Picture a piano in your mind. What do you see? A long, black Steinway Concert
Grand usually comes to mind, or maybe an upright, but in a few years your perception may change if some of the new-school piano manufacturers
have their way.
Schimmel's Pegasus Grand CC 208
In the past few years, new provocative designs have lifted the stodgy veil of traditional shapes to reveal stunning creations that awe without
hearing one note. Luigi Colani has designed a glorious grand for Schimmel, that looks more like a sleek power yacht (see above),
than a piano. The Pegasus Grand CC 208 utilizes
manufacturing techniques from the aircraft and auto industries to achieve the ultra modern monocoque and bicoque fabrication of the cabinetry
components. An almost-transparent metal support gives the impression that the piano is floating, adding to the "Mach 3" aesthetic.
The Pegasus' forward thinking didn't just stop with the shape, the piano sports
some pretty trick features. The electronically operated lid opens at the touch of a button and the unit has a special Hydraulic "soft close" system
that never allows the top to crash down on fragile fingers. The piano's stool is fully adjustable in width, height and distance to the keyboard.
The Pegasus comes in black or white, however any color is obtainable using high-quality car paint. An equally stunning upright is also available.
Sauter's Rondo Upright Piano
Sauter, a German company, has incorporated
a modern sensibility to their piano designs without compromising the lively and bright sound that the concern is known for around the world.
Sauter pays considerable attention to their Spruce sound board, utilizing their "Spherical Concavity" approach.
Sauter's Pure and Imago
For the company's provocative "Series" Design, they teamed with Peter Maly,
a renowned interior decorator, who lent his expertise to create a line of pianos that become centerpieces in the home without weighing the room down
visually. The Rondo is a unique upright with substantial presence, but softened with rounded corners and a vibrant black polish. The Pure
is a variation, but employs modern gloss-lacquer color finishes to give the piano a distinctively avant-garde vibe. The Imago could be mistaken
for a contemporary desk at first glance. It truly demonstrates Maly's concept of unifying a piano with its living space.
Fazioli's M-liminal
Fazioli, an Italian manufacturer, has been
creating pianos since 1981, when the company was founded by pianist and engineer Paolo Fazioli. Each piano is individually handmade using the best
materials available. Fazioli's philosophy is to marry technology with the finest workmanship, to create instruments that are just lovely to behold as they
are to hear. No model demonstrates this more than the M. Liminal, their collaboration with NYT Line and Philippe Gendre.
Inspired by the ocean, the shape of the M. Liminal evokes the profile of a wave landing
ashore, and is just as breathtaking open, as it is closed. This piece would certainly work as the focal point in a home with a minimal neoteric décor.
Only in this habitat, will this organic instrument have enough space to breathe, move and flourish.
What is apparent in the aesthetic of each one of these designs is that they approach their
futuristic visions without fear. Most "new" piano designs are firmly rooted in the past where they simply cannot free themselves from past convictions.
Fazioli, Schimmel and Sauter have effectively demonstrated that by teaming with modern designers, it is possible to achieve greatness both visually and sonically.
