Worlds Within for two pianos.
Review from Percussive Notes (2022):
There is an age-old question in our profession: is the piano a percussion instrument? Some say “yes” on the basis that hammers strike strings inside the instrument. Others say “no,” saying that it belongs in the string family. This piece by Dennis Anderson serves as an exhibit for the percussion argument. Although it is technically a piano duet, the required use of drumsticks, brushes, and mallets on the strings make it suitable for percussionists to perform, as well as trained pianists.
“Worlds Within” is a 12-minute contemporary work for two prepared pianos. Thankfully, Anderson does not go to the lengths of John Cage when preparing pianos for this piece. Here, one piano merely needs some erasers stuck between certain strings to create harmonics, and the other needs six “piano bows” weaved into certain ranges of strings. It also requires several percussion implements to be used. Along with those mentioned above, the players will need triangle beaters, a pocket comb, and a steel guitar slide.
The piece is printed on a 48-page score of graphic notation, each page representing roughly 15 seconds of music. As such, one of the challenges of this work is having help with the page turns, unless the duo intends on flexing their memorization skills.
The first two-thirds of the piece is an exploration of sound possibilities starting within the piano. This exploration gradually moves away from the strings directly to playing clusters of varying sizes and indistinct chords on either white or black keys, as described by the instructions. The penultimate section sees the use of the prepared elements, with one piano reading classic notation in the eraser-muted range of the piano, and the other performer bowing the indicated ranges of their instrument. Interspersed within this softer music are occasional startling strikes of large bamboo sticks and a glass box done within the pianos, creating an eerie resonance to accompany the already-eerie sounds of the altered instruments. The last 90 seconds revisit the use of clusters that dissipate over time. Eventually, only pointillistic tinkles on the high range of each piano are played, which sneak away until nothingness prevails.
This is an interesting work that will be intriguing to see performed. The logistics of the performance, including the possible need of highly trained page-turners, will be one of the most notable challenges of tackling this performance. However, for those looking to scratch that avant-garde itch, “Worlds Within” comes highly recommended.
—Kyle Cherwinski
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