A bit off MM topic, but in view of two-lid piano talk, I thought I'd try
you with this, taken off the Pianoforte-L mailing list a few days ago:-

 --- quote ---

 From: Stephen Birkett <birketts@wright.aps.uoguelph.ca>
 Subject: Left-handed piano
 To: pianoforte@lists.oulu.fi
 Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 10:51:18 -0500 (EST)

While this hand stuff is being discussed seems a good time to bring
to attention something interesting....

A pianist in UK has recently commissioned a mirror-image piano to be
built (by Poletti and Tuinman in Utrecht).  He is strongly left-handed
and believes his brain functions are reversed, therefore hand-orienta-
tions feel wrong for him.  The piano, a copy of a c1820 Graf, will be
completely reversed, so you descend into the treble with the left hand,
and bass is to the right of the player, the curve of the case comes on
the left etc.

Believed to be the first time a mirror-image piano has ever been made.

Expect to see some publicity about this when the piano is completed.
Although it might seem to be just a publicity stunt, I have met the
pianist and he is absolutely genuine.  He is a performing pianist and
will tour with the piano performing repertoire in reverse mirror-image
with respect to LH and RH.  (To get the feeling try playing those
mirror fugues in the Kunst der Fuge!)

Now I wonder if that hand synchronization problem might go away with
such an instrument, or simply change orientation.

Stephen

Stephen Birkett Fortepianos
Authentic Reproductions of 18th and 19th Century Pianos
464 Winchester Drive, Waterloo, Ontario  Canada N2T 1K5
tel: 519-885-2228     email: birketts@wright.aps.uoguelph.ca