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makes the piano string vibrate and creates a sympathetic resonance in the other strings. The location of the bow on the string also creates a dramatic difference in the resulting sound. In works with multiple sound icons, Rădulescu would weave "spider webs of nylon threads of different thickness in between the pianos".
210:
The seminal technique for bowing the sound icon is to use a single horsehair as thin as 0.1 mm in diameter. Rădulescu was preoccupied with "reversing the proportion of the bows and strings" usually found in a violin. He wound the horsehair in a "V" shape around the string. Bowing the horsehair
147:
Rădulescu called his invention a sound icon, because he conceived it while living in
Romania where "religion was only…possible through music". To Rădulescu, the striking image of the grand piano on its side presented the instrument "in a new light; it now resembles a religious object – a
181:
203:. Unlike those instruments, which rely on rosined wheels to stimulate the string, the sound icon is bowed by weaving material between the strings. Rădulescu is reported to have used a variety of materials to both bow and pluck the piano strings, including
225:
In each piece, Rădulescu would work out a very precise tuning for the sound icon to control the timbre of its sympathetic resonance. He called this tuning a "spectral scordatura". Rădulescu compared the droning nature of the sound icon to the Indian
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144:. When the cord is bowed against the string, it creates a unique timbre which has been described as "sounds of an infinite resonance that have no equivalent among other instruments".
363:
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359:
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217:
364:
269:, Op. 31 (1979) ("to the blackbirds' tender look") bass & grand flute, horn in F, soprano, cello, sound icon with 3 players spectral scordatura, and 29 psalteries on tape.
376:
Because of the difficulty of vertically orienting a grand piano, composers often simply write for "bowed piano", using the technique that Rădulescu pioneered. Composers like
132:
Horațiu Rădulescu first conceived of the sound icon in 1965. It consists of a lidless grand piano that has been placed on its side, so that it resembles a harp. Typically,
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The sound icon is played in several ways. The primary technique is to bow the strings, a tradition which dates back to instruments like the
360:
895:
215:
485:
Rădulescu, Horațiu. "Brain and Sound
Resonance: The World of Self-Generative Functions as a Basis of the Spectral Language of Music."
120:
is a grand piano standing on its side. It is primarily played by bowing the strings. It was the invention of
Romanian-French composer
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311:, Op.. 62 (1985) for alto flute, alto saxophone, trombone, sound icon, violin, viola, cello, double bass
542:
502:
Dizzy
Divinity I / Byzantine Prayer / Frenetico Il Longing Di Amare / Capricorn's Nostalgic Crickets II
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842:
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245:, Op. 19 (1972) for harpsichord, sound icon, string quartet, 13 flutes, 19 dancers, 19 reciters.
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have all written for bowed piano. Scott even formed the Bowed Piano
Ensemble. Bands like
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Composer Rica
Narimoto experiments with the sound icon during the writing period at
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299:, Op. 50 (1983/84) for 2 saxophonists (playing 6 instruments) and 2 sound icons
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281:, Op. 43 (1980–81) ("to my mother") for 16 players & taped sound icons
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293:, Op. 47 (1983) ("to Marco di Pasquale") for 16 players with sound icons
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399:
In 2015, the sound icon was assigned as part of the instrumentation at
227:
153:
23:
532:. "Spectral Techniques in Horatiu Radulescu's Second Piano Sonata."
389:
355:
275:, Op. 42 (1980) for 23 flutes or 14 bass flutes and 14 sound icons
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The lowest two strings of the piano played with heavy brass wire.
369:
317:, Op. 63 (1985) for 4 sound icons with or without other soloists
556:
305:, Op. 56 (1984) for bass voice, octobass flute, and sound icon
238:
Horațiu Rădulescu featured sound icon in the following works:
124:, who featured the instrument in several of his pieces.
454:. "'Wild Ocean': An Interview with Horatiu Radulescu".
152:". The name also has a punning connotation because its
419:
Mallet, Franck. "Pythagoras' Dreamings." Liner notes.
341:, Op. 65 (1985) for solo trombone (with sound icons),
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251:, Op. 23b (1976) for 7 psalteries and 5 sound icons
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263:, Op. 24.2 (1980) for 17 players with sound icons
257:, Op. 24.1 (1974) for 17 players with sound icons
523:Horatiu Radulescu, le fonti inudibili del suono
476:. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press.
347:, Op. 83 (1991) for 24 voices and 3 sound icons
156:is "si", the French and Italian syllable for "
568:
8:
335:, Op. 63.11 (2003) for viola and sound icons
16:
329:, Op. 63.5 (1989) for cello and sound icons
323:, Op. 63.3 (1989) for cello and sound icons
594:
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561:
553:
538:, volume 64, issue 252, April 2010. 66–78.
488:Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
287:, Op. 45 (1982) for theorbo and sound icon
439:. Liner notes. Edition RZ, RZ 1007. 1990.
191:Piano bowed with unrosined medium thread.
458:22, nos. 1–2 (March–June 2003. 105–122.
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447:
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431:
429:
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491:, November 2003, Volume 999. 322–363.
7:
896:List of instruments by Harry Partch
526:. Diss. University of Bologna, 1990
14:
1005:Experimental musical instruments
890:Experimental Musical Instruments
584:Experimental musical instruments
22:
243:I H I 19 – Requiem pour l'Azur
1:
423:. Ensemble Polychromie, 1994.
303:Frenetico il longing di amare
1000:Contemporary classical music
396:have also used bowed piano.
339:trombe d'oro della solarità
249:Star webs – musica caelorum
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504:. Liner notes. Adda, 1993.
748:Blackpool High Tide Organ
456:Contemporary Music Review
102:
21:
990:1965 musical instruments
910:Designers of instruments
470:. "Radulescu, Horatiu."
207:as well as gold coins.
642:Long-string instrument
394:Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
373:
222:
192:
177:
848:Electroencephalophone
368:Piano played with an
367:
220:
190:
171:
140:and woven behind the
549:. September 4, 2007.
500:Rădulescu, Horațiu.
437:Clepsydra and Astray
435:Rădulescu, Horațiu.
321:Intimate Rituals III
1020:Romanian inventions
1010:Extended techniques
657:Springtime (guitar)
547:Paris Transatlantic
333:Intimate Rituals XI
18:
843:Electrocardiophone
820:Singing Tesla coil
541:Livingston, Guy. "
473:Grove Music Online
421:Sensual Sky/Iubiri
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327:Intimate Rituals V
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995:Bowed instruments
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838:The Walking Piano
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543:Horatiu Radulescu
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122:Horațiu Rădulescu
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52:Horațiu Rădulescu
32:String instrument
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919:Baschet Brothers
710:Amplified cactus
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315:Intimate Rituals
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136:are rubbed with
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971:Michel Waisvisz
927:Nicolas Collins
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715:Cristal baschet
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667:Viola organista
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512:Further reading
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382:Kirsten Broberg
372:on the strings.
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739:Hydraulophones
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150:Byzantine icon
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39:Classification
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963:Leon Theremin
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955:Luigi Russolo
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685:Friction drum
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468:Toop, Richard
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401:Iron Composer
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386:Stephen Scott
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285:Sound thought
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197:bowed clavier
175:
174:Iron Composer
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142:piano strings
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97:Playing range
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25:
20:
967:Thomas Truax
951:Hans Reichel
947:Harry Partch
939:Yuri Landman
888:
830:Quintephones
803:Plasmaphones
758:
746:
651:
632:Home Swinger
599:Chordophones
546:
533:
530:Gilmore, Bob
521:
518:Brizzi, Aldo
501:
496:
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471:
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455:
452:Gilmore, Bob
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205:fishing line
194:
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131:
117:
115:
959:Adolphe Sax
935:Bart Hopkin
931:Ivor Darreg
794:Whirly tube
779:Folgerphone
690:Lion's roar
647:Moodswinger
378:John Oliver
309:Sensual Sky
261:Alt A Doini
201:hurdy gurdy
134:nylon cords
48:Inventor(s)
984:Categories
923:Ken Butler
901:Floppotron
868:Swarmatron
815:Rijke tube
784:Klaxophone
771:Aerophones
760:Wave Organ
725:Waterphone
702:Idiophones
652:Sound icon
637:Kaisatsuko
591:Gaiaphones
407:References
273:Outer Time
267:Ecou Atins
234:Repertoire
128:Background
118:sound icon
17:Sound icon
858:Mellotron
853:Kraakdoos
810:Pyrophone
754:Sea organ
720:Daxophone
627:Gravikord
291:Clepsydra
164:Technique
58:Developed
873:Theremin
789:Tromboon
617:Fotdella
612:Bazantar
607:Aquavina
392:and the
199:and the
943:Moondog
662:Tritare
345:Vetrata
255:A Doini
228:tanpura
154:acronym
384:, and
352:Legacy
297:Astray
279:Iubiri
77:Attack
67:Volume
43:string
1015:Piano
882:Other
535:Tempo
390:Wilco
176:2015.
138:rosin
87:Decay
370:ebow
91:slow
81:slow
61:1965
965:,
545:",
160:".
107:– C
71:low
986::
969:,
961:,
957:,
953:,
949:,
945:,
941:,
937:,
933:,
929:,
925:,
921:,
917:,
520:.
444:^
428:^
403:.
380:,
230:.
116:A
576:e
569:t
562:v
158:B
109:8
105:0
103:A
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