Ensemble Reconsil - Whatever Shall Be (Music for Toy Instruments and Electronics) (2023)

The first thing you notice about the toy piano is its particular and unusual sound. It also looks rather strange when adults play it. Originally designed and manufactured as a toy for children, it hasn’t been considered by musicians or composers for almost a century until John Cage composed the piece “Suite for Toy Piano” in 1948. This was the turning point for the instrument because since then, it seems to be impossible to imagine new and contemporary music without this instrument.
In 2013, the pianist Isabel Ettenauer and the composer Karlheinz Essl collaborated on a special project. It resulted in the album Whatever Shall Be – Music for Toy Instruments and Electronics, on which the virtuoso Ettenauer interprets pieces on the toy piano, kalimba and jukebox that Essl composed especially for her. He also added electronics to some of the pieces.
On the 10th anniversary of the release, we proudly present the digital version of the album that includes two previously unreleased pieces, namely >Underwood, created in collaboration with Ensemble Reconsil (conducted by Antanina Kalechyts), and Trois Cent Drones. This album also contains the original versions of WebernSpielWerk and Listen Thing, two tracks recently released on the album ORGANO/LOGICS by Karlheinz Essl and Wolfgang Kogert.