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Podcast

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3's Piano A to Z

Updated: weekly
Episodes available: indefinitely

Episodes to download

  • D for Duets

    Fri 20 Sep 2013

    The piano is rare in that it's an instrument that can be played by two people.

  • B for Boogie-Woogie

    Wed 18 Sep 2013

    This is an energetic and rhythmic style of piano playing that originated in the States.

  • Z for Zany

    Mon 29 Oct 2012

    Z for Zany, an affectionate look at the role of the piano in comedy.

  • Y for Yellow River

    Fri 26 Oct 2012

    The Yellow River Piano Concerto led to the popularity of the piano in China.

  • X for X-treme

    Thu 25 Oct 2012

    The piano attracts more that its fair share of people wanting to see how far it can go.

  • W for Workshops

    Tue 23 Oct 2012

    What goes into the making of a piano? How do the pianos of today differ from the past.

  • V for Virtuoso

    Mon 22 Oct 2012

    Virtuoso is a term applied to many of the world's top pianists of today.

  • U for Upright

    Fri 19 Oct 2012

    We celebrate the upright piano.

  • T for Tuning

    Wed 17 Oct 2012

    Tuning is a highly nuanced art, affecting the tone and colour of an instrument.

  • S for Sustain

    Tue 16 Oct 2012

    Until the Romantic era the sustain pedal was considered a special effect.

  • R for Repetiteur

    Mon 15 Oct 2012

    RΓ©pΓ©titeurs are so much more than just pianists.

  • Q for Queues

    Thu 11 Oct 2012

    Which great pianists would be worth queuing for?

  • P for Page Turner

    Wed 10 Oct 2012

    Page turning is fraught with difficulties, for both pianist and turner

  • O for Orchestra

    Tue 9 Oct 2012

    How do you practice a concerto without an orchestra?

  • N for Novels

    Mon 8 Oct 2012

    The piano has played a starring role in some the nation's best loved novels.

  • M for Movies

    Thu 4 Oct 2012

    Explore the role of the piano in movies.

  • L for Left Hand

    Wed 3 Oct 2012

    The right hand may be the belle of the ball but the left hand is no dowdy Cinderella.

  • J for Jazz

    Mon 1 Oct 2012

    Since Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton the piano has been the instrument of Jazz.

  • I for Improvisation

    Thu 27 Sep 2012

    Sit down at the keyboard and simply make music up on the spur of the moment.

  • H for Hiring

    Wed 26 Sep 2012

    Often when a concert pianist steps onto the stage to perform, they play a hired piano

  • G for Glenn Gould

    Tue 25 Sep 2012

    Glenn Gould was a Canadian pianist who became one of the best-known of the 20th century.

  • F for Fingers

    Mon 24 Sep 2012

    Fingers need practice, and practice makes perfect.

  • E for Encores

    Fri 21 Sep 2012

    There's an art to choosing and performing an encore, even for the world's top pianists.

  • C for Competitions

    Wed 19 Sep 2012

    Competitions are a vital part of many classical pianists' careers.

  • A for Action

    Mon 17 Sep 2012

    The action, or hammer mechanism, is the defining development in the history of the piano.

  • K for Keys

    Tue 21 Feb 2012

    There are sad keys and glad keys; F sharp minor is turbulent and C major is sunny.

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