A player piano can be played normally by hands, like any other piano. However, player pianos can also play all by themselves.
History of the Player Piano
In Westworld (American science fiction television series), the opening shows a robot hand playing the piano, but soon the hands move away and the piano plays itself, revealing the player piano.
Not many are aware but it was a the invention of the late 19th century, it was essentially a computer operating on a binary system. In the credits, you can see the spool punched with holes (denoting the notes and duration) that these pianos read. In the early years, the piano was powered by the performer’s feet and several years later by electricity. Thanks to the invention, one could fake playing famous, complex musical works without any musical competence.
There are some who would quickly point out that the player pianos back then sounded mechanical, and that’s true because they lacked the human interpretation and variation we expect in a live performance. However, modern piano players sound lot better as the samples factor in the dynamics as well.
Westworld’s soundtrack is Composed and arranged by Game of Thrones’ Ramin Djawadi, and includes various famous piano works that would have featured on player pianos around the turn of the century, such as Debussy’s Clair de Lune, Chopin’s Nocturne No. 14 in C Minor and Scott Joplin’s Weeping Willow Rag.
The soundtrack also contains more recent tracks such as The Rolling Stones’ Paint it Black and Radiohead’s No Surprises. These were transcribed onto old binary spools especially for the show.
“I see [it] as the grandfather of the computer, the ancestor of the entire nightmare we live in, the birth of the binary world where there is no option other than yes or no and where there is no refuge,” American novelist William Gaddis
Luxury boutique hotel in Mississippi gets a $88,000 Steinway Spirio player piano
Luxury boutique hotel “Chancellor’s House” in Oxford, Mississippi gets a $88,000 Steinway Spirio player piano.
Steinway & Sons Spirio is a high-tech piano that enables audiences to hear performances captured by amazing pianists seamlessly and effortlessly. The piano plays musical pieces that’s almost like listening to a live performance.
Player pianos are apt for those who appreciate high-quality music, but don’t necessarily play the piano. The Spirio will also appeal to those who appreciate the performance of a Steinway and Sons piano.
The music is played via an app. Just click a button, and you can listen to Mozart or Beethoven.
Also Read: Piano: The Making of a Steinway Concert Grand (Book)
And how much does the Steinway & Sons Spirio piano cost?
This particular model costs $88,000.
And only a couple hundred people in US own this type of luxurious piano, Chancellor’s House is the first hotel in North America to own a Steinway Spirio piano (which was delivered from New York).
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.
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