Editing Prepared piano (section)

== Historical precedents ==
Cage frequently cited [[Henry Cowell]] (1897–1965) as the primary inspiration for the prepared piano.<ref>Nicholls, David (1991 [1990]). American Experimental Music 1890–1940. Cambridge, New York, and Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. (p. 523) {{ISBN|0-521-42464-X}}</ref> Cowell pioneered [[piano extended technique]]s for what he dubbed "[[string piano]]", involving reaching inside the piano and plucking, sweeping, scraping, thumping, and otherwise manipulating the strings directly, rather than using the keyboard. He developed these techniques in numerous pieces such as ''Aeolian Harp'' (1923) and ''The Banshee'' (1925).<ref>Bartók, Peter, Moses Asch, Marian Distler, and Sidney Cowell; revised by Sorrel Hays (1993 [1963]): Liner notes to ''Henry Cowell: Piano Music'' (Smithsonian Folkways 40801). p. 12 (unpaginated)</ref>
Pieces of paper were called for in several early 20c works, the buzzing effect reminiscent of the parchment [[Piano pedals#Other pedals|'bassoon' pedal]] of early fortepianos. In his ''Ragamalika'' (1912–22)<!-- IMSLP says composed 1914, publ. 1915: revised perhaps, according to Jahn? -->, based on the classical music of India, French composer [[Maurice Delage]] (1879–1961) calls for a piece of cardboard to be placed under the B{{music|flat}} in the second line of the bass clef to dampen the sound, imitating the sound of an Indian drum.<ref>Pasler, Jann (2000). "Race, Orientalism, and Distinction in the Wake of the 'Yellow Peril'." In ''Western Music and Its Others:  Difference, Representation, and Appropriation in Music'', ed. [[Georgina Born]] and David Hesmondhalgh. Berkeley, Los Angeles, and London: University of California Press, p. 107.</ref><ref>{{IMSLP|work=Ragamalika (Delage, Maurice)|descr=1915 edition}}</ref>

In his ''[[Chôros No. 8]]'', a 1925 work for large orchestra, [[Heitor Villa-Lobos]] instructs the 2nd pianist to insert pieces of paper between the strings <ref>"Mettre des papiers entre les cordes" at figure 48, a passage doubled by harp. {{IMSLP|work=Chôros No.8, W208 (Villa-Lobos, Heitor)|cname=''Chôros No. 8'' (Villa-Lobos)}}</ref><!-- "and the hammers to attain a certain sonority" is this according to Schic? whatever 'certain sonority' is supposed to convey, is it a quote?<ref>[[Anna Stella Schic]] (1987). ''Villa-Lobos, Souvenirs de l'Indien Blanc'', Actes Sud, p. 82.</ref> --> [[Maurice Ravel]]'s ''[[L'enfant et les sortilèges]]'' (1920-1925) calls for [[Luthéal]], but allows piano with paper to substitute.<ref>{{IMSLP|work=L'enfant et les sortilèges (Ravel, Maurice)|descr=piano part}}. the ''New Grove'' article cites this work in Edwin M. Ripin, revised by Hugh Davies and Thomas J. Kernan: "Prepared piano"</ref>