what is steinway spirio?

[berni22]

what is steinway spirio? A program? COncert grand piano with this feature?

Bernard

[visitor]

it's their player piano system they install so it reproduces performances by accomplished pianists w greater details vs other competing player systems

[dcsteinwaygrand]

I can not understand the appeal of putting electronics (short life span) into the heart and soul of a multi generation Steinway piano. I believe the spirio experiment will be short lived. Akin to the teflon period which was supposed to be an "improvement". When Steinway owners end up in the competitive market, and are then faced with actually Selling a Steinway Piano , they find most pianists prefer Steinway Pianos in their more original (pure) form, and these electronics actually lower the value of the piano.

[lhorwinkle]

Not so. Not at all.

Don't equate "I don't like something" with "everyone dislikes it".

[dogperson]

I can not understand the appeal of putting electronics (short life span) into the heart and soul of a multi generation Steinway piano. I believe the spirio experiment will be short lived. Akin to the teflon period which was supposed to be an "improvement". When Steinway owners end up in the competitive market, and are then faced with actually Selling a Steinway Piano , they find most pianists prefer Steinway Pianos in their more original (pure) form, and these electronics actually lower the value of the piano.

How much of your conclusion is based on the fact the Spiro cannot be retrofitted and your dealership does not sell new Steinways?  According to sales figures, Spiro is being sold on over 30% of new piano sales and I don’t believe this has been on the market long enough to be availanle in the pre-owned market.  How can we judge the preference of pre-owned buyers for a new product that is not available to them?

Your link provides no information other than your business contact.

[dcsteinwaygrand]

According to sales figures, Spiro is being sold on over 30% of new piano sales and I don’t believe this has been on the market long enough to be availanle in the pre-owned market.  How can we judge the preference of pre-owned buyers for a new product that is not available to them?

You make a good point about the fact that it may be too early to tell how sustainable these electronics are. For us, as pianists, the idea that electronics are in the heart and soul of an incredible 100 year acoustic piano is a hard pill to swallow. It seems to be a much greater use of resources for a family to hire musicians, or invite conservatory students to their home to actually play on the instrument vs pressing play on a machine. Perhaps we are old fashioned. Regarding the secondary market, we have seen some of these pianos show up on the secondary market, and have found that musicians tend to view these electronics in the same manner, and therefore the price premium is not extended to the secondary market. Regardless, point well taken.

[maxim3]

Spirio began life as Zenph Studios, before it was bought and further developed by Steinway. See the following New York Times article from 2007:

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/arts/music/12conn.html

Here is a quote from the Wikipedia article on Steinway pianos:

"In 2015, Steinway went back to the player piano industry from around the 1920s by introducing a digital player piano series called Spirio. The technology in the Spirio pianos was created in 2007 by Wayne Stahnke, an Austrian engineer who has previously made digital player piano systems for other piano companies, like Yamaha and Bösendorfer. Wayne Stahnke's technology, originally called Live Performance Model LX, was sold to Steinway in 2014 and re-branded as Spirio."

If you don't have time to read the NYTimes article, here's a summary: Stankhe's technology was used in 2007 to make a 're-recording' of Glenn Gould's 1955 version of The Goldberg Variations. It was done so people might have a chance to experience some of Gould's magic without his infamous, revolting humming.

Personally I think it's fantastic that a high-tech recording was made which captures SOME of Gould's interpretation of The Goldberg Variations without his disgusting vocalizations, which have always made Gould's recordings totally inaccessible for many people. The Times reviewer was very impressed, but he felt that the Zenph (now Steinway Spirio) 're-recording' was not quite authentic Gould.

But consider:

1. Many people including myself would rather listen to ANYBODY EXCEPT GOULD... as long as the recording artist keeps his f***ing trap shut. Maybe Gould is the best -- but that's just too damned bad, because he ruined everything he touched. We need technology to surgically remove his repulsive voice from his legendary recordings.

2. This is just the beginning. Some day, Steinway may release a new version of Gould / Spirio that sounds EXACTLY like the original recording minus the goddamned humming. It is simply a question of technology. The future is bright. And I have no doubt that Steinway is not the only enterprise in the world working toward such a worthy goal. Expect a competing product, with cleaned-up Gould recordings, from Japan, China, or South Korea, some day.

I've always cordially hated Gould for what he did, and I've hated everyone who allowed him to get away with it. I also think there are much better grounds to hate Gould than to hate Lang Lang, because with Lang Lang, much of the ickiness can be removed simply by closing one's eyes.