It was quite nice to spend all de doo-da day at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park [way down upon the Suwannee River, of course]. In addition to the beauty of the park and the river, we had the opportunity to view some of the original Foster manuscripts (really bad handwriting), some nicely executed dioramas depicting the scenes one might picture when hearing many of Foster's songs, about a dozen antique pianos and a variety of other items from the period. Today's question...there is a Steinway Grand in one of the pictures with a very strange keyboard. What is it? Admittedly, even with all the time I spent in the study of music in my now distant past, I had never even heard of such a keyboard, much less had the chance to see one. While the theory behind the invention sounds interesting for those of us who struggle in an attempt to play the piano, it evidently did not make a real big impression on more than a few of the professionals of the day.
Also of note (pun intended) for the day was the chance to hear some of Foster's melodies as played on the world's largest tubular bell instrument (see photos of the Carillon Tower). While impressive, I think much of the sound had more to do with our proximity to the tower than the size of the instrument.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=1443i1v0.dyd04a8&Uy=n89oos&Ux=0
Also of note (pun intended) for the day was the chance to hear some of Foster's melodies as played on the world's largest tubular bell instrument (see photos of the Carillon Tower). While impressive, I think much of the sound had more to do with our proximity to the tower than the size of the instrument.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=1443i1v0.dyd04a8&Uy=n89oos&Ux=0
5 comments:
The Steinway Concert Grand Piano with very rare Janko' keyboard: The Janko keyboard is a musical keyboard layout for a piano designed by Paul von Janko in 1882.
Based on the premise that the hand can barely stretch more than a 9th on the piano, and that all scales are fingered differently, Janko's new keyboard had two interlocking 'manuals' with three touch-points for each key lever. Instead of the traditional row of white and black keys, the keyboard has an array of keys.
Each row of keys is a half step away from its neighboring rows, and on each row of keys the interval from one note to the next is a whole step. This key layout results in all chords and scales having the same "shape" on the keyboard with the same fingerings regardless of key, unlike a traditional keyboard.
The Janko keyboard never caught on, because few were prepared to relearn their repertoire on a strange keyboard with totally new fingering. It was a far more radical change for the pianist than, for example, for the clarinetist to change to the Boehm system.
The following was received from Linda via eMail - actually 18 minutes before Vickie's response but I'll have to give the win to Vickie since she identified the specific (Janko) keyboard that was shown (6 rows of keys) rather than the 'generic' Uniform Keyboard as described by Linda. Sorry Linda.
Ty:
Is this it? Sorry, Vickie, you'll have to get up earlier!
The Uniform Keyboard
When you use the phrase "piano keyboard," most people assume that you're talking about one thing only: a irregular collection of black and white keys. Equal-width white keys are all side-by-side, interrupted at half their length by parallel but narrower black keys in groups of twos and threes. The notes of the scale are arranged from left (low) to right
(high).
The above may be what is most often seen, but other layouts exist. Consider the following, for example. The notes of the scale are still arranged from left to right, but half steps regularly alternate between two rows.
Linda
Here's more information:
http://improvise.free.fr/janko.htm
How wrong can you be?
"If I were to begin my career anew it would be on this keyboard." - Arthur Rubinstein
"This invention will have replaced the present piano keyboard in fifty years' time!" - Franz Liszt
Hmmm - seems they missed the mark.
More from Linda:
I saw Janko in the description, but they kept referring to it as the The Uniform Keyboard in the description. Chalk up another one for Vickie! Are you sure this is correct? I'm just as bad a loser as Vickie!!!!
...and from Steve to Linda:
At least you had some time to "lose" the contest!! I barely got the picture of the thing opened up this morning to see what the heck the contest was
regarding!!!
:(
-------------------------------
Ah, nothing like some good ol' good-natured rivalry to keep things interesting. [it IS good-natured, right?]
...and a few more comments from misc. eMails:
From Roberta: It sounds like Vickie will be the big winner, but perhaps lose some
friends.... ????? Congrats again Vickie!
From Vickie: Don't be mad, you all could be winners, and apparently, friendless :-( ,
if you'd apply yourselves and give me some competition ;-)... sour
grapes.
From Terry: Ooooooh! Taunting.....this is getting interesting now!
Standings are now...
Vickie 6
Steve 1
Terry 1
Linda 1
Chris 1
Michael 1
Tracy 1
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