David Hyde Pierce - a.k.a. Niles Crane

Summary

Classical Music Happy Hour – Episode Summary

Episode: David Hyde Pierce – a.k.a. Niles Crane
Host: Emanuel (Manny) Ax
Guest: David Hyde Pierce (actor, musician, musical theater performer)
Date: April 22, 2026
Podcast: Produced by WNYC, WQXR, in partnership with Carnegie Hall

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Overview

This episode welcomes acclaimed actor David Hyde Pierce, best known for his role as Niles Crane on "Frasier" and his deep involvement in musical theater. Emanuel Ax (“Manny”) and Pierce embark on a lively, warm, and humorous conversation about Pierce’s lifelong relationship with classical music and the piano, memorable moments from his acting career, and the often-amusing intersections between the worlds of classical music and theater. They field audience questions, play a whimsical music-inspired game, and reflect on the transformational power of music.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. David Hyde Pierce’s Introduction to Piano & Classical Music

• Pierce started piano lessons at age eight; it was his parents’ idea, following family tradition.
• Initial reluctance transformed into a deep love, thanks to his French teacher, Edith Stonequist, who instilled “the love of the music.”
  • “She taught the love of the music…she handed me the music and showed it to me. She didn't ever say, don't even come near this for 50 years.” (04:06 – 04:30)
• Notable memory: Discovering Beethoven via the “Appassionata” Sonata after hearing its theme as underscoring in a silent film (03:09).
• Proud high school accomplishment: Performing Beethoven’s "Choral Fantasy" as a senior project with chorus and orchestra—described as both exhilarating and comically chaotic due to the inexperience of the string players (04:06 – 05:45).

2. Classical Music and Frasier’s Script

• Pierce was delighted whenever the show included classical music references, crediting the creators and writers who were themselves knowledgeable fans.
• Classic exchange from “Frasier”:
  • Frasier: “Remember when we thought the 1812 Overture was good music?”
  • Niles: “Were we ever that young?” (00:29; 06:32–07:04)
• The intent was to poke fun at the Crane brothers’ snobbery, not at Tchaikovsky himself.

3. Q&A: Listener Questions Explored

a) Positioning of Violinists vs. Vocalists on Stage

• Manny explains violinists stand “in front and to the right” for ideal eye contact and balance; vocalists stand in the piano “crook” for a greater sense of support.
  • “I feel that the best position for the violinist is offstage. But given that they want to be on stage and play…” (08:17 – 09:47)
• Vocal power vs. instrument: “The human voice is much more powerful than a violin.” (08:17)

b) Music Memory—How Do Performers Memorize So Much?

• Manny: “I practice a lot because I'm very slow at learning…by the time I'm done practicing and actually able to play, it seems to stick in my head. I don't actually plan to memorize anything—I just sort of memorize it.” (22:13)
• Describes stories of photographic memory in conductors, specifically Loren Mazel.
• Pierce notes his struggle: “I could never play from memory. Even now if I’m playing something in a TV show…it’s very rare.” (23:38)

c) Gilbert & Sullivan: Opera or Musical?

• Pierce’s answer: “Yes.” (24:45)
• Describes personal background with Gilbert & Sullivan at summer camp and Yale’s G&S Society.
• Pierce: “Is it opera? Depends on the part. Sometimes I feel like it’s opera. I know it’s not great opera, but it has its moments.” (25:23)

d) Ensemble Collaboration—Acting vs. Music

• Pierce likens great acting ensembles to chamber music for joy and balance, with mutual listening and interaction.
  • “The joy of it for me is that kind of chamber music-ness of it…drawn to it.” (26:18)
• Highlights orchestral collaboration with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, praising their sensitivity and nuance.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On classical snobbery:

  • “Remember when we thought the 1812 Overture was good music?” – Frasier
  • “Were we ever that young?” – Niles (00:29; 06:32–07:04)

• On his piano teacher:

  • “She instilled in me a deep love of—not a great skill, but a deep love—of playing the piano.” (16:33)
  • “She was a huge fan of the New York Mets…she would have the TV on in the other room and sit there with her Mets hat on…You could do anything and she wouldn’t notice.” (16:33–16:58)

• On discovering Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony:

