Cowell Dynamic Motion

 Day 190

Henry Cowell Dynamic Motion

Chris Brown

Henry Cowell is one of the most well known of the American experimental composers but this is more by repute than by actual experience of his music.  I have heard his piece The Banshee which a piano piece in which the strings are plucked directly by the pianist rather than by the depressing the keys. 

This short piano pieces features Cowell’s characteristic use of clusters - the placing of the arms on the keys to depress a group of notes at a time. I had assumed, because of descriptions of his music, that this would all be at maximum volume but in fact much of it is at a gentle volume.  The music was not unpleasant but once the novelty had worn off  there was not much to recommend it. It sounds like the sort of thing that somebody would sit down at the piano and let his/her fingers (OK arms ) wander idly over the noisy keys.  There’s really nowhere for the composer to go once the novelty has worn off.  

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