BÖSENDORFER

The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria N0. 2 | April 2008

Interview: Kristin Okerlund

180 Years of Bösendorfer

The Resonance Case Principle

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 B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria

O b i t u a r y

In Memoriam: Oscar Emmanuel Peterson

August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007
Bösendorfer grieves for a friend ...

“D ammit, Norman, where does this box go? I also got-

ta have such a thing!” A long friendship began in the
late ‘70s with these words, spoken by the great jazz pianist
the Golden Hall of Vienna’s Musikverein on the occasion of
Bösendorfer‘s 175th anniversary.

to his impresario, Norman Granz. The box to which Oscar

Peterson was referring was none other than a Bösendorfer
Imperial and the occasion was a special concert evening in
Vienna with many encores.
“I hung around till the audience left, then sprinted ceremo-
niously back to the piano to rejoice in its incredible sound
quality once again. Norman was so overwhelmed by my
initial reaction that he forgot to tell me that a Bösendorfer
representative was waiting for me to let the company know
whether I was satisfied with the instrument they had put at
my disposal. Shortly afterwards they contacted me and offe-
red for me to select a piano according to my taste the next
time I was in Vienna – an offer I couldn‘t refuse!”
(From the German version of Oscar Peterson‘s autobiography, A
Jazz Odyssey: The Life of Oscar Peterson, pp. f.)
B orn in Montreal on August 15, 1925, Peterson began his
career as a professional musician at the age of 17. In 1947,
he led his own trio for the first time. His big international
breakthrough came as Norman Granz (Peterson’s impresario
and friend) invited him to New York to perform at Carnegie
Hall for the concert series Jazz at the Philharmonic.
The keyboard magician was also famous for his work with
smaller ensembles such as duos and trios. He very often play-
ed with bassists Ray Brown, Niels Henning, Ørsted Pedersen,
as well as guitarists Barney Kessel, Joe Pass and Herb Ellis.
These chamber music-oriented ensembles usually got by wi-
thout percussion.
Peterson played with the giants of jazz history, among them
Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie,
Nat King Cole and Duke Ellington.
He has been awarded eight Grammys, including one in 1997

T he day before Christmas Eve, on Sunday, December 23,

2007, the legendary Canadian jazz pianist and composer
Oscar Peterson died in his home in a Toronto suburb at the
age of 82.
Oscar Peterson suffered a stroke in 1993, from which he
nonetheless recovered. His famous left hand remained si-
gnificantly affected, however. Peterson last performed in
Austria in November 2003. It was the great gala concert in
for his life’s work. Over a dozen universities have granted him
honorary doctorates. In 2000, he was awarded the UNESCO
International Music Prize.
Oscar, we thank you for having given – with our “box” – so
much to music and jazz lovers around the world!
Stefan Radschiner

Oscar Peterson in the Golden Hall of Vienna’s Musikverein in November 2003, on the occasion of Bösendorfer’s 175th anniversary
– his last performance in Austria.

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 E D I T O R I A L

Editorial
Dear readers!

1828 , the year Bösendor-

fer was founded, is
one of the most significant years
music world and why Bösendorfer will remain an Austrian
company even under Yamaha ownership (p. 11).

in the history of piano building.

Ignaz Bösendorfer’s goal to build
pianos of the highest quality and
T hat tradition and innovation optimally complement one
another is displayed by the CEUS computer piano as well
as the high-end Bösendorfer loudspeakers, which are built in
with a unique sound continues addition to the pianos at our piano factory in Wiener Neu-
to be the Austrian piano maker’s stadt.
highest priority.

K nowledge passed down from

generation to generation, as well as 180 years’ experience
in the art of piano building, form the foundation for the uni-
que quality and extraordinary wealth of tone colors exhibited
by Bösendorfer pianos. In this context, Bösendorfer Technical
Director Ferdinand Bräu, in part one of the Factory series,
reports on the resonance case principle and Bösendorfer’s
distinctive features in terms of design and sound (p. 14). As
a prelude to this series on Bösendorfer’s handcraft, take a
look at Robert Wöhrer on the cover performing demanding
bridge notching work.
I wish to express my sincere gratitude for the considerable
positive feedback on the first edition of the new Bösendor-
fer magazine. In this spirit, I wish you considerable pleasure
reading this anniversary edition. I also look forward this year
to the pleasure of meeting many readers personally at our
location in the Graf Starhemberg-Gasse in Vienna or at the
recently renovated Bösendorfer Downtown in the Musikver-
ein building.

B ösendorfer’s new CEO Yoshichika Sakai – whom we also

wish to introduce to you in this context – speaks about
the significance of the Viennese sound for the international
Simon Oss
Sales Manager Asia

Contents
In Memoriam: Oscar Emmanuel Peterson .................................. 2
Editorial · Imprint ................................................................................... 3
Interview: Kristin Okerlund
The Multifaceted Art of the Répétiteur ........................................ 4
A Movie Star Piano ................................................................................. 6
The “Crash Piano” – the Two Moors Story .................................... 7
Exclusive Bösendorfer Factory Concert with
Jancy Körössy and Ramona Horvath .............................................. 8
Wooed and Won
Tobias Moretti Fulfills a Dream ........................................................ 9
Inaugurated with Schubertian Melodies –
180 Years of Bösendorfer ................................................................... 10
Yoshichika Sakai – Lover of the Viennese Sound
Becomes New Bösendorfer CEO ..................................................... 11
The 180th Anniversary Grand Piano Limited Edition .............. 12
Collaborative Concerts ........................................................................ 13
The Touching Sound – Part 1
The Resonance Case Principle ......................................................... 14
Soundscape Experts ............................................................................ 16
CEUS – “On-the-Job Training” .......................................................... 18
Bösendorfer Audio and Music in the
Grand Hotel Vienna ............................................................................. 19
HIGH END Show, Munich 2008 ...................................................... 19
Contact .................................................................................................... 20

Imprint · Editor, media proprietor, publisher: L. Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH, Graf Starhemberg-Gasse 14, A-1040 Vienna, Austria, Tel. +43 (1) 504 66 51-0 · Design and layout: FineStudios®,
Vienna. Produced and printed in Austria. Distribution: self-distribution to Bösendorfer friends and interested parties. Editorial office address: L. Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH, Attn.: Simon
Oss, Graf Starhemberg-Gasse 14, A-1040 Vienna. Senior editors: Agnes Domfeh, Simon Oss. Authors: Mario Aiwasian, Dieter Autengruber, Ferdinand Bräu, Agnes Domfeh, Manfred Häfele,
Dr. Rupert Löschnauer, Dr. Michael Nießen, Simon Oss, Mag. Stefan Radschiner. Photos: Mario Aiwasian, John Borge, David A. Czihak, Agnes Domfeh, Herbert Druml, FineStudios®, Monika
Frank, Grand Hotel Wien, Harri Mannsberger, David M. Peters, Mag. Stefan Radschiner, G. Ringhofer, Christian Schoppe. Translation: Albert Frantz. Primary direction and disclosure according
to media law: Magazine for persons interested in music and friends of Bösendorfer in Austria. Errata and printing errors, etc., including price quotations, excepted. No liability is assumed
for unsolicited pictures and manuscripts submitted. Reprints permitted exclusively upon written consent of the publisher. All rights reserved. Contributions marked by name present the
author’s opinion, not always that of the publisher. No legal action will be countenanced for sweepstakes.