  • “She said, ‘Oh, how wonderful. It’s a little long. We’ll just play part. What’s your favorite movement?’ And I said, ‘Oh, just play anything.’ And she put it on and it changed my life.” (15:43–16:30)

• On ensemble and competition:

  • “I love the collaboration as opposed to the competition. There should be a healthy competition. But I’m not…” (28:13)

• On music as a religion:

  • “Music is my religion, so, you know, that’s a good one.” – Manny (11:57)

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Deep Dives: Musical Interpretation & Recording

• Interpretation: Both discuss the third movement of Beethoven's Archduke Trio, likening its structure to the emotional journey in Bach's Goldberg Variations—where a familiar theme returns transformed.
  • Pierce: “This movement is such an exquisite version of that.” (10:32)
• Recording vs. Live Performance:
  • Manny explains adjustments musicians must make when recording, such as dynamics and energy, paralleling an actor's need to “modulate” for film versus stage. (19:02–20:11)
  • Pierce reflects on performing Frasier before a live audience, which allowed a theatrical approach despite cameras. (20:27)

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Game Segment: Animal or Instrument (30:07–33:31)

A lighthearted, listener-friendly activity supplied by Carnegie Hall’s educational division:

• Manny and Pierce are played a sound and asked: is it an animal or instrument?
  • Most notably, they're flummoxed by a “leopard” that sounds like a bird (30:50), and a “buzzing trumpet” (32:21).
  • Pierce jokes: “A leopard playing a bird. How did it make that? What was it doing? I guess it’s none of our business.” (30:55)
  • Manny compares a strange sound to “me trying to play the coda of the Schumann fantasy,” getting laughs from both.

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Quickfire Personal Questions (15:02–16:58)

• Favorite drink:
  • “Either a non-alcoholic beer or a vodka martini. It depends on the day.” – Pierce (15:13)
• Favorite music book:
  • "The Rest is Noise," by Alex Ross (15:29)
• First album owned:
  • Brought Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony to school, which became life-changing (15:43–16:30)
• Musical hero:
  • “My piano teacher… Edith Stonequist.” (16:33)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Frasier's classical music line: 00:29 & 06:32–07:04
• Pierce’s early piano lessons: 02:05–04:06
• Beethoven Choral Fantasy story: 04:06–05:45
• Positioning of violinists vs. vocalists: 07:42–09:47
• Archduke Trio discussion: 10:20–11:52
• Favorite drink, book, first album: 15:13–16:30
• Memory and learning music/scripts: 22:03–24:04
• Gilbert & Sullivan debate: 24:45–25:53
• Collaboration on stage: 26:18–29:33
• "Animal or Instrument" game: 30:06–33:31

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Episode Tone and Language

The conversation is relaxed, witty, and affectionate. Both Ax and Pierce bring warmth, self-deprecation, and reverence for music, creating an inviting atmosphere reminiscent of friends gathered for a lively musical salon.

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Closing Remarks

The episode concludes with gratitude and light banter, emphasizing the shared joy of music and conversation. Pierce: “It is always a joy for me to do.” (33:48)

For those who love classical music, acting, or thoughtful conversation, this episode is both a warm embrace and a delightful education.

Transcript

[Classical Music Happy Hour Announcer]

Classical Music Happy Hour is supported by Viking, committed to exploring the world in comfort, offering destination focused small ship experiences on all seven continents with a shore excursion included in every port and programs designed for cultural enrichment. And every Viking voyage is all inclusive with no children and no casinos. Learn [e-mail] There was one wonderful exchange

[David Hyde Pierce]

between me and Frasier where I think Frasier says, remember when we thought the 1812 Overture was good music? And Niles says, were we ever that young?

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

From WQXR and Carnegie hall, this is Classical Music Happy Hour hosted by me, pianist Maniacs. Each episode we'll speak with a special guest about their lives, listen to some of their favorite musical gems, play music inspired games and answer questions from you, our listeners. My guest today is the actor David Hyde Pierce. You may know him for his many television, movie and stage appearances, including the character of Niles Crane from the sitcom Frasier, where he played Frasier's fastidious but lovable brother. In that role, he won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor four times. In recent years, he's been very active in musical theater, performing in of hello Dolly, the Pirates of Penzance, and the very last musical that Stephen Sondheim wrote. Here we are. David, welcome to the show.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Thanks, Manny. It's so good to be here.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

I know that we met quite a while ago. I doubt that you remember. I played at a private house, a sort of benefit for an organization in la, and you happened to be there. And I was starstruck immediately. Cause I'd seen you on the show. But since then we've done a few things. We've played together.

