Release Date: November 1, 2013
Catalog #: NV5937
Format: Digital & Physical
21st Century
Solo Instrumental
Piano

Ice & Fire

The Bowed Piano Ensemble

Stephen Scott composer, founder, director
Saraiya Ruano native american flutes
Victoria Hansen soprano

ICE & FIRE, the debut Navona Records album by Stephen Scott, showcases a variety of works for bowed piano. The album features The Bowed Piano Ensemble, an experimental piano group based at Colorado College in Colorado Springs that was founded by Scott. The ten players of The Bowed Piano Ensemble conjure from one open grand piano a multiplicity of sounds with long, singing lines, sustained drones, chugging accordion-like figures, crisp staccato tones reminiscent of clarinets, deep drum tones and more, often simultaneously, to create a rich, contrapuntal new chamber music tapestry.

ICE & FIRE features six compositions by Scott for the ensemble including Afternoon of a Fire, written for bowed piano and improvised Native American flute in memory of the wildfire that resided in his native Colorado. The album also includes experimental works that interpret the concept of drones, a piece with five miniatures for bowed piano, and Scott’s first written piece for voice and bowed piano.

Listen

Hear the full album on YouTube

Stream/Buy

Choose your platform

Artist Information

Bowed Piano Ensemble

Ensemble

The Bowed Piano Ensemble, founded by composer Stephen Scott at Colorado College in 1977, has evolved into a small experimental-music orchestra whose ten players conjure, from one open grand piano, long, singing lines, sustained drones, chugging accordion-like figures, crisp staccato tones reminiscent of clarinets, deep drum tones and more, often simultaneously, to create a rich, contrapuntal new-chamber-music tapestry.