For People Inside Electronics and Nic Gerpe

88 MPHfor magnetic resonator piano

Alexander Elliott Miller

88 MPH (2015), magnetic resonator pianoAlexander Elliott Miller

7 Minutes

Magnetic Resonator Piano created by Andrew McPherson.Commissioned by People Inside Electronics and Nic Gerpe, piano.

PROGRAM NOTES

At some point after being invited to write for the Magnetic Resonator Piano, I formed a fun connection in my head between the device and the time machine from Back to the Future. It started as a joke at a party, and then the joke stuck. Among the reasons for the image not going away: both the MRP and the Flux Capacitor are adapters that modify a traditional object (Grand Piano / DeLorean) giving that object amazing new powers, and both are ingenious inventions with a mad scientist behind them, and strange wires and electrodes protruding wildly from them. And then there are the numbers: 2015 being the year this piece was written and premiered, as well as the "future" year of Doc and Marty's travels, and lastly, the number 88, representing both the speed at which time travel takes place, and the number of keys on the piano.

My intention has been to use the powers of the MRP to evoke the playful spirit and fun of the Back to the Future movies, with only a few veiled quotations of Alan Silvestri's score, along with, perhaps, a few distant echoes of Marty McFly's take on Chuck Berry. My thanks to Nic Gerpe for his invitation to write "88 MPH", People Inside Electronics for their amazing concert series, and Andrew McPherson, for his wondrous invention that is certain to take us all to an amazing musical and artistic future.

BIO

Alexander Elliott Miller is a composer, guitarist and educator whose music has been described as "wild....unearthly...lyrical...a voice worth listening to" (San Francisco Classical Voice) and "deceptively laid back...inventive....unconventional" (Mark Swed, LA Times).   His compositions have been performed by Grammy-nominated musicians including Tony Arnold, Vicki Ray, Aron Kallay and the Los Angeles Percussion Quartet, and ensembles including Earplay New Chamber Music and the Boston New Music Initiative.  Miller has collaborated, either as a composer or electric guitarist, with organizations including the Hear Now Festival, Carlsbad Music Festival, Long Beach Opera, People Inside Electronics, and received honors including an Earplay Donald Aird Composers Award and a MacDowell Fellowship.  

Currently, he teaches theory and composition at California State University Long Beach and Chapman University.  He holds degrees from USC, Eastman and the University of Colorado at Boulder.  

ABOUT THE MAGNETIC RESONATOR PIANO (notes by Andrew McPherson)

Created by London-based composer-researcher Andrew McPherson, the Magnetic Resonator Piano is a hybrid acoustic-electronic instrument which augments the capabilities of the traditional piano. Electromagnets inside the instrument induce the strings to vibration, creating infinite sustain, crescendos from silence, harmonics, pitch bends and new timbres. Sensors on the keyboard record the continuous position of every key. The instrument is played with an extended performance technique that includes partial key presses, light taps and sweeps, vibrato and variable pressure into the key bed. The magnetic resonator piano has been used in performances worldwide by over a dozen composers, including in recent projects with the London Chamber Orchestra and the band These New Puritans.

88 MPH Dress RehearsalHarvey Mudd College, April 17th, 2015Pictured: Andrew McPherson, Nic Gerpe and Isaac Schankler. 


Performance NotesThe Magnetic Resonator Piano (“MRP”) is an augmentation of the traditional grand piano. The instrument is a piano capable of performing with any traditional pianistic technique, but with added capabilities. No speakers are used; while electronics are a part of the MRP, all sound is acoustic, coming from the piano strings themselves.

The following list shows the new techniques made possible by the MRP, and their notation in this score.

1. Niente AttackAn n symbol followed by a crescendo indicates a niente attack, created by silently depressing the piano keys without allowing the hammers to strike. The MRP will detect the depressed keys and begin vibrating the keys magnetically.

2. Harmonic GlissandoA special effect on the MRP can be created by performing a light tremolo motion on one key without allowing the hammers to strike the strings. This motion will be detected an introduce a “shimmering” glissando up the harmonic series of the pitch being played.

The following example, from the very beginning of the work, illustrates the first two techniques:

3. Dynamic SwellThe MRP enables a pianist to control the dynamics of a pitch after its initial attack. Dynamic swells, an effect impossible on a traditional piano, are possible with the MRP and are notated with simple crescendos and diminuendos. These swells may be created in one of two ways on the instrument: either by increasing press on the keys (less effective on black keys) or with a volume pedal.

4. Niente GlissandoAn interesting effect can be created by performing a very quiet glissando on the white keys - where the keys are so lightly depressed that the hammers, again, do not strike the strings. The sustain pedal must be depressed through such passages. If so, the magnets will begin vibrating the strings lightly, and the pedal will allow those vibrations to ring. These effects are notated in the score with the indication “n gliss.”

