BÖSENDORFER - THE VIENNESE ART OF PIANO MAKING

A LIVING LEGEND

Founded in Vienna by Ignaz Bösendorfer in 1828,Bösendorferare one of the oldest piano companies in the world and also one of the most exclusive, making only a few hundred instruments each year. Bösendorfer are world famous for their quality, their outstand­ing richness of tone colour and their typical pure and inspiring sound – “Der Klang, der berührt” – that reflects the Viennese tradition. In an age of mass production, uniformity and stand­ardisation, Bösendorfertake great pride to be exclusive and original, and strive to continue the mission of Ignaz Bösendorfer and his son, Ludwig – simply to be the best. Since 1828, Bösendorfer’s legendary instruments have been handcrafted in Austria by their expert craftsmen, whose skills have been painstakingly passed down from generation to generation. Influenced by all the major composers and pianists who lived and worked in Vienna, the music capital of the world, Ignaz and Ludwig Bösendorfer created and developed the finest musical instruments – a tradition that continues to this day. Their instru­ments have inspired generations of musicians as diverse as Jo­hannes Brahms, Ferruccio Busoni, Wilhelm Backhaus, Friedrich Gulda, Paul Badura-Skoda, András Schiff, Valentina Lisitsa, Tori Amos and Oscar Peterson.

Bösendorfer Manufactory: Assembling the resonance case rim

THE MAGIC OF BÖSENDORFER

All Bösendorfer grand pianos share the same fundamental features:

RESONANCE CASE PRINCIPLE

For outstanding richness of tone, col­our and their legendary pure, inspiring sound, this complex construction is part of the Viennese tradition of piano making. The whole body, not just the soundboard, supports sound for­mation, similar in principle to a violin. Bösendorfer use Austrian spruce tonewood, the ideal sonic material, which constitutes over 80% of the wood in every Bösendorfer grand piano – the highest percentage of any manufacturer. The actual core of the piano rim consists of a 10mm quarter-sawn piece that is specially grooved by craftsmen to allow it to be formed around the inner rim – this is unique to Bösendorfer. When a note is played, the integrated spruce components become acoustically active, forming a complete resonating body that gives the whole instrument an unparalleled resonance.

​AIR-DRIED WOOD

Bösendorfer’s Austrian spruce has to be grown at a minimum of 800 meters above sea level (for very close annual rings) and harvested only in the winter, when the sap is at its lowest; it is subsequently quarter sawn for parallel grain. The timber is air dried naturally for up to 5 years, and further dried for up to an additional 6 months before use, to ensure maxi­mum sound quality and stability.

HANDMADE IN AUSTRIA

Handmade by Bösendorfer’s skilled craftsmen with painstak­ing attention to detail and using only the finest materials, their team of master craftsmen and technicians have incomparable experience; it can take over one year for the final instrument to be completed.

INDEPENDENT CAPO D’ASTRO

This makes precise adjustment possible and guarantees the original sound of your chosen Bösendorfer for generations. Bösendorfer are the only manufacturer in the world to use this system.

BUILT TO LAST

One of Bösendorfer’s early successes was the ability of their grand pianos to withstand Franz Liszt’s virtuoso playing tech­nique. Their unique construction still has the same ability to meet the toughest demands of professional pianists and insti­tutions. Privately owned instruments are cherished and passed down from one generation to the next.

INDEPENDENT CAPO D’ASTRO

This makes precise adjustment possible and guarantees the original sound of your chosen Bösendorfer for generations. Bösendorfer are the only manufacturer in the world to use this system.

BUILT TO LAST

One of Bösendorfer’s early successes was the ability of their grand pianos to withstand Franz Liszt’s virtuoso playing tech­nique. Their unique construction still has the same ability to meet the toughest demands of professional pianists and insti­tutions. Privately owned instruments are cherished and passed down from one generation to the next.

OPEN PINBLOCK

This allows firmer and more secure seating of the tuning pins, which in turn gives a technician more direct con­trol. Bösendorfer make their own pin blocks using 3 layers of 7mm quar­ter sawn maple glued cross-grained to each other. This is then glued to a baseboard of red beech, and the top is capped with a 1.5mm thick walnut veneer.

SAND CAST FRAMES

These are made in Austria. Bösendorfer use this traditional casting method, which is widely considered to produce the best tonal results. Their frames are stored in the open air for 6 months to eliminate all internal stresses.

BÖSENDORFER ACTION

The Bösendorfer Action is made to Bösendorfer’s specification by Renner in Germany. The geometry has been painstakingly developed in close cooperation with artists, teachers and technicians to al­low perfect control of every nuance from the finest pianissimo to the orchestral fortissimo.

FINEST EUROPEAN SPRUCE KEYBOARD

Built to Bösendorfer’s specification by German keyboard specialists.

EXTRA NOTES

Two concert models in Bösendorfer’s range come with addi­tional bass notes – the 225 model has in total 92 notes and the 290 has 97 notes (8 full octaves) rather than the standard 88 notes. Certain works, (i.e. by Bartók, Busoni and Ravel) can only be performed on them. This may be a luxury, but these extra bass strings guarantee additional harmonic resonance throughout the whole instrument, adding an almost orchestral dimension for which these instruments are renowned.