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 B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria

I n t e r v i e w

Interview: Kristin Okerlund

The Multifaceted Art of the Répétiteur
Kristin Okerlund studied at the St. Louis Conservatory of Music, the University of Illinois and at the
Konservatorium Wien University (Vienna Conservatory). She concertizes internationally as soloist
as well as accompanist to Bernd Weikl, Walter Berry, William Warfield, Johan Botha, Klaus Maria
Brandauer, Nancy Gustafson, Angelika Kirchschlager, Ildiko Raimondi, Heinz Zednik, Neil Shicoff, Gi-
useppe Sabbatini, Bo Skovhus, Edita Gruberova, Heidi Brunner, Janina Baechle and many others.

S he has been employed by the Vienna State Opera since

Photo: John Borge

1993 and has worked with conductors such as Sir Georg
Solti, Zubin Mehta, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Seiji Ozawa and Ber-
trand de Billy. In this interview, Kristin Okerlund spoke about
her activity as répétiteur, as well as the Master’s program she
heads at the Konservatorium Wien University.

Simon Oss: Ms. Okerlund, what is your typical daily routine at

the opera?
Kristin Okerlund: We normally have rehearsals from 10 to 1 and
from 5 to 8. For classic coachings I work with each person for
one hour, sometimes two. That depends on how long the role
is and how long the singer needs. We also often have scenic
rehearsals. There are only orchestral rehearsals for premieres
or new stagings; otherwise, all rehearsals are with the piano.

Simon Oss: The job specifications for a répétiteur far outreach

purely pianistic ability, as you’ll reveal. Where do you see the
essential tasks?
Kristin Okerlund: “Coaching” is – as the name suggests – work
with the singer in which you repeat, repeat, and repeat. We’re
there to instill into the singers that they sing the right notes,
have the correct rhythm and that the language is correct. Then
we go further and work on the music.

Simon Oss: To what extent do you carry out vocal corrections?

Kristin Okerlund: It’s incredibly important to have a good ear. If
a singer sings too high or the voice sounds too “throaty,” then
I point it out to them, but technically – I find – a répétiteur
should not work with a singer. That’s a very delicate matter.
We can give tips, of course, but when someone doesn’t really
have a strong foundation you can very quickly push a singer
to a place where he or she can’t do any more. I’ve often expe-
rienced that.
Simon Oss: Doesn’t such work have a very high potential for
conflict?
Kristin Okerlund: That’s also a part of correpetition, seeing the
perils, the psychological and then working differently with
each singer. A singer often comes in and you hear their life sto-
ry, their problems and, if I may say so, you play the role of the
psychiatrist.
Simon Oss: Apart from these didactic abilities, what knowledge
and ability does a répétiteur need to have in your opinion?
Kristin Okerlund: In terms of languages, German and Italian
need to be mastered – you need to be able to correct. French
Kristin Okerlund concertizes internationally as soloist as well as
accompanist to renowned singers. She lives and works in Vienna.
is also important, and English primarily for communicating.
Russian, Czech ... that would be great of course, but you can’t
do everything.
It’s also important to breathe with the singer, since everyone
has a different rhythm. You also notice with conductors that
when they really breathe with the singers it works much more
easily, much better and more naturally. You also look with sin-
gers at where they should breathe, where it makes sense with
the language and the musical phrase.
Simon Oss: The répétiteur thus takes on quite a few of the tasks
that would typically be assigned to a conductor then?
Kristin Okerlund: Exactly. And in the past, nearly all conductors
were also répétiteurs and thus learned how to work with sin-
gers and to breathe. Nowadays that’s perhaps a major defi-
ciency.

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Kristin Okerlund at the 2006 Heiligenkreuz Festival with clarinetist Roger Salander.
Simon Oss: Having worked intensely with singers in such a
manner, do you sing personally or expect your students to
sing?
Kristin Okerlund: [laughing]: I drive my students crazy. I’ll never
forget my first job at the Vienna Kammeroper. I was répétiteur
for Werner Henze’s “English Cat,” and it was incredibly difficult
to play – I practiced for months so that I could really play it well.
The first coaching was with Helmut Wildhaber. He came in
and I started to play. It was a place in which the soprano sings.
I simply kept playing and concentrating and he didn’t enter. So
I said, “You need to sing!” and he replied, “How am I supposed
to enter when I don’t hear the soprano?” And I said, “Yeah, but
she’s not here now!” – “No, you need to sing!” – “Why? I’m a
pianist – I don’t need to!” He actually showed me how impor-
tant it is, as no one had ever told me that before. So I needed to
make up for it very quickly. And now I require all my students to
sing always. They don’t like it, but it simply has to happen.
Today I had a rehearsal, the singer had about ten words and
I needed to sing everything else, the Leonora aria, the duet ...
but it has to happen, it’s incredibly important.
Simon Oss: Are there also special pianistic demands?
Kristin Okerlund: You somehow need to be educated all-round.
First, you need to study solo piano in order to attain the neces-
sary technical proficiency. And when an orchestra for examp-
le requires a piano, organ or celeste, then the répétiteur also
plays them.
Then you need to be able to sight-read. I see that in my stu-
dents – if you can’t do it naturally then it’s incredibly difficult.
The singers call me up and say they’d like to work. Then they
come, set the score down and expect the pianist to be able
to play. And that has to happen, in fact. Sometimes you need
to be able to transpose on the spot and sometimes even play
from an orchestral score.
In terms of sound, we répétiteurs always try to sound like an
orchestra, whereby the playing is associated with lots of free-
Photo: Herbert Druml
dom. If you look at two different piano reductions, they can be
totally different, because somebody took the orchestral score
and compressed it so that a pianist can play it. And he took out
the things he considered important, while someone else con-
siders something else important. Therefore, I tell my students
that whenever something is too difficult to play, they can sim-
plify it, or, by contrast, they can add octaves if it requires more
orchestral support.
Simon Oss: Do you therefore adjust the playing to the singer?
Kristin Okerlund: You do need to support a bit or give less. It
always depends on the singer and the piece. But when some-
body comes to me and wants to sing Wagner with a tiny little
bird voice, then I refuse to just sit there like a bird and play
softly, since afterwards the orchestra also won’t do that.
Simon Oss: As a répétiteur, do you also have special demands
on your piano?
Kristin Okerlund: I find it important to have a great instru-
ment. If the nuances are there in terms of sound, that results
in another quality and a different sort of support for the sin-
gers. You could ask any singer whether they’d rather sing with
the Vienna Philharmonic or with any old average orchestra.
They would all say the Vienna Philharmonic since they’d then
sing better when they have this support and this quality of
sound. It’s no different with the piano.
Personally, I’m a Bösendorfer fan. The Bösendorfer is now very
clear in the treble and nonetheless has a round sound in the
bass. I think I had only played a Bösendorfer once in my life
before coming to Vienna, Brahms’s Handel Variations at a
competition. And you know, that was it! There are tones that
you only have on a Bösendorfer. It was so much fun. That’s also
the case for me in the opera – you can imitate the orchestra’s
sound and give more support. I think it’s great!
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 B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria

