also called the ''1st harmonic'', the ...
pitches. These sounding techniques may be combined with direct
muting of the strings with devices similar to those used to mute violins. In string piano pieces that call for the performer to sit at the keyboard, the keys may be depressed and held down silently with one hand to create
chords
Chord may refer to:
* Chord (music), an aggregate of musical pitches sounded simultaneously
** Guitar chord a chord played on a guitar, which has a particular tuning
* Chord (geometry), a line segment joining two points on a curve
* Chord (as ...
, including tone clusters, that are played by the other on the strings; use of the sustain and soft
pedals
A pedal (from the Latin '' pes'' ''pedis'', "foot") is a lever designed to be operated by foot and may refer to:
Computers and other equipment
* Footmouse, a foot-operated computer mouse
* In medical transcription, a pedal is used to control p ...
offer additional variations to string piano playing. For string piano pieces in which the performer stands alongside the instrument without addressing the keyboard, the pedals of the piano (and even, silently, the keys) may also be employed with the help of an assistant or a deadweight. Cowell also wrote passages for techniques involving simultaneous manipulation of the strings—sliding along one or more with the fingers or a metal object—and keyboard sounding in order to produce
glissando
In music, a glissando (; plural: ''glissandi'', abbreviated ''gliss.'') is a glide from one pitch to another (). It is an Italianized musical term derived from the French ''glisser'', "to glide". In some contexts, it is distinguished from the co ...
effects. Other objects, such as bows and brushes, may also be used to elicit sound directly from the strings.
History
According to Cowell biographer Michael Hicks, "The first 'serious' composer to write for piano strings was probably
Percy Grainger
Percy Aldridge Grainger (born George Percy Grainger; 8 July 188220 February 1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who lived in the United States from 1914 and became an American citizen in 1918. In the course of a long an ...
(1882–1961): at the close of his ''In a Nutshell'' suite (1916), he directs the pianist to play on several bass strings with a yarn-covered mallet." Soon afterward, Cowell began using string piano techniques in his compositions. One of his first important works to employ the approach is the solo ''Piece for Piano with Strings'' (1923). Per the Lichtenwanger listings, Cowell's earliest piece calling for string piano techniques is ''The Sword of Oblivion'' (ca. 1920–22) for solo piano. Like ''A Composition'' (1925), for piano and string quartet, it combines traditional keyboard sounding with direct string playing. ''Aeolian Harp'' (ca. 1923) is Cowell's first composition exclusively for string piano—while keys are silently held down, as described above, all the sounding is done by direct address of the strings (). Among his other works purely for string piano are ''
The Banshee'' (1925 ) and ''Sinister Resonance'' (ca. 1930). ''How Old Is Song?'' (1930–31) is for voice and string piano (the accompaniment is adapted from ''Aeolian Harp'').
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading fi ...
, a student of Cowell's, was inspired by the string piano concept to pursue his explorations of the
prepared piano
A prepared piano is a piano that has had its sounds temporarily altered by placing bolts, screws, mutes, rubber erasers, and/or other objects on or between the strings. Its invention is usually traced to John Cage's dance music for ''Bacchanale' ...
.
In
''Music of the Spheres'', composed in 1916–18, the Danish composer
Rued Langgaard
Rued Langgaard (; born Rud Immanuel Langgaard; 28 July 1893 – 10 July 1952) was a late-Romantic Danish composer and organist. His then-unconventional music was at odds with that of his Danish contemporaries but was recognized 16 years afte ...
directs the pianist to play glissandi directly on the piano strings. He calls it "Glissando-piano" in the score. In Langgaard's ''Insektarium'' for solo piano from 1917, the pianist is also instructed to play directly on the strings in two of the movements.
Although few composers other than Cowell have used the term "string piano" to describe their use of the piano strings (
George Crumb
George Henry Crumb Jr. (24 October 1929 – 6 February 2022) was an American composer of avant-garde contemporary classical music. Early in his life he rejected the widespread modernist usage of serialism, developing a highly personal musical ...
, for instance, refers to the "resources of the 'extended piano'"), such techniques were increasingly called upon during the second half of the 20th century, eventually becoming part of the general vocabulary of contemporary pianistic writing and performance. Many composers have used such "inside-the-piano" techniques sporadically, as special effects; a few have made more substantial use of them, such as Crumb (e.g., ''
Makrokosmos
''Makrokosmos'' is a series of four volumes of pieces for piano by American composer George Crumb. The name alludes to '' Mikrokosmos'', a set of piano pieces by Béla Bartók, one of Crumb's favorite 20th-century composers. The first volume of t ...
'', vols. 1 and 2
972; 1973,
Halim El-Dabh
Halim Abdul Messieh El-Dabh ( ar, حليم عبد المسيح الضبع, ''Ḥalīm ʻAbd al-Masīḥ al-Ḍab''ʻ; March 4, 1921 – September 2, 2017) was an Egyptian-American composer, musician, ethnomusicologist, and educator, who ha ...
,
Sofia Gubaidulina
Sofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina (russian: Софи́я Асгáтовна Губaйду́лина, link=no , tt-Cyrl, София Әсгать кызы Гобәйдуллина; born 24 October 1931) is a Soviet-Russian composer and an established ...
(e.g., ''Dancer on a Tightrope''
993
Year 993 ( CMXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* Spring – The 12-year-old King Otto III gives the Sword of Saints Cosmas and Damian ...
,
Mauricio Kagel
Mauricio Raúl Kagel (; 24 December 1931 – 18 September 2008) was an Argentine-German composer.
