Reverse Piano

[Alan W Deverell]

Stephen - Thanks but I still have "Seeds" of doubt and I smell
mirrors.

AlanD (still a but skeptical - but it's hard to see from this far down
under)

>-----Original Message-----
>From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org
>[mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf
>Of Stephen Birkett
>Sent: Thursday, September 10, 1998 3:25 AM
>To: pianotech@ptg.org
>Subject: Re: Reverse Piano
>
>
>Alan wrote:
>> The more I hear about this the MORE skeptical I become - I suspect
it
>> is just a SPOOF - the version I heard was that it was designed for
>> left handed Pianists - not a very big market me thinks:-)))
>>
>Definitely no. I can confirm this is not a spoof and completely
serious.
>And there are no plans to make anything but this one special order
and no
>plans to market anything.
>
>I met Mr Seed the very first time he visited Paul Poletti when the
>preliminary discussion for this project took place, feasibility,
deciding
>which type of piano to make etc. He is not just left-handed,
>something more than that to do with brain function ("strongly
>left-handed").  After a year or so raising funds the project went
ahead building
>the left-handed Graf copy, of which the original was simultaneously
restored from a
>demolished state in the Poletti and Tuinman shop. Sitting spine to
spine
>they make quite a freak show.  Regardless of its reversed state, the
piano
>itself is one of the finest 6.5 octave early 18th C fortepianos in
>existence, including restored original or modern copy.
>
>Mr Seed is a well-respected pianist and plans to use the piano for
>performing.  To him a normal keyboard configuration seems odd, and he
has
>had the piano made simply because he believes it improves his
playing. The
>reason for making a fortepiano was the ease of adapting a handmade
>instrument with no cast plate vs a factory piano...plus the vintage
of the
>original fits Mr Seed's repertoire interests.
>
>This was already discussed on the list a couple of weeks ago....check
the
>archives.
>
>Stephen
>
>Stephen Birkett Fortepianos
>Authentic Reproductions of 18th and 19th Century Pianos
>464 Winchester Drive
>Waterloo, Ontario
>Canada N2T 1K5
>tel: 519-885-2228
>email: birketts@wright.aps.uoguelph.ca
>
>
>