N EW S & T I P S

A Movie Star Piano

How a piano by Ignaz Bösendorfer became a movie star thanks to the search for a prop.

W hen MR Film, as producer of the film La Bohème with

Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón, inquired about
a grand piano for the studio of both artists, it had already
been discretely hinted that a historic piano (“brown venee-
red”... “turned legs”...) would be needed as a prop for shooting
the film...
At the beginning of shooting, a classic Bösendorfer Model
170 was brought into the artist room of the ORF Rosenhügel
Studio. The singers, first and foremost Rolando Villazon, were
pleased with the beautiful instrument. One day we were sur-
prised by a call from the prop master, who inquired about the
brown piano for the Landlord’s salon in Bohème. The instru-
ment would be urgently needed.

A joyful event

T he prop master’s one last hasty tour through the old fac-
tory warehouse with our service manager then led to a
joyful event: Agnes Domfeh, together with Rolando Villazón, is happy about
Under a heavy cover stood the old Ignaz Bösendorfer grand, the newly surfaced Ignaz Bösendorfer grand.
which exhibited the desired turned legs.
The big surprise was that this was one of those incredibly monious entry for this “Grand Dame” from Bösendorfer.
rarely encountered Ignaz Bösendorfer grand pianos from the
late Biedermeyer period. Worldwide, barely a dozen of this Agnes Domfeh
model survive today.
The beautifully preserved piano fits stylistically into both LA BOHÈME is a film production by MR Film, in co-production
epochs relevant to the film project: the Biedermeier on the with Unitel (Germany), produced with the support of ÖFI (Aus-
one hand as Bohème’s historical “real-time,” and the Bel- trian Film Institute), FFW (Film Funds Vienna), ORF Film-/Fern-
le Époque as the cinematic “real-time” for this production sehabkommen (Austrian Broadcasting Service Film/Television
(1902, to be precise), for already at the time it was considered Accord).
something special to be able to call an instrument from the
Biedermeier period one’s own (Landlord’s Salon).
It would have been difficult to find a more worthy and har-

Recommendation:
The exquisite cast of La Bohème as well as Robert Dorn-
helm as stage director and Walter Kindler behind the
camera make the film a genuine event!
Anna Netrebko Mimi
Rolando Villazón Rodolfo
Nicole Cabell Musetta
George von Bergen Marcello
Adrian Eröd Schaunard
Vitalij Kowaljow Colline
et al.

Left: A worthy comeback for the old Ignaz Bösendorfer grand

piano as leading actor in the “keyboard instrument” category
in La Bohème.

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 TWO MOORS STORY

The “Crash Piano” – the Two Moors Story

In the spring of 2007, a tragic piano story went halfway around the world. The TWO MOORS FES-
TIVAL in Devon in southern England was finally, after two years of fundraising, able to purchase
its very own Bösendorfer “Imperial.” Yet during delivery the unimaginable happened.

F or two years, the artistic directors of the Two Moors Fes-

tival (Dartmoor & Exmoor), Penny and John Adie, and the
ladies and sirs of the honorable festival committee collected
money until they could at long last purchase a new grand pi-
ano that they wished to deploy in the various concert venues
throughout Devon. The new piano was to be delivered and
inaugurated in April. Yet that’s when precisely that happened
which ought never occur: Shortly before setting up at its new
primary location, the Bösendorfer Imperial suddenly lay help-
less on its back like a beetle. A nightmare.
Mr. Adie’s despondence went through the media world: “Bö-
sendorfers are like the Stradivarius of the piano world.... They
are simply irreplaceable.”

O ur company got in touch with the presenters and offe-

red a substitute instrument that could then be safely
delivered on September 28, 2007 directly from Vienna by the
Hengster company, our delivery partner of many years.
The festival started on October 12, 2007 as scheduled, with a
great instrument and lasted until the 20th of October. Even
Her Royal Highness, the Countess of Wessex (wife of Prince
Edward), graced the festival with her presence.
In the coming year, the piano is to form the focal point of the
concerts and a concert in Austria is to take place in collabora-
tion with the Austrian Cultural Forum and London as foreign
commerce center.

Stefan Radschiner

Piano Delivery II: The cooperation partners Two Moors, the

Hengster shipping company and Bösendorfer cautiously, not
Images that went halfway around the world: The Bösendorfer to mention with major media interest, accomplished the deli-
Imperial’s unbelievable crash. very of the long-desired Bösendorfer Imperial concert grand.

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 B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria

C o n c e r t s

Exclusive Bösendorfer Factory Concert

with Jancy Körössy and Ramona Horvath
During a jazz concert in Vienna’s Radiokulturhaus in October 2007, jazz veteran Jancy Körössy
told about his fondness – which has now existed for exactly 50 years – for Bösendorfer and the
Imperial in particular.

S everal weeks later, the pianist and his artistic partner, fel-
low pianist Ramona Horvath, completed a tour through
our factory in Wiener Neustadt on the occasion of Jancy’s
personal anniversary concert in Bösendorfer Hall – and they
were thrilled. Thrilled by the dedication, the precision and the
conscientiousness with which the factory’s employees build
their instruments. The employees’ passion for their work,
so clearly palpable to the two artists, as well as the the in-
imitable sound of the instruments produced there, allowed
Jancy Körössy to make the following spontaneous suggesti-
on right then and there: “I wish to express my gratitude to
all the wonderful people in the Bösendorfer factory with an
exclusive concert.” The idea was received joyfully by the plant
management and thus, on November 27, 2007, the very first Jancy Körössy, together with his artistic partner Ramona Hor-
factory concert, dedicated to Bösendorfer employees, in the vath, wowed the employees of the Bösendorfer factory in Wie-
history of the company took place. ner Neustadt.
Horvath and Körössy, full of emotion and in the best of spirits,
presented their concert full of verve to the personnel. Tech- Jazz veteran Jancy Körössy and the young pianist Ramo-
nical brilliance, the highest degree of musicality as well as na Horvath, a bridge between generations
empathetically harmonious playing in succession and the
subsequent immersion into the nearly dance-like dialog with
their respective pianos wowed the employees.
J ancy Körössy (born in Cluj, Romania in 1926) is con-
sidered a “giant of jazz” among music critics, one of
the world’s most interesting jazz musicians. He ranks
among the pioneers who invented Romanian jazz in the

C ommentary from the employees’ circle speaks for itself:

“... musical fireworks at their best!”“The harmony and the
talent of both pianists were palpable,” or “It fills us with pride
to experience what an important contribution we’re making
to the music world by producing our Bösendorfer pianos.”
Agnes Domfeh
late ‘60s and who made the leap into the 21st century. He
settled in the U.S. in 1970, where he developed his activity
as pedagogue and interpreter, with numerous tours in
the States and in Mexico. In 2001, he returned to Europe
(Bucharest, Paris), where he performs numerous concerts
and holds annual master classes.

