The Carrillo 1/16 Tone Piano

This, which at first glance looks like a normal piano (click the image to enlarge), is actually tuned to 16ths of a tone.

Yes. Instead of the normal two semitones, there are 16 subdivisions. Consequently, between a C and a C#, which are usually adjacent, here we find 7 keys.

This is evident by enlarging (clicking) the image on the right, where you can clearly see the interval between an F (f) and an F# (fis).

This microtonal instrument was built by Sauter, drawing on the theories of Mexican Julian Carrillo (1875–1965), who began researching microtonal tuning in 1895. In 1925, he developed a notation system and founded an ensemble that performed microtonal pieces with Stokowski, with whom he toured in the 1930s.

In 1940, after filing patents for at least 15 microtonal pianos, he contacted Sauter, who built him some prototypes, which he presented at the 1958 Brussels Expo. Today, two of his pianos, tuned to 1/3 and 1/16 of a tone, are at the Paris Conservatory. Others are in Nice and Mexico City.

The 1/16 piano is tuned so that the interval of a fifth corresponds to a semitone. Consequently, the entire keyboard covers about an octave, which is certainly a limitation. It would be interesting to imagine a group of 6/8 instruments of this type tuned to different octaves (but I shudder to imagine the craftsmanship of the tuner).

The sound can be heard on a record from which I present two excerpts. In the first, the instrument's uniqueness is immediately evident. It's worth mentioning that, when I listened to it without knowing anything about it, I immediately thought of a digitally processed piano, and it seemed sonically interesting. Only when I got the record did I realize it was actually a natural instrument. The second, however, doesn't immediately focus on the sound effect. At the first note, it sounds like a normal piano, but, after a few chords, anyone with a musical ear wonders what the hell is going on (it's a bit disconcerting, actually).

The disc is titled The Carrillo 1/16 Tone Piano (zeitklang edition, it can be found e.g. at Naxos Music Library or a ClassicsOnline)

Flammer Ernest Helmuth – Klavierstuck VIII (Martine Joste, microtonal piano)
Kilchenmann Marc – Vertrautheitsselig Auf Eis (Dominik Blum, microtonal piano)

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