The HTA Podcast: Music and Public Places

By Maximilien Sonier

A piano sits in the foreground of an open space in Carleton's School of Architecture. — The public piano in Carleton’s Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism.

This is a milestone for the HTA Podcast: the first episode produced by one of our students. Maximilien Sonier is a recent (spring 2023) graduate of the History & Theory of Architecture program – and, as you will discover, he is also an accomplished pianist. This podcast was produced in the Winter 2023 term as his final project for ARTH 4800: The Sound of Place and Place of Sound in Architecture.

The Podcast:

What happens when you add spontaneous, live music to a public space? Maximilien Sonier explores this question by playing three publicly located pianos on the campus of Carleton University. Join him as he guides us through these spaces by ear, rather than by the eye.

Click the ‘Play’ arrow to listen to the podcast:

This podcast was conceived, written, narrated, performed, recorded, and edited by Maximilien Sonier. The author would like to thank his fellow-student, Jeremie Lafleche, for being a ‘second pair of eyes’, observing audience reactions while Maximilien concentrated on playing.

A Piano sits in an alcove in Carleton's Minto Building. — The public piano in the Minto Building, Carleton University.

Maximilien performed the following pieces in this podcast:

Chopin: Prelude Op. 28, No. 7
Joe Hisaishi: Bygone Days
Chopin: Nocturne op. 9, No. 2
Chopin: Etude Op. 25, No. 5
Chopin: Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23
Chopin: Ballade No. 2 in F Major, Op. 38
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 21 – 2. Larghetto