Prepared piano
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| - | '''Ferrante & Teicher''' were a duo of American piano players, known for their light arrangements of familiar classical pieces, movie soundtracks, and show tunes. | + | A '''prepared piano''' is a [[piano]] that has had its sound altered by placing objects (preparations) between or on the strings or on the hammers or dampers. |
| - | '''[[Arthur Ferrante]]''' (born September 7, 1921, [[New York City]] – September 19, 2009), and '''[[Louis Teicher]]''' (August 24, 1924, [[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania|Wilkes-Barre]], [[Pennsylvania]] – August 3, 2008) met while studying at the [[Juilliard School]] of Music in New York. Musical prodigies, they began performing as a piano duo while still in school. After graduating, they both joined the Juilliard faculty. | + | The idea of altering an instrument's [[timbre]] through the use of external objects has been applied to instruments other than the piano; see, for example, [[prepared guitar]]. |
| - | In 1947, they launched a full-time concert career, at first playing nightclubs, then quickly moving up to playing classical music with orchestral backing. Between 1950 and 1980, they were a major [[United States|American]] easy listening act, and scored four big U.S. hits: "Theme From The Apartment" (Pop #10), "Exodus" (Pop #2), "Tonight" (Pop #8), and "Midnight Cowboy" (Pop #10). They performed and recorded regularly with pops orchestras popular standards by [[George Gershwin]], [[Jerome Kern]], [[Cole Porter]], [[Richard Rodgers]] and others. In 1973, they did the opening theme music for the Rod Serling radio drama series, ''[[The Zero Hour (Rod Serling series)|The Zero Hour]]''. | + | ==In popular music== |
| + | * "[[All Tomorrow's Parties (song)|All Tomorrow's Parties]]" from ''[[The Velvet Underground & Nico]]'' (1967), [[John Cale]] prepared his piano with a chain of [[paper clip]]s. | ||
| + | * [[Denman Maroney]] performs on what he has dubbed hyperpiano, which "involves stopping, sliding, bowing, plucking, striking and strumming the strings with copper bars, aluminum bowls, rubber blocks, plastic boxes and other household objects." | ||
| + | * The [[Noah and the Whale]] song "Our Window" makes use of a piano prepared with "screws, ping pong balls and tooth picks." | ||
| + | * [[Tori Amos]] song "Bells for Her" has her play a prepared piano. | ||
| - | The duo also had a more avant-garde side. They experimented with [[prepared piano]]s, influenced by avant-garde composer [[John Cage]]. By adding paper, sticks, rubber, wood blocks, metal bars, chains, glass, mallets, and other found objects to piano string beds, they were able to produce a variety of bizarre sounds that sometimes resembled percussion instruments, and at other times resulted in special effects that sounded as if they were electronically synthesized. | + | ==See also== |
| - | + | * [[Piano extended technique]] | |
| - | Ferrante and Teicher ceased performing in 1989 and retired in Florida. CDs of their music, some of it not previously released, have continued to appear. | + | * [[Prepared harp]] |
| - | + | ||
| - | Louis Teicher died in 2008, three weeks before his 84th birthday. Arthur Ferrante died on [[September 19]], [[2009]] at 88. | + | |
| - | ==Discography== | + | |
| - | ===The 1950s=== | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | * ''Mississippi Boogie/African Echoes'' (1952) Joe Davis Records | + | |
| - | * ''Piano Playhouse'' (1952) MGM E209 | + | |
| - | * ''Hi-Fireworks'' (1953) Columbia CL-573 | + | |
| - | * ''Can-Can & Me & Juliet'' (1954) Columbia CL-6264 | + | |
| - | * ''Continental Holiday'' (1954) Columbia CL-6291 | + | |
| - | * ''Rhapsody'' (1955) Urania URA-78011 | + | |
| - | * ''[[Rachmaninoff]] Two-Piano Suites'' (1955) Westminster XWN-18059 | + | |
| - | * ''Original Variations for Two Pianos'' (1955) Westminster XWN-18169 | + | |
