Actually, it's not quite true to say that there is nothing fundamental about the traditional keyboard, even one with the sharps added. In some instruments (organs and, a millenia or two earlier, pan pipes and their kin) -- which predate the piano by several centuries -- while one could arrange the pipes in some form other than strict increasing pitch, it makes a great deal of logical sense to have the pipes go regularly from low to high in one continuous line (or high to low, if one looks at it the other way 'round!).
The only thing which strikes me as slightly arbitrary about it is that it became conventional at some very very early period that the low notes should be on the left, and I've never heard a good reason for that!
I do wonder, on the Janko type keyboard, what the effect of the varying drop of the key from the front row to the back row would be. I at least find it disconcerting (or worse) if there is a key on a piano with a significantly different drop, and I would think that that might be a factor?
It could be that a dazzling concert technique would be the norm for accomplished Janko pianists. I have read that one of the problems with the few players of the Janko keyboard during it's brief popularity was that it was easy to 'show off' amazing tricks and normally impossible pianistic devices. I don't think I'd be too distracted by such feats myself. Here's an early example of a Janko performance:
Interesting to bring up the accordion
The bass keyboard is interesting -- it's arranged in the circle of fifths, basically, with -- depending on the instrument -- various useful chords arranged below the main notes (such as major, minor, seventh, etc.) and the fifth directly above -- as well as next to -- the main button.
Most accomplished zebra piano Kbd players hate the Janko Kbd, because to them it's unfair to have it that easy.
It is difficult to realize the manifold possibilities which this keyboard opens up for the composer and performer. Entirely new music can be written by composers, containing chords, runs and arpeggios, utterly impossible to execute on the ordinary keyboard
The piano keyboard simplifies the execution of one scale (C major) and in so doing complicates the other eleven.
Actually, C major is the most difficult scale in terms of execution. The others are considerably easier to master!
"Why have it easier, if it can be done more complicated?", seems to be the piano teacher's motto!
Yes, I seem to be "a total meat-head". The problem with me is that I seem to lack the talent of Lang Lang...
You're probably not a meat-head.....it's likely you simply did not have had a good teacher! Most people don't consider Lang Lang to be particularly talented-he's just an unusually hard-working professional musician! Talent is a strong word, one which I would reserve for musicians like Mendelssohn!
Talent: I treason anyone
Nice whistling at app.box.com/s/6f72eb90c2002db2e9fc. That sounds truly mysterious and weird! (in a good way)