And this may, in some instances, be the case, but Kawai has gone to exceptional lengths to ensure their Crystal Grands have the finest timbral quality. Some, decry the use of acrylic, stating that it fails to have the same sound transmitting qualities as wood. This enables the pianist to be seen from all angles, but it doesn’t reveal the full workings of the instrument, nor does it give the piano that special, almost magical presence. Often instruments feature just a transparent lid. This was the first grand piano to use acrylic for the casework. Schimmel produced a prototype transparent piano in 1951. This too was built to show-off the inner working of the instrument and was exhibited that same year at the Galerie de la Renaissance, Paris. In 1929 French modernist designer Pierre Legrain built the “Pleyela”, a remarkable player-piano using copper and large panels of glass for the casework. In 1990 the CR-40 was upgraded to the CR-40N, and the following year this was replaced by the CR-40A.īut “see-through” pianos have been around a lot longer than this first Kawai. However such was the response to this instrument that from 1985 Kawai made the piano available by special order. Kawai wanted a piano they could take to trade fairs, which would reveal the detailed internal working of the piano. But this wasn’t originally destined to go on sale. Kawai designed their first “transparent” instrument, based on their KG-3C, in 1973.
Kawai Crystal Grand piano (side elevation) And the Kawai Crystal Grand is around 30% heavier than a similar sized grand piano. However, Kawai’s Crystal Grands are probably the best-known examples of this genre.Īlthough these instruments are often called Crystal grands, they are generally made of acrylic. The fabulously costly (USD 3.2 million) Heintzman Crystal piano was built for the Beijing Olympic Games. These include Blüthner in partnership with Lucid Pianos, Crystal Music Company, Heintzman & Co., Schimmel Pianos, Euro Pianos Naples, Steinhoven, and Gary Pons.Ī transparent Schimmel grand piano was ordered for the QE2 liner to form the centrepiece of a matching bar. Several other companies produce or have produced transparent pianos. The company will produce just 5 of these instruments, and the programme allows purchasers to customise their Crystal Grand Piano to their own specifications.
The casework, lid, and legs are all fashioned from industrial grade acrylic, spectacularly revealing the inner workings of the instrument, and giving the piano a unique visual presence.
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