UK Piano Page Piano Forum

I thought I would be a nice idea if we tell eachother when any Piano related tv programs, radio shows or flims come on so we can watch them and never miss them in case we didn't know.

Heres one that will be on soon:

BBC 4 17th October @ 7.30

Vladimir Ashkenazy - the vital juces are Russian

Portrait about a virtoso pianist / condutor flimed in 1968

I don't know if it'll be repeated but that Griff Rhys Jones thing about New York that was on ITV last night had a bit about Steinways in it.

Isn't there some sort of supplement on pianos being given away with the Guardian/Observer this weekend? I vaguely remember reading about it, but can't remember the details.

Gill the Piano wrote:I don't know if it'll be repeated but that Griff Rhys Jones thing about New York that was on ITV last night had a bit about Steinways in it.

Oh yeah, I missed that bit , the guy went in to the Steinway factory in New York...that bit wasn't long though. I hope its repeated.

http://www.guardianmarketing.co.uk/play ... y&link=MPU

Looks like a beginner's guide in this weekend's Guardian/Observer.

Hey Dave

I take it you got the beginners piano thing with the paper! I've got it too!
There is some intresting interviews and stuff in it. Its an nice little starter for anyone just geting into the piano, I think. I'm going to use the easy pieces as sight reading tests.

Part two is out tomorrow.

I saw an ad in there for Forsyths, that big music store in Manchester.
I want to go there now! their piano hall makes Chappell's look small!
Did you say you have been there before?

Forsyth's is great and always seems busy when I've passed by. It looks like such a small old fashioned shop from the outside but it's massive inside.

When you're up this way, Dave, you'll have to check out the Bridgewater Hall programme and see if the Halle or the BBC Phil are playing. I took my Mum and Dad to see The BBC Phil perform Beethoven's 9th a few weeks ago. It was awesome!

dave brum wrote:Does the Bridgewater Hall have an organ like there is in Symphony Hall/the Town Hall in Birmingham, Kat?

Blimey, has it ever - the organ is probably not far off the size of the IMAX screen! Sadly, I haven't heard it... yet!

Shame about the 37 quid train ticket. There are advantages to being 'marooned' but being able to come up to Manc is clearly not one of them.

And they say it's grim up north?

Heres another one that will be on soon:

BBC 4 next Friday @ 7.30

I can't remenber who Its about as I don't have the tv guide near me at the moment, but Its about another Russian virtuoso pianist.
Its a portait about him and it looks at the way he pratices and performs.

Well it sounds interesting to me!

Ashkenazy. (Bless you!) I thinbk it's about him, anyway.
All the techs are rabid about the new Dettol TV ad which shows a mummy spraying her PIANO with Dettol so her nasty brats won't contract feline enteritis. Personally, I'd boil the brats in a bucket of Dettol and certainly wouldn't let them near my piano...

now I'm going to have to speak up on behalf of Herefordshire here.. I was born in Hereford, went away when I was 18 to go to uni in Liverpool, and then to London to work. I came back in March, and bought my husband and daughter with me. It's an amazingly beautiful county. We're incredibly lucky with our surroundings, and I find the people are lovely, if not as immediately friendly as those up north. The roads could definitely be better, and culturally it's not amazingly rich, but it's not as bad as Dave makes out!!

Lx

Gill the Piano wrote:Dettol TV ad which shows a mummy spraying her PIANO with Dettol so her nasty brats won't contract feline enteritis.

Wouldn't that be dangerous for the piano!? Maybe the mother in the ad is spraying the piano because her kids left bogeys on it! She wants it to be clean when she plays it... I will need to look out for that ad.

Gill the Piano wrote:Personally, I'd boil the brats in a bucket of Dettol and certainly wouldn't let them near my piano...

you're a joker Gill!

REMINDER

BBC 4 Today @ 7.30

Vladimir Ashkenazy - the vital juces are Russian


and this time next week on the same channel is :

Evgeny Kissin - The gift of music


just thought I would let you guys know, nice aren't I ?

Hi Dave,

Oh you can't watch it? I'm getting my dad to record it so if you miss it I can give you a copy of it too if you like. I still need to watch the dvd you sent and record the stuff for you! I haven't forgot!

