I used non-harmonic, abstract sounds in several compositions to ‘announce’ sonically a serious cultural atmosphere, for example a set of words in Sydney language, or a particular piano sound that comprises a special bi-tonal sonority. The abstract sounds set an atmosphere of sound that is different to the European tempered system. For me, these sounds depict the age and size of Australia’s natural environments and also the deep unlocking of emotions experienced in many non- Indigenous Australians when a meaningful cultural exchange occurs between themselves and the first peoples, with an awe-inspiring simplicity and generosity. The Stuart piano sound is able to produce sustained abstract non-harmonic sounds whilst phrases are simultaneously played in higher registers with a clearer outcome of tonal balance than the modern piano. The tests in chapter four, found that the rates of decay of the Stuart partials within the harmonic spectrum decayed uniformly slower after .5s, across the spectrum than in the sound of the modern piano, which produced a more stable definable sound.

Four abstract Stuart piano sounds are illustrated here in the contexts of music composed for this research. Pemulwuy is composed by Marlene Cummins. Wirritjirribin is composed by Matthew Doyle.

Abstract Sound 1:
Guyanaya Bayui, old people, future.

In the introduction of ‘Guyanaylung Bayui’ the sustain of the low non-descript pitches is aided by the selected sustain of the sostenuto pedal. Before the sound is heard, the select keys are gently depressed on the keyboard, without the hammers striking the strings, and the sostenuto pedal opens the dampers for these selected notes. The sound is generated by the strike of the soft palm of the pianist’s left hand onto the strings of the selected group or cluster of low notes, the sostenuto pedal lifts the dampers of the selected notes, marked sost on the score, so only the sounds of these frequencies are heard in the low sustained sound, whilst the higher notes are not sustained. The high tremolo and the magpie call played in the higher register are clearly heard whilst the lower frequencies are sustained. The sostento pedal is standard on all modern pianos.⁴¹⁹ The effect of the contrast of a selective sustain of low frequencies with the simultaneous sound of notes of the higher frequencies being sustained by the damper pedal, is particularly clear in the Stuart piano sound because of its more stable vertical tonal balance, ie the partials in the sound are decaying at slower rates, and subsequently are sonically more defined. Details of these characteristics of the Stuart sound are presented throughout chapter four.

The particular piano sounds for the compositions Guyanaylung Bayui and Byal-la were developed on the 102 keyed Stuart piano using the extremities of the expanded compass, from the lowest C 16Hz and the highest F, 5587.65 Hz.

⁴¹⁹ The Sostenuto pedal is positioned between the damper sustain pedal on the right, and the una corda pedal on the left. The Stuart piano has an extra pedal to the left of the una corda, the dolce pedal.