| - | * ''[[Ravel]]/[[DeBussy]]'' (1955) Westminster XWN-18219 | + | |
| - | * ''Encores!'' (1955) Westminster XWN-18786 | + | |
| - | * ''Postcards From Paris'' (1955) Westminster WP-6001 | + | |
| - | * ''Adventure In Carols'' (1955) Westminster WP-6021 | + | |
| - | * ''Soundproof'' (1956) Westminster WP-6014 | + | |
| - | * ''Soundblast'' (1956) Westminster WP-6041 | + | |
| - | * ''Heavenly Sounds In Hi-Fi'' (1957) ABC ABCS-221 | + | |
| - | * ''Ferrante & Teicher With Percussion'' (1958) ABCS-248 | + | |
| - | * ''Blast Off'' (1959) ABCS-285 (Re-Released in the 1960s under the title ''We Got Rhythm'') | + | |
| - | * ''Play Light Classics'' (1959) ABCS-313 | + | |
| - | * ''Themes From Broadway Shows'' (1959) ABCS-336 | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | ===The 1960s=== | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | * ''Dream Concerto'' (1960) UAS-6103 | + | |
| - | * ''Dynamic Twin Pianos'' (1960) WWS-8504 | + | |
| - | * ''The World's Greatest Themes'' (1960) UAS-6121 | + | |
| - | * ''Latin Pianos'' (1960) UAS-6135 | + | |
| - | * ''Golden Piano Hits'' (1961) WWS-8505 | + | |
| - | * ''Goodbye Again'' OST (1961) UAS-5091 | + | |
| - | * ''Love Themes'' (1961) WWS-8514 | + | |
| - | * ''[[West Side Story]]'' (1961) UAS-6166 | + | |
| - | * ''Tonight!'' (1961) UAS-6171 | + | |
| - | * ''Golden Themes From Motion Pictures'' (1962) UAS-6210 | + | |
| - | * ''Pianos In Paradise'' (1962) UAS-6230 | + | |
| - | * ''Snowbound'' (1962) UAS-6233 | + | |
| - | * ''The Keys To Her Apartment'' (1962) UAS-6247 | + | |
| - | * ''Love Themes From Cleopatra'' (1963) UAS-6290 | + | |
| - | * ''Holiday For Pianos'' (1963) UAS-6298 | + | |
| - | * ''Concert For Lovers'' (1963) UAS-6315 | + | |
| - | * ''Fifty Fabulous Favorites'' (1964)UAS-6343 | + | |
| - | * ''[[My Fair Lady]]'' (1964) UAS-6361 | + | |
| - | * ''The People's Choice'' (1964) UAS-6385 | + | |
| - | * ''Springtime'' (1964) UAS-6406 | + | |
| - | * ''By Popular Demand'' (1965) UAS-6416 | + | |
| - | * ''Only The Best'' (1965) UAS-6434 | + | |
| - | * ''A Rage To Live'' OST (1965) UAS-5130 | + | |
| - | * ''The Ferrante & Teicher Concert-Part 1'' (1965) UAS-6444 | + | |
| - | * ''The Ferrante & Teicher Concert-Part 2'' (1965) UAS-6475 | + | |
| - | * ''For Lovers Of All Ages'' (1966) UAS-6483 | + | |
| - | * ''You Asked For It!''(1966) UAS-6526 | + | |
| - | * ''We Wish You A Merry Christmas'' (1966) UAS-6536 | + | |
| - | * ''Our Golden Favorites'' (1967) UAS-6556 | + | |
| - | * ''A Man & A Woman'' (1967) UAS-6572 | + | |
| - | * ''In the Heat Of The Night'' (1967) UAS-6624 | + | |
| - | * ''Live For Life'' (1967) UAS-6632 | + | |
| - | * ''The Painted Desert'' (1968) UAS-6636 | + | |
| - | * ''A Bouquet Of Hits'' (1968) UAS-6659 | + | |
| - | * ''Love In The Generation Gap'' (1968) UAS-6671 | + | |
| - | * ''Listen To the Movies With Ferrante & Teicher'' (1969) UAS-6701 | + | |
| - | * ''[[Midnight Cowboy]]'' (1969) UAS-6725 | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | ===The 1970s=== | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | * ''Getting Together'' (1970) UAS-5501 | + | |
| - | * ''Love Is A Soft Touch'' (1970) UAS-6771 | + | |
| - | * ''The Best Of Ferrante & Teicher'' (1970) UXS-73 | + | |
| - | * ''The Music Lovers'' (1971) UAS-6792 | + | |
| - | * ''It's Too Late'' (1971) UAS-5531 | + | |
| - | * ''[[Fiddler On The Roof]]'' (1972) UAS-5552 | + | |
| - | * ''Play The Hit Themes'' (1972) UAS-5588 | + | |
| - | * ''Salute Nashville'' (1972) UAS-5645 | + | |
| - | * ''Hear And Now'' (1973) UA-LA018F | + | |
| - | * ''The Roaring Twenties'' (1973) UA-LA072F | + | |
| - | * ''[[Killing Me Softly (Ferrante & Teicher album)|Killing Me Softly]]'' (1974) UA-LA118F | + | |
| - | * ''Dial "M" For Music'' (1974) UA-LA195F | + | |
| - | * ''Greatest Love Themes of the 20th Century'' (1975) UA-LA101-G2 | + | |
