Every time they eat a dead man, they can say: one more the State won’t get

Every time they eat a dead man, they can say: one more the State won’t get

for solo piano technician

by Alex Grimes

Every time they eat a dead man, they can say: one more the State won’t get for solo piano technician consists of a set of instructions to disassemble the inner mechanism of a piano. Contact microphones are to be placed on the shell, the soundboard, both bridges, and/or the cast iron frame of the piano. Once the action is removed at least one microphone should be placed near the dampers, as well as a few distributed along the keyframe to pick up vibrations from the mechanism as it is taken apart. These microphones are to be fed into a mixer and output to a few sets of bone conduction headphones (as many as are feasible), which are required to witness the piece. The score is the ordered list of parts to be removed. Parts on the action table are identified by the pitch and register number associated with a given key. The strings and dampers are identified by number, left to right. The strings are identified by number then if necessary by letter to specify unisons. The mechanism is broken down in such a way as to avoid destruction or damage to its constituent parts. The point is not necessarily to destroy the piano but to methodically and carefully take it apart piece by piece. As such, the gestural language is not that of ripping out glued parts but that of unscrewing, a gradual relief of a massive tension. Once the outer layers of the shell (the desk, keyslip, lid, keycover, etc.), and the action are removed, the piece deals with five groups of the mechanism: the dampers (highlighted in yellow) and the strings on the piano casing, and the hammers (green), wippen (blue), and keys (purple) on the action table.

(Diagram of mechanism w/ highlights)
http://www.piano.christophersmit.com/actionDetail.htm
(highlighted grouping is mine)
Mechaism Image

The title refers to endo-cannibalism as practiced by the (now extinct) Atchei Gatu tribe of Paraguay.  The Atchei Gatu ate their dead to protect the living from ove or name or soul of the deceased.   Once the ove has left the body in death it seeks to invade a living body among the tribe through the affects of grieving, which is believed to cause sickness and death.  Because the body is where the ove wants to return, the only way to ward off or control its movements is to disassemble and ingest the body it inhabited in life.  They also liked the taste.

A name that has been used up is abolished... The meaning of cannibalism in a presignifying regime is precisely this: eating the name, a semio-graphy that is fully a part of a semiotic in spite of its relation to content (the relation is an expressive one). It should not be thought that a semiotic of this kind functions by ignorance, repression, or foreclosure of the signifier. On the contrary, it is animated by a keen presentiment of what is to come. It does not need to understand it to fight against it. It is wholly destined by its very segmentarity and poly-vocality to avert the already-present threat: universalizing abstraction, erection of the signifier, circularity of statements, and their correlates, the State apparatus, the instatement of the despot, the priestly caste, the scapegoat, etc. Every time they eat a dead man, they can say: one more the State won't get.
(Deleuze and Guattari, 2006 p.118)

Required items:

  • A grand or baby grand piano (an alternate version can be made for upright piano)
  • At least six contact microphones (basically the more the better)
  • A mixer
  • A few bone conduction transducer headphones
  • A sturdy table positioned opposite the piano to house the keyframe and action mechanism, once removed
Stage Setup
Stage Setup
←
→

1. Remove the desk.
2. (With the top down) Remove the top.
3. Remove the keyboard cover.
4. Remove the keyslip.
5. Remove the keyblocks.
6. Remove the action, place it on the table.
7. Evenly place four contact microphones along the back of the keyframe.
8. If there is an action stack or anything blocking access to the action, remove it.
9. Damper 25
10. Damper 26
11. Damper 70
12. Hammer D6
13. String 25a
14. String 73c
15. Hammer A4
16. Damper 65
17. Damper 51
18. String 85a
19. Hammer B6
20. Damper 62
21. String 83c
22. Damper 27
23. String 70a
24. Hammer A3
25. Hammer Gb7
26. String 75b
27. Hammer Gb1
28. Damper 9
29. Damper 33
30. Damper 57
31. Damper 2
32. Damper 22
33. Damper 63
34. Wippen Gb7
35. String 22a
36. Hammer G4
37. Hammer B2
38. Damper 18
39. Hammer B5
40. Hammer C7
41. Damper 41
42. String 51a
43. String 65b
44. Wippen Gb1
45. Damper 44
46. Damper 17
47. Damper 7
48. String 18a
49. Damper 5
50. Damper 28
51. Hammer Gb6
52. Damper 32
53. Hammer C8
54. Damper 50
55. String 41a
56. Hammer Ab1
57. Damper 53
58. Damper 10
59. Damper 1
60. Damper 43
61. Damper 21
62. String 22b
63. Wippen Gb6
64. Hammer E1
65. Key Gb1
66. Damper 35
67. Hammer G5
68. Damper 42
69. Damper 54
70. String 5
71. Hammer Db1
72. Damper 29
73. Damper 13
74. Damper 19
75. Hammer Ab3
76. Wippen Ab3
77. Damper 23
78. String 85b
79. Wippen C7
80. String 43c
81. String 73a
82. Damper 30
83. Wippen G5
84. Damper 12
85. Hammer Bb3
86. String 83b
87. String 17a
88. Hammer A0
89. Damper 20
90. String 79b
91. String 79a
92. Hammer F2
93. Hammer C6
94. Hammer A6
95. Hammer E6
96. Hammer Ab2
97. String 86a
98. String 50a
99. String 42c