R amona Horvath (born in Romania in 1975) is a gradu-

ate of the Bucharest University of Music. Her prolific
activity as soloist and chamber musician began already
in 1992, on the stage of the Romanian Atheneum, and
continues with performances in Romania, Germany and
the U.S.

P IANO DUO: The close collaboration between Jancy

Then and now: Jancy Körössy in 1957 with his first Bösendorfer
grand piano (left) and in 2007 with the Model 280 at Bösen-
dorfer Downtown in Vienna (right).
Körössy and Ramona Horvath began in 2003, and
soon thereafter the PIANO DUO was founded, with jazz
arrangements from the Romanian classics and folklo-
re, as well as from the great pool and cultural heritage
of classical music. The lectures and successful perfor-
mances of both musicians at international festivals have
not failed to leave a lasting impression: In the summer of
2005, the Romanian Radio Company petitioned a series
of recordings by the duo for their national heritage.

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 © Lionel Flusin
K U N D E N

Wooed and Won

Tobias Moretti Fulfills a Dream
Tobias Moretti has been granted numerous accolades in his life to date, such as the Bavarian
Film Prize (1995), the Golden Lion (1996), the Silver Tulip (1997), the Italian Telegatto (“Tele-Cat”),
the Bavarian Television Prize (1999, 2004), the Adolf Grimme Prize (2000, 2002), several Romy
Awards, as well as the Eysoldt Ring of the German Academy of Performing Arts. Now he has
granted himself something: a Bösendorfer grand piano.

T obias Moretti is a member of the international Bösendor- with this instrument at

Photo: Christian Schoppe

fer family. Moretti, who initially commenced composition the spur of the moment,
studies at the Vienna University for Music and the Performing ‘wooed’ it fervidly at the
Arts following his school leaving exam, changed to the Otto Bösendorfer company
Falckenberg Acting School in Munich. He celebrated his first and ‘won’ it a couple
television and film successes at the end of the 1980s. In ad- months later. I had dre-
dition to his film activity, he continues to perform in plays on amed of a Bösendorfer
various stages. And it is thus that Tobias Moretti arrived at his already as a composition
Bösendorfer grand piano: “The piano and I encountered one student in Vienna, due to
another at the Theater an der Wien: The instrument was made its unique tone, soft and
available to us in January 2007 for Der Seelen wunderliches yet brilliant; it’s a great Tobias Moretti – welcome to the
Bergwerk (“Fantastical Pits of the Souls”), an evening about the pleasure for me that this Bösendorfer family!
Romantic era and industrialization, accompanied by the cham- dream has now been ful-
ber orchestra moderntimes 1800. During this work I fell in love filled.” Agnes Domfeh

Tobias Moretti encountered “his” Bösendorfer grand at the Theater an der Wien. While working on Der Seelen wunderliches Berg-
werk he fell in love with the instrument “at the spur of the moment” ...

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 B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria

Anniversary

Inaugurated with Schubertian Melodies

– 180 Years of Bösendorfer
As Ignaz Bösendorfer started his own piano manufacturing business in 1828, the young Franz
Liszt, with his impulsive playing technique, was wrecking nearly every piano made available
to him. Upon the advice of several friends, he tried doing this to a Bösendorfer grand – which
withstood his playing! At a single blow, the Bösendorfer became famous as a concert grand
– and this at a time that did not want for piano makers. At the time the Bösendorfer company
was founded, there were over 150 piano builders active in Vienna alone …

O n March 26, 1828 – the year Bösendorfer was founded

– the Austrian composer Franz Schubert played his first
and only public concert, in the concert hall of the Gesell-
schaft der Musikfreunde (Society of the Friends of Music) in
Vienna; on November 19 of that year he died at the age of
just 31. In 1928 – exactly 100 years later – Wilhelm Backhaus
proclaimed, “I have loved Bösendorfer pianos since the day I
first touched one, and I have found again and again that they
play themselves, so to speak, since they accommodate the
pianist’s every intention in terms of sound and technique.
A midrange of aromatic tonal beauty, fresh as the morning
dew, is framed by a powerful bass register and a sparkling,
glittering treble, and all moods, from pathos through to flir-
ting grace, are suitable for this piano.... The first Bösendorfers Ludwig Bösendorfer played the concert grand for Emperor
were no doubt inaugurated with Schubertian melodies and Franz Joseph I during an exhibition in Vienna in 1892.
they are in there to this very day....”
exhibited a noteworthy acoustic, Ludwig Bösendorfer persu-
The three main properties of a quality piano aded the prince to turn the riding school into a concert hall.

C arl Hutterstrasser – Bösendorfer proprietor as of 1913

– sketched the following in a brochure on the occasion of
Bösendorfer’s centenary in 1928: “… the three main properties
of a quality piano: inexhaustible fullness of sound, elastic va-
riety and unlimited stability …” and reckoned that these pro-
perties “… can be found unified in Bösendorfer pianos and it
is these qualities that have pave the way to our instruments’
success throughout the entire world.” This description can
be taken entirely seriously in light of the aforementioned le-
gend creation surrounding the “Bösendorfer’s” outstanding
quality. Franz Liszt was still raving in 1870 – decades after
his debut on a Bösendorfer: “The perfection of a Bösendorfer
drowns my most ideal expectations … .”
Expansion years
The rebuilding work was completed in 1872 and Hans von
Bülow inaugurated the hall with a concert. Thanks to its out-
standing acoustics, the new Bösendorfer Hall was the most
frequented concert hall for chamber music in Vienna for de-
cades. Incidentally, Vienna’s first high-rise building was built
at this location in 1931–32.
C arl Hutterstrasser’s sons Alexander and Wolfgang be-
came partners in the company in 1931. Arnold F. Habig,
President of Kimball International Inc. (U.S.), became the new
Bösendorfer proprietor. The Habig Foyer at the Bösendor-
fer headquarters was named after him. In 2002, the piano
manufacturer came into the possession of the BAWAG P.S.K.
banking group. A takeover of the banking group by the U.S.-
based fund Cerberus once again resulted in the sale of the

L udwig Bösendorfer took over his father’s business in 1859,

the year Ignaz died. Ignaz had entrusted the secrets of pi-
ano production to his son in time. Ludwig, a highly talented
Bösendorfer company.

