Instrument
Chordeograph 1
Deconstruction of the piano
Since the invention of the prepared piano by the American composer John Cage, it has been a matter of course for musicians and composers to enrich piano playing through actions inside the instrument. For years the composer and performer Gero Koenig has been systematically rethinking these techniques. This lead to the development of the Chordeograph, a stringed instrument which started out as a modified piano, but which has evolved into a completely new instrument. The Chordeograph’s unique sound world came about through drastic modifications and proprietary developments, going beyond the construction and static tonal system of the piano.
Chordeograph 2
New design with extended sound spectrum
The instrument Chordeograph 2 was developed in order to expand a player’s range of possibilities. Modifications were applied based on the sound spectra of existing string instruments. Achieving the aim of a continuous modulation from broadband noise to single tones required five years of work and the development of two prototypes. The instrument was built according to Koenig's construction plans in cooperation with Bernd Bittmann (instrument construction), Peter Kelemen (bass string manufacture) and the company Metall und Mehr (metal work).
Chordeograph 3
New design for an internet-based concert setting
The resonance body of the Chordeograph 3, like its predecessors, follows one of the most elementary principles of sound production: strings stretched on a large spruce soundboard common to piano construction. The sound spectrum is extended by a resonance-based non-haptic sound generation. The aim of this new development is to create a fully accessible, interactive concert instrument for online concert formats. The development and construction of the instrument is currently being carried out in close cooperation with the piano technician Bernd Alexander Bittmann.
Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine Westfalia and Musikfonds, Berlin.
