At the Piano

Pianist Susan Tomes writes in the introduction to her book Beyond the Notes, 'In my experience, pianists tend to read and study more than many other players... It's true that their relative isolation within the world of musicians gives them plenty of time to think.' The truth of Tomes's observation is underlined in Radio 3's At the Piano - five programmes forming a pianistic treasure trove. Five pianists select and discuss performances by those they admire, with the articulate explanations of each choice suggesting that if pianists are isolated beings, their thinking is put to good use. Take a listen at the Radio 3 website.