A new piano by Hungarian pianist Gergely Bogányi is designed to resist temperature changes and produce a richer, more flowing sound. 

Unveiled in Budapest on January 20th, the Bogányi Piano is fitted with a carbon-fibre soundboard which is resistant to humidity, dust and dryness. It can also be removed from the main piano frame if damaged. Another inovation is a longer keyboard, with two extra notes at each end, and two curved legs (rather than the grand's traditional three) designed to reflect sound and increase resonance.

The first major redeisgn of a piano seen in over 100 years, this sleek, curved design has earned it the nickname 'Batpiano' for obvious reasons. Bogányi says, "For years I have performed with a sound in my head different to that which I was playing. It was always in another dimension from the actual sound coming from the piano. Somehow, it was a more beautiful, harmonious, flowing sound."

His creation was a collaborative effort with a team of designers and technicians, including Attila Bolega, Péter Üveges and József Cs Nagy, as well as jazz musician Gerald Clayton. Clayton says,  "It feels like you are in a spaceship, like you are hovering above gravity. When you play a lot of notes, or you play a chord, the sensation is different. It’s super-clear."

Bartók Rádió sound engineer, Tamás Horváth, also heard the piano at the launch. "I can certainly say it has a unique tone, although this is characteristic of all great piano producer products, such as Steinway, or Bösendorfer – they all have a specific sound."

Bogányi demonstrated the piano’s capabilities at the Liszt Academy in Hungary on Wednesday March 11th in a concert of works by Bach, Schubert and Schumann.

 

 

Watch a video of the unveiling HERE on EuroNews.