| - | * ''In A Soulful Mood'' (1975) UA-LA227G | + | |
| - | * ''Beautiful, Beautiful'' (1975) UA-LA316G | + | |
| - | * ''Body & Soul'' (1975) UA-LA360G | + | |
| - | * ''The Carpenters Songbook'' (1976) UA-LA490G | + | |
| - | * ''Fill the World With Love'' (1976) UA-LA547G | + | |
| - | * ''Spirit Of "'76"'' (1976) UA-LA573G | + | |
| - | * ''Piano Portraits'' (1977) UA-LA585G | + | |
| - | * ''Feelings'' (1977) UA-LA662G | + | |
| - | * ''Rocky & Other Knockouts'' (1977) UA-LA782G | + | |
| - | * ''[[Star Wars]]'' (1978) UA-LA855G | + | |
| - | * ''You Light Up My Life'' (1978) UA-LA908G | + | |
| - | * ''Supermen'' (1979) UA-LA941G | + | |
| - | * ''Classical Disco'' (1979) UA-LA980G | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | ===The 1980s=== | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | * ''30th Anniversary-On Stage'' (1984) Avant-Garde (Bainbridge) AVG-1001 | + | |
| - | * ''A Few Of Our Favorites-On Stage'' (1985) Avant-Garde (Bainbridge) AVG-1002 | + | |
| - | * ''American Fantasy-On Stage'' (1986) Avant-Garde (Bainbridge) AVG-1003 | + | |
| - | * ''Dos Amigos'' (1988) Avant-Garde (Bainbridge) AVG-1004 | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | ===The 1990s=== | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | * ''40th Anniversary-On Stage'' (1992) Avant-Garde (Intersound) AVG-1005 | + | |
| - | * ''All-Time Great Motion Picture Themes'' (1993) 0777-7-98823-2 | + | |
| - | * ''The Ferrante & Teicher Collection'' (1998) Avant-Garde (Varese Sarabande Vintage) AVG-1006 | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | ===2000-=== | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | * ''The [[Sound Of Music]]'' (2000) Avant-Garde/Varese Sarabande Records AVG-1007 | + | |
| - | * ''Denizens Of The Deep'' (2001) Avant-Garde /Varese Sarabande Records 302 066 261 2 | + | |
| - | * ''Can-Can and Me & Juliet/Continental Holiday'' (2001) Sony/Collectables Records CDL-CD-6692 | + | |
| - | * ''Christmas Is So Special'' (2000) 724352905720 | + | |
| - | * ''Great 1970's Motion Picture Themes'' (2001) 72435-30518-2 | + | |
| - | * ''America Forever'' (2002) Avant-Garde/Varese Sarabande Records 302 066 312 2 | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | ===Tracks appear on=== | + | |
| - | * ''Filme, Die Man Nicht Vergisst'' United Artists Records | + | |
| - | * ''Music To Read James Bond By'' United Artists Records | + | |
| - | * ''[[Dusty Fingers]] Volume One'' "Lady Love" Strictly Breaks Records 1997 | + | |
| - | * ''Ultra-Lounge - Christmas Cocktails Part Two'' Capitol Records 1997 | + | |
| - | * ''Ultra-Lounge Vol. 16 - Mondo Hollywood'' Capitol Records 1997 | + | |
| - | * ''The Best Of Blue Juice'' Blue Note 2001 | + | |
| - | * ''Hard To Find Orchestral Instrumentals II'' Eric Records 2003 | + | |
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A prepared piano is a piano that has had its sound altered by placing objects (preparations) between or on the strings or on the hammers or dampers.
The idea of altering an instrument's timbre through the use of external objects has been applied to instruments other than the piano; see, for example, prepared guitar.
[edit]
In popular music
- "All Tomorrow's Parties" from The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967), John Cale prepared his piano with a chain of paper clips.
- Denman Maroney performs on what he has dubbed hyperpiano, which "involves stopping, sliding, bowing, plucking, striking and strumming the strings with copper bars, aluminum bowls, rubber blocks, plastic boxes and other household objects."
- The Noah and the Whale song "Our Window" makes use of a piano prepared with "screws, ping pong balls and tooth picks."
- Tori Amos song "Bells for Her" has her play a prepared piano.
[edit]
See also
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Prepared piano" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
