World’s longest pianos: Pianos are huge instruments, compared to other musical instruments. However, these are the longest/largest pianos in the world.
The World’s Largest Upright Piano (Vertical Grand Piano)
German-born innovator David Klavins has crafted what is believed to be the world’s largest grand piano, attached high on the wall of a concert hall in Latvia, the steel-framed vertical grand piano (Klavins M450 Vertical Concert Grand) hangs as if in mid-air some three storeys above the audience. In order to play this piano, pianists have to climb a flight of stairs to a balcony.
INTERNATION
World’s largest concert piano strikes chord in Latvia
Soaring to new musical heights, a German-born innovator has crafted what is believed to be the world’s largest grand piano. Read more> https://t.co/HfUYMpnnWd@MarizkaMcoetzer pic.twitter.com/OZv1di04Co
— Pretoria Rekord (@RekordNewspaper) July 27, 2019
While traditional pianos have to be transported in and out of concert venues, these vertical pianos have to be mounted on a building’s structure.
David clarifies that he does not make the size of the piano and length of strings bigger just for record’s sake: the idea is to create the best imaginable sound for all the performers and listeners who come to a particular hall. David Klavins’ Vertical Concert Grand pianos range from 4.5 to 6 metres high, and emit bold, sonorous music.
David Klavins is known for his unconventional methods of piano construction. “Since I was 16 years old and dropped out of school to become a piano restoration apprentice, I have been trying to explore new designs and principles, which deviate from the 140-year-old construction of the traditional grand piano,” says Klavins.
His acclaimed Una Corda piano uses just one string per note, instead of the usual three, which gives the piano a more subtle, delicate tone that some composers/performers desire so much. However, he has made the M450VCG to produce the richest, most powerful sound possible.
Most manufactures use thicker strings for the lower notes to make the piano of a reasonable size. However, Klavins decided not to restrict himself and has made the pianos as large as possible to accommodate thinner bass strings.
The pianist sits on a platform 3 metres (10 ft) above the ground.
The total height of this piano is 4.5 metres (14′ 9″), and it weighs 980 kg. A Steinway Model D, on the other hand, is 2.74 metres (8′ 11-3/4″) long and weighs 480kg.
Klavins Piano Manufaktura Kft. offer a choice of two models; the M450 and also a M450i variant. The M450i is designed to be attached directly to the wall, and includes platform, stairs and rear leg assembly.
World’s Largest Synthesizer on Display in Tokyo
Checkout the Human Sized Synthesizer, which was made as a social experiment (by Japanese designers) to encourage creative collaboration.
This mega-synth, developed by Rhizomatiks and Daito Manabe in collaboration with the Red Bull Music Academy and Korg, is part of the month-long Red Bull Music Academy festivities in Tokyo.
It works just like any normal synthesizer and users (including children) can try out the various hand-sized knobs, trigger pads and other features to see how it shapes the sound.
Other features of the Human Sized Synthesizer include: Step sequencer, Drum machine, Keyboard with an arpeggiator, X-Y effects unit.
The giant synth’s controls are similar to those on KORG’s MS10/20 synthesizers, with MPC-style touch-sensitive trigger pads.
Skunk Control a group from Australia had also created a huge modular analog synthesizer called The Oscillator, based on a Moog synthesiser. It featured a 16 step sequencer.
Worlds longest single-keyboard piano built in New Zealand
One of the world’s largest pianos is on display in Dunedin (City in New Zealand). Built by a young Piano builder from Timaru (200 kms from Dunedin), the single-keyboard piano is long enough for a couple of persons to comfortably lie down in.
Some of the New Zealand’s top concert pianists have played it, and now piano students also are getting an opportunity to try it out.
However, its not just unusual look (length) of the piano that is turning heads, the sound of the piano is also different.
Piano builder Adrian Mann says “the sound is just a really big, deep, rich sound”. Unlike regular pianos that use copper-wound strings on the bass notes to reduce their length, Mann has used steel piano wire.
Believed to be the world’s longest single-keyboard piano, the piano measures 5.7 metres in length, and weighs a massive 1.2 tonnes (moving the piano is a big logistical exercise).
Pianists from all over the world have visited his Dunedin workshop to play on his 5.7 metre long instrument. Even though there’s been a lot of interest in the new piano, the young piano man says there are no plans to start a production line for his ‘extra-long’ piano.
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
Leave a Reply