The final effects are traditional extended playing techniques for the piano not related to the MRP.

5. BrushingIn the middle passage of the work, the pianist is asked to quickly brush the strings with a finger nail near the hammers in an approximate range at a specified rhythm. These passages begin with the notation “brush” and always appear as x-noteheads.

6. PreparationsThe notes F#2, G#2 and A2 are prepared throughout the work, muted with a strong substance such as erasers, or a felt covered piano tuner’s wedge. The pitches should be muted near the end of either length of the string, so as to produce a dry, secco sound without significant higher harmonics. These pitches have staccato dots throughout the score.

&

&

89

89Piano

wwwU

∑n

Ped.

p

No Meter wwwU

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wwwU

wUn p

Jœœœ

wU

(activate harmonic gliss.)

&?

89

8943

43

5 ∑‰ . rœ œ œb œ .œ .œ œ œ œ œ

3

œn œ œ œ œ Jœ œπ

q = 60 ‰ . rœ œ œb œ .œ .œ œ œ œ œ3

œn œ œ œ œ Jœ œp

&?

43

4344

44

7 ‰ . rœ œ œ œ .œœn œ ˙

∑

rit. ˙ ˙

∑π

&?

89

89

9 wwwbb U

∑ &n p

No Meter wwwU

www#nn U ?n p

wwwU

wnUn p

∑

wU

(activate harmonic gliss.)

© 2015 Alexander Elliott Miller

For Nic Gerpe and People Inside Electronics88 MPH

(after Alan Silvestri, Chuck Berry and Marty McFly)for magnetic resonator piano

Alexander Elliott Miller

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89

8943

43

13 ∑‰ . rœb œ œb œ .œ .œ œ œ œ œb

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œn œ œ œ œ Jœ œp

&?

43

4344

44

15 ‰ . rœb œ œ œ .œœn œ ˙

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44

4442

421/2

28 ‰ jœœœ#ggg œœ œœ ...œœœgggggggggggœœ œœ œœ

˙ œ œ œf

(energetic 4ths vaguely recalling openingriffs of Chuck Berry's "Johnnie B. Goode.")

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Jœ .œb Jœ .œ

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Jœ .œb œ Œ

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4344

44◊

33

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4442

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37 œ œ œ œ> œ

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87

87

40 wwwwbnb>

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˙b ˙

∑

œb . œ. œ. œ œb œ.p

(Ped.)

(in this passage, keep the pedal down. The staccatos are created by preparations in the piano on notes Gb2, Ab2 and A2. These staccato notes, muted by erasers, should be allowed to "resonate" inside the piano. ∑

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44 ∑

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∑

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47 ∑

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50 . .. .. .˙̇̇bbb

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p

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4

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83

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54 . .. .. .˙˙˙bb

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62

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. .. .. .˙˙˙

œb . œ. œ. œ. œ. œ œb œ.F

&?

83

8344

4487

87

66 . .. .. .˙˙˙

œb . œ. œ. œ. œ. œ œb œ.

∑

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wwb

œb . œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ.p sub.n p

wwwbbb

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87

8744

4487

8744

44

70

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œ# . œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ.

brush strings swiftly inside piano

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5

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44

4442

4244

44

√

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q = 132

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44

4487

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87

8744

4487

87

78 ∑

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87

8745

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81 . .. .. .˙˙˙bb

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87

8744

4483

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43

83 . .. .. .˙̇˙bb

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43

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44

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87

8744

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∑

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&?

44

4487

8742

4244

44

95 wwb

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P f˙˙˙̇

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44

4442

4287

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42

98

˙# ˙˙# ˙̇˙˙##3

‰ jœ# . œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ.w#P f

(freely)

˙̇˙˙

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P f

7

&?

42

4244

4442

4287

87

101 œœœœ œ

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F

&?

87

8742

4244

44

104 ˙˙˙̇nnn# ....œœœœ‰ jœ# . œ. œ. œ. œ œ# œ.. .˙

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p ˙˙˙˙˙ ˙̇˙˙#3

‰ jœ# . œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ.w#f

&?

107

wwwwn

œn > œ œ> œ œ> œ œ> œp

wwww

œ> œ œ œ> œ œ œ> œf

wwww

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œp

poco rit.

&?

87

8744

4489

89

110 Ó ˙̇̇̇n##U

Óu

˙̇̇#ggggggggggggg uw#

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U

Óu

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F p

&?

89

8944

44

113 ‰ . rœb œ œb œ .œ .œ œ œ œ œ3

œn œn œ œ œ Jœ œ &

q = 60

p‰ . Rœb œ œb œ .œ .œ .œ

œn œ œ œ œ Jœ œ ?

