Sanae Yoshida: Mi(my)crotonal piano

Field of study: Artistic Research

Sanae Yoshida explains "microtones" as the sounds between the piano keys, making it universally understandable. This widespread understanding through "piano keys" demonstrates how the 12-tone equal temperament (12-TET) has become standardized as the dominant system.

When 12-TET was introduced, it created a hierarchy where diverse sounds were forced into a rigid system. Other sounds were marginalized and coded into one of the twelve tones, physically embedded in the piano's keyboard. As a result, pianists became subordinate to these physically embedded conditions of the piano.

In this project, Yoshida attempts to dismantle this organizational principle. By deterritorializing these fixed tones and liberating the peripheral sounds now called "microtones," she explores not just the piano's timbral possibilities, but also the interactions that emerge in these spaces - between sounds, between people, between cultures.

Through collaborations with over 30 composers, Yoshida discovered that microtones exist in the "ma" (space) between standardized tones, representing voices that don't fit into established systems. What began as an exploration of piano timbre evolved into an investigation of humanity itself, generating new meanings through ongoing dialogues and discoveries.

The primary aim of this project is to explore and demonstrate how microtonality can expand the expressive possibilities of the acoustic piano. The term microtonal piano refers to a piano that includes intervals not found in the standard 12-tone equal temperament (12-TET), whether achieved through de-tuning, string harmonics, preparations, or other modes of playing.

The project also challenges the dominance of 12-TET, the Western tuning system that already long since colonized the world of music.

Documentation

Through the project, Yoshida has commissioned, premiered and recorded microtonal solo piano works, chamber works and piano concertos written by both Norwegian and international composers. Among the approx. 30 works, it is generally the ones that led her to one of the project’s many turning points that have been selected to constitute the main artistic result.

Sanae Yoshida's project is documented in Research Catalogue.