Pianophilia

musiclife217 wrote:Hello all, just a queston - in Stojowski Op. 42, at the bottom of page 21 at the end of the 10th variation, there is a peculiar instruction for the chord ending the set - is the player to press the keys without playing and then lift the pedal? This is what I was able to gather from the French instruction in footnote. Thanks for sharing this score as well as the others!

It simply says:

"To produce harmonics ("piano flageolet"), press the keys down without sound and
change the pedal immediately afterwards."

In addition to this instruction S. has marked each note of the chord with a circle (O), adopting violin flageolet notation.

The last measures of the Stojowski Op. 42 page 21 are very interesting and something I've never seen before. Thanks to musiclife217 for finding this interesting effect.

Have a look at measures 36-37 of the "Paganini" movement from Schumann's Carnaval. In 1834-35, Robert was already grappling with the notion.

For some extremely advanced mathematical analysis of flageolet harmonics
on stringed instruments, this recent paper might be of interest:-
http://dynamics.mi.fu-berlin.de/preprin ... geolet.pdf

Thanks to pianojay for pointing out that very interesting section of Carnival---I had always wondered exactly what Schumann was trying for there, and from all the recordings I have of this piece, it seems everyone's figured it out except me.

Also thanks to timtin for unearthing the very interesting paper on flageolet harmonics--it is very well done even if exceedingly dense for the non-mathematically inclined, but a lot of useful info can be gleaned from it. During my music schools days the term "flageolet harmonics" was shortened to just "harmonics" and in fact I'd never heard of "flageolet harmonics" until I encountered it here on Pianophilia. Am always happy to be learning new things like this.

stimulating discussion! this is why we do what we do!

fleubis wrote:The last measures of the Stojowski Op. 42 page 21 are very interesting and something I've never seen before. Thanks to musiclife217 for finding this interesting effect.

SCHÖNBERG ( or „fescher Hügel“, as the Austrians use to call him)
Klavierstück op. 11 No. 1, first page:

„Press the keys down silently!
Die Tasten tonlos niederdrücken!
Flag. (Harmonics)“

This device is getting more mileage than I would have expected!

Apart from harmonics, another easy way to radically alter the tone
of a piano is to mute the strings at the bridge, using any suitable
sticky tape (which doesn't leave a residue).
I wonder if there are any pieces in circulation written for this type
of prepared piano?

Timtin wrote:Apart from harmonics, another easy way to radically alter the tone
of a piano is to mute the strings at the bridge, using any suitable
sticky tape (which doesn't leave a residue).
I wonder if there are any pieces in circulation written for this type
of prepared piano?

Here is an excellent example of this: in Thomas Ades' "Still Sorrowing" from 1993. [Blu-Tac is a reusable putty-like pressure-sensitive adhesive.]