I was pleased to write an article for the Daily Telegraph in which I commented on concert violinist Nicola Benedetti’s recent article which discussed whether children should be made to play an instrument or not. Benedetti is a superb advocate for music education. She works tirelessly for the social music programme Sistema England. I nearly always agree with her hard-line, but necessary, ethos on music study. However, in this case, perhaps children shouldn’t be ‘forced’ to play music or have instrumental lessons. Instead, they should be ‘motivated’ to play. See if you agree with my opinion by clicking here.

Last night, I attended a landmark event in the history of Steinway pianos – the unveiling of a new instrument. The event took place at the beautiful Serpentine Sackler Gallery in Hyde Park, London. Its breath-taking and unique modern art provided the perfect backdrop for this new venture. The first new Steinway instrument for over seventy years, the  Spirio is essentially a player piano (pictured below).

Using the finest technology, the new instrument is controlled via an iPad (provided with the piano),  and it’s possible to play back performances. Whether you fancy recording yourself playing, or you want to hear a performance of a particular concert artist, this appeals to those who play as a hobby. They aspire to hear great players ‘performing’ on their instrument at home. Apparently, some concerts will be made available for purchasers to download and enjoy. These include those by Chinese superstar pianist Lang Lang. He will record his next Carnegie Hall recital using this instrument.

The Spirio is available on two models; the model O and B, and last night we savoured performances on model Bs. Once the electronic device is switched off, the splendid Steinway instrument reverts to its acoustic self.

The evening kicked off, after copious, wonderfully extravagant cocktails and canapés, with a performance by British pianist Simon Mulligan (pictured playing below), who delivered two pieces; Chopin’s Grande Waltz Brillante in E flat major Op. 18, followed by a suitably jazzy, effervescent arrangement of Fly Me To The Moon by Bart Howard. After the performance took place, Simon left the stage, and we listened to a second ‘performance’ of Fly Me To The Moon, which had been recorded and was now being played back.

I find piano keys moving up and down on their own a bit unsettling and even creepy, but this idea, whilst not a new one, will no doubt prove popular with Steinway lovers. The final flourish appeared on the big plasma screens erected behind the piano. A film of George Gershwin playing I Got Rhythm was synchronously played with the Spirio. The great composer’s ghostly performance rang out and the piano keys danced tumultuously, receiving a rapturous applause!

Another Spirio model B, was placed in a different area of the gallery, which guests could hear whilst admiring the modern art. The Spirio is certainly a beauty. A helpful feature is that a secondo part of a piano duet can be recorded so that one can play the primo part over the top – a great way to practise a piano duet. This device may also be useful for singers or instrumentalists who could play back piano parts during rehearsals.

www.steinway.co.uk