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To enhance the musical capabilities of the piano by expanding the number of pitches available and freeing it from the constraints of tempered tuning.
Problem
- Due to mechanical limitations, a standard piano must use a tempered scale with only 12 notes per musical octave. Many other instruments, as well as the human voice, are capable of producing a much larger number of pitches per octave and a wider range of tunings. * Pianos & Pitch Primer *
- Increasing the number of keys on a piano will make it more difficult to play. This would also require building a new, custom-designed piano.
* Keyboard layout *
- Changing the tuning of the available 12 keys (per octave) is time-consuming and can not be done during performance.
Solution
- Use three pianos--each tuned differently--all networked to a single master control keyboard via a computer interface. The hardware (i.e., acoustic midi player-pianos) already exists and is commercially available. * Diagram of Groven Piano *
- This will triple the available notes per octave (36), while maintaining the same number of keys for the performer (12).
- The computer interface will automatically regulate which piano is being used, thus no additional burden is placed on the pianist during performance. * How it works *
Significance
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Historical: The Groven Piano, named after Norwegian composer Eivind Groven, is the completion of a project begun by him in the 1920s. It is planned to have the Groven Piano operational by 2001 in order to participate in concerts of Groven's works commemorating his centennial. I will be traveling to Norway in 2001 as a Fulbright Scholar to continue and disseminate my research on the Groven Piano Project. * Fulbright *
- Artistic: The Groven Piano will expand the pitch palette of the piano, allowing for more subtle nuances of pitch akin to that experienced by a string quartet or an acappella vocal ensemble. The Groven Piano will be used for performances and recordings which will provide new realizations of major works from the classical piano repertoire (e.g., Bach, Mozart, Beethoven). The use of acoustic pianos (rather than synthesizers) will also make the Groven Piano well-suited for ensemble playing with other instruments.
- Scholarly: The Groven Piano will be capable of reviving historical keyboard tunings and temperaments that pre-date the currently used standard (12-tone equal temperament), re-creating tuning systems used in other musical cultures (e.g., world music), and experimenting with new tuning systems. Demonstrations and recordings which compare various tuning systems side-by-side are expected to have great value for music educators.
- Technological: The Groven Piano represents the continuation of hundreds of years of ongoing development and evolution of piano technology. From a technological perspective alone, the project will be a noteworthy achievement for its integration of computers with acoustic instruments during live-performance. As one of the first uses of a digital network with acoustic instruments, the project has applications which extend well beyond issues of piano temperament. * Media interest *
- Community: The Groven Piano will complement the strong reputation Kalamazoo has established in the piano world as a result of both WMU's award-winning piano faculty and the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival. Several pianists have already expressed a strong interest in performing on and (and possibly recording with) the Groven Piano, including Christopher Taylor, Awadagin Pratt, Cedric Dent, Silvia Roederer, Leslie Tung, David Gross, and Lori Sims. The Gilmore Festival, in particular, would be a likely venue for showcasing the Groven Piano and making it available on an ongoing basis to the international piano community.
