Prepared Piano Piece 1

Prepared Piano Piece 1

A couple of years back, the London Sinfonietta and the UK-based electronic label Warp Records teamed up to present concerts that linked the work of maverick composers such as Varèse and Reich with orchestrated versions of the big names on Warp’s roster—namely Aphex Twin and Squarepusher. This 2-CD release opens with two tracks from Aphex… Read more »

Written By

NewMusicBox Staff

A couple of years back, the London Sinfonietta and the UK-based electronic label Warp Records teamed up to present concerts that linked the work of maverick composers such as Varèse and Reich with orchestrated versions of the big names on Warp’s roster—namely Aphex Twin and Squarepusher. This 2-CD release opens with two tracks from Aphex Twin which originally appeared on the album drukqs as work scored for MIDI-controlled Yamaha Disklavier. The prepared piano effect, here achieved by laying a chain across the strings of a traditional instrument, is just as compelling as the timbres conjured in the original. Though such electronic-to-acoustic translation is often attempted, it’s a rare achievement for the music not to loose something vital in the transformation.

—MS