Many people try to play sheet music on the piano, but what about trying to play a drawing on the piano? The idea seems bizarre at first, but it’s central to a movement that began in the 1950s, where composers created “graphic scores” instead of typical sheet music. These graphic musical scores attempt to represent the music with visual symbols that are foreign to traditional Western notation. Above, we see John De Cesare’s graphic interpretation of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. The piece is striking and colorful, created with colored pencil and graphite on cream-colored paper… More at Cooper Hewitt.

This may not mean much to you, but it is striking.

Categories: Music