[David Hyde Pierce]

We did.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

How did you get started playing the piano at all? Was that something that you thought you might do for the rest of your life?

[David Hyde Pierce]

No, no, my parents made me. It became something I thought I might do for the rest of my life. And as it turns out, I have just not so people can hear me. I was born in 1959 and when I was about eight, I started. My brother and sisters, all older, had all taken piano lessons and they'd taken from this woman. Her name was Edith Stonequist. She was French and her mother had taught at the Paris Conservatory. And she told stories about how as a little girl, she would sit under the stairs at their home and listen to Alfred Cocteau play the piano, who

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

was one of the great French pianists from before the Second World War, in fact. That's right. Yeah, that's right.

[David Hyde Pierce]

And so for about a year, my parents made me keep taking lessons. I didn't like It. I didn't like it. And after a year, the thing that happened was I started to discover that I could sight read pretty well. And so then I started to become voracious and just want to play things. And what I loved about Mrs. Stonequist, she taught the love of the music. I had watched on pbs. The Phantom of the Opera, the silent movie with Lon Chaney. And the underscoring was different classical pieces.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Yes.

[David Hyde Pierce]

And the second subject of the first movement of the Appassionata, that was in that movie. And I heard that, and I came to my next lesson and I said, what is this? And I hummed it to her. And she said, well, it's this. And she handed me the music and showed it to me. And she said, you know, go ahead, take a look at it. She didn't ever say, don't even come near this for 50 years. And so I just developed a love for it. I aimed to be a professional because I was having a lot of success. My high school senior, whatever project, I guess, was the Choral Fantasy.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Oh, wow.

[David Hyde Pierce]

The guy who taught the chorus in my high school, his name was Jeffrey Vredenberg. And I was cutting gym one day because I hated Jim. And I was. They had these great Mason and Hamlin grand piano in a practice room. And I was there playing, and he came by and. And spotted me and said, how would you like to play for the junior high school chorus instead of saying, go to the principal's office. So I did, and I started playing for them. I ended up playing with the orchestra accompanying instrumentalists for, like, competitions and stuff like that, playing the organ at church and doing all these things. And so I realized a culmination of all of that would be this Beethoven piece where there's a piano and an orchestra and a choir and soloists. And so I did it.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

And in fact, it's a very funny piece because you see the stage and there's about 100 people in the chorus. Behind the orchestra, there's a big orchestra. And then this one guy comes out, there's a piano in front, and proceeds to play for five minutes on his own. And, you know, if I were hearing this for the first time, I'd say, what is everybody else doing there? And why is this guy annoyingly not letting anybody else do anything? But eventually everybody comes in and it's kind of a trial piece for the end of the ninth Symphony.

[David Hyde Pierce]

That's right. That theme is very similar. And we had. God bless them. We had some wonderful musicians in my high school, but also high school string Players. Cause this was not a music school. This was a public high school. And that piece, as you said, there's like five minutes of piano solo. And I am by no means God's gift to playing the piano, but the piano is an instrument that's in tune and if there's a wrong note, it's cause I hit it. So you get to the end.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Unfortunately, I.

[David Hyde Pierce]

You get to the end of that whole piano intro and then the strings come delicately in. And you know, with the high school little completely out of tune, squeaky violins. You've been misled by this piano introduction. It's like, oh, okay. And then you have to adjust.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Except in my case, I missed so many notes in that opening that nobody noticed it was fine. So that was fine.

[David Hyde Pierce]

I'm glad to hear that People who

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

watched you on the show realized you loved classical music. Did you want to emphasize that side of things during the show, in the script and so forth? Did you have input in that?

