Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla are two Puerto Rico-based artists that do not play the piano. Hence, when they came up with the idea of cutting a hole in an antique Bechstein grand, it seemed like a perfectly reasonable request to make of the world’s leading piano restorers. However, they soon discovered that the piano, in the world of music, seems to be a rather sacred instrument.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/an-insiders-guide-to-the-piano/story-e6frg8n6-1226516092640
“It actually took quite a while to find somebody willing to do it. The idea of making a hole in a piano to these piano restorers – people who spend their lives bringing these instruments (back to life) – was quite shocking,” stated Jennifer.
Eventually, the pair managed to find an expert in Berlin who accepted the task of removing the 120-year-old instrument’s middle two octaves and cutting a circle through the instrument’s core. By doing so, this would allow a pianist to stand within the frame of the piano and play the instrument from top-down. In another sense, this would mean playing the piano effectively upside down and in reverse.
The result of this bold move was Stop, Repair, Prepare … Variations on Ode to Joy for a Prepared Piano, a performance work that premiered in Munich, Germany in 2008. Since then, it has been performed at galleries around the world, one of which is the New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Come Friday, this work will be premiering in Australia at Melbourne’s State Library of Victoria. The work is the 26th Kaldor Public Art Project, which was established in 1969 by its philanthropic namesake. A total of six pianists will rotate among themselves to perform the famous fourth movement from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (Ode to Joy) on an hourly basis every day in the library’s Cowen Gallery until December 6.
As the piano is missing its middle register, the piece will be purposefully modified. Each pianist had to modify the score and choreograph the work themselves. “The piece sounds recognisable, but also there is something a little bit off. The pianist plays the music from within; they are inside the music, and they are literally pushing it into a new space. Taking the piano and the music on a journey,” explained Guillermo. Beethoven’s Ninth is one of the most popular pieces in the classical canon. It has been used as a propaganda tool in Hitler’s Germany and more recently, as the EU’s anthem. This shows what a rich history this piece has, making it a notion that is embraced by the artists. For the full story, you can read it here.
If you are looking for Piano Lessons in Singapore, feel free to check out our website today!