Edelweiss Pianos, probably the world’s most forward-thinking piano maker, has unveiled ‘Harmony of Nature’, which is a brand new collaboration with Ambika Hinduja Macker from Impeccable Imagination.
The Harmony of Nature is Goldfinch’s 6th commission. Ambika Hinduja Macker from Impeccable Imagination, inspired by the autumnal leaves and with a design in mind, approached Goldfinch by Edelweiss, wanting to make an idea a reality.
Distilling her inspiration into a harmonious form, she created a sculptural, artistic interpretation of the leaf, replicating the essence of nature in a semi-abstract form. Goldfinch then took this design inspiration and painstakingly morphed it around a real acoustic piano – still maintaining the intrinsic beauty of the form.
The sculpture is cast in bronze and clad in 22.5 karat moon-gold leaf, replicating the textures of nature.
From a distance, the sculptural silhouette of the curled, dried shape of the leaf creates a vacillating illusion of its appearance, from the abstract to the real until the lid is raised, revealing the glistening black and white keys held open by a thin twig-like curvilinear support.
From above, the sculpture reveals the exposed frame and soundboard, and it is from this point of view that the natural form of the sculpture comes to life, revealing the elongated, elegant form from tip to petiole.
The back of the sculpture features two sets of mesh-covered circular holes, essential for sound functionality but at the same time referencing the natural features of fallen leaves.
To contribute to the piece’s distinctive aesthetic the stool for the pianist is shaped like a small pebble covered in the same moon gold 22.5 karat gold leaf.
The official launch event for Harmony of Nature took place at the Victoria and Albert Museum, led by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber (above).
Goldfinch by Edelweiss
Goldfinch is a specialist division of Edelweiss that dedicates itself to one-of-a-kind creations from its Headquarters in Cambridge, UK. It provides artists and individuals an opportunity, by invitation only, to collaborate in creating a truly unique form of musical art.
Goldfinch’s first commission was in 2015 – a grand piano covered in half a million Swarovski Crystals, which was soon followed by the unveiling of The Baby sculptural piano– a collaboration with BasedUpon which has followed on to become one the best-known sculptural acoustic piano designs.
The Solis, a sculptural piano taking inspiration from the sun in a specially developed Gold Leaf finish, was then followed by Le Silex(Latin for flint), which is a sculptural piano inspired by the weathering of mother nature and then finally, the Golden Imperial Egg.
Edelweiss Pianos – One of the only UK piano makers
In 1975, Roy Norman had his first piano delivered and set up in the living room of his Cambridge house. His mission – was to restore the piano to a state that was better than when it was originally manufactured.
During the next 30 years, nearly every brand of piano in the world was restored in the workshops of 1066 Pianos and from this rich experience, heritage, and history in piano restoration, the Norman family uncovered the DNA of the elements that combine to create the world’s finest pianos.
Using this knowledge, combined with cutting-edge 21st-century technology and an undying passion instilled by Roy Norman to always innovate and build better, they started manufacturing pianos in Cambridge, UK.
Today, Edelweiss Pianos is a third-generation family business that specialises in building pianos, especially for the home. These designer pianos are hand-built to order in their Cambridge UK factory, and each one can be individually customised to perfectly complement your interior.
With a flagship showroom in Harrods and 40% of their pianos being exported across the globe, Edelweiss has become a market disrupter. It is a brand that understands the needs of the modern consumer.
Finished in 24 karat gold – the Golden Imperial Egg was a first for Goldfinch being a mechanised sculptural piano. It is a truly stunning, mind-blowing masterpiece which opens to reveal its hidden treasure – a golden self-playing piano.
The Pianos
Edelweiss build pianos, especially for the home, and the requirements in the home are very different from that of a concert hall or recording studio. So, what is it that differentiates an Edelweiss piano?
- The Design: Edelweiss believes that a grand piano doesn’t need to be large, black and shiny. It should rather be perfectly suited to the interior style, individually customised to be exactly as you would like it to be, a perfectly crafted statement art piece.
- The Size: Edelweiss believes that a piano for the home should enhance, beautify, and perfectly complement an interior as opposed to dominating and overpowering it. A piano does not need to be large to achieve the best sound for the home environment.
- The Sound: Edelweiss believes that the piano’s tone for the home should be full, rich, and singing… a beautiful sound. It needs to be able to create an atmosphere in which you will want to talk, socialise, and just enjoy being there.
- The Live Music Experience: Edelweiss believes that a piano should be very enjoyable for a pianist to play, and when called upon to perform, it needs to be able to produce a delightfully controllable display of power, be it played by a pianist or with Edelweiss’s Virtuoso self-playing system.
- The Aftercare & Service: Edelweiss believes every customer is a customer for life, joining an elite family of Edelweiss owners with a programme of ongoing care and maintenance through trained technicians, whether in the UK or overseas.
Edelweiss produces three sizes of grand piano in their Cambridge factory, with the retail prices currently starting from £60,000 – the G52 at just 132cm, the G66 at 167cm and the G75 (above) at 190cm.
All come fitted with the Edelweiss Virtuoso self-play system preloaded with 1,000 songs as standard. Edelweiss pianos are hand-built and tailor-made to sound and look perfect and provide the perfect entertainment in any home across the globe.
The Designs
Edelweiss pianos are unashamedly designer statement pieces, each version carefully designed to enhance and beautify any setting, equally suited to harmonising into the décor or gracefully fulfilling the role of the centrepiece; they have been aptly described as ‘the jewel in the crown of the finest interiors.’
As a piano brand focusing on the needs of the modern consumer, the company understands that for a professional pianist or a purist piano lover, a maker that puts such emphasis on the appearance could be regarded as rather incongruous, as, after all, a piano is primarily a musical instrument.
Edelweiss is able to reimagine the piano into a work of art with a tasteful designer exterior, allowing the refreshing, inimitable sound of pure acoustic piano music into the homes of more music lovers.
It believes that there is something very special about the sound made when a felt hammer hits a tensioned steel string, something far removed and of a completely different timbre to that of a ‘similar’ electronically produced or recorded sound.
Furthermore, even if the purchaser cannot play, with the Virtuoso self-playing system, they are able to release that beautiful sound live into their home.
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