[David Hyde Pierce]

Well, no. So I loved it anytime something like that came around. One of the creators of the show, David Leigh, is also very knowledgeable and into classical music as well, as were some of the other writers. And on that show, I could say almost pretty much throughout, the actors didn't to contribute any jokes or any lines because the writers were so good. There was one wonderful exchange between me and Frasier where I think Frasier says, remember when we thought the 1812 Overture was good music? And Niles says, were we ever that young?

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Which is quite a put down of a wonderful piece.

[David Hyde Pierce]

It's a really good piece. But I think it was more about the snobbery of these two guys, I think, than it was about Tchaikovsky's shortcomings.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

I'm hoping you can help me answer some questions about classical music from our listeners. We've invited them to submit their questions and we're going to do our best to answer them. If I can't answer, I'll make up an answer.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Oh, that's good.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Or I'll get someone to look it up in the oed.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Oh, wow.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Shall we go to Maggie from New York? She's got a question about where violinists stand.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Whenever I see violinists performing with the pianist, the violinist is always standing sort of in front of the pianist rather than in the crook where you often see a vocalist stand. And I wonder why is that? Because it seems like it's difficult for the violinist to make eye contact with the pianist.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

There must be a reason.

[David Hyde Pierce]

And if you have an answer, I'd love to hear it.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Okay. Well, first of all, I feel that the best position for the violinist is offstage. But given that they want to be on stage and play, I think the best eye contact is actually if they do stand sort of in front and to the right. Because then I see them very well. And I kind of like it, because being fat, it's nice to have someone cover, you know, the view of the audience to the piano. So I'm very. I'm fine with that. The crook is usually a place for the singer because the singer wants to feel a lot of support from the piano. The singers that I've worked with usually have enormous voices. In fact, the human voice is much more powerful than a violin. If you do something with Joyce De Donato or Renee Fleming or Susan Graham, any of these people, it's a huge voice, not to mention the guys. So you actually need to support them quite a bit. And they like having that feeling of the piano supporting them. When I play with yo yo, the cello, he also sits sort of in the position where you were talking about the violin being. Rather than the crooked. Because he's more comfortable not being assaulted by the piano noise. So that's really the reason.

[David Hyde Pierce]

If you're playing a trio, does he sit there? And the violinist.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

If you're playing a trio, there's really no choice. We find a middle line. That's where we put the keyboard of the piano. And then the violin sits on one side, the cello on the other. But they're usually a little farther to the front, so it's not overwhelming in any way.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Do they advance and retreat during the performance, like as they're trying to claim territory, or do they. Pretty much,

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

We're going to listen and talk maybe about a piece of music that we're both besotted by, which is the third movement of the Beethoven Trio, called the Archduke Trio.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Yeah. You know, there's a pattern. It goes back to the Bach Goldberg Variations. You have a theme and you hear it, and it has a certain beauty to it or whatever. And then you go on this journey, and at the end of the journey, the theme comes back and everything has changed. The theme has changed, you've changed. And to me, this movement is such an exquisite version of that.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

It's a piece that I've known most of my life, have played very little, actually, but recently have played a lot with my buddies, Leonidas and Yo Yo. And every time we play it, We kind of go into a little bit of a trance.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Yeah,

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

You can't help it. There's just something about this particular movement that just does it. So we're kind of either in church or in a synagogue or in a mosque. Yes, right.

[David Hyde Pierce]

And there's a kind of heartbreak and longing too, that it's also. There might be something of that as well.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

It's also very human, of course. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I have to admit music is my religion, so, you know, that's a good one.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Where was he in his hearing life when he wrote this?

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

I think he was probably near the end. The thing about his general ability to have things work even though he couldn't hear, I don't know where that's.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Especially things like this that have not been written before. This is not, forgive me, a Haydn or something where it's a much more structured this imaginatively is so out there.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Generally, the stuff that he did when he was almost not being able to hear, you know, he heard noises and things. It all seems to work so incredibly well.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Yes.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

You know, this is the amazing part. You don't have to change anything with the Beethoven symphony if you just play it correctly. Everything seems to work in terms of balance and projection and so forth. And that's true of very, very few composers, even the great ones who had perfect hearing, you know, and could experiment. I mean, for someone who spent most of his life say what it's. It's pretty.

