Designing a piano is no mean feat, considering that fact that classical instrument-making has gone through little if any evolution. Manufacturing a piano is hard enough as it is, even when you are following the typical design.
The following post reveals exactly what goes on inside the New York Steinway piano factory:
artisanship and craft: inside the steinway piano factory in new york
since its founding in 1853 in a manhattan loft on varick street, steinway & sons has been considered the one of the world’s finest piano manufacturers. over the next thirty years, german immigrant henry engelhard steinway and his sons developed the modern piano, building each instrument one at a time. now — more than 160 years later — the grands, uprights, limited-editions and special collections are still primarily constructed by hand, using skills passed down from master to apprentice over several generations.
every single steinway is crafted by a team of dedicated artisans with decades of experience, who take pride in humanizing each object using many of the processes which have remained essentially unchanged since the brand’s early years. built in one of two company-owned and operated factories — astoria, new york and hamburg, germany — with more than 12,000 individual parts, every instrument bears its own musical character and is as distinctly unique as the pianist who plays it. Via Design Boom
Essentially, the fundamental design of the piano has not changed over the last 200 years. That of the violin is even older, spanning over 300 years since Antonio Stradivari created the ‘perfect’ violin prototype.
This is one of the reasons why new piano designs tend to attract a lot of attention. However, these new designs can’t seem to break into the manufacturing scene. Pianos with new designs are viewed as works of art more than musical instruments.
It may be because of the heavy price tags attached to them in most cases (not that any new piano comes cheap). It might also be because their designers are not really intent on disrupting the piano-making industry. That is not to say that new designs are not entering the market – just that the ones that do tend to adhere to the basic piano design that already exists.
That said, it’s always the more outrageous piano designs that will draw the most attention, and they do make an interesting read. Here are two of the most recent:
The mPiano Was Touched By Porsche Design Style
We really don’t know if we can find the right words to describe the marvelous mPiano. Created by a company called Alpha Piano, founded by Mario Aiwasian, who used to work at the 188-year-old Austrian piano maker Bösendorfer, this incredible electric piano has been actually designed with some help from Porsche Design.
Alpha Piano actually collaborates with Porsche Design to create all of its instruments, allowing classical musicians to enjoy a high-quality product, that’s also easy to transport, set up and adjust, with a bespoke touch of style as well. Via Luxatic
The impeccability of the mPiano’s design cannot possibly be in question here, which also explains why it has already won a Red Dot Design Award. Although the price for the mPiano is still undisclosed, Lady Gaga is rumored to have already ordered a unit for her next tour.
Here’s the second one:
The Orcinus Digital Grand Piano might be a bit overkill
Learning to play an instrument takes a lot of practice. If you are pursuing music as a career you need to be playing for 6 or more hours a day to really hone your craft. Once you get to be familiar enough with your instrument, it starts to become an extension of you, and you begin to notice how it plays in comparison with other makes and models of its kind.
If you play the piano, everything from the weight and response of the keys to the resonance in the body will all become very obvious to you. Changing to a digital counterpart can feel a bit strange since much of that natural aesthetic is taken away. The Orcinus Orchestral Digital Grand Piano is for serious pianists who want all of the bells and whistles of digital, but also want that real piano sound and feel. This was designed after the body of the Orcinus Orca, mimicking its shape in an abstract way with the lid resembling a dorsal-like fin. Via Coolest Gadgets
Going for $105,000, the Ornicus Orchestral Digital Grand Piano is handmade to suit individual preferences. Overkill or not, its designers have spared nothing to ensure it delivers on all the mechanical aspects of its performance.
You really have to give it to these designers. They’re not just bringing out-of-this-world designs that are modern and beautiful, but they also manage to maintain the high quality of the most crucial aspect of these instruments – their sound. We can’t wait to see what piano designers have in store for us in the future!
Featured Image: Image Credit
Learn piano by watching these dancing holograms https://t.co/fB7KaBLiE2 pic.twitter.com/IPqrWFHKwU
— Popular Science (@PopSci) May 27, 2016
#Beethoven #Gershwin #Bach #Liszt Performed in Concert by the Piano @SteinwayAndSons https://t.co/OFPxO2Pyzu pic.twitter.com/AFE1ojirwF
— C. M. Rubin (Cathy) (@CMRubinWorld) May 17, 2016
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Lady Gaga’s childhood piano doesn’t sell at auction
NEW YORK (AP) — Lady Gaga’s childhood piano, which she used to write her first song at age 5, didn’t hit a note at an auction in New York.
The upright piano failed to meet its reserve price Saturday when Los Angeles-based Julien’s Auctions offered it as part of the “Music Icons” memorabilia sale at the Hard Rock Cafe New York.
The piano had a pre-sale estimate of $100,000 to $200,000.
A spokeswoman for the auction house wouldn’t disclose the reserve, the lowest price a seller will accept for an item. It wasn’t immediately clear if the piano would be offered for sale again. Via Salon
Tom Hanks And Sandra Bullock Team Up For A Hilarious Giant Piano Performance
Tom Hanks is just one of those people who is impossible to dislike. He’s charming, he’s funny, he’s kind, and he’s humble. He’s also made some of the most iconic movies of our time. To name a few: Forrest Gump, Cast Away, Toy Story, and Big.
One of the most iconic scenes in Big is when Tom Hanks’ character, the magically grown Josh Baskin, plays the giant piano at the toy store.
Surely, he must be asked to recreate this scene whenever he happens to be near one of these giant pianos played by your feet. It may seem like this would be a fairly rare occurrence; however, if you’re Tom Hanks, apparently, that probability rises. Via Little Things
Girl Plays Piano In Metro Station
Ásta Dóra Finnsdóttir, on vacation with her family, decided to stop and play the piano in London’s Canary Wharf metro station. The talented girl from Finland is only 9 years old, yet she doesn’t play a nice simple tune like one might expect from a child. She is soon surrounded by admirers enjoying her lovely music.
Ásta plays “The Turkish March” by Mozart, impressive to hear even from those older than her. She gains one curious bystander right away. Though her feet barely reach the pedals, she plays with confident precision. Even those who cannot stay long to listen are clearly interested as they pass by. Via ShareTap
