Who thought a music column was a good idea while the FIFA World Cup is happening?

I've never been good at multitasking and I don't seem to be improving. So it's best not to have any distractions while this enthralling competition takes place.

It's such a shame in a way New Zealand made it through to the last football world cup finals and not this one. Because while half of the country watched last time; this time there's not quite the same interest. And while the last one was characterised by being a bit boring, this one has been simply fantastic, pretty much the most exciting world cup I can ever remember.

New piano in town

But, enough. Let me tear my mind off the brilliance of Brazil and the determination of the Dutch because, as of last week, there's a new piano in town.

Yes, that's right, a new piano, and not one of those delightful ones that have been popping up on street corners courtesy of local artist's co-operative The Incubator. Though this one, like those, is indeed a work of art.


The amazing cherry-red ornately carved Steinway grand piano.

I guess there's actually room here for some debate on ‘What is art?'. If you take a piano and flash it up with some paint and a bit of carving and then put it on a street corner, is it actually art? As indicated, I think it is.

But is it any more or less a work of art than if you flash up a piano with some paint and a bit of carving and put it in an art gallery?

I guess the answer should be ‘no'. It's all art surely, whether it's on a street corner or a gallery. But then you see the piano in the gallery, the amazing cherry-red, ornately-carved Steinway grand piano, which is Michael Parekowhai's ‘He korero purakau mo te awanui o te motu: Story of a New Zealand river', and you kinda have to accept not all art is created equal.

The piano was a central work by Parekowhai when he represented New Zealand at the Venice Biennale and it's absolutely stunning. Unbelievable. Some of you might have already heard it in action at the opening last weekend. There's another chance next weekend when the Jade String Quartet perform a concert along with pianist David Guerin from the Auckland Chamber Orchestra.

Classical favourites

That's happening on Saturday, July 12, at 6.30pm, with the promise of classical favourites from Bach, Mozart and Schubert. I haven't heard Jade but they've got an enviable reputation as one of New Zealand's finest chamber ensembles. Tickets are $25 from the gallery. (NB: since the piano takes up quite a lot of space, audience numbers are very limited, so do book early).

The Piano-with-the-Longest-Name-Ever-Given-to-a-Piano will be in town until October and there are regular events planned, including talks, concerts and films, as well as the chance for members of the public – yes that's us – to play it at special public playing sessions.

These are happening on Saturday, July 26, and Sunday, August 17, and Saturday, September 13, from 1pm-3pm and if you call the gallery you can book in for your very own 15 minute session.

I play piano like a stuck pig with one hand tied behind its back, but even I'm tempted if it means a chance to pound this beautiful beast.

Plug for a favourite

And wait, there's more, and since Ralph Hotere is my favourite New Zealand artist I want to give it a plug. The piano is not here as a stand-alone object. It is part of a touring exhibition from Te Papa called Black Rainbow. It features five black paintings by Hotere alongside the red piano.

There'll also be a screening of the 2001 film ‘Hotere', written and directed by the late Maketu-born Merata Mita, who is famous for the groundbreaking 1981 Springbok tour documentaty ‘Patu'.

This will be only the second New Zealand venue where the works in ‘Black Rainbow' have been seen together outside Te Papa – so it's another coup for the gallery, which continues to up its game and make an impression on the city. Kudos to everyone there.