#4474, Music For Bowed Piano
Why just have the sounds of the piano, when you can mess around with its insides to create an entire percussion orchestra, chamber orchestra, or synth brigade? Building on the idea of prepared piano, a la John Cage or George Crumb, in the early 1970’s, composer C. Curtis Smith “invented” the technique of bowing the piano, using flexible bows made of monofilament nylon line (Edward B. Marks Music Company). From this technique grew a repertoire of bowed piano music, revolving around Stephen Scott, who formed the New Music Ensemble at Colorado College in 1977, which evolved into the Bowed Piano Ensemble. Scott, the composer, professor, and bandleader, died in March 2021, at the age of 76. (Stephen Scott Obituary).
For this New Sounds program, listen to some of Stephen Scott’s music for bowed piano, and works by Australia’s Vincent Plush, New York composer Kelly Moran, and others which use various techniques and tools to transform the insides of the grand piano into a chamber orchestra.
Hear Stephen Scott’s “Entrada” for bowed piano ensemble as part of the New Sounds Live concerts at Brookfield Place in 2000. With just one open grand piano, ten players surround the instrument, wielding materials and tools; nylon fish line, horsehair, guitar picks and fingernails, piano hammers, percussion mallets and specially-designed piano mutes. Then, listen to Stephen Scott’s work, “New York Drones,” which was a 70th birthday dedication to composer Steve Reich. Plus, hear music by Australian composer Vincent Plush for the bowed strings of the insides of a piano (some 220-240 strings in total), featuring the Colorado College Bowed Piano Ensemble, directed by Stephen Scott.
Then there’s music by composer, keyboardist, and producer Kelly Moran, using ebows on the piano insides, along with synths and electronic programming. Plus, hear more music for piano insides and “tape” – in this case, recorded computer-generated sounds and processed bowed pianos, by composer and Iowa State University music professor Christopher Hopkins for Margaret Leng Tan, and more. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4474, Music For Bowed Piano (First Aired 3/23/2021)
ARTIST: Stephen Scott and the Bowed Piano Ensemble
WORK: Rainbows [1:20]
RECORDING: New Music for Bowed Piano
SOURCE: New Albion NA 107
INFO: newalbion.com
ARTIST: Stephen Scott and the Bowed Piano Ensemble
WORK: Entrada [8:07]
RECORDING: Live, World Financial Center's Winter Garden, October 25, 2000
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available.
INFO: youtube.com
ARTIST: Stephen Scott & the Bowed Piano Ensemble
WORK: The New York Drones [10:17]
RECORDING: Ice and Fire
SOURCE: Navona
INFO: naxoslicensing.com
ARTIST: Kelly Moran
WORK: glacial [3:47]
RECORDING: optimist
SOURCE/INFO: kellymoran.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Conor Hanick, piano, Sandbox Percussion
WORK: Christopher Cerrone: Don't Look Down, 2nd mvmt [4:51]
RECORDING: Live at Caramoor, August 2020
SOURCE: soundcloud.com
INFO: conorhanick.com | sandboxpercussion.com | christophercerrone.com
ARTIST: Colorado College Bowed Piano Ensemble (dir. Stephen Scott)
WORK: Vincent Plush: SkyFire [10:17]
RECORDING: live, 1989
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available.
INFO: Vincent Plush | Bowed Piano Ensemble
ARTIST: Margaret Leng Tan
WORK: Christopher Hopkins: Arched Interiors [8:49]
RECORDING: Live, the New School, 1995
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available.
INFO: soundcloud.com/christopherhopkinsclassic