[David Hyde Pierce]

His answer to the question what? Is pretty profound.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Yes. I'm maniacs. And this is Classical Music Happy Hour. We'll return in just a moment.

[Classical Music Happy Hour Announcer]

Classical Music Happy hour is supported by Viking, committed to exploring the world in comfort. For over 25 years, Viking has been connecting the thinking person with the world. First on the great rivers, then on all five oceans, now on all seven continents. Whether you choose to journey through the heart of Europe on an elegant Viking longship, explore the ancient cities of the Mediterranean on a small ocean ship, or venture to the white shores of Antarctica on a purpose built expedition ship, you will always experience thoughtful service, destination focused dining and cultural enrichment on board and onshore. And every Viking voyage is all inclusive with no children and no casinos. Learn [e-mail].

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

This is Classical Music Happy Hour. I'm maniacs. Let's hear a little more from our talk with David Hyde Pierce. What is your favorite drink after a long day?

[David Hyde Pierce]

Ooh. Either a non alcoholic beer or a vodka martini.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Amazing combination.

[David Hyde Pierce]

It depends on the day.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Yeah. Do you ever pour the two together?

[David Hyde Pierce]

Not intentionally. Okay.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

What's the best book you've ever read about music?

[David Hyde Pierce]

Oh, gosh. The Rest is Noise is a fantastic

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Book by Alex Ross.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Yes, that's the first one that comes to mind because it explains the inexplicable

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

first album that you bought with your own money.

[David Hyde Pierce]

That's a long time ago. And they were made of stone. Can I answer a different question? Yes, it's close enough. I didn't pay for this because it wasn't mine. But when I was in elementary school, our music teacher, it was a public school and we had music teachers that's worth mentioning. And she asked us to bring in a record of something that we liked. And I looked through my parents records and they had something called the Pastoral Symphony of Beethoven. Never heard of it. Never heard it. But I thought, oh, I bet nobody else will bring anything like this in. So I brought that in and she said, oh, how wonderful. She said, it's a little long. We'll just play part. What's your favorite movement? And I said, oh, just play anything. And she put it on and it changed my life because I'd never heard that music. And as soon as it started, I was on another planet.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Who is your musical hero?

[David Hyde Pierce]

My piano teacher. Her name was Edith Stonequist. She was this wonderful old French woman and she instilled in me a deep love of. Not a great skill, but a deep love of playing the piano. And she was a huge fan of the New York Mets. And when you would have lessons in the summer, it was fantastic because she would have the TV on in the other room and she'd sit there with her Mets hat on watching the television while you played. And you could do anything and she wouldn't notice.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

You do a lot of TV and you do a lot of theater and musical theater. How big are your gestures, your voice, your attitude? How much does that change between television and stage?

[David Hyde Pierce]

I guess it's kind of a balance issue. My fundamental belief is that it's all the same, and it also really depends on the space. So I've worked a couple times, at least twice at the Shubert Theater in New York. And the Shubert is probably the greatest Broadway house because the way the seating is set up and the way the acoustic is in the place, you can virtually do nothing on stage. And they get it. It translates. Like when we were doing Spamalot, which is quite a farce and broad comedy, but the way it works really is for people to play it straight. And that's what makes it funny.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Yeah.

[David Hyde Pierce]

And that was my first time at the Shubert and I realized that you could sort of transmit. It's like, oh, my God, Joyce didonato

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

The singer who does a lot at the Met.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Yes, she's extraordinary.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

She does Handel and various. Everything.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Yes, she does everything.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

She made pizza the other day.

[David Hyde Pierce]

She does a lot. She does it a lot. But there was. Oh, gosh, I won't remember the opera. I think it was Donizetti. She was in the middle of a huge ensemble, and they were singing, and

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

she sang pianissimo, which means soft, soft, soft, soft.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Oh, no, she. Yes, that's what I meant. And this sound just came to you through the Metropolitan Opera, which is not a small space. It's just spectacular. So people handle this differently. But in general, I feel like when a performer or an actor or whoever has been doing it long enough, your instincts sort of take over. Now, there's a famous story about the MUNY Theater in St. Louis, which is so gigantic, it's like 400 billion seats. And famously, when you make an entrance, you have to gesture wildly with your hand when you speak. So people in the house know who the hell's talking.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

I was asking because I know for myself there's a difference between recording and being on stage. And very often, when you have played a piece for a while and then go into the studio and try and record it, you really have to change the dynamic range and the gestures because of the mic being close. So I was wondering, when you have closeups on television, whatever you do is maybe less broad than what you do on stage. Or for you, that's just instinctive.

