XR Etudes for Augmented Piano

Studi sulla Realtà Nuova (in English, Etudes on the New Real) is a cycle of etudes created to explore the possibilities of XR in the context of live multimedia performance. Although many etudes have been created, only three etudes have been performed in public. Two of them are for augmented piano. The performer wears an Augmented Reality (AR) headset and hand trackers. This setup allows them to interact with Virtual Objects (VOs) and control visuals and audio. The environment used for the XR performance allows one to control up to 7 different video output and an n-speaker 3D audio configuration. VOs, as well as audiovisual outputs, react to the performer’s gesture. The different aspects of performance develop following a pseudo-narrative outline. One of the key points of interest is the relationship between performer and audience, specifically in terms of transfer of the immersive experience: while the performer is immersed in an AR space, the audience can only see 2D screens. The experimented solution consisted in providing multiple projections and spatial audio. The paper will describe the etudes realized for augmented piano, from a technical and artistic point of view. Space will be also given to the discussion of issues in instrumental performance in an XR setting.