I'm not joking, Moonlight; I can't tell you how many kids have come here, been told by their parents not to touch anything, vanished for a 'look' round then come back saying 'Gill, joo know your piano's locked?'
Imagine my surprise...

Gill the Piano wrote:I'm not joking, Moonlight; I can't tell you how many kids have come here, been told by their parents not to touch anything, vanished for a 'look' round then come back saying 'Gill, joo know your piano's locked?'
Imagine my surprise...

I'm sure you aren't joking! I was basically saying your'e so funny! Do most new pianos like Yamahas and Kembles ( the only ones I might be able to afford!, I had a look at the Bluthners... ) have a lid? I would like one with a lid with a lock on it, as I don't want any family members touching it up!

I liked the Vladimir Ashkenazy documentary, loved the fact it was shot in the 60s (?) and it was fun seeing Ashkenazy and Barenboim play that Stravinsky piece even though that piece sounded horrible I my opinion.

Gosh Barenboim was so young in it! I liked it when he said
' leets pleeey desss biiiiit ' And then they were bobing around like nutters!

A lot of modern upright pianos don't have locks. You can get a clampy-type ting which locks it shut, but I find a few piles of books on the fall deters most casual small vandals.

Sky Arts 2 on Monday 27th - a programme about Bachfest 2005 in Leipzig, Germany. Sounds good!

Gill the Piano wrote:A lot of modern upright pianos don't have locks. You can get a clampy-type ting which locks it shut, but I find a few piles of books on the fall deters most casual small vandals.

Mine has no lock, but I have a child that knows mummy turns into a screeching harpy if so much as a sticky finger is waved in Rosie's direction She's allowed supervised access when she doesn't have a cold and after washing paws. When we have other guests around, the piano doesn't lock, so the whole room does. I also found that a nice red fitted single bed-sheet works well as a piano cover and stops anyone from being tempted to use it as a table. Am I protective or what?!

Jan

Yep, it's called a guard dog. And it has its own problems. Well, we all need to go to the bathroom sometimes.....

Jan
xx

Sprinkle the plastic pig with flea powder...you can't make a cat go near flea powder. My mate's idea - formulated whilst under the affluence of incahol - was to put the cat in the hoover bag and then hoover up a pot of flea powder. Unfortunately/fortunately Duncan the cat could read minds and disappeared through the catflap before Mike could implement his Cunning Plan.

BRISTOL86 wrote:Sky Arts 2 on Monday 27th - a programme about Bachfest 2005 in Leipzig, Germany. Sounds good!

awwww I don't have sky! I wouldn't mind to go to the Bachfest or the Beethoven festival in Bonn one day, its on my to do list.

dave brum wrote:So does anyone have any ideas as to keeping cats away from pianos, apart from rubbing orange zest on Fiona's case, or a Decree Absolute?

Funnily enough, Detol Spray makes a very good dog repellent. All I need to do is just say the word 'spray' to my dog and he edges away and kicks his foot back in disgust! He can't stand the smell of it.

That said, I would be careful of using disinfectant products near cats. I heard the chemicals in them may be harmful to cats.

I saw that Detol ad, the naughty kid sneezes on the piano! . When I have kids I will make it very clear to them when they play the piano to sneeze away from the keyboard!

If they're in a cage in the garden they won't be able to sneeze on your piano...

True say! maybe I will put their heads in some kind of cage instead so they can play the piano but not get any germs on the keyboard if they sneeze.

dave brum wrote:Don't we want to pass on to our kids the fact that the piano is their friend, not put the poor buggers off them for life

Thats why I said their head will be in a cage, they can still play the piano just not sneeze on it. I don't want to deprive them of their piano pratice pleasure now do I !?

( off course you know I am only joking, about the cage thing )

Did you watch the Evgeny Kissin documentary on friday Dave? sadly there is no piano related documentary on next week .

hi Dave,

Oh, its ok it wasn't that good. Those programs are good, if like me you hardly know anything about famous pianists but want to swot up on them.

That Evgeny Kissin guy talks sooo slooolwy I almost wanted to go to sleep when he was talking, however he is a very amusing pianist to watch when he plays fast stuff; and I think he is really expressive when he plays.

