Michael R. Anderson
Right before Halloween was the perfect time for UW-Madison pianist Christopher Taylor to unveil his invention, which his students have dubbed “Frankenpiano.”
Taylor prefers the term “hyperpiano.” But no matter what you call it, there were tricks as well as treats at the Oct. 28 concert at Mills Hall, where Taylor performed Bach’s 1741 “Goldberg Variations” on his whimsical invention.
Like the mad scientist’s monster, the creation at times turned on its master. But that added a new level of enjoyment for the delighted audience of more than 660, who gave Taylor a standing ovation.
Of course, Taylor can play perfectly. He’s been dubbed a genius and lauded nationally for his performances of “The Goldberg Variations,” named for Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, a virtuoso on two-keyboard harpsichord.
Michael R. Anderson
Taylor has toured with the school’s one-of-a-kind Steinway Moor Piano, which features two keyboards. That instrument’s limitations led to his hands-on creation of software and hardware to play two pianos at the same time.
The hyperpiano consists of two widely spaced grand pianos and an electronic two-keyboard spinet down front, all connected.
In front of each grand, a sort of upside-down “L” stands like a thin lunch counter. On top, in a riot of wires set over the keyboard, are two rows of plungers, rising and falling like engine cylinders as they press the keys.
Musically, the most striking and easily overlooked result was the wide spacing of two pianos played by the same hands, creating a rich super-stereo, as if it were a piano orchestra.
There were glitches, which the audience took in good humor. In performance, Taylor hunched, swinging hips and shoulders, snakelike. When a stuttering key or keyboard went mute, his intense concentration was broken. Down on two knees, he toggled switches and returned to the keyboard with the same degree of concentration and emotion.
Far more interesting than icy perfection.
