The Bowed Piano Ensemble perform Stephen Scott's Entrada

[@tomfenn7149]

I gave as a present one of Stephen Scott's recordings to my sister-in-law who then just wrote it off as 'anything anyone could do with a fancy studio'. Then I told her it was performed entirely live. RIP Stephen Scott. I will really miss your wonderful Bowed Piano Ensemble.

[@zorziana]

Thanks for posting this. I was in this ensemble and managed it in the early/mid 90s, so I can offer some answers. The "soft bows" consist of several strands of fishing line, and the "rigid bows" are tongue depressors with horse hair affixed. The damper pedal is wedged so that the piano is a big resonant box. To play at the keyboard, then, there are specially made mutes for individual pitches. The bows and keyboard don't (can't) play the same pitches at the same time.

[@jakobh2854]

@zorziana, what does the band-bow for the low bass note in the very end of the piece consist of? thx for the information!

[@jletsgoo]

woah

[@victoriahansen6472]

Zorziana, Victoria here, Stephen’s wife. I don’t recognize you by your alias. Do you know that we lost him in 2021? A current CC music major is working on creating a manual of bowed piano techniques, implements, stories, etc. Let me know if you’d like to be put in touch with him.

[@KruggKruscherp]

@@victoriahansen6472 Not gonna lie, reading that comment while the music was playing made it even more haunting and emotional. Sorry to hear that you lost him, may he rest in peace.

[@danielg4900]

@@victoriahansen6472 Dear Victoria, I am terribly sorry for your loss. Do you know if it still possible to obtain copies of Stephen's scores anywhere?

[@oilcake4392]

My goodness it is absolutely unbelievable

[@ravenestrella2072]

I just sat here for the past ten minutes with my jaw dropped clear down to my chest! This is awesome! If I'd simply heard this without accompanying visuals, I would have never in a million years guessed a piano was being used at all! It really is true what they say over in the prepared piano community: there really IS an entire orchestra hidden inside a piano!

[@SkyFoxTale]

#PETP People for the Ethical Treatment of Pianos

[@nickjames6939]

Sometimes I'm so proud of my species.

[@stardust-reverie]

Irv Rubin shit troll lmao

[@rippspeck]

+Irv Rubin I'm proud of my species when I read absolutely mad shit like that.

[@camham650]

I would be so mad if I was the one who got stuck with the "tap the hinge of the piano with a mallet" part haha

[@wormswithteeth]

I'd do it and the clapping! 😉

[@MannyBoi]

I'd mess up the on-beat, off-beat part @2:28 everytime haha

[@MarkHatlestad]

Well, it's the composer/director, so I think it balances out!

[@marysedumas7736]

Brilliant collaboration. Feels like the piano is being loved in a new way

[@JimCole1]

Mesmerizing and compelling. I was fortunate to hear them perform "Vikings of the Sunrise" in an oversized yurt at Bard College. Also heard them at Tufts playing a particularly excellent piano - the soundboard almost began to glow as the overtones vibrantly caressed the air. They are amazing to watch - great camera editing here too.

[@freemanz4051]

"Bard Yurt" wins the internets!

[@nataliebartels2202]

They remind me of surgeons operating on a patient. Magnificent. Excellent work. This makes me so proud of being a pianist :) Now to just get somebody to donate a used bow.....

[@ashleystafford03]

Yes you so right, just like an operating theatre : and it is so theatrical as well as musically mesmerising

[@nicoleheinzmann8780]

Yes I thought the same thing!!

[@thecrazeecow1682]

I did this to my school's Steinway and my orchestra teacher got mad

[@pikaboubou]

YOU DID THIS TO A STEINWAY?!

[@mickeythompson9537]

Teacher should be fired.

[@krg1965]

I bought the New Music album, but this is the first time I've seen them at work - thanks for posting. The choreography is mesmerising and the whole thing resembles intricate surgery.

[@urbancavewoman]

Mesmerizing to listen to and to watch

[@frankbarone4065]

I'm playing this video for my class today to show them the creativity that can be made from an attractive piece of furniture.

