Celebrating 300 Years of the Piano

[John Lillico, RPT]

Further to this, I fired off another enquiry to the PBS station in Buffalo. In that there may have been (and still could be) some confusion as to the title of the presentation, the following is the latest response from WNED.

"Here is a description of the program from a PBS press release:

PIANO GRAND! A SMITHSONIAN CELEBRATION, airing on PBS (check local
listings), is a musical tribute to the 300th anniversary of the piano’s invention. The 90-minute program rocks, rolls, soothes, grooves and captivates viewers with its salute to this instrument of timeless beauty and versatility. "Piano Man" Billy Joel hosts. 

The star-studded lineup brings together under one roof some of the world’s
foremost classical, jazz and pop artists. Taped in HDTV before a live
audience, PIANO GRAND! A SMITHSONIAN CELEBRATION
features musical performances by host Billy Joel, Dave Brubeck, Jerry Lee
Lewis, Diana Krall and the Diana Krall Trio, Robert Levin, Jean-Yves
Thibaudet, Katia and Marielle Labeque, Marcus Roberts, Hyung-ki Joo,
Elaine Elias and the Eliane Elias Trio, Cyrus Chestnut and the Smithsonian
Chamber Orchestra conducted by Kenneth Slowik. Eight talented pianists,
ranging in age from 7 to 14, are also featured in a multi-piano performance
of Country Gardens.

"PIANO GRAND has the charm, grace and spunk of the very instrument
itself," said Robert J. Shuman, president and CEO of Maryland Public
Television. "We are deeply honored to collaborate with the Smithsonian in
this extraordinary tribute to the piano. And, best of all, with public
television’s penetrating reach, this special has the power to put a grand
piano in virtually every living room from Washington, DC, to Wyoming."

"No other instrument has reached into people’s lives in as many ways as the
piano," said Paul Johnson, director of Smithsonian Productions, "and the
Smithsonian decided to celebrate this special birthday in a big way. We’re
very pleased to join with the National Museum of American History and
Maryland Public Television to bring this exciting program to the public.
And the performers truly make it a grand celebration." 

Musical selections demonstrate the piano’s versatility as the artists
showcase their signature styles. The result is a mesmerizing combination of
musical works, including the first movement of Grieg’s Piano Concerto in
A Minor (performed by Thibaudet); Billy Joel’s Baby Grand (performed by
Joel) and Joel’s own classical composition, Fantasie (performed by
Hyung-ki Joo); Jerry Lee Lewis’ Great Balls of Fire (performed by
Lewis); and Leonard Bernstein’s America (performed by the Labeques).

The program was recorded on four stages with more than a dozen grand
pianos at the studios of Black Entertainment Television (BET) in
Washington, DC.

A companion exhibition, "PIANO 300: Celebrating Three Centuries of
People and Pianos," runs through March 4, 2001, at the Smithsonian
International Gallery of the S. Dillon Ripley Center. Featured are many
highlights from the National Museum of American History’s internationally
distinguished collection of some 250 pianos and keyboards, which date
from the 18th through the 20th centuries and represent builders from all
over
the world. A focal point of the exhibition is one of only three surviving
pianos made in Italy in 1722 by inventor Bartolomeo Cristofori. Other
highlights include Liberace’s rhinestone-encrusted concert grand and an
Erard grand piano presented to Prince Albert by Queen Victoria."

John Lillico, RPT
Oakville, Ontario