Biography
Kagel was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, into an Ashkenazi Jewish family that had fled from Russia in the 1920s . He studied music, his ...
(e.g., ''Trio in drei Sätzen''
984–85,
Carl Orff
Carl Orff (; 10 July 1895 – 29 March 1982) was a German composer and music educator, best known for his cantata ''Carmina Burana'' (1937). The concepts of his Schulwerk were influential for children's music education.
Life
Early life
Car ...
(e.g., ''Antigonæ''
949
Year 949 ( CMXLIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* Arab-Byzantine War: Hamdanid forces under Sayf al-Dawla raid into the theme of Ly ...
,
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen (; 22 August 1928 – 5 December 2007) was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. He is known for his groun ...
(e.g.,
Klavierstücke XII–XIV 979–84,
Toru Takemitsu TORU or Toru may refer to:
*TORU, spacecraft system
*Toru (given name), Japanese male given name
*Toru, Pakistan, village in Mardan District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
*Tõru
Tõru is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County in western Est ...
(e.g., ''Corona for Pianists''
962
Year 962 ( CMLXII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* December – Arab–Byzantine wars – Sack of Aleppo: A Byzantine e ...
, and
David Tudor
David Eugene Tudor (January 20, 1926 – August 13, 1996) was an American pianist and composer of experimental music.
Life and career
Tudor was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied piano with Irma Wolpe and composition with Stefan ...
. In 1977 composer
Stephen Scott founded the Bowed Piano Ensemble at
Colorado College
Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell in his daughter's memory. The college enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduates at its campus. The college offer ...
, an ensemble of ten musicians playing in and around a grand piano.
Selected recordings
*''Daughters of the Lonesome Isle: John Cage'' (New Albion 070)—includes ''In the Name of the Holocaust'' (1942) for string piano and Music for Piano No. 2 (1953), arranged for bowed piano, performed by
Margaret Leng Tan
Margaret Leng Tan () is a classical music artist known for her work as a professional toy pianist, performing in major cities around the world on her 51 cm-high toy pianos. She is also known to be a classical music performer using unconventio ...
*''George Crumb: Makrokosmos, Vols. 1 and 2'' (Music and Arts 1044)—includes a number of pieces featuring string piano techniques, performed by Jo Boatright
*''Henry Cowell: A Continuum Portrait, Vol. 1'' (Naxos 8.559192)—includes ''Irish Suite'', for string piano and small orchestra, performed by Continuum, Joel Sachs–conductor, Cheryl Seltzer–piano
*''Henry Cowell: A Continuum Portrait, Vol. 2'' (Naxos 8.559193)—includes ''Piece for Piano with Strings'' and ''The Banshee'', performed by Cheryl Seltzer
*''Henry Cowell: Piano Music'' (Smithsonian Folkways 40801)—includes ''The Banshee'' and (linked on one track) ''Aeolian Harp'' and ''Sinister Resonance'', performed by Henry Cowell (album pictured in article)
*''New Music: Piano Compositions by Henry Cowell'' (New Albion 103)—includes ''The Banshee'', performed by Chris Brown, and ''Aeolian Harp'', performed by Sorrel Hays
*''Songs of Henry Cowell'' (Albany–Troy 240)—includes ''How Old Is Song?'', performed by Mary Ann Hart–mezzo-soprano, Jeanne Golan–pianist
*''Vikings of the Sunrise'' (New Albion 084)—Fantasy on the Polynesian star path navigators, performed by the Bowed Piano Ensemble
See also
*
Piano extended technique
Notes
References
*Crumb, George (2001). Liner notes to ''George Crumb: Complete Crumb Edition, Volume Five'' (Bridge 9113).
*Hicks, Michael (2002). ''Henry Cowell, Bohemian.'' Urbana: University of Illinois Press. .
*Lichtenwanger, William (1986). ''The Music of Henry Cowell: A Descriptive Catalogue.'' Brooklyn, N.Y.: Brooklyn College Institute for Studies in American Music. .
*Nicholls, David (1991
990. ''American Experimental Music 1890–1940.'' Cambridge, New York, and Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. .
External links
The Aeolian Harp Piece by Henry Cowellvideo of performance by Lydia Aoki
Art of the States: Henry Cowellsix works by the composer, including ''Aeolian Harp'', performed by Sorrel Hays
Crumb, Makrokosmos Bk.I, 1—Primeval Sounds (Cancer)video of performance
Crumb, Makrokosmos Bk.I, 2—Proteus (Pisces)video of performance
Crumb, Makrokosmos Bk.I, 4—Crucifixus (Capricorn)video of performance
Crumb—Tora! Tora! Tora!video of performance by Jiun Yoong Lim
two tracks from ''Daughters of the Lonesome Isle'', including Margaret Leng Tan's performance of ''In the Name of the Holocaust''
George Crumb—Makrokosmos I—Primeval Sounds (Genesis I)video of performance by Margaret Leng Tan
Makrokosmos, Clip #1video of performance by Scot Hawkins
Makrokosmos, Clip #2video of performance by Scot Hawkins
Makrokosmos, Clip #3video of performance by Scot Hawkins
Makrokosmos, Clip #4video of performance by Scot Hawkins
Makrokosmos, Clip #5video of performance by Scot Hawkins
"Reinventing the piano"by Kris Lennox, September 29, 2012
The Bowed Piano Ensemble perform Stephen Scott's Entradavideo of performance by the Bowed Piano Ensemble
{{Extended techniques
Piano
Musical performance techniques
Extended techniques