8

&?

44

44

115 œggggggggggggggggggggggg

Uœb œb œ œ œ3 3wwwbb

w#&

πœ œb œb œ œ œ

3 3

œ œb œ# œn œ œ3 3

∏

No Meter

‘

‘accel.

&

&

118 œ œb œb œ œ œ6

œ œb œ# œn œ œ6

rit.( ∏ )

(Ped.)

‘

‘

‘

‘

U̇

u̇

&?

◊

122

˜Ũn gliss.(approximate pitches)

œ œb œ# œ œ œ ˙U6

˜ũn gliss.

(sim.)

&?

42

42

125

œ œb œ# œ œ œ ˙U6loco

Œ˜

˜n gliss.

&?

42

4244

44◊

127 Œ œ œb œ# œ œ œ6?

œ œb œ# œ œ œ œ6

q = 132

ploco

œ œ œb œ#œ œ œ

6

œ œb œ# œ œ œ œ6loco

œ œ œb œ# œ œ œ6

&

œ œb œ# œ œ œ œ6

9

&?

44

441/2

130 ‰ jœœœ#ggg œœ œœjœœœggggggggggg

œœ jœœœ˙ .œ

Jœœgggggggggggg

f f˙˙̇

˜

˙̇˜

n gliss.

&?

1/2

132 ‰ jœœœ#ggg œœ œœjœœœggg œœ jœœggggggggggg˙ .œ Jœœn

f f˙̇

˜

˙̇˜

n gliss.

&?

42

421/2

134 ‰ jœœœ#ggg œœ œœ ...œœœgggggggggggœœ œœ œœ

˙ œ œ œf‰ Jœœœbbggggggggg

œœ œœ œœœ œœœb œœœJœ .œb Jœ .œ

&?

42

4244

441/2

136˜

˜n gliss.

‰ jœœœ#ggg œœ œœ ...œœœgggggggggggœœ œœ œœ

˙ œ œ œf‰ Jœœœbbggggggggggg

œœ œœ œœœb œœ œœœœ###n

Jœ .œb œ Œ

&?

42

4243

4383

83◊

139

Jœœœœnnnb > ‰ ‰ J

œœœœ> Œ Jœœœœ> ‰

‰ jœn flŒ jœfl

‰ ‰ jœfl

‰ Jœœœœb > Œ

Œ œ> œ œ

œœœœ### > œœœœ œœœœ#### > œœœœœœœœnnnn >

œn > œ> œ>10

&?

83

8344

44(◊)

142 ....œœœœ## >

‰ œ# >

....œœœœ## >

‰ œ# >

....œœœœ## >

‰ œ#> œ#jœ

loco

....œœœœ## >

‰ œ# > œ# Jœ &

....œœœœ## >

‰ œ# > œ#jœ

&

&

44

44 Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

147 œ> œ# œ œ# œ> œ œ œ œ> œ œ œ œ> œ œ œ

˙#> œ ¿(gliss up from any low note)

>̇ >̇

Œ>̇ œ>

(wild glissandos - picture the flashes of light as the DeLorean begins time travel)

Î

&

&

149

>̇ >̇

 >̇

œ>

>̇ >̇

 >̇ œ>

œ> >̇œ

‰.œ> œ>

Œn gliss. sub.

&

&

152  ˜ œ

˜ ˜Œ

>̇œ>

‰.œ> >̇Î

sub.

‰.œ> œ>

Œœ> >̇

œn gliss. sub.

&

&

155

˜ ˜

 ˜ œ

‰.œ> >̇

 .>̇

?Î

sub.

œb œ# œ3

‰ jœ œb œ# œœ

Œw#

rit.

p

11

&?

158 œ œb œ# œ œ œb œ œ œ œœœœbnb-

3 3

.˙ œ# -

wwwwbbb-

wn -

F

q = 60 wwww

w

p

&?

161 ∑U

‰ . rœ œ œœb ..œœU œ œ œ3

œ œ ..˙̇u

p F p‰ . rœ œ œœb ˙̇

U

œn œ œœ ..œœU œ œb œ3

&F p

&

&

√163

wwwbbb

˙ ˙˙˙bbn

n

Pwwwbb

www ?P

n P ˜U ˙̇̇̇# -

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pn gliss.wwwwb#

w-

P

&?

167 wwww

w

p∑U

‰ . rœb œ œœb ..œœU œ œ œb3

œ œ ..˙̇u

p F p‰ . rœb œ œœb ˙̇

U

œn œ œœ ..œœU œb œb œb3

&F p

&

&

√ √170

www

˙ ˙˙˙#n

n

Pwww#

www P

n P˜

n gliss.

(release pedal silently on downbeat)

J¿.

‰ Œ ÓU

∑U

12