Setting the course for the future

musician with an extraordinarily good ear, improved the in-
struments such that the Bösendorfer name would become
inseparably linked with the terms “music” and “touching
sound.” The company moved to a new factory in Neu-Wien
in 1860, with an attached concert hall seating 200. This new
factory also quickly became too small and in 1870 Bösendor-
fer moved once again, this time to the company building lo-
cated at Graf Starhemberg-Gasse 14 in Vienna’s 4th District.
The office and salesroom were set up in Palais Liechtenstein
on Herrengasse. Since Prince Liechtenstein’s riding school
A mong over 100 interested parties, following months of
negotiations and precise business plan analysis, Yamaha
won the bidding for Bösendorfer in December 2007. The es-
sential reasons for this were the Japanese corporation’s sales
and marketing experience (Yamaha has built uprights since
1900 and grands since 1902), as well as the guarantee that
the company will remain in Austria and their deep respect
for the Viennese sound.
Hans Czihak und Simon Oss

| 10
 P o r t r a i t

Yoshichika Sakai – Lover of the Viennese

Sound Becomes New Bösendorfer CEO
Decades of management experience, a cosmopolitan lifestyle and deep respect for the Vi-
ennese sound characterize the new Bösendorfer CEO. He greeted personnel with a piano reci-
tal in Bösendorfer Hall.

A lready in the first press

conference on Decem-
ber 21, 2007, Yamaha Mana-
cal instruments and hi-fi products in the Scandinavian and
Baltic countries. The management experience he gained the-
re led him to England once again in 2006 and finally to Bö-
ger Hiroo Okabe (Member sendorfer. Mr. Sakai: “I was really happy when I was informed
of the Board of Directors that I’d become CEO of Bösendorfer. It’s such a respectable
and Managing Executive name and working for such a famous brand and such high-
Officer, Musical Instruments quality pianos is a dream for anyone who’s active in the mu-
Business Group) and Hi- sic industry.”
toshi Fukutome (General
Manager, Piano Division), The human factor
emphasized that Bösen-
dorfer and its production
would remain in Austria. Yoshichika Sakai – Bösendorfer
Y oshichika Sakai was especially taken by his first visit to
the Wiener Neustadt factory. “I was very surprised when
I saw the production in the factory. I was so astonished that
Retaining the unique sound CEO as of January 2008 the production is so personal – there’s a face behind each in-
and strengthening sales are dividual part, a human being.”
the new owners’ top priorities. Already one month after si-
gning, Yoshichika Sakai (b. 1953) came to Vienna to become
the new CEO. Rather than doing so loquaciously, he greeted
employees with a Chopin waltz on a Bösendorfer Model 225
concert grand.

The beginnings

Y oshichika Sakai had his first piano lessons at the age of

seven, yet he did not receive his first acoustic piano until
the age of ten. This gift from his parents motivated him very
strongly and he thus continued playing the piano even while
studying law. In Yamaha he eventually recognized the possi-
bility of combining his love of music with his profession.

First experience abroad in the United States

Y oshichika Sakai has already move fifteen times. He had

his first lengthy stay abroad in the United States, whe-
re he was responsible for digital instruments for seven years
and was in close contact with pop and jazz musicians. “I met The very personal manner in which Bösendorfer instruments
many artists at the time, such as Toto, some of the Jacksons, are crafted greatly impressed Yoshichika Sakai.
Chick Corea, Tony Scott … but no classical musicians.”
Setting the course for the future
Cultural enrichment – Europe

A fter a renewed stay in Japan, in 1992 Yoshichika Sakai ob-

tained responsibility for distributing keyboards and digi-
tal pianos in England. He sees the five years that he spent in
this capacity as especially important. “Coming to Europe was
very important for me, as I discovered so many different cul-
tures, different countries, and different people. It was a real
‘eye opener.’ When I lived in California I thought this is it. But
that wasn’t the case. Different cultures need to exist and you
need to respect them.”
Following another sojourn in Japan, Yoshichika Sakai took
over, as Managing Director, responsibility for Yamaha musi-
P reserving the unique Bösendorfer sound is of the grea-
test importance for Yoshichika Sakai, for which reason
Bösendorfers will continue to be built in their time-tested
manner in the Austrian factory: “The Viennese sound and
Bösendorfer are one and the same! Nothing about this will
change and I do not have the slightest intention of changing
the unique Bösendorfer sound that is so tied to the factory’s
unique craftsmanship.” Yoshichika Sakai sees his task above
all as strengthening brand recognition, expanding customer
service and preserving the touching sound.
Simon Oss

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 B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria

Anniversary GRAND

The 180th Anniversary Grand Piano

Limited Edition
1828 – The world in the age of the pre-German revolution. We describe the “Vormärz” (“pre-
March”) as the period between the end of the Vienna Congress of 1815 and the beginning of the
civil-liberal 1848 March Revolution in the German states. Within this period, 1828 was a special
year for the history of piano building, as Ignaz Bösendorfer received permission on July 25 to set
up shop as a piano maker. Shortly before, on March 26, the Austrian composer Franz Schubert
gave his first and only public concert in the concert hall of Vienna’s Gesellschaft der Musik-
freunde (Society of the Friends of Music) – on November 19 he died at just 31 years of age.

1828 was also the year in which the foundling Kaspar

Hauser appeared on the streets of Nuremberg,
the Reclam publishing company was founded in Leipzig, and
Andrew Jackson was elected U.S. President. Moreover, French
novelist Jules Verne, Norwegian novelist Henrik Ibsen and
Swiss businessman and initiator of the Red Cross movement,
Henry Dunant, were all born in this year.

2008 – 180 years of Bösendorfer: Celebrate with us!

W e wish to celebrate our 180th birthday in 2008 toge-

ther with you and have designed and built a spe-
cial, limited-edition 180th Anniversary Grand Piano model
for the occasion. The Anniversary Grand is available
in all model sizes from 170 to 290 cm as a limited
and numbered edition of 50 pianos.

The 180th Anniversary Grand –

reminiscent of elegance

T he multifaceted stylistic his-

tory of instrument building
naturally affords us a broad
spectrum of formal possibilities.
For the 180th Anniversary Grand,
we decided on a classically ele-
gant contour. Thus, the case, for
example, is encircled by a decorative
groove, elaborately cut by hand, and the leg ferrules were ad-
apted to the classical contouring.
The inside of the fall board and key blocks are made of exclu-
sive Vavona Maser wood. Each instrument is endued with an
emblem identifying it as part of the 50-piano Limited Edition
series.
In its simplicity, the music stand with its elegant, grooved or-
naments is reminiscent of the Jugendstil epoch.
Celebrate with us and treat yourself to an exceptional Bösen-
dorfer!

