I read the following notes on an album ("Echoes of Ellington“) by jazz pianist Johnny Guarnieri:
"The performances on this album were captured on a Stahnke Reproducing Piano, a normal piano fitted with a computerized recording/playback system. When a pianist plays on this piano, the movements of all the parts of the piano action -- keys, hammers, pedals, etc.-- are measured and stored digitally on tape. When this tape is played back, the piano itself plays a performance identical to the original. Johnny Guarnieri was not present when the performances were recorded onto the audio tapes which were used for the mastering of both LP and CD. This technology was used here for the first time under the supervision of its inventor, Wayne Stahnke."
More information in this NYT article: Technology; Ivories That Tickle Themselves https://nyti.ms/29jiabo
So if I understand correctly, the album is not a recording of Guarnieri playing, but of the piano played using Stahnke's system.
Here is a track from that album:
So you can forget about speakers and just go for the real thing by purchasing one of these pianos and some tapes from your favorite artists (provided their performance were recorded using this system, and are available for sale).
"The performances on this album were captured on a Stahnke Reproducing Piano, a normal piano fitted with a computerized recording/playback system. When a pianist plays on this piano, the movements of all the parts of the piano action -- keys, hammers, pedals, etc.-- are measured and stored digitally on tape. When this tape is played back, the piano itself plays a performance identical to the original. Johnny Guarnieri was not present when the performances were recorded onto the audio tapes which were used for the mastering of both LP and CD. This technology was used here for the first time under the supervision of its inventor, Wayne Stahnke."
More information in this NYT article: Technology; Ivories That Tickle Themselves https://nyti.ms/29jiabo
So if I understand correctly, the album is not a recording of Guarnieri playing, but of the piano played using Stahnke's system.
Here is a track from that album:
So you can forget about speakers and just go for the real thing by purchasing one of these pianos and some tapes from your favorite artists (provided their performance were recorded using this system, and are available for sale).