N for Novels

Radio 3's Piano A to Z by BBC

Oct 8, 20128:38Music

The piano has played a starring role in some the nation's best loved novels, acting as a signifier of everything from social class to seduction. Professor John Mullan guides listeners through some of the most memorable n...

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Continue listening to more episodes from Radio 3's Piano A to Z.

Z for Zany

Oct 29, 2012 - 6:40

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Y for Yellow River

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In 1969 at the height of the Chinese Cultural Revolution the Yellow River Piano Concerto, commissioned by...

X for X-treme

Oct 25, 2012 - 7:07

Although every instrument has a history of extreme techniques, the piano seems to have attracted more tha...

W for Workshops

Oct 23, 2012 - 8:12

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V for Virtuoso

Oct 22, 2012 - 7:12

Virtuoso is a term applied to many of the world's top pianists of today. With its roots in the Italian us...

U for Upright

Oct 19, 2012 - 7:36

‘A sort of musical fungus attached to the walls of semi-detached houses in the provinces’ is how celebrat...

T for Tuning

Oct 17, 2012 - 8:59

The issue of tuning has been a live one ever since Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras was pin...

S for Sustain

Oct 16, 2012 - 8:58

The sustain pedal, usually the one on the right, is the most commonly used pedal in a modern piano. When...