For further information contact our Sales Director

Worldwide Andreas Kaufmann:
Tel. +43 / (0)1 / 505 35 18-38 The inside of the fall board and key blocks are made of exclu-
Fax +43 / (0)1 / 504 66 51-390 sive Vavona Maser wood. Each instrument is endued with an
andreas.kaufmann@boesendorfer.com emblem identifying it as part of the 50-piano Limited Edition
series.

| 12
 TASTEN.LAUF

Collaborative Concerts
Since last season, the Bösendorfer piano company has undertaken a highly successful colla-
boration with the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (Society of the Friends of Music) in Vienna
and its general manager Dr. Thomas Angyan.

T asten.lauf is the name of a four-part concert series in the

Metallic Hall – one of the Musikverein’s four new halls –
in which Bösendorfer, in collaboration with the Musikverein,
famous venue – in any way she can and who has a sym-
pathetic ear for any request.

presents young pianists from all corners of the globe.

The goal of this cooperation is to create a forum for aspiring
artists, not yet necessarily known in Vienna, from home and
abroad, where they can present their pianistic virtuosity and
their artistic concepts to an audience interested in piano mu-
sic.
With the project, Bösendorfer once again demonstrates a
main objective of its work for and with artists, supporting,
in a forward-looking manner, young talents who are entirely
worthy of such support.
T hese concerts, which cover a broad and interesting
pianistic and programming spectrum, all take place
on Thursdays and are also available as a subscription. Au-
dience interest is so great that the concerts to date in the
2007–2008 season have all been sold out.
The concerts begin at 8:00 PM and tickets are available
at the Musikverein ticket office at a genuinely low price
of 10 euros. Exact details regarding programming can be
found in a specially produced complete program booklet
for the Musiverein’s four new halls.
Due to the present season’s enormous success, Bösen-

T hus, fourteen-year-old pianist Valentin Fheodoroff, truly

still a youngblood Austrian (he jumped in on short notice
for the Norwegian pianist Klaus Jorgensen, who had fallen
dorfer has decided to continue this collaboration into
the 2008–2009 season also under the company’s new
management. The new concert dates and artists will be
ill), Bösendorfer scholarship winner Christoph Traxler, on announced in due time.
March 27, 2008 Ana-Marija Markovina, the Croatian pianist
living in Cologne, and finally, on May 29, 2008, the winner
of the most recent Bösendorfer Piano Competition, Andre-
as Donat, all played or will play in the Musikverein’s Metallic
F ollowing the concerts, friends of the Bösendorfer com-
pany are invited to a small buffet in our Bösendorfer
Downtown location in the Musikverein building to meet
Hall this season. and speak with the artists personally.
We should make particular mention of the fact that in Frau
Dr. Andrea Wolowiec of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde Dr. Michael Nießen
we have found a partner who helps out not only us, but also
the artists – most of whom are making their debuts in the

In collaboration with the Musikverein, Bösendorfer presents After the concerts, friends of the Bösendorfer company have
young pianists from the world over in four evenings spread out the opportunity to meet and speak with the artists perso-
over the current season. nally at our Bösendorfer Downtown location.

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 B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria

F A C T O R Y

The Touching Sound – Part 1

The Resonance Case Principle
The sound of the Bösendorfer piano – “The Touching Sound” – is considered a synonym par
excellence for the Bösendorfer brand. The identification of a “Bösendorfer” is predominantly
marked by its specific sound. This unmistakable and unique tonal character, the typical, richly
colored timbre, is directly connected to the instruments’ construction and design. Bösendorfer
grand pianos are classic examples of the Viennese school of piano building and piano-making
tradition.

The extended arm of the soundboard shed instrument to a great extent. These convenient proper-

I f you wished to summarize the specific peculiarities of

the construction that make possible the typical sound
character’s uniqueness in the first place, you would arrive
at the “resonance case principle” designation. This term is
the very best all-in-one description for this piano building
concept. In the resonance case principle, one proceeds from
the basic consideration of decisively involving the sub-frame
and the rim of the case, along with the soundboard which
is primarily responsible for amplifying the sound, to form a
complete resonating body for sound production. The sub-
frame construction and case thereby practically become an
extended arm of the soundboard. The resulting influence on
the sound characteristic is enormous. This basic conceptual
approach became common in the Viennese piano building
tradition and for nearly 180 years has been perfected by Bö-
sendorfer in particular.
ties of the wood are especially valuable for an instrument’s
sound quality. Bösendorfer instruments have a significant-
ly higher percentage of resonating spruce compared to all
other piano manufacturers in the global market.
From purchasing the wood
T he Bösendorfer production facility in Wiener Neustadt is
equipped with a generous amount of wood storage space
that is stretched out over a surface area of roughly 4500 m2.
Purchasing wood occurs exclusively at the beginning of the
year, as sapped wood for Bösendorfer instruments is pro-
cessed in December and January without exception. Wood
from trees felled in the cold season best fulfills the high qua-
lity prerequisites demanded for parts of the instruments that
are relevant to their sound. A tree acclimates itself during this
season – that means it is not in a growth phase and exhibits
low humidity. Spruce, common beech, maple, hornbeam, lin-
den and alder woods are used for Bösendorfer pianos.

In the resonance case principle, the sub-frame and the rim of

the case are also definitively involved in sound production.

Resonating spruce

O ne of the prerequisites for successfully implementing

the resonance case concept is the selection and treat-
ment of the wood. What is significant here is the high pro-
portion of the resonating spruce which is employed. Care in
selection, storage, drying, screening, and finally the further
processing of the wood all influence the quality of the fini-
Purchasing wood occurs exclusively at the beginning of the
year, as sapped wood for Bösendorfer instruments is processed
in December and January without exception.

| 14
Especially careful drying of the wood in two phases rings can be achieved with this elaborate method.

R aw material is selected from our wood suppliers, with

whom we have worked closely for decades, according to
the strictest criteria. Qualitatively suitable logs are screened
To be continued …

Ferdinand Bräu
and marked on-site by our purchasing and wood processing Technical Director
specialists. The raw wood is then delivered as lumber during
the first months of the year. Before it can be used for ma-
king pianos, however, the lumbers first have to lie in the open
air. Having arrived at the wood storage yard, the planks, with
thicknesses varying between 20 and 80 mm, are stacked
with the aid of commensurate shims, such that optimal air
circulation is obtained for preserving and even conditioning.

