Radio 3's Piano A to Z Podcast
BBC Radio 3's Piano A to Z
Episodes to download
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D for Duets
Fri 20 Sep 2013
The piano is rare in that it's an instrument that can be played by two people.
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B for Boogie-Woogie
Wed 18 Sep 2013
This is an energetic and rhythmic style of piano playing that originated in the States.
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Y for Yellow River
Fri 26 Oct 2012
The Yellow River Piano Concerto led to the popularity of the piano in China.
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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.
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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.
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V for Virtuoso
Mon 22 Oct 2012
Virtuoso is a term applied to many of the world's top pianists of today.
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T for Tuning
Wed 17 Oct 2012
Tuning is a highly nuanced art, affecting the tone and colour of an instrument.
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S for Sustain
Tue 16 Oct 2012
Until the Romantic era the sustain pedal was considered a special effect.
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P for Page Turner
Wed 10 Oct 2012
Page turning is fraught with difficulties, for both pianist and turner
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N for Novels
Mon 8 Oct 2012
The piano has played a starring role in some the nation's best loved novels.
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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.
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J for Jazz
Mon 1 Oct 2012
Since Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton the piano has been the instrument of Jazz.
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I for Improvisation
Thu 27 Sep 2012
Sit down at the keyboard and simply make music up on the spur of the moment.
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H for Hiring
Wed 26 Sep 2012
Often when a concert pianist steps onto the stage to perform, they play a hired piano
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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.
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E for Encores
Fri 21 Sep 2012
There's an art to choosing and performing an encore, even for the world's top pianists.
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C for Competitions
Wed 19 Sep 2012
Competitions are a vital part of many classical pianists' careers.
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A for Action
Mon 17 Sep 2012
The action, or hammer mechanism, is the defining development in the history of the piano.
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K for Keys
Tue 21 Feb 2012
There are sad keys and glad keys; F sharp minor is turbulent and C major is sunny.