I like the way he strokes the keyboard; I felt almost embarrassed to watch him play that Liszt piece! I have read that some people think hes so good that he has no expression but I think thats rubbish.

Yeah its funny that message thing always happens to you! never mind.

Wow thats so cool you get to work on the Entertainer, its such a funky tune! I wonder what it sounds like as a duet? I would think its a rather diffulcult tune to do especially after having only 4? lessons.

I hope my teacher sets me more work this Wednesday, my home work was to sort out the timing for Mozart's sonata in A theme, as soon as I got home I sorted it out! so i had two weeks to work on that.

Never mind about the bad pratice, it happens to me. Sometimes I can't play even a scale without efing it up or Hanon .

I have two job agenies looking for work for me so thats something. If not I might have a place somewhere in January!

dave brum wrote:Anna, I'm ALWAYS praying for you over some success with the jobhunting. You have some positive leads at least so that's good

awww thanks Dave! maybe your (and mine) praying will pay off soon I hope.

Ah you're doing the primo part then, do you get to do that opening theme? you know the little tune that comes in at the start, it always makes me laugh.

I haven't been away from my piano ever since I bought it, so I go on it everyday even on a bad day I will do 30mins at the least.

Don't you think the piano is a bit like a time machine? Time seems to melt away when your on it. I look at the clock and its 1am - next mintue its 2.30am!

dave brum wrote: I find that talking to people on the Internet is like that! Though I haven't found that with the piano JUST yet! Maybe you practise too much and I don't practise enough, I don't know...

Yes, I have got the opening theme, and it's so gratifying to think that you can play it.

Yeah talking to people on the internet is like that! I seem to be on here more then praticing on the piano sometimes . When I do get back to work I wouldn't be on here quite so often though, don't miss me too much!

I don't know if i practise that much, I do longish sessions on the piano, wereas you do little and often (?) anyway I have less responsibility's then you.

It is really gratifying when you can play a bit of a tune you love, and you can hear those familar sounds coming out of your piano because you are playing it!

dave brum wrote:Course I'll miss you, you know I'll miss you my dear little sweetie pud

But not tooooooooooo much!

Yeah, can't wait to be able to save for an upright, it will probalbly be a Kemble or a Yamaha ( black colour ). I'm looking to spend a lot more on one this time! I want one with a nice sized sound board. Gosh hope my poor old lady neighbour doesn't mind!

Oh what one has she got? upright or grand?! what make?

Heres another one...

BBC 4 14th @ 7.30

Karim's Journey

Documentary about 17 year old Karim Said, the Amman-born pianist, composer, conductor.

Hey, has anyone seen that new advert on the tv for Wii Music!?

Ok Ok, fair enough you use the control sticks to play virtual drums, thats logical, to an extent; but to play a PIANO!?????

How on earth are you gona play a virtual piano with two motion - senor joysticks? That means you can only play two notes at one time!

ABSOLUTELY OBSCENE!!!

Yes Dave CRINGE!

I almost rolled about on the floor laughing like some nutter after I saw that. The advert came on, and I thought ok annother Wii ad fair enough. Then the lady 'hits' the air with the control stick and a piano sound, sounds.

My repsonse was OH NO!, I KNEW they would do that. Well after fooling people into thinking they can lose wait ( Wii Fit ), I saw it coming

Where has the age of proper computer games gone?! Nintendo I did love you; once apon a time..!

Today on BBC 4 @ 10:00 – 11:45

A drama called The Beat my Heart Skipped about some guy that is torn between becoming a gangster or becoming a pianist. In French with English subtitles.

sounds interesting...

Watched "The Beat my Heart Skipped",

Definitely in French. Wasn't bad. Violent in places, but in a French way involving cooking utensils. Just wondering where the piano was (30 minutes in) when it suddenly appears. Our, er anti hero, then struggles with some Haydn and Bach (I think) in order to audition for a different life as a concert pianist. As it's not a hollywood film, the ending is more interesting. I ended up enjoying it, but it certainly didn't look promising at first. I don't want to give away too much, but I can definitely relate to what happened in the audition. In fact, I think I've used the exact phrase at the end of the audition and with the same level of resignation.