CONSIDER THE PIANO, SPACEFANS. For an instrument that was invented in Italy over 300 years ago, and can point to ancestors like the third century BC Greek “hydraulis.”—a shoreline pipe organ powered by Mediterranean waves — and early keyboard instruments like the Clavichord and the Harpsichord — the evolution of the piano might seem to be a settled matter. And while the forms and technologies of the modern piano were largely established by the early 20th century, there were still hundreds of improvements in design, materials and construction that continue today.
The most revolutionary development — the 20th century invention of playable keyboard-controlled electronic synthesizers — was driven by a furious pace of innovation at American, Japanese, and German companies, and vastly expanded the sonic capability of keyboard instruments.
All this work has given ambient musicians a wealth of creative resources to draw on. Early masterworks like the Romantic Classical orchestrations of VANGELIS, the chilled electronic flights of KLAUS SCHULZE, the hypnotic sequencer rhythms of TANGERINE DREAM, the abstract electro-acoustic environments of BRIAN ENO, and the extended electronic meditations of STEVE ROACH — created stylistic protocols for generations of ambient artists who followed.
On this transmission of Hearts of Space, new music for piano and electronic keyboards inspired by the early pioneers, on a program called “PROTOCOLS FOR AMBIENT PIANO.” Music is by TOM EATON, BRUNO SANFILIPPO, ÓLAFUR ARNALDS, NILS FRAHM, HANIA RANI,TIM STORY & ACHIM ROEDELIUS, KEVIN KELLER, and BEN LUCAS BOYSEN, and PAUL HASLINGER & CHRISTIAN WITTMAN.
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