Baby Spin to Superman Reverse Variation

Baby Spin to Superman Reverse Variation

2017

[für MIDI Toypiano und Elektronik]

Eine Auftragskomposition des non piano / toy piano weekend Hamburg. Die Uraufführung spielte Bernhard Fograscher im resonanzraum Hamburg.

Die Baby Spin to Superman Reverse Variation ist eine Kombination aus zwei  Pole Dance – Figuren: Der Baby Spin und der Superman. Im Sinne eines musikalischen Equivalents entstehen in der Komposition Hybridklänge aus unterschiedlichen Klangfarben. So mischt sich in den traditionellen Toypiano-Klang die Klangfarbe eines Konzertflügels. Eine weitere Kombination gibt es beispielsweise zwischen retro 8-bit-Sound und einer typischen Cembalo-Klangfarbe.

Dafür wird das Schoenhut Digital Butterfly MIDI Toy Piano als MIDI-Controller verwendet, dem softwarebasiert Soundbänke hinzugefügt werden. Auf diese Weise gerät das Toypiano in einen Querstand zwischen auditiven und visuellen Erwartungen an das Instrument. Ergänzt wird die musikalische Ebene durch Samples von Pole Dance – Tutorials.

2017

[MIDI toy piano and electronics]

Commissioned by non piano / toy piano weekend. Premiered by Bernhard Fograscher at resonanzraum hamburg.

The Baby Spin to Superman Reverse Variation is a combination of two common Pole Dance moves: The Baby Spin and the Superman. In terms of a musical equivalent to this, the composition Baby Spin to Superman Reverse Variation for the Schoenhut Digital Butterfly MIDI Toy Piano and electronics explores different conditions of tone colour conflations. Appearing as an ordinary toy piano, the Pink Butterfly initially fulfills the usual auditory expectations the audience might have. But during the further process of structural developments the toy piano sound starts spinning around: Corresponding to principles of electronic sound synthesis, the instrument expands the variety of tone colours, merging into hybrid timbres like for instance the toy piano – harpsichord combination or the harpsichord – 8 bit synthesizer combination. Therefore especially those tone colours are mixed up, that consist of similar sound characteristics, like the rather percussive sound character well known from the toy piano and the harpsichord. In contrast to this, the use of a pure piano sound is a reference to the visual appearance of the instrument, looking like a miniature version of a grand piano, only varying in the colour, pink instead of black. The composition is constructed of pentatonic scales and rhythmical patterns as used in traditional Hungarian music. Those are extended through a quotation of a theme tune from a famous superhero movie. Fragments of tutorial instructions are supervising the pianist while trying to cope with the acrobatic challenge of musical translations of the Baby Spin to Superman Reverse Variation.