[@NotRightMusic]

Squeezing out as much music as they can out of one glorious instrument! WIth a suitable score to tie it all together.

[@RamonaSchnitger]

I saw the making of Rainbows a very long time ago. Went though several searches over the past few years in search of it. Rainbows is a notable favorite and I thank you for that presentation as well as this one.

[@WIN_KID]

i don't know why, but the first thing that comes to mind looking at the video is some sort of a cannibalistic feast. or a forbidden sacrament

[@freemanz4051]

CCNME was renowned for its secretive and allegedly athletically... and rhythmically extreme sex orgies.

[@wolfil8019]

This is beautiful, and being able to watch how the music is created is a special thing, because I have occasionally experimented with such things and love seeing how others do it. Thank you for posting this.

[@MrLovePoet]

Love their recordings - first time I've seen them live! Great stuff!

[@genmama1955]

This is brilliant.

[@glanni]

I've been searching so hard for this! So good!

[@Musecrafter]

Very eclectic. Love it!

[@radiokid2]

For any doubters, this is very traditional sounding...it's just a western expression of India, Bali, Asia, Africa, Bartok, Cage and Steve Reich.....doesn't matter, it's very evocative and lot harder to compose and execute than it looks! Guitar players have been these things for decades...the poor piano is normally so inflexible!

[@TheInkPitOx]

Was looking for someone playing the piano with a bow.

[@wahip]

I was definitely not stoned enough for this.

[@brentbreault7606]

Amazing

[@vocal-composer]

Captivating and awesome! Congrats!

[@wpw4508]

The camera editing is superb -- the director knows exactly where the song is going. Yeah to a previous note: props to our species!

[@wormswithteeth]

Totally. But it is a piece. 😉

[@ashleystafford03]

inventive and mesmeric

[@marcellodantedealmeidanune9445]

E preciso aproveitar todas as lições de George Crumb no piano. Parabéns ao grupo. Ficou fantástico!!!

[@1TheStep]

very creative.Well done Stephen.

[@z-e-r-o-]

great performance! also very informative for me to play my piano experimantally. thanks!

[@datmo0se992]

This is how most practice room pianos sound

[@jericho1733]

Friend: what do you do? Me: I play music Friend: Ooh what intstrument? Me: It's... complicated

[@knox.gunterstallbauer6877]

das klingt sehr gut und interessant...!

[@DaniloDiPrizio]

sublime

[@iBeep2009]

nice to hear some creative musicians -lovely :)

[@mountainchatter9262]

Great Video Lori. Love you

[@AganMintaraga]

Awesome!!!

[@hwailee1]

Fabulous!

[@mauchette]

jouer du piano de l'intérieur dehors …. j'adooooore ^^ ThankS mister Scott and Cie ...

[@cbmtrx]

This is bloody brilliant.

[@will_adamborn]

Wow this is brilliant

[@myeljamartin9139]

This is so cool

[@boijorzee]

This is taking the prepared piano idea and running with it. It looks like some sort of unholy operation is being preformed on the piano. Just superb!

[@XindianPrincess]

How very interesting--and sounds great, too.

[@ErinMihalka]

this is what it sounds like when i floss

[@Vegetaxeno]

I await your response, thank you very much !!

[@Kohntarkosz]

Never heard this piece before. I've got one of Stephen Scott's early albums from the 80's. I think I saw him on Ripley's Believe Or Not circa 1982, where they showed his ensemble at the time doing one of his pieces. Then I read further about his music in Keyboard, and eventually got one album, but then lost track of what he was doing.