[David Hyde Pierce]

No, first of all, I'll answer that, I think. But I'm completely in shock to hear that about recording. It never occurred to me that you would have to adjust in that way.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Well, you don't adjust a priori, but what happens is you play something for the first time after having played it, and then you listen back and you realize that everything is maybe exaggerated.

[David Hyde Pierce]

It's interesting.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Too loud.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Of course.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Too loud. Maybe too fast. There are differences, and you make a kind of instinctive adjustment because of what you've just heard.

[David Hyde Pierce]

It's like being in a very live space. Like, I know from my church work that some churches are so resonant that you either have to slow things down or be more articulate or slow that kind of adjustment.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

So I was wondering if the same thing holds true. Is in your face.

[David Hyde Pierce]

When I was doing Frasier all those years.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Yeah.

[David Hyde Pierce]

One of the great things about that show was we did it for a live audience. And as someone coming from the theater, even though there were cameras, they were never up in your face like if you're doing a feature film. And for me, it was the best of both worlds. And I was working with theater actors, with Kelsey and John Mahoney and Jane and Perry. So I got used to having cameras and not being self conscious about it and didn't have to modulate because there was a live audience there to play to. They weren't a million miles away. So I think the balance was right. Yes, but my experience in doing film is finding the freedom to not sort of shut down and mute everything. Because you're so aware that there's a camera up your nose. And I would be afraid of that if I were a musician.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Well, that's the thing with recording. One of the things that's happened now that I'm very old, the young generation, they never do anything wrong. They never miss any notes. So they actually can record live concerts. I don't think I could ever have recorded a live concert without doing some inserts. And then you're in the studio, so it's a different experience. But I think now any number of these young people can just do a record of a recital and have it come out and it's perfect. Janet from Short Hills in New Jersey has a question about memory.

[David Hyde Pierce]

How on earth do you keep all that music in your head? It really seems to be quite daunting.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Well, first of all, what I do is I write all the music on my left sleeve and look down there and nobody can see. Cause I'm facing the other way.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Right. Smart, smart.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

But if I don't have enough room on the sleeve for me, I practice a lot because I'm very slow at learning. So I have to practice over and over and over. And I find by the time I'm done practicing and am actually able to play the piece, it seems to stick in my head. I don't actually plan to memorize anything. I just sort of memorize it. And of course, if it's a piece that's not familiar, like if it's a new concerto that was just written for me, I'll just go ahead and use music because I can't remember. So that's one type of memory, is just repetition, repetition, repetition. The great conductor Loren Mazel, he had something that he called photographic memory. Which was that he was able to actually visualize the music that he studied. I saw him do a rehearsal with no music. But he was able to say to the orchestra, three bars before letter B, I would like this. So he actually saw the thing in front. Other people have a combination of the two But I think for you it's probably infinitely harder. I can imagine memorizing music. I can't imagine memorizing a script.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Right back at you. Seriously. You know, famously, actors always get asked, how do you memorize all those lines? But as someone who plays and loves music, I am fascinated by memory. I could never play from memory. Even now if I'm playing something in a television show or something, it's very rare. And it's interesting the thing about the photographic memory because I also feel like that's not a hearing the music thing. I'm sure, obviously he could do that as well.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Yeah, sure.

[David Hyde Pierce]

It's literally. It's a visual thing.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

It's a visual thing. He actually could somehow visualize the score as it goes by. I will add one more thing. I think memory today should be a non issue. I think if you can't memorize, just use the music, there's no reason why not. I just don't think it should be an issue and it certainly shouldn't make anyone nervous about playing something or learning something. That's my answer. Is Gilbert and Sullivan opera or is it a musical?

