This summer, Fazioli added the F198 model to its range of high-end grand pianos. This is Fazioli’s first new instrument (with the exception of the special models) since 1988.
The F198 is a medium-sized instrument designed for smaller spaces such as domestic living rooms, home studios, classrooms, and smaller live venues. It is the perfect piano for those space-conscious environments.
When it comes to quality piano manufacturers, Fazioli is right up there with the very best. Its concert grand pianos are lauded by leading pianists the world over. The company, based in Sacile, northern Italy, was founded by Paolo Fazioli in 1981. Its aim was to make the very best pianos in the world – a mission statement that a great many will say it has fulfilled.
With the introduction of the F198, there are now seven models in the Fazioli standard range of grand pianos: F156, F183, F198, F212, F228, F278, and F308. The company also produces various art-case models with unique design features, some of which can be ordered, others being one-offs.
The F198
As is fairly obvious, the numeric part of the model number references the length of the instrument in centimetres. Thus the F198 measures just under 2 metres at 198cms.
Fazioli, being a relatively new company, is keen to employ any technological advances or new scientific innovations, that will improve the quality of its instruments. There isn’t that historical inertia to overcome. As a result, the F198 features several new concepts that bring that little bit extra to the game.
Making a smaller instrument such as the F198 can be a compromise. Especially when it comes to the action and the sound. Smaller instruments dictate that there is less space for the action, and this results in smaller keys and a less satisfactory touch. Fazioli, by use of clever design, has managed to fit a new version of the F212’s action into the F198.
The supporting structure of this new patented action comprises a hollow section made of aluminium, inside of which is inserted a layer of plywood. Thus the hammer flange rail, the wippen flange rail, and the let-off rail (the three action bars or tubas) are all filled with wood. This gives a far more rigid fixing for all the screws and elements supported by these rails, and this in turn is shown to reduce energy dissipation.
Soundwise, Fazioli has managed to get a stronger sound from the F198 than one would expect for an instrument of this size. It has done so by redesigning the soundboard and bridges, and by utilising advanced technology, optimised the string pressures on the bridge to produce a surprisingly powerful sound with an exceptional dynamic range.
The strings have also been designed to minimise the disparity between adjacent notes, thus making the transition across the span of the keyboard far smoother.
We are very proud to present this new model. It symbolizes how our company always looks to the future, embracing new challenges and offering pianists worldwide an increasingly wide range of expressive possibilities. The piano is not an instrument passively and indissolubly anchored to tradition, but, like every other work of human ingenuity, it must evolve and follow continuous technical and scientific development, without this constituting a betrayal of that glorious past that has written its history.
Paolo Fazioli, founder and CEO of Fazioli.
Fazioli F198 medium-sized grand piano
Length: 198cm (6.5ft)
Width: 154cm (5ft)
Height: 100cm (3.5ft)
Weight: 400kg (880lbs)
Price and delivery: on application
Website: Fazioli.com