for selfplaying piano and multichannel electronics
The work investigates the relationship between composed material and real-time interaction. Drawing from Schoenberg’s Op. 19, No. 6 as a sonic foundation, the piece uses granular synthesis, resonant piano bodies, and quadraphonic spatialisation to deconstruct and recontextualise its harmonic language. Musical fragments are stretched, layered, and transformed, producing a shifting acoustic texture.
The technical structure consists of two networked computers: one controlling the Disklavier and the other responsible for the spatial audio environment. The system allows for bidirectional communication between piano and playback, enabling both sides to interact precisely with live audio and fixed media without relying on a clicktrack. Audio coming from speakers placed within the piano gets organically coloured by the instrument’s resonance board, further bridging the gap between live and prepared audio.
Tiefen embraces complexity not as a technical feat, but as a compositional strategy. It invites listeners into an environment shaped by interdependence, where sound moves fluidly between structure and emergence. The piece is less concerned with resolution than with presence, and the unfolding of depth through time.