[David Hyde Pierce]

Yes.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Excellent.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Gilbert and Sullivan. I have a lot of GNS in my background. When I went to summer camp as a young boy, I went to a camp up in New Hampshire that had been founded in the early part of the 1900s. So they had early part of the 1900s tradition of doing a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta every summer. And so through the course of my however many years I was there, I got to either listen to be in and ultimately direct a lot of their shows. And when I went to college, Yale had a Gilbert and Sullivan Society. They probably still do. So now with the Pirates of Penzance, it's like coming back full circle.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Thank you for that non answer. That's excellent.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Well, all right. And is it opera? You know what? It depends on the part. I mean, sometimes I feel like it's opera. I know it's not great opera, but it has its moments.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Sullivan was a. I love the music. I was just wondering how you visualize it.

[David Hyde Pierce]

So I don't think of it as opera, but I feel like there are big choral. Oh well, like in Pirates, there's this huge second act mashup of all these different vocal lines. The cops are singing one thing and the pirates are singing another thing and the girls are singing something else.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Like a Mozart ensemble.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Yeah, it's hard to say it's like Mozart, but it's Mozartian esque. Ish.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Okay, okay. When you're on stage in a non musical, in a drama, do you feel that you have to collaborate the way an orchestral musician would have to collaborate? What I mean is, do you listen when they're talking to you or do you concentrate on what you're going to do?

[David Hyde Pierce]

There were other people on stage. No, I'll tell you, I love that question. That's a great question. Cause it is, it taps into something which is, I would say from the first day of rehearsal and it never stops that connection. Just recently a dear friend who's a director asked me to do a one person show and I said I don't wanna, I don't wanna be out there, just me. The joy of it for me is that kind of chamber music ness of it. And I'm drawn to it. Like I work with the Orchestra of St. Luke's I'm on the board of the Orchestra of St. Luke's and that is a group the core of which has been together for so long, 50 years. And then the aesthetic there is so collaborative and so sensitive and nuanced and the privilege of sitting in on a rehearsal and watching them put a piece together. My introduction to the St. Matthew Passion, I'd never heard it before and I heard it in rehearsal. Bernard Labadie was our principal conductor and it was life changing. That piece would probably change your life if you're open to it anyway. But to hear it in that way and hear how people were shaping it and bringing things out teaches you so much about the piece of.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Are there times when you don't know people? I won't say dislike them, but you don't know them very well and you're on stage with them, interacting.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Yes. Although it's a little bit different because by the time you're on stage in a production, you all know each other very well. It's very different. Like if you're playing a concerto, especially if you're doing it with a conductor or an orchestra you aren't familiar with, you don't have a lot of time to discover what they're like. Is that fair to say?

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Probably. But I think it also depends on the individual person. Some people make friends very quickly and very easily and some need more time. Maybe.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Yeah.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

And once in a while there are even people who don't necessarily get along.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Yes.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

But still manage to.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Awful people.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Exactly. But still manage to play together.

[David Hyde Pierce]

I have such romantic sort of feeling about classical music and seeing great performances and things. But I can imagine it can also be a little bit competitive in like a Sporting event. And there's famous stories of, I think, when Horowitz played the Rock three or something with Tuscany or the Tchaikovsky. It was one of the first times he was out. And it was like a race to the end about who was gonna survive, finish first. I think so. And I hope I don't have that story wrong. But anyway, the idea that I love the collaboration as opposed to the competition. You should have both. There should be a healthy competition. But I'm not.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

I think sometimes the music itself is a kind of competition. I mean, where you have the concerto principle, where you have the one against the many. And sometimes it's collaborative and sometimes you're fighting.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Yeah, that's right.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

And that's what you're supposed to be.

[David Hyde Pierce]

And you're supposed to.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

But of course, it's nice if you collaborate on the fight.

[David Hyde Pierce]

I remember as a young man listening to the Emperor Concerto and really, like, I'm getting. Actually, my neck is tingling now as I'm talking about it. I used to get so excited about this in the last movement, when the orchestra and the piano would trade parts of the themes.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Yes.

[David Hyde Pierce]

I just thought that was so cool that they'd each had it to themselves and they said, well, we can do this together. I love that.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Yeah. Well, it's a nice part of the piece.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Yeah.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

The rest of it. Fui. There is a game that comes from our producing partner, Carnegie Hall.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Oh, I love that.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Who has a fabulous educational program with a lot of online resources. If you go to kids.carnegiehall.org There are a lot of games and quizzes for kids and adults who are looking for a way to pass the time.

