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Just some history,

European builders made a good number of these instruments at one point. Although the video puts the total number at about 100, I suspect there were more built. I have seen two, one a Pleyel and one a Bosendorfer, and I am but a lowly American. Here is a picture of the Bosie I just pulled from my personal Facebook page:





I know Bechstein built some and I suspect there were other makers who made some as well, but I cannot document that.

Cool demonstration.

Can any of our European members share if they have seen any of these designs in their travels? I would be very curious to know.

Chris Taylor came down to Chicago with the two-manual Steinway five-or-so years ago and did the Goldberg Variations.

Larry.

The cool thing about this is that instead of being thrown into some nameless old upright, it was done to a Hamburg D and Bechsteins and Bosendorfers, so they are not only technical marvels, but they have the sound to go with it.

I would have liked to have played the Steinway. Even without the coupler engaged there has to be quite a bit more mechanism to move, with all of the inertia that that entails. Chris is very fluid on it, but I wonder if it takes fingers of steel.

Larry.

Wow, this would make stride so much easier.

You might be able to mock it up with two digitals, if you could find a thin enough one for the top.

If Boesendorfer did this, they could put their extra bass keys on the upper board only.

Or you could just get your piano friends good and drunk before you show it to them.... ;-)

One fun thing I've done a few times when I had my Hammond organ was to pull out only the 5-1/3, 2-2/3 and 1-1/3 drawbars on the upper keyboard (these all sound the fifth above fundamental in different octaves). The lower keyboard was set to fundamental/octaves only. Then I'd play something simple with the right hand playing in C and the left hand making the equivalent chords but in G. Then I'd say "here, try it...". They would wonder why their playing sounded so off key...