Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Largest World grand piano

Largest world grand piano, called "Stolëmowi Klawér" with the emblem of Pomeranian Griffin - dimensions: 6.07m (19.91f) long, 2.49m (8.17f) width, 1.92n (6.30f) height, 1.82 tons weight and has 156 keys!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40suozM2XCI
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12100797

The initiator and chief designer of the piano was the late Daniel Czapiewski, the man who signed this and two other achievements of the Guinness Book of Records.
The instrument was designed to celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of Frederic Chopin and the unveiling of this giant piano was held on 30th of December 2010, which graced the show among others: Leszek Możdżer, Waldemar Malicki, Bogdan Czapiewski, Janusz Olejniczak, Maciej Markiewicz, Oskar Stabno, Stanislaw Deja, Cezary Paciorka and Romuald Koperski (Guinness record holder of the longest performance on the piano - 103 hours, 8 seconds).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enB0cQoXrlk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR8dpt-WJYo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_JtXGHOo34
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYt7ms2vd6Y

The construction of the instrument oversaw outstanding master of piano construction - Józef Wilk from piano factory in Kalisz (Poland). The instrument was modeled on "Steinway & Sons" soundboard. Bass strings made by special calculations and wound on an extendable winder. The mechanism hammer type Renner. In the production of the piano used various species of seasoned wood, among others: alpine spruce (resonance), birch, pine, hornbeam, mahogany, bubinga.
The piano was also enriched with a registry of pipe organ, which has 49 keys, mechanical type of tracker, air pump, organ blower Ventola type and bellows. The instrument was made, using the traditional method, according to the art of organ building modeled on the oldest organ in Kamien Pomorski in Poland with more than 400 years.
The construction of a wooden instrument made carpenter master - Witold Recław and a final flash gave him the master of varnishing Marcus Bluhm.
'Stolëmowi Klawér" is based on six legs, which were placed portraits of prominent musicians of merit for Polish culture: Fryderyk Chopin, Stanislaw Moniuszko, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Mieczyslaw Karlowicz, Karol Szymanowski, Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki.
The instrument is located in the Education Centre and Regional Promotion in Szymbark in Poland.
http://cepr.pl/galeria/event/najwiekszy-fortepian
http://www.fotosik.pl/u/rychubil/album/2355918

Documentary movie of the transport from factory, to the Education Centre.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4Zs-_iHukU

At what stage does extra length cease to be an advantage? I assume it is about 2.8 metres as that is the size at which manufacturers stop.

I liked this one:

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/billy-mayerl

partly because I am a Billy Mayerl fan.

I wonder where it is now.

LOL thanks for posting.

>At what stage does extra length cease to be an advantage? I assume it is about 2.8 metres as that is the size at which manufacturers stop.

I think it'a mostly a matter of how practical it is and how much is really gained from the extra length. At some point, other factors than length may be contributing more to the sound.

There have been various rumours on the whereabouts of the "Challen Giant" now, which I've read about. Don't think anyone knows for certain (apart from, presumably, the person who keeps tripping over it in their home!).

I recall people saying it's in France somewhere.

I also heard they actually completed two "Challen Giants", the second coming after the fame of the first.

The excellent book "Five London Piano Makers" states the first frame Challen cast for the "Giant" cracked during stringing, but the replacement held fast!

Philip, thanks for the Billy Mayerl clip not just for the playing but also because it is such a pleasure once in a while to see somebody playing whilst properly dressed.

The big Challen may be in France but I have not seen it. Big country of course.