Plus or Minus - Version for 2 Pianos: Piano Duo (2 Pianos, 4 Hands)

This work offers advanced pianists an encounter with truly unconventional ensemble writing. Rather than decorative or showpiece writing for two pianos, Tsao creates a genuine partnership where both performers contribute essential layers to a compositional architecture inspired by Stockhausen's radical open-form thinking. It's the kind of piece that shifts how musicians think about what their instrument can express.

Seismic and vast. Single tones float into existence and drift away as if emerging from geological strata, with strange resonances blooming in unexpected places. The two pianos create layers of activity that suggest natural forces and human expression existing simultaneously, creating an otherworldly landscape where the boundary between instrument and environment dissolves.

Advanced pianists seeking repertoire that explores the outer edges of acoustic transformation and ensemble practice. This work demands not just technical security but also a willingness to engage with electronics and spatial sound as compositional partners rather than gimmicks. It serves musicians ready to think beyond traditional concert piano conventions.

• Treat the transducer speaker setup as integral to the score, not supplementary decoration. The electronic transformation of the pianos is where much of the piece's identity lives; collaborate with a sound designer or technician to ensure the speakers are positioned to maximize the spatial resonance Tsao describes.
• Develop independent control over each pianist's material. Because the two piano parts represent distinct layers of activity, resist the impulse to lock into rhythmic unison. Listen for where your line intersects with your partner's, but let each maintain its own internal logic.
• Embrace the slow emergence and disappearance of tones as a compositional strategy. This is not about pedal control alone; it's about releasing notes gradually so that the resonances can develop naturally through the transducers rather than appearing or vanishing abruptly.

This is programming for adventurous venues and audiences open to expanded sound design. Consider pairing it with other works that engage electronics or spatial audio, or position it as a centerpiece for a concert exploring how composers have reimagined acoustic instruments in the 21st century. The 50-minute duration and specialized setup make it a substantial artistic statement on its own.

• Reading and realizing open-form composition and graphic notation
• Coordination and independence between two pianists with distinct musical layers
• Extended piano technique including unconventional tone production and resonance control
• Listening for and shaping acoustic transformation through electronics and spatial design
• Interpreting Stockhausen-influenced compositional thinking and free realization