All the sounds heard on the tape part are derived from recordings made on various pianos.
As is common practice, the recordings taken would be edited, categorized and transformed. The results would then be assessed and often reworked. I have tried to employ a similar working practice in approaching writing for the piano. Pitch materials were generated using algorithmic procedures on the computer ? often the rules governing these algorithms would be warped in real time in order to instill a sense of gesture into the results. The resulting materials would then be hacked, chopped and parametrically transposed in order to provide a variety of source fragments.
For the source recordings two different pianos were used. The first was a Steinway Grand, and the second was a piano which was no longer needed.
The significance of using a discarded piano for some of the source recordings meant that certain playing techniques could be employed that, on a concert instrument, would be considered antisocial. This avenue of work is as yet incomplete. Therefore the piece heard today should be considered an interim version.
Thanks to Simon Mawhinney for assistance in the preparation of this piece and to Queen?s School of Music for the donation of a piano during the preparation of this piece. Thanks also to Oli Melia and BYCG.