Corner piano - true or fake? (5 photos)

I saw a photo of such a device, they write that this “corner piano” is located in China, in the “Piano Museum”.





The museum, as I understand it, is entirely dedicated to the history of these musical instruments, but without the entertainment of the public, jokes are also not managed.



Because this particular corner piano is, of course, a joke from museum staff who built it, not sparing a very beautiful and old tool. True, maybe the piano was badly damaged in the middle, so it was still not good as an exhibit.





It is clear that if such an instrument were real, it would not the most necessary octaves would work (after all, on the keys cut off at an angle, you can play only with your arms crossed, and that is hardly convenient). So if if someone needed such a piano, then it would play in a good way only in upper and lower case.

Yes, and the cover on the keys can not be lowered.



Perhaps this is not the only such joke tool, because I found another similar piano, probably from the same museum.

But, interestingly, the corner piano is a completely real an instrument that was quite fashionable at the beginning of the 19th century. Then it was believed that the piano in the corner makes the room cozier, and get together a small company around such a nicer and more romantic.



Although about Feng Shui, where it is recommended to round the corners with furnishings, in Europe, of course, they did not hear at that time.

The corner piano was shorter than usual and due to this much cheaper, which added to his popularity. However, musical pieces by the 20th century became much more complicated and required more octaves, therefore, short corner pianos no longer corresponded to the spirit of the times and left in the past.