EKPHRASIS

This device I speak about, my friend, is a beautiful work of art. It seems industrial yet
aristocratic, raw yet advanced. Standing grand at 4 ft 7 inches by 9 ft 6 inches, itʼs a device fit
for the palaces of the greatest emperors in history, yet as humble as a blue-collar career.
Shimmering with a lacquer finish like Black Beautyʼs mane, it sits in a room placidly, waiting to
erupt with music, and hypnotize every species in earshot. This instrumentʼs tale began in Italy,
in the 18th century. Since then, it has been harnessed and mastered by several musicians. It
has seen the walls of colossal halls and sat on wide stages, enthralling the audience wherever
it goes. Itʼs widely acclaimed to be employed in classical and jazz music. Thanks to legends
like Beethoven and Chopin, two of the most respected musicians in history, it has certainly
created an everlasting impression on humankind and history itself.

Constructed by skilled craftsmen and sound engineers by harnessing the most sophisticated
laws of physics and mechanics, itʼs nothing short of a masterpiece. It takes hours to craft, and
years to master. Shaped elegantly, it resembles a blunt-peaked mountain laying on itʼs side.
Exponentially increasing the slope, to design the inner mechanics of this instrument, the
crafters have to work with utmost precision. The shape is heavily related to how the sound
travels and changes. So the larger and more prolonged it is, the better it will sound. Once
made, some of the worldʼs most renowned instrument crafters brand their name on it.
Sprawled out on the front, youʼll see a metallic label with ‘Kawaiiʼ written across it. Strings are
placed on a soundboard in increasing order of length, cased with gorgeous maple wood.
These are strung under great tension on a heavy metal frame. A hammer, padded with firm
felt, hovers over these strings, waiting to strike like a vulture circling itʼs prey. The soundboard
senses the waves of vibrations emanating from the strings at their resonant frequency. Laden
with a row of small levers called ‘keysʼ, alternating in colour like the stripes on a mountain
zebra galloping through the Serengeti. Most modern iterations of this device have 88 pure
ivory keys that shimmer in the dimmed halls like the Aurora Borealis. There are 52 white keys
for the notes of the C major scale, and 36 shorter black keys, which are raised above the
white keys and set further back on the keyboard. These keys allow the instrument to play
notes going from the deepest bass range to the highest treble. The keyboard is where all the
keys are placed, right at the front end of the instrument. Three legs support this multi-
component structure, one on the left, one on the right, and one directly opposite the
keyboard. There are pedals at the base of the instrument that enable the performer to play a
range of melodies that would otherwise be impossible. Weighing anywhere between 500 lbs
to 1200 lbs, portability is not readily possible. But once rested, it captures all the attention and
admiration, with all eyes fixated on its all-encompassing magnificence.

There is a small stool placed in front of the instrument which allows the performer to sit and
adjust the height from which he wants his fingers to hit the keyboard. This stool usually has
3-4 legs and is made of high quality hardwood, topped with a velvet cushion for a high level
of comfort. The performer perches on this stool and presses down on the keys to produce
melodies that have the power to make any emotion surge through us. The variations in volume
get directed in response to the performerʼs touch, which controls the hammer hitting the
strings. An acoustic wave of music which will wake you up to a sound like the harmonious
melody of a nightingale, the rustling of vermilion leaves on a windy autumn evening. As
ferocious as the roar of a lion thundering through the jungle, full of pride and emotion, the
sounds echo through oneʼs ears and permeate straight into their soul. Every note played is
woven into a riff like the fabric of a handmade Italian suit, effortlessly falling into place and
blending into the atmosphere. Slow yet mesmerizing, rapid yet transfixed. It will make you
float in zero gravity in a moment, and plummet you through space in the next. The fingers of
the performer glide over the keyboard, caressing the instrument and letting the notes course
through his body. Like the singing of plantation workers in the fields of Africa, the buzzing of
bees hovering over jasmine flowers, the sound of the wildlife deep in the forests of the
Himalayas, the pitter-patter of raindrops on the window sill of a Victorian mansion. The sound
radiating from this instrument is nothing like any of those, but everything like each one of
those. This device that I speak about, my friend, is known as the pianoforte.