The cat piano
Cats and synthesizers have become a bit of a synth-meme in the last year or two. I love synths, but I am definitely not a fan of cats . This is why the KatzenKlavier, or cat piano, is an especially awesome instrument to me.
The Cat Piano is an invention by a crazy german by the name of Athanasius Kircher. It’s basically a keyboard case with a line of cats, their tails fixed in place underneath hammers. When a key is pressed, the hammer hits the corresponding cat’s tail (one cat per key), causing the cat to cry out in pain.
The cats are of course arranged in chromatic order according to their natural voices. Oh, and of course it’s fully polyphonic, and even has polyphonic aftertouch control (press harder, louder cry).
Another German by the name of Johann Christian Reil (1759-1813) had the idea of using the KatzenKlavier for the purpose of treating patients who had lost the ability to focus their attention. He firmly believed that if they were forced to see and listen to this instrument, it would inevitably capture their attention and they would be cured. Go figure.
A studio called The People’s Republic Of Animation put out an award-winning video called “The Cat Piano”, telling the tail tale of a city of cats who are kidnapped by a human in order to make a cat piano.
Here is the film, it’s long-ish (and arty), but excellent.
I wish we had someone around here collecting up all the stray cats (or mice) for something useful like this. Meow, Meow Meow.
Remember – you can tuna fish, but you can’t tune a cat.
The same effect can be created by recording cats once into a synth keyboard. Technology allows us all to be a little crazy and inventive.
I understand that you don’t like cats, but advocating the torture of any animal, even as a joke, is the indication of a sick mind.
Wow, that was Nick Cave narrating the film!
Wow, I really dug that video. Good stuff, though a rather gruesome subject matter.
dude, seriously. get the stick out of your ass.
this would look great next to my bonzai kitten collection
You want us to keep the comments clean? Promoting harm to any ‘being’ is WRONG. Would like to create this instrument using your toes!!
That instrument is horrific, but the video is phenomenal!
The amount of left leaning weenies on the internet never ceases to amaze me. Where/how/when can I buy one of these? There are tons of cats outside my South Bronx project building, the ones that haven’t drank the antifreeze I leave out for them.
And this comment perfectly illustrates the point that Eddie Pants and Ryan F. were making.
Personal preferences and irony aside, validating “rightwing” cruelty is a dangerous thing.
Deplorable ideas should be discouraged, not promoted.
(and no, I dont think cruelty to animals is a rightwing exclusivity, I do however believe cruelty to animals extends to other species)
the muppet’s muppaphone has a similar idea
I always support the cause of PETA.~“
The video he posted obviously shows hes not for actually harming cats.. Hes writing a blog, he needs to be humorous.
my friends and i are all members of PETA, we love to protect animals:::