Drying phase I – open-air drying

T he precise duration of open-air drying is determined by

various factors: It is not only the thickness that is decisi-
ve, it is also the type of wood. The following is a rough rule
of thumb: every centimeter of thickness requires one year of
drying time, which yields a storage period of between two
and five years at the lumberyard.
Tight and even tree rings are an important prerequisite to
optimal sound conductivity. Only wood with the best possib-
le properties is suitable for use in a Bösendorfer piano. For
soundboards and rib wood we use native spruces that are
grown at altitudes of over 800 m above sea level.

Drying phase II – storage in air-conditioned interior space

P rofessional extraction of the wood is followed, as menti-

oned, by careful storage. Apart from the up to five years
at the lumberyard, a subsequent storage period of four to
six months in an air-conditioned interior space is necessa-
ry in order to achieve the conditioning required for further
processing in the most protective manner possible. Given
correspondingly long storage periods in the open air, wood
humidity sinks to approximately 12 %. After the first cutting
work, the wood, now indoors, is once again stacked in order
to reach the desired target humidity of roughly 7 to 8 %. The
humidity of the wood is reduced correspondingly slowly and
protectively during this 15- to 24-week storage period at an As the soundboard is primarily responsible for amplifying the
even temperature of 27° C and a relative air humidity of 35 sound, an even and very tight tree ring structure, rectilinear
%. Shims are also used here to allow for air circulation. Wood growth, total freedom of branches and a so-called “riftsawn”
humidity can be controlled and monitored at regular inter- structure are absolute prerequisites.
vals by using a measuring sensor. Bösendorfer is the only pi-
ano manufacturer in the world that practices this especially
careful two-phase wood drying process and that entirely ab-
stains from the use of dry kilns in the conventional sense, in
favor of quality.

Strict quality criteria

T he soundboard planks and the rib posts naturally deserve

special attention. For this reason, only the best resona-
ting wood is drawn on for these components. The exceptio-
nally strict criteria for soundboard and rib wood are an even
and very tight tree ring structure, rectilinear growth, total
freedom of branches and a so-called “riftsawn” structure, i.e.,
one showing vertical grain. This can only be achieved by first The Bösendorfer production facility in Wiener Neustadt is
quartering the spruce logs and only then chopping them into equipped with a generous wood storage space that is spread
individual planks. Nearly exact vertical orientation of the tree out over a surface area of roughly 4500 m2.

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 B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria

S E R V I C E

Soundscape Experts
Bösendorfer’s Concert Technicians – Our Service Department

O ne of the prerequisites for achieving precise and the

best service are our technicians with their technical ad-
roitness, schooled ear and special understanding for musici-
ans’ desires and demands.
Passion for the Bösendorfer brand is a matter of course for
each of our technicians. Out of that passion arises the special
ability to extract both the subtleties as well as the piano’s
powerful attributes.
The specialist knowledge perfected by our technicians gives
our customers the security of knowing that their instrument
is in reliable and competent hands.
O ur technicians’ services especially manifest themselves
at the particular site and during concrete work on the
instrument. Technical versatility, a high degree of atmosphe-
ric flexibility and a sure instinct are indispensable properties
for Bösendorfer technicians, in order to demonstrate the
highest degree of professionalism:
• in concert halls
• in orchestra pits
• at musicians’ homes
• at universities and conservatories
• on open-air stages
• in studios, etc.
Below are a few interesting procedures:

Adjusting the drop screw

A mong the essential work is the adjustment and regulation of the action. Hundreds of individual parts of an action fall into
place to create a harmonic whole. The work requires considerable feeling (for key depth) and a good eye (beating, release
[Abfallen] and nutation [Abnicken]) to adjust these parts perfectly on top of one another. After all, the action is the gateway
between the pianist’s hand and sound production by the hammer striking the string. Thus, when a pianist touches the keys
and presses them, he or she feels the entire ideal combination of gravitation, inertia and inner muscular resilience. This is one
reason for dedicating a maximum of attention and precision to the mechanical concept and its regulation.

| 16
Attaching the dampers

J ust as winter must give way to spring, a note struck at any

given time needs to make room for the next. In order to
shape these natural processes of harmonic transfer from one
note to the next as inaudibly as possible, each instrument is
furnished with dampers. This device succeeds in repressing
the physically highly complex sonic structures of strings vi-
brating at varying strengths, thereby making possible the
desired succession and lengths of notes. The pianist is thus
given a valuable additional shaping element. Many treatises
on these damping possibilities in piano playing have alrea-
dy been written. The precision in adjusting the dampers is
accordingly important. The dampers perform a wonderful
counterpoint to the desired unfolding of sound, as the notes’
silence is necessary in order to prepare new sounds.

Voicing the hammers

V oicing is the crowning work following all preparatory

work. The instrument is given its decisive and characte-
ristic Bösendorfer sound by shaping the hammers. This work
may be compared to a sculptor’s shaping work. The sound is
shaped step by step via the technician’s imagination – in this
case, a tonal imagination. The work is developed by constant-
ly checking the sound of a few keys next to one another, for
as long as all notes fit one another precisely and conform to
the strings. A triumphant unity of notes tonally adjusted to
one another, one which allows the harmonic interplay in all
its facets of tone color and differentiation of bass, midrange
and treble registers to become an artistic foundation – that
is the goal of every voicing.

Temperature and air humidity

O ver 80 percent of a Bösendorfers consists, incidentally,

of the highest-quality spruce, which makes for optimal
transfer of sound. Despite the most careful selection and ye-
ars of drying in open-air storage, the wood remains a living
substance that reacts sensitively to significant changes, par-
ticularly those of temperature and air humidity. It is there-
fore very important to create stable storage conditions and
to monitor them regularly. Where you feel good, your instru-
ment also feels good. A constant temperature of approxima-
tely 20° Celsius and a relative air humidity of 50 to 55 percent Our services:
are ideal. Please bear in mind that it is not only the immedi-
ate environment, it is also the entire climate of the room in • Tuning
which the piano is located that is decisive; then successfully • Repairs
performed service activities such as tuning, regulating the • Appraisals
action and voicing will be long-lasting. • Rentals
• Service packages
Manfred Häfele
We offer all our services via a detailed and informative
cost estimate.

Contact the service department

Please contact us at:
Tel. +43 / (0)1 / 504 66 51-27 or by email:
bettina.gruber@boesendorfer.com

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 B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria

C E U S

CEUS – “On-the-Job Training”

In addition to the University of Music and the Performing Arts in Vienna, we were able to win
the Konservatorium Wien University (Vienna Conservatory) for a comprehensive test during
the course of CEUS’s “on-the-job training” tests.