100. Damper 45
101. String 53a
102. String 42a
103. String 44a
104. Key G5
105. Damper 52
106. Wippen Db1
107. Hammer B0
108. String 13b
109. Damper 64
110. Damper 15
111. String 18b
112. String 52c
113. Wippen F2
114. Wippen Ab2
115. String 2
116. Key F2
117. String 88a
118. Damper 4
119. Damper 11
120. String 32c
121. Damper 39
122. Damper 60
123. Hammer Bb1
124. String 76c
125. Hammer Bb6
126. String 63b
127. String 57a
128. String 73b
129. String 15b
130. String 9
131. Hammer G6
132. Damper 68
133. Hammer E3
134. Damper 3
135. Hammer Eb7
136. String 77b
137. String 21b
138. String 32b
139. Wippen A0
140. Wippen Eb7
141. String 57c
142. Damper 40
143. String 12b
144. Key Gb7
145. Hammer B1
146. Hammer F4
147. String 23a
148. String 26a
149. Damper 59
150. Damper 14
151. Hammer C5
152. Hammer Db6
153. Wippen A6
154. String 75a
155. String 14a
156. String 50c
157. Wippen B2
158. String 27b
159. Damper 66
160. Hammer G7
161. Key B2
162. Hammer C4
163. String 35a
164. String 87a
165. Damper 31
166. String 17b
167. Wippen G4
168. String 10
169. String 62a
170. Wippen A3
171. Hammer D5
172. String 31a
173. String 68b
174. String 30c
175. Damper 47
176. Hammer E7
177. String 14b
178. Hammer Eb2
179. Wippen D5
180. String 7
181. Damper 6
182. String 27a
183. String 28a
184. Wippen C5
185. Key A0
186. String 74a
187. Hammer Ab7
188. String 84c
189. Hammer B3
190. Hammer B4
191. String 60b
192. Damper 69
193. Hammer F3
194. Hammer C3
195. String 82a
196. String 6
197. String 88b
198. Hammer Bb7
199. Hammer Eb4
200. Hammer Gb4
201. Key D5

201. Key D5
202. Hammer A2
203. Damper 34
204. Wippen C8
205. Hammer A5
206. Hammer Ab6
207. String 20b
208. String 25b
209. Hammer F6
210. Key A3
211. Wippen A4
212. String 33a
213. String 30b
214. Hammer Db5
215. Key A6
216. Hammer E2
217. Damper 24
218. Key Gb6
219. Hammer Eb1
220. Damper 61
221. Wippen Gb4
222. Wippen C3
223. Wippen Db6
224. String 44b
225. Wippen Bb6
226. Wippen Db5
227. Wippen Ab1
228. String 13a
229. String 53c
230. Wippen C6
231. Hammer F1
232. Hammer Db2
233. String 21a
234. Wippen B4
235. Key C7
236. String 4
237. String 74b
238. Hammer Db7
239. Wippen B5
240. String 78a
241. Hammer D3
242. Key Db5
243. String 32a
244. Key G4
245. String 83a
246. Wippen E3
247. Wippen B0
248. String 51b
249. Key C3
250. Wippen B6
251. Key B6
252. Hammer Bb2
253. String 28b
254. Wippen Bb3
255. String 72a
256. String 41b
257. Wippen Eb4
258. Key B5
259. Wippen A2
260. String 47c
261. Hammer E5
262. Key Db1
263. Hammer C1
264. Wippen G6
265. Hammer Eb3
266. Key Bb3
267. String 34a
268. Damper 48
269. String 34b
270. Wippen B3
271. Wippen Bb2
272. Wippen G7
273. String 82b
274. Wippen D3
275. String 88c
276. String 71a
277. String 20a
278. String 39c
279. Wippen F3
280. Key C5
281. Wippen C1
282. Hammer Eb6
283. String 31c
284. Hammer Eb5
285. Hammer G1
286. Key Eb4
287. Wippen G1
288. String 19a
289. Wippen Eb5
290. String 31b
291. Key G1
292. Hammer Gb2
293. String 72c
294. Key Ab3
295. String 80b
296. String 35c
297. Wippen Bb7
298. String 84a
299. String 68a
300. String 15a
301. Key B4
302. String 30a
303. Key Eb5
304. String 33b
305. Hammer Db3