[David Hyde Pierce]

That's us.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Yeah. So this game is called Animal or Instrument. I have not played this. I don't know what it's gonna be like. But I think the idea behind the game is what you hear. Is this an animal or is it an instrument? Okay, we're gonna get David. Who's gonna give us the answers. The other David, to introduce himself. Yes. This is David Norville, game key master. Okay.

[David Hyde Pierce]

All right.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Thank you, David.

[David Hyde Pierce]

We're in good hands.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

So shall we try and have a go?

[David Hyde Pierce]

Sure.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

We're ready. It's gotta be a bird.

[David Hyde Pierce]

All right, I'll go with that. It sounds like a bird.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Are you willing to go with it?

[David Hyde Pierce]

Yes. No, I'll support that. Yes.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

So that was an animal, but the animal indeed was a leopard. What?

[David Hyde Pierce]

A leopard playing a bird. How did it make that? What was it doing? I guess it's none of our business,

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

but but it's very scary. What if you have a bird bath outside your house? You walk out, you get eaten, and

[David Hyde Pierce]

there's a leopard in it. Yes.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Not good at all.

[David Hyde Pierce]

It's probably how it learned. It learned when it made leopard noises that people would go the other way. But if it makes little bird noises, then. Anyway.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

All right, all right. Okay, Okay. I'm gonna guess right off the bat. I'm gonna say it's a trombone.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Oh.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

What do you think?

[David Hyde Pierce]

I was thinking it was an instrumentalist in the restroom, But I could be wrong. A trumpet? Yeah, it sounds like. Or a trumpet mouthpiece.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

All right.

[David Hyde Pierce]

We say it's an instrument.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

It is an instrument. And the instrument is a trumpet. Okay. Correct. You nailed it.

[David Hyde Pierce]

All right.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Fabulous. Okay.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Played in a restroom, certainly.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Next.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Oh, wow, that's interesting.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

I'm gonna guess an instrument and it's like a slowly going wind machine.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Yeah.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

What do you think?

[David Hyde Pierce]

I think it's an instrument too, but I'm thinking of it more as a. Like a semi percussion instrument. But I don't know.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

It's an instrument. But once again, it's a trumpet.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Oh, come on.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

It's a buzzing technique.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Oh, a buzzing technique.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

A buzzing technique. Well, it's who? He did buzz.

[David Hyde Pierce]

Yes, absolutely. All right.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Okay. Do we have more? Yes. All right. Okay.

[David Hyde Pierce]

That's kind of like a cat meeting a leopard.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Yeah, that's gotta be me trying to play the coda of the Schumann fantasy and getting unbelievably every time.

[David Hyde Pierce]

That's great. That's the part we never get to hear.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Okay.

[David Hyde Pierce]

It sounded like a cat to me, but I think it's supposed to sound like a cat and foolish. But I say a cat.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

A cat.

[David Hyde Pierce]

That's what I say.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

You know, I'm gonna guess an animal also, but they all sound like birds to me.

[David Hyde Pierce]

All right.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

I think it's another kind of bird.

[David Hyde Pierce]

It's very messianic of you.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

Yeah. Thank you. So it is an animal this time. And the animal is an armadillo. Oh, okay. Well, so I was close.

[David Hyde Pierce]

I think these are, like, from an animal comedy club where they're all doing impressions.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

I can't thank you enough for spending time with me.

[David Hyde Pierce]

It is always a joy for me to do.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

You're the best.

[David Hyde Pierce]

This was so much fun.

[Maniacs (Host, Pianist)]

I'm maniacs. And this is Classical Music Happy Hour. Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholtz foundation and by Linda Nelson. Our production team includes Lauren Purcell Joyner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonemaker David Norville, Christine Herskovitz and Ed Yim. Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudell and Chase Culpan. Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall. WQXR is supported by Carnegie hall presenting a one night only event with leading soloists Leonidas Kovakos, Gil Shaham, Antoine Tamisti, Pablo Ferrandez and Elisa Weilerstein performing Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata and Schubert's String Quartet in C major May 15th. [e-mail],.