In celebration of the 70th anniversary of John Lennon's birth, Steinway & Sons have announced a special Imagine limited edition piano.
The piano is modeled on the famous white piano which featured in the video to Imagine. The instrument is still owned by Yoko Ono and is kept at the Dakota building in New York City.
The new piano comes shortly after the announcement that Gibson are to issue three Lennon-inspired acoustic guitars, priced at between $4,700 and $15,000. No price for the Steinway has yet been announced.
Here's the full press release:
Steinway & Sons Introduces the John Lennon 'Imagine' Series Limited Edition Piano
To commemorate the 70th birthday of a true creative genius -- legendary musician and songwriter John Lennon -- Steinway & Sons has introduced the Imagine Series Limited Edition piano. The Imagine Series Limited Edition is modeled after the white Steinway grand piano that John Lennon presented to Yoko Ono on her birthday in 1971, which is still at their famous Manhattan residence – the Dakota.
The music desk of each piano incorporates one of four different John Lennon original drawings. Come Together, the title of the opening track on the Beatles' historic album, "Abbey Road," reflects John Lennon's desire to bring people together. Grand Piano is a drawing that captures the songwriting process -- as musician and piano become one. Freda People exemplifies John Lennon's passion for using music for the benefit of mankind. Self Portrait is perhaps John Lennon's most famous drawing -- as just a few marks on the page and it's unmistakably John.
Other special features of this Limited Edition series include:
- The lyrics "YOU MAY SAY I'M A DREAMER" elegantly displayed on the bass side of the rim
- The opening bars to "Imagine" printed directly on the gold plate of the piano
- A medallion on the inner rim including John Lennon's Japanese chop mark/signature (which he often used to sign his artwork) as well as the series name and number
- A replica of John Lennon's signature gracing the treble side of the fallboard
"I am very excited about the launch of this truly unique piano," said Ron Losby, President, Steinway & Sons - Americas. "John Lennon was a visionary in so many ways. It is an honor for Steinway & Sons to have been chosen by Mrs. Lennon to create this remarkable piano."
"Anytime you expose a new audience to our handcrafted pianos, it's a very good thing for Steinway," added Todd Sanders, Vice President, Sales & Marketing. "With John Lennon, you are talking about someone whose music and philosophy resonates around the world and across generations."
About the Imagine Series
Custom built at the Steinway & Sons New York and Hamburg factories, the Imagine Series is available only through Steinway's factory-owned retail showrooms and network of exclusive Steinway dealers. A portion of the proceeds from every Imagine piano sold by Steinway & Sons will be donated to The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus (www.lennonbus.org). For more information, visit www.steinway.com/imagine.
About Steinway & Sons
Since 1853, Steinway pianos have set an uncompromising standard for sound, touch, beauty, and investment value. Steinway remains the choice of 9 out of 10 concert artists, and it is the preferred piano of countless musicians, professional and amateur, throughout the world. For more information, visit www.steinway.com.
That's what I would spend a lot of money if I've got it...
Really? I was wondering just who this is aimed at. Surely if someone had enough money to buy a new Steinway, they wouldn't want a load of John Lennon doodles all over it? I'd definitely rather have a plain white one every time.
i heard that the piano that george michael bought for 1.6 million english pounds on which john lennon COMPOSED 'imagine' on is an upright piano.
do you have any other information on this?