Projecten

Amplified piano / Amplified pianist

Johann Vacher

The appearance of microphones and loudspeakers allowed composers to explore new musical territories. Until then, grinding noises coming from mechanic of piano or sounds emitted by the pianist were only perceived as disturbing the performance. With the development of amplification, those noises have become sounds that composers could use in a musical discourse. 

New pianistic techniques have appeared: inner and outer parts of the instrument are investigated with the hand or with various accessories, while, in turn, properties of these accessories are revealed through their use inside the piano. The pianist himself becomes a study object: he is asked to make amplified finger snaps or tongue clicks, he has to speak, to sing or to whistle in a kind of choreographed show. 

Live electronics have brought new steps of amplification, increasing virtuosity, filtering resonance, working on acoustic diffusion. The pianist can then interact and play along with live electronics, expanding the possibilities.

This research will be done from the performers’ perspective, but in collaboration with different composers for experimenting new amplified piano / pianist music.

Rewriting for the salon

Luca Montebugnoli

Au début du XIXe siècle l’art de l’arrangement vit son âge d’or : à une époque qui ne connait pas encore de reproduction technique du son, la publication de transcriptions de symphonies, concertos et opéra pour petits ensembles permet l’écoute ou l’évocation au salon des œuvres destinées au concert public ou au théâtre. La redécouverte de cette pratique dans toute son ampleur et sa créativité est le propos de ce projet de recherche. A travers l’analyse et l’étude musicale des partitions, il ambitionne non seulement à la compréhension historique et esthétique du phénomène, mais à la reconstruction et l’expérimentation d’un savoir-faire, celui de l’arrangement, qui était propre aux musiciens de l’époque et que la modernité a progressivement oublié. La vie musicale parisienne dans la première moitié du XIXe siècle fera de cadre historique à la recherche en raison de la centralité que la ville acquiert au cours de la période.

Keyboards Unite

Anne Veinberg

The research is focused on the development of the interaction between a live coder and an acoustic musician with focus on the pianist in particular.

Hyperimpressions

Heloisa Amaral

The relationship between performer and musical work has shifted focus in the last fifty years.