[@freemanz4051]

I was in his classes from 82 and we saw that video ... omg I just posted today, the story how Jack Palance gave the tackiest intro... "Coming up next... a man... who plays the piano... from the ...INSIDE!!!" We larfed. We had then, in 82, the Synthi 100 and a Synclav... basically stuff with synth in the name, I guess. No idea where he go all that dough. Synclav was like a hunnert grand. Nobody seemed to have used it for much. Had a Scully 1" tape transport with 8 Ampex channels and a new 1/2" half-track from maybe Ampex? who had a factory in town. Loudspeakers, numbered four... in corners. Atrocious acoustix. Tape loops could run for yards and yards, threaded as necessary. Loved my courses with Steve. Fave moment was discussion of Reich's "Come Out" and the underlying process. A student said "Heck I COULD have done THAT." I said to him "But you didn't." Steve liked that.

[@multiplatinumbriz]

It looks like they're doing dark, alien probe experimental surgery on that poor piano. Yet the piano seems to like it in a weird way! Very cool video. Stumbled upon it after looking at a John Cage video. This is why I love KZbin

[@Batcaveqq]

GODAMNUT, RALPH, You cant SMOKE my CIGARS

[@marcellodantedealmeidanune9445]

A apresentação visual do conjunto dos dez intérpretes em torno do piano e toda a sua movimentação para conseguir cumprir o cronograma exigido pela partitura de Scott, é uma coisa assombrosa e complexa. Numa apresentação dessas, é necessário sempre filmar com a câmera posicionada a certa altura acima do piano ou colocar um grande espelho inclinado logo atrás, para que o público tenha oportunidade de assistir a execução além de ouví-la. Simples, não????.

[@timothyconrad6852]

MECHANICAL synthesizer

[@therealsweep1]

Brilliant. Sheer genius.

[@fryBASS]

If it was scored for strings and percussion, it would not have the same resonant effect. It would sound boring, because it'd just be the same old sounds. This is cool because it is a new mix of sounds. If I never knew what was being used to produce the sounds, I would still be intrigued by the piece because of it's color.

[@accordeure]

A very cool way to play the piano !

[@Chaya-FFVIII]

je salut mes camarade de classe :=)

[@oceancheung6139]

Even more interested in seeing the score

[@diegoa.fuertes8266]

SUPER!

[@PhilAndersonOutside]

This is cool, but a damned shame the recording is in mono. :-(

[@javiersotosax]

Maravilloso!

[@dnomyarnostaw]

What some people will do to get out of piano and violin lessons :-)

[@volfl01]

Those who oppose the exploration of music ought to be ashamed of themselves. We as a society have not yet harnessed all music has to offer, nor have we discovered all ends and possibilities. Why hold back? Why not move into the future and see what the piano has to offer modern composers? Too often I view small minded people trying to profess their conservative natures and it sickens me down to the marrow of my very bones. As a composer, I see this piece as exquisite and beautifully unique.

[@digitalAngst]

DAT BASS STRING

[@SilenceOtherSounds]

Anyone knows what's the name of that pink stripe used to create the bowed droning effect at 8:07 ?

[@gfharper]

Animusic has nothing on this! Very well done! I was wondering what to do with an old piano in my garage..... think I'll invite nine other people over.......

[@darktowersl]

omg the piano! :w :(

[@NnietBrovdiGV]

nice

[@godistv]

@sergeikuo Ignorance is bliss...

[@catrinacompositions]

too funky, my friend

[@Squidward_Tikiland]

man, this is sick. it would be even better set to some trip hop drums. post mp3 for remixing?

[@raitisv]

!!!

[@nuberiffic]

@sergeikuo just cos you don't like it doesn't mean it isn't art or music. it's people like you who said the electrification of the guitar would be the death of the instrument. have an open mind

[@EvanPalumbo]

@sergeikuo Oh no, this piano isn't fairing too poorly. A group that came to our university started hitting various insides of the piano with a hammer... without even the courtesy of notifying our head of piano studies. She was furious.

[@pianopera]

In this way, the piano (apart from being a keyboard instrument) is very much both a string and a percussion instrument...

[@datmo0se992]

Ling Ling could do this all by himself

[@susanacastrogil8831]

Wonderful!! I would like to know if there is a kind of score to use with pedagogical purposes, thinking in a workshop of extended technique for "traditional piano players". How can I get it, buy it or so? Thank you!!!

