To a true pianist, grand piano is perhaps the only real piano and naturally, any self-professed true pianist would prefer a grand piano over an upright piano. Herein lies the problem. Not everyone has the interior real estate to accommodate a full-size grand piano. Enters Future Piano The Standing Grand by UK-based Future Piano. The Standing Grand is, as its name proposed, a standing version of a grand piano.
In other words, it is a grand piano with a footprint of an upright. Yes. Believe it, folks. Someone actually “bent”, so to speak, the rear part of a grand and have it go vertically towards the ceiling. Everything that are beyond the keyboard and action frame, including the frame containing the soundboard, soundboard bridge, pine block and whatnot, is configured vertically as opposed to extending longitudinally to the back.
Moreover, the use of lightweight materials also reduced the overall weight of this unusual grand piano to a fifth of a traditional grand. That said, The Standing Grand weighs a mere 82 kilograms (180 lbs), making it easy to handle if shifting is required. To put it in perspective, a traditional grand typically weighs in at around 450 kilograms (or about 990 lbs).
Sounds like a brilliant idea, but I see another problem here: you ought to be sure that you have ample vertical space. Just saying… Anywho, before you get thrilled by the prospect of owning a grand straight out of Inception, you ought to know it is not something money can buy. At least, not yet.
While the Future Piano team comprising of pianist Sarah Nicolls, engineers Tim Evans and Christ Vaissière and piano builder David Klavins, have tested the idea in live performances since 2008, it is not for sale yet.
Instead, Future Piano has taken to Kickstarter with the aim of raising fund to further the develop of this radically different grand piano. In exchange for your hard earned money, you will receive perks like digital downloads, concert tickers and more. Skip ahead the introduction video to learn more.
Images: Future Piano.
Source: Uncrate.