The piano is often referred to as the “king of instruments”. Low and high octaves, soft and loud tones – the instrument with 88 keys is extremely versatile. In the new Vox music show “The Piano”, which starts on Tuesday (8.15 p.m.), the piano becomes a TV star – and Mark Forster, for once, is a supporting actor.
“The piano is still the basis for me. I think of music in terms of lyrics and the piano,” says Forster (41) in an interview with dpa about his love of the piano. “The more you know about the piano, the easier it is to make music – no matter what kind.”
The guaranteed hit (“Chöre”, “Sowieso”) likes to grab attention, for example as a coach in “The Voice of Germany”. But in “The Piano” Forster stays in the background – together with the internationally renowned pianist Igor Levit (37).
Talent search in the main station
The concept: The organizers set up a black Steinway grand piano in busy places in Germany – for example at Leipzig Central Station or in a shopping center in Berlin. Undiscovered pianists take turns playing pieces for passers-by and presenter Annika Lau.
What they don’t know: Levit and Forster are watching the performances in a nearby room. At the end of each episode, they select a talent to accompany them at the final concert in the historic Wuppertal town hall.
“For me, ‘The Piano’ is not a casting show. It’s a kind of ‘Piano Big Brother’,” explains Forster. It’s not about laying the foundation for a career. “It’s like a dance class that ends with the prom.”
From Mendelssohn to Grönemeyer
It is impressive how different life stories, characters and pieces of music are shown in the two-hour episodes. The 80-year-old Duschka, who decided early on against a global career and for her family, intones a mix of Bach and the US jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, after which she lovingly describes Forster as a “cheeky mouse”. Luise (10) plays Mendelssohn’s “Spinnerlied”, Marlon (19) from Bochum sings to Herbert Grönemeyer.
The often touching life stories of the musical talents are interspersed in short clips. However, the piano playing is in the foreground, which has a pleasantly relaxing effect in the loud and colorful world of TV.
British winner plays for the king
“I hope that what we have experienced over the last few weeks will be passed on to the audience: this enthusiasm for playing the piano. That people will realise how lucky it is to be able to play the piano and make music,” says Levit about the relaxed format. “Many candidates have told us: ‘The piano is my friend’. If we can convey that, we have already won.”
“The Piano” is based on a British idea that has since been sold to Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands. The winner of the first season, a blind, autistic girl, soon wowed audiences at King Charles’ coronation ceremony. It’s easy to imagine that the German version will also take the stage from Leipzig’s main train station straight to concert stages around the world.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240923-930-240506/1
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