306. String 40c
307. Damper 16
308. Hammer A7
309. String 79c
310. String 72b
311. Wippen D6
312. Wippen Eb1
313. String 84b
314. Hammer E4
315. String 29c
316. Hammer G2
317. Wippen Db7
318. Wippen Eb2
319. Damper 8
320. Hammer Bb4
321. Hammer Gb5
322. Wippen Ab7
323. String 19b
324. String 29b
325. String 12a
326. String 26b
327. Wippen Db3
328. Hammer Ab4
329. Key Bb6
330. String 80a
331. Key A4
332. Hammer G3
333. Wippen Bb4
334. Wippen E5
335. Wippen F1
336. String 24b
337. String 42b
338. Hammer B7
339. String 85c
340. Wippen F6
341. Wippen E6
342. String 3
343. Damper 37
344. Key Gb4
345. String 86b
346. String 41c
347. Wippen E7
348. Key A2
349. Wippen G3
350. String 8
351. Hammer F5
352. String 24a
353. String 60a
354. Key Db3
355. Key Eb7
356. String 11a
357. String 77c
358. String 11b
359. String 69a
360. String 53b
361. Wippen Bb1
362. Key Bb4
363. Key Db7
364. String 33c
365. Wippen Gb5
366. Wippen Ab6
367. Wippen Eb6
368. Hammer D1
369. Key Gb5
370. String 45c
371. String 16a
372. String 45b
373. String 74c
374. Key Eb6
375. String 75c
376. Key B3
377. Wippen A7
378. Hammer Bb0
379. String 43a
380. Wippen C4
381. String 43b
382. Key E6
383. String 16b
384. String 23b
385. Wippen E1
386. String 86c
387. String 66a
388. String 29a
389. String 1
390. String 71b
391. Wippen D1
392. String 52b
393. Wippen G2
394. Key C8
395. String 87b
396. String 87c
397. String 76a
398. String 45a
399. Wippen A5
400. String 80c
401. Damper 38
402. String 34c
403. Wippen Db2
404. String 82c
405. Key D3
406. String 40b
407. Key Ab6
408. Wippen Ab4
409. Key A5
410. Key F6
411. Key D1
412. Key E7
413. String 38a
414. Damper 49
415. Key Eb2
416. Hammer D2

416. Hammer D2
417. Hammer Ab5
418. Key E5
419. String 78c
420. String 35b
421. String 81b
422. Damper 36
423. Key Ab2
424. String 36b
425. String 47b
426. String 78b
427. Wippen F5
428. Key Bb2
429. Damper 46
430. Key G6
431. Hammer Gb3
432. String 54c
433. Key Eb1
434. Wippen D2
435. Wippen B1
436. String 81a
437. String 71c
438. Hammer D4
439. Wippen E2
440. Key E1
441. String 64c
442. String 70c
443. String 64a
444. String 81c
445. Key F3
446. String 36c
447. Wippen B7
448. Key C4
449. Hammer Db4
450. String 70b
451. String 46b
452. Key D6
453. String 39a
454. String 77a
455. Damper 58
456. String 52a
457. Hammer D7
458. String 36a
459. String 76b
460. String 37b
461. String 37a
462. Key G2
463. Wippen E4
464. Wippen D7
465. Key F5
466. String 37c
467. Wippen F4
468. Key D7
469. String 38c
470. Wippen Ab5
471. Key F1
472. String 38b
473. String 39b
474. Hammer F7
475. Wippen F7
476. Wippen Eb3
477. Key E2
478. Key C1
479. Key Ab1
480. String 64b
481. String 69c
482. String 44c
483. String 63a
484. Key F7
485. String 40a
486. String 46a
487. String 69b
488. Hammer A1
489. String 46c
490. Wippen Gb2
491. String 51c
492. Wippen Bb0
493. String 54a
494. Key Ab7
495. String 68c
496. String 47a
497. String 63c
498. Key Ab4
499. Hammer Bb5
500. String 49a
501. Key Eb3
502. String 54b
503. Key G7
504. Key Ab5
505. Damper 56
506. Key C6
507. Key G3
508. String 59b
509. String 48a
510. Damper 55
511. String 49b
512. Damper 67
513. String 60c
514. Key Bb1
515. Hammer C2
516. Key E3
517. Wippen A1

518. Key B0
519. Key Bb0
520. String 48b
521. String 67b
522. String 67c
523. Key A1
524. String 49c
525. Wippen Db4
526. Wippen Gb3
527. Key F4
528. String 59a
529. Wippen Bb5
530. String 67a
531. String 48c
532. Key Db6
533. Key Db4
534. String 57b
535. Key B1
536. Key B7
537. Wippen C2
538. Key Bb5
539. String 50b
540. Key A7
541. Key C2
542. String 55a
543. String 66c
544. String 56b
545. String 65a
546. String 62c
547. Key Gb3
548. String 55c
549. String 65c
550. String 66b
551. Wippen D4
552. Key Bb7
553. String 56a
554. String 62b
555. String 61c
556. String 55b
557. Key Db2
558. String 56c
559. String 58b
560. String 59c
561. String 61b
562. Key D2
563. String 61a
564. Key E4
565. Key Gb2
566. String 58a
567. String 58c
568. Key D4
569. If any parts have slipped through
the cracks and remain, remove them.
570. Thank the audience and inform them
that the piece has finished.

Reference list:

Deleuze, G., & Guattari, F. (2005). A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia. (B. Massumi, Trans.) Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.