The Piano In Five Pieces

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

Alastair Sooke

20120924

20130715 (R3)

In the first of five essays about the piano, art critic Alastair Sooke explores how the piano has infused and informed the fine art world since its first entries onto the world stage over two centuries ago. Nineteenth century artists including Renoir, Matisse, Klimt, Whistler, Cezanne and Van Gogh all painted pianos, and in the twentieth century, Dali too was notoriously infatuated with the piano in all its surreal, Freudian glory.

First broadcast in September 2012.

Art critic Alastair Sooke on how the piano has infused and informed painting and the arts.

Stuart Isacoff

20120925

20130718 (R3)

Pianist and writer Stuart Isacoff explores how the piano's 'four sounds' - melody, rhythm, harmonic chemistry - and its vast dynamic range, have shaped the music over the past 250 years. He mixes the Baroque with the Rock n Roll, comparing Beethoven with Jerry Lee Lewis and Debussy with Jazz pianist Bill Evans, to reveal how piano music transcends traditional chronological categories.

First broadcast in September 2012.

Writer Stuart Isacoff explores how the piano's sound has shaped musical history.

Wendy Cope

20120926

20130722 (R3)

The poet Wendy Cope presents a personal look at pianos in her life, from piano music she heard her parents playing, including her father's rendition of Chopsticks, to her memories of childhood piano lessons, and the piano in the school hall as a primary school teacher.

First broadcast in September 2012.

The poet Wendy Cope presents a personal look at pianos in her life.

Luke Jerram

20120927

20130724 (R3)

Artist Luke Jerram has put over 700 pianos across the world, for the public to play as part of his Play Me I'm Yours project. In this essay, he describes how the project has inspired public creativity in cities from London to New York, Budapest and Brazil, as people have rediscovered their love for the humble domestic piano.

First broadcast in September 2012.

Artist Luke Jerram on how he put over 700 pianos in public places across the world.

05 LAST

Susan Tomes

20120928

20130725 (R3)

Susan Tomes reveals the pianist's experience of constantly playing unfamiliar instruments on the concert platform. Unlike string and woodwind players, who take their beloved instruments with them, pianists face the unknown as they sit down to perform on unknown pianos. How does this impact on the playing and what surprises does it offer?

First broadcast in September 2012.

Susan Tomes describes the life of a concert pianist, constantly playing unfamiliar pianos.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	Alastair Sooke	20120924	20130715 (R3)	In the first of five essays about the piano, art critic Alastair Sooke explores how the piano has infused and informed the fine art world since its first entries onto the world stage over two centuries ago. Nineteenth century artists including Renoir, Matisse, Klimt, Whistler, Cezanne and Van Gogh all painted pianos, and in the twentieth century, Dali too was notoriously infatuated with the piano in all its surreal, Freudian glory. First broadcast in September 2012. Art critic Alastair Sooke on how the piano has infused and informed painting and the arts.
02	Stuart Isacoff	20120925	20130718 (R3)	Pianist and writer Stuart Isacoff explores how the piano's 'four sounds' - melody, rhythm, harmonic chemistry - and its vast dynamic range, have shaped the music over the past 250 years. He mixes the Baroque with the Rock n Roll, comparing Beethoven with Jerry Lee Lewis and Debussy with Jazz pianist Bill Evans, to reveal how piano music transcends traditional chronological categories. First broadcast in September 2012. Writer Stuart Isacoff explores how the piano's sound has shaped musical history.
03	Wendy Cope	20120926	20130722 (R3)	The poet Wendy Cope presents a personal look at pianos in her life, from piano music she heard her parents playing, including her father's rendition of Chopsticks, to her memories of childhood piano lessons, and the piano in the school hall as a primary school teacher. First broadcast in September 2012. The poet Wendy Cope presents a personal look at pianos in her life.
04	Luke Jerram	20120927	20130724 (R3)	Artist Luke Jerram has put over 700 pianos across the world, for the public to play as part of his Play Me I'm Yours project. In this essay, he describes how the project has inspired public creativity in cities from London to New York, Budapest and Brazil, as people have rediscovered their love for the humble domestic piano. First broadcast in September 2012. Artist Luke Jerram on how he put over 700 pianos in public places across the world.
05 LAST	Susan Tomes	20120928	20130725 (R3)	Susan Tomes reveals the pianist's experience of constantly playing unfamiliar instruments on the concert platform. Unlike string and woodwind players, who take their beloved instruments with them, pianists face the unknown as they sit down to perform on unknown pianos. How does this impact on the playing and what surprises does it offer? First broadcast in September 2012. Susan Tomes describes the life of a concert pianist, constantly playing unfamiliar pianos.