[@studentjohn35]

It's okay, it's only a Baldwin SD-10 (grin)

[@erikatzen9216]

Love it! Too bad about the clapping though, it introduces a sound from outside the instrument.

[@AC-id5ow]

Music inspired by dental flossing.

[@theplaylistguru6027]

Straight from Montana

[@wormswithteeth]

Awsome. Is there sheet music?

[@mywong2411]

This video was recorded in 2009... but anyone trying to do this John Cage thing again would be simply wasting money and effort because digital music is so advance that it can produce different types of sounds

[@strqrt70]

Nothing can equal or replicate the magic of real music made by real human beings.

[@giulianofederico]

[@Vegetaxeno]

What kind of music? What kind of melody? What kind of instruments are played?

[@datoreviol]

This is so cool. Is there any risk the piano strings get out of tune? I wonder because I want to compose something like this but the performance would be on a Steinway. Any suggestion?

[@smorebooks6038]

Oh yes, prepared piano peices can effect the tuning.

[@amarteville426]

En effet, les " préparations" peuvent, à force, légèrement désaccorder un piano; mais seulement si vous laissez la "préparation" en place longtemps : il faut l'enlever au + quelques heures + tard, et vous n'aurez aucun souci (sauf si gros objets : mais ceux-ci sont à déconseiller. Le métal également.) Éviter (hélas..) de toucher les cordes avec les doigts : en effet, la transpiration des doigts pourrait ( = humidité /eau) occasionner de la rouille sur ces cordes. Personnellement, j'utilise majoritairement des " coins d'accordeur" (en caoutchouc, donc) : ils sont spécialement fabriqués pour s'introduire dans les cordes... Donc, aucun danger ! Et pour poser les doigts sur les cordes, je porte un gant de soie : pour + de commodité, j'ai ôté l'extrémité de tous les doigts (pour pouvoir jouer sur le clavier !) sauf d'un, celui qui me sert à caresser les cordes... (On pourrait aussi imaginer fabriquer un "doigtier".) Très utile notamment dans les compositions de George Crumb, que je vous recommande avec autant d'enthousiasme que d'émotion ! La colophane me semble à vraiment déconseiller.. {Si quelqu'un souhaite disposer d'une de mes partitions où prend place du "piano préparé", me contacter à [e-mail] Je répondrai à toute demande sérieuse.}

[@brentbreault7606]

Sounds very similar to a cello

[@SZebS]

this is genius because the piano by the end of the performance is undamaged

[@iBeep2009]

You should at least be on Jools Holland with this ...

[@arelxenu]

Are they still performing, and how does one find out their schedule if so?

[@inphanta]

Is there an album of their recordings available anywhere? I’d love to hear more of this!

[@jsteuernol]

they're weaving music... on a piano loom

[@bdbancel]

The audio being out of sync is a bit of a shame, but fantastic piece.

[@SCOREWIZARDSMUSIC]

What material are the bows? Bow hair with rosin?

[@nenakkuallrac]

Question #1: Does anyone know what materials they are using to bow the strings? Question #2: I was looking this Stephen Scott's recordings and I couldn't find this piece... does anyone know what if any recording this appears on?

[@Raine-Cat]

bubbles Just go on eBay and by a cheap used violin or cello bow, and remove the horse hair that looks like what they did, don't forget to use rosin though or it will sound quite scratchy. It looks like they also used a ribbon for a faint low bass note, couldn't tell you what kind of ribbon only that they did. Hope this helps. :)

[@EdaliaDayCreative]

were those violin bow strings?

[@원주율.D]

명덕

[@FrancescoGuardi]

Ok, that's music for strings, harp and percussion. If played by these instruments it would be a less interesting piece of music. But it's played on a grand, so it's entertaining...

[@rumoroo]

Pretty sure I heard that instrument cry rape @ 6:50

[@TheJem619]

i would say it was horse hair the same as a violin bow

[@accordeure]

les bobos du piano devraient s'en inspirer !