Episodes
| Title | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Piano Genesis | 20221204 | What is a piano? How does it work? How did it differ from earlier keyboard instruments? Pianist Keelan Carew explores the invention of the pianoforte and the innovation that changed everything, giving the player the ability to vary the dynamics in the way you strike the keys. In this episode Keelan talks about how the piano became fashionable in people's homes in the 18th century - what would a Jane Austen adaptation be without a Bennett sister playing some Mozart on a piano? He will also look into the different styles in music written for the piano as it progressed technically, finishing with Beethoven, whose innovations pushed the instrument into completely new spheres. Pianist Keelan Carew takes us on a journey through the history of piano playing. |
| Piano Superstars | 20221211 | Pianist Keelan Carew explores the invention of the pianoforte and the innovation that changed everything, giving the player the ability to vary the dynamics in the way you strike the keys. This episode looks at the explosion of the piano as the main event at sold out concerts and celebrity pianists as the new divas. Keelan delves into how the then new breed of famous composer-performers - such as Chopin, Rachmaninov and Liszt - took the technical possibilities of the piano to dizzying new heights, making huge demands on both the instrument and players. He also explores the diverse range of sounds and colours from pianists at turn of the 20th century, from Debussy and Lili Boulanger to the great jazz virtuosos of the Roaring Twenties, such as Art Tatum and Fats Waller. Pianist Keelan Carew takes us on a journey through the history of piano playing. |
| Pianos Forever | 20221218 | Pianist Keelan Carew explores the invention of the pianoforte and the innovation that changed everything, giving the player the ability to vary the dynamics in the way you strike the keys. This final episode explores how the piano progressed throughout the 20th century and where it is today in the 21st. Keelan will look at the popularity of American minimalist composers like Philip Glass and Steve Reich; how composers such John Cage to Sarah Nicholls (with her Inside Out Piano') started to think beyond the keyboard by experimenting with 'prepared pianos'; how in the world of Jazz, players like Herbie Hancock and Thelonius Monk forged new sounds from the instrument, while in pop circles it has remained a key feature for performers such as Tori Amos and Elton John; and how up to present day, a new genre has become one of the most streamed and listened of them all - contemporary composers like Olafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm putting the instrument front and centre in a new genre that has brought the piano to billions of new fans. Pianist Keelan Carew takes us on a journey through the history of piano playing. |