P rof. Franz Zettl, chair of the keyboard instrument depart-

ment, gave us the following feedback: “In the fall of 2007,
the Bösendorfer piano company was so generous to make
available to us, the Konservatorium Wien University, a CEUS
computerized grand piano for teaching. I have to confess
that I was personally always convinced by this instrument
in connection with the computer for high-quality teaching
at a university. For comparison I wish to offer the following
example: Whenever I’ve improved something in a student’s
posture that affects the sound or technique, I’ve tried to cap-
ture these passages on video. This was enormously helpful
for awkward passages. Not that this or that student didn’t
believe what I improved, but the visual and of course aural
proof is considerably more valuable. This was the only possi-
bility 25 or so years ago.

N owadays, with CEUS it’s not only easier, it now occurs

one to one. It’s indeed possible that a student displays
astonishment if you criticize their interpretation, but in
many passages the improvement is confirmed. That is pre-
cisely what you need for teaching at the highest standard or
level. This holds for all students, and I can therefore not only
recommend this instrument to every high-ranking educatio-
nal institution, but financing its acquisition ought not to be
a problem from a commercial standpoint.
We know how many grand pianos are sold to a university.
Here, there’s a leading-edge instrument that only needs to
be acquired once, since you would use it when needed for Prof. Franz Zettl, head of the keyboard instrument department
all classes and only when you wish to show the student the at the Konservatorium Wien University, recommends the Bö-
passages positively or negatively.” sendorfer CEUS “to every high-ranking educational instituti-
on.”

H aving already been implemented this last year in recor-

ding studios, onstage and in radio stations, for us, the
practical test at leading universities was the logical next step
for further development. We’ll report on a high-tech solution
for networked teaching at two universities in our next edi-
tion.

Mario Aiwasian
Product Manager, CEUS & CEUSmaster

| 18
 AUDIO DIVISION

Bösendorfer Audio and Music in the

Grand Hotel Vienna
The new presentation idea for the high art of state-of-the-art music reproduction.
Audio bei der Oper (Audio near the Opera), the elegant audio shop in the Ringstrasse Galleries,
presented the latest sound recordings and high-definition music films on Sunday, February 24,
at the Grand Hotel Vienna (Salon Galerie), together with Bösendorfer Audio.

T he well-known music presenter and audio expert Dr.

Ludwig Flich (Klangbilder, Musik-Matineen), serving as
moderator, once again guided guests through an exclusive
musical afternoon.
The combination of state-of-the-art electronics with traditi-
onally recognized craftsmanship was also reflected in Musik
im Grand Hotel. High-definition music films and the latest
audio recordings were demonstrated with premium global
brands such as Bösendorfer Audio, Musical Fidelity, JJ electro-
nic and Sharp.
The many visitors were able to hear for themselves the uni-
que sound of the Bösendorfer Vienna Classic 2 loudspeakers.
The most diverse music examples were presented by Dr.
Flich, from Oscar Peterson’s contrabass to the Bösendorfer
speakers’ right to the “Queen of the Night.” One had the fee-
ling of being live in the concert hall or in the recording studio.
This special atmosphere is created by Bösendorfer speakers,
based on the acoustic-active principle (by Austrian acoustic
researcher Hans Deutsch), which sets a new standard for fi-
delity. This principle involves the interaction of state-of-the-
art technology in recording and amplifier construction with
Bösendorfer speakers, which made for realistic sonic experi-
ences.
F rom Beethoven’s String Quartet, Op. 18, No. 4, to Jazz at
the Pawnshop (Lady be good-propius/FIM 12/1976), to the
first New Year’s Concert in 1979 (Strauss’s “Tick-Tack” Polka),
via bloopers on CD recordings (subway rumbling audible in
the studio and the like), to music in high-definition video
(Mozart’s Magic Flute – BBC – Blu-ray, etc.), all the way to the
sound of the Viennese Bösendorfer grand (Beethoven Piano
Concerto No. 1, third movement), the audience indulged itself
in audiophile milestones.
On this Sunday afternoon, Ludwig Flich presented a “pre-
premiere” of the young star pianist Matthias Soucek and his
latest Beethoven sonatas recording. A special highlight of a
varied program!
The audiophile requirements that hearing is like discovering
and that wonderful music requires commensurate reproduc-
tion were, from the audience’s perspective, entirely fulfilled
on this Sunday afternoon in the venerable Grand Hotel in
Vienna.
If you wish to be invited to the next presentation in the Mu-
sik im Grand Hotel series by Audio bei der Oper and Bösen-
dorfer Audio, you can find complete information at:
www.audio-bei-der-oper.com Dieter Autengruber

The Grand Hotel Vienna

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 B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria

C o n t a c t

At your service – for 180 years

You can find all relevant information about the history of the Bösendorfer company, our pro-
ducts, our presentations, services … at our website: www.boesendorfer.com.
Or contact us directly with your request – we’ll be happy to welcome you!

CEO – Yoshichika Sakai Bösendorfer Hall, Artist Services – Stefan Radschiner

yoshichika.sakai@boesendorfer.com stefan.radschiner@boesendorfer.com
Tel. +43 / (0)1 / 504 66 51-31, Fax extension 39 Tel. +43 / (0)1 / 504 66 51-44, Fax extension 39
Sales Director Worldwide – Andreas Kaufmann Artist Services – Dr. Michael Nießen
andreas.kaufmann@boesendorfer.com michael.niessen@boesendorfer.com
Tel. +43 / (0)1 / 505 35 18-38, Fax +43 / (0)1 / 504 66 51-39 Tel. +43 / (0)1 / 504 66 51-46, Fax extension 39
Sales Manager Asia – Simon Oss Service Department – Bettina Gruber
simon.oss@boesendorfer.com bettina.gruber@boesendorfer.com
Tel. +43 / (0)1 / 505 35 18-43, Fax +43 / (0)1 / 505 29 48-143 Tel. +43 / (0)1 / 504 66 51-27, Fax +43 (0)1 / 505 29 48-127
Sales Director Europe – Harald Kinsky Bösendorfer Audio – Dr. Rupert Löschnauer
harald.kinsky@boesendorfer.com rupert.loeschnauer@boesendorfer.com
Tel. +43 / (0)1 / 505 35 18-29, Fax +43 / (0)1 / 504 66 51-39 Tel. +43 / (0)1 / 504 66 51-34, Fax +43 (0)1 / 505 29 48-134
Territory Manager USA West – Ray Chandler SENDER: L. Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH · Bösendorferstr. 12 · A-1010 Vienna, Austria
ray.chandler@bosendorfer.com Postage paid · Publisher’s post office: A 1010 Vienna
Tel. 208 863 26 88
Territory Manager USA East – Eric Johnson
eric.johnson@bosendorfer.com
Tel. 203 520 9064
Bösendorfer Downtown – Agnes Domfeh
Canovagasse 4 · A 1010 Vienna · Austria
agnes.domfeh@boesendorfer.com
Tel. +43 / (0)1 / 505 35 18, Fax extension 20
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