THis new series, “The Piano,” tackles obvious issues head-on. “We came together and thought we were done,” Claudia Winkleman told talent show judges Micah and Lang Lang. Because we all know by now that this pair is hiding somewhere, judging every amateur musician who comes forward on their behalf. Public pianos installed at various stations will select a winner from each concourse to perform in a special concert at the end of the series.
It doesn’t matter, Mika says, sounding completely unconvincing. It was the people’s stories that drove the series, not the big reveals. So, apparently that’s resolved, let’s go.
Piano is definitely an exciting piece of work. How could that be? In addition to Winkleman’s warmth, he has an iron knack for controlling a scene. The opening episode takes place in Manchester Piccadilly, where a variety of ordinary people wander into a shiny ivory, sit down, and are suddenly transformed into musical gods in front of an enthusiastic crowd, cheered by world-famous pianist Lang. There are customers. Mika from Lang & Pop Musician of the People.
The selection process for these participants is still shrouded in mystery, but they are clearly far from a random combination. Everyone has a good story to tell or a revelatory taste in music. Brooke, an Instagram-worthy young blonde, turns out to be a law student who loves classical music and plays Poulenc’s novel E minor, but narratively speaking, she’s a boxer named Ellis from a rough-and-tumble council estate. (“The crime rate is high, but we’re fine because we have Costa,” he deadpans.) His mother bought him a keyboard from Argos when he was four years old. He saved up money to buy it. There was no money for his lessons, so he learned through funding from the city council and through his own efforts. He performed Chopin’s lyrical and beautiful Ballade No. 4, which left everyone breathless. “Do you think he knows how difficult this piece is?” Mika says. Is that weird? I find it strange to say that someone from a duchy who can play songs like this must be some kind of stupid savant rather than a true musician.
But The Piano always had those weird moments where we were confronted with our prejudices. Because that’s what drives the show (at least as much as the big reveals and storylines). See, even old people can still play! Look, her 9-year-old, who appears to be on the autism spectrum, can play emotionally. There’s an unspoken agreement that the fact that Amy has pink hair and still likes Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata is just as great as if she taught herself through tutorials on the internet.
But I’m definitely overthinking this. I wish the music would soothe me, but unfortunately the same problems that plagued series one are back with a vengeance here. With the odd exception, such as a moving performance of Labyrinth’s “Beneath Your Beautiful” by Fred, an 18-year-old gap-year student living in the Caribbean, we rarely see or hear anything like it. Can not. We go back and forth between the players, the audience, and Mika and Lang Lang’s commentary, but we have no idea what they’re accomplishing. And the explanation itself remains hopelessly vague. The best of these reality shows, especially the early ones like Strictly Come Dancing, educate viewers a little bit and add to the fun by unpacking the skills and allowing them to understand them more deeply. Increase. Here the judges assure us that they have just watched a very “mature” or “elegant” performance, or that someone has “excellent technique” or a “soft left hand” (I’m not sure if this is a recommendation or not).
Additionally, no one seems clear on what the criteria are for anointing a winner. Is it the amount of raw talent that will be on the show? How do the single performances compare? Or is it the unsettling nature of their backstories? It appears to have a little bit of all of this, but it’s applied thoroughly and inconsistently. Claudia herself seems to have influence over the judges.
It all makes the piano feel a little empty. Of course, this formula still works well overall. Just the snippets of music we have and the love people express for it are enough to bring tears to our eyes. But with a little more thought, a little more courage, and a little more confidence in the amount of rigor and knowledge that the audience would be willing to endure, it could be so much more.
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