The ‘Spirio’ Piano
Automated musical devices have been around for quite some time now. So the idea of a self-playing piano may not surprise anyone. However what most of these pianos lack is the feel of the notes and the subtle transitions. The mood that a pianist can create often cannot be replicated by an automatic player.
This is the hurdle that Steinway, one of the giants in piano manufacturing, had always wanted to overcome. Finally with its latest innovation Spirio, it has.
Earlier this week, BRIC Plus attended the launch of the Spirio; a luxurious and glamorous event in which the air was filled with precise tinkling piano. You see, Spirio comes with sophisticated hardware and software systems embedded into the piano. The system keeps a track of every bit of change in the velocity of the hammer and pedal.
This data helps to capture the nuances of a real pianist playing the songs. It’s pitch perfect, auditorium-worthy music. It also has an iPad fitted to it which has a specific app that stores the songs. This app directs the piano via Bluetooth. Impressive, we know.
We arrive at this stage in musical development largely thanks to a successful partnership between Steinway & Sons and Wayne Stahnke. The latter is largely considered the greatest innovator of modern pianos. Steinway have also announced the firm are recording an entirely new catalog of music for the ingenious device.
With the introduction of the Spirio piano, Steinway has indeed added another feather onto its already loaded cap. It has long been regarded as the peak of piano manufacturing and is without doubt the connoisseurs choice. In the words of their CEO Michael Sweeney “In today’s marketplace, brands like ours must continue to innovate in order to remain relevant to the world around us”. We cannot wait to see what they do next…
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