GREAT VIDEO. Every pianist should play the Bösendorfer Imperial Concert Grand at least once in their lifetime. I did and certainly never forgot the experience. You can play powerful sounds or the most delicate sounds, and the balance, the action, and the response of the keys practically play themselves... you almost only have to think the notes and the piano responds to our every touch. This piano is in a cloud well above the highest class of pianos. Although anyone may play it, it should be owned and relished by serious musicians who can truly appreciate the genius of the both craftsmanship and the technology that this instrument has to offer. This piano simply BEGS to be played often and will NOT disappoint you.
I agree, but I think it's been bettered by the new 280VC. It's not as big as the Imperial, or have as much resonance in the bass, but it has an even more controlled projection of sound.
This piano has the best bass String I’ve ever seen, they’re huge and the winding runs all the way from the agraffe to the bridge pin! Best string line ever
The sound quality of this Imperial video is so much better than your previous Imperial video. Thank you for that. Yes, the piano sounds fantastic. Cecil Taylor, the avant-garde jazz pianist that died April 5, 2018, also often played this instrument. I saw Andras Schiff play the 280VC, smaller and with 88 keys, play just a few days ago (April 5) and it also has a Viennese sound with a different projection. This Imperial's voices are separated in the ranges, so Bach, Mozart and Hadyn work quite well. Yet the bass can boom and it can sound big and percussive, that's why an avant-garde power pianist like Cecil Taylor also like it. I noticed the bass to tenor break is different on this piano, not as big as most, and also the Capo d'astro is the usual thick, movable type you find on Bosendorfer. Plus, this piano has a very unique looking iron plate that locates its strings.
What a delicious, rich, sonorous, _colorful_ tone -in every register. And if the action is typical of Bösendorfers, the only thing this piano lacks is that _sostenuto_ pedal. (I think it might have been fun for the company to add a fourth pedal -one that suspends the dampers in just the bottom octave.) These are like Stradivaris. What an acquisition! Does this one have a name? I know you'll find him a good home.
In case anyone is wondering, there do actually exist pianos with more keys than this, made by Stuart & Sons and Stephen Paulello, which, in addition to the extra bass notes, have extra treble notes as well. I really loved the tone of this piano as I heard from my headphones. I definitely wish I had the money and space for one like this. The price you are asking seems like you are practically giving it away for free, given how often I see inferior pianos being sold at over twice that (and, obviously, the fact that Imperials are usually even more expensive still), yet I still need to make a lot more money to afford such a thing, which is a shame.
th-cam.com/video/3pI2w46vqoI/w-d-xo.html From last year, so Robert is indeed aware of the Aussie Stuart & Sons label. He also addresses them in a comment farther down the thread....
Stuart and Sons make nice-sounding pianos. But I've never heard the actual instrument. They are so rare in the United States. But from videos, I think the higher notes have no resonance and sound toyish and the lower notes barely have a pitch and sound like vibrations. Having more and more notes doesn't really add much to pianos. Bosendorfer even says that the lower notes on the Imperial are for sympathetic resonance more than for actual playing of them.
If this be a crass commercial sales pitch, then all I can say is . . . . . . please, PLEASE, *PITCH ON!!!* That was sublime - thanks! BTW, I had the incredible fortune, a few years ago, to get to sit down at one of these (of much more recent vintage), owned by a friend/acquaintance. It was a reality-altering experience!! It made my own upright seem like a kid's toy piano. There just aren't enough superlatives to describe the sound. Fred PS. One small correction. This isn't the piano with the most keys. It has only 97. The one in your own intro has 113. ;-o)
This is a very unusual sounding piano. Robert I always enjoyed your playing, but on this piano, it is incredible, in some of the passages some of the note sound plucked, just incredible. Thank you as always, I would write the check to day, but, maybe soon. Namaste
Why does the brass metal pase in the piano have to be so big? How does it affect the sound? Because there is like 1 ft of metal not touching the strings
Until the late 1800s that's how all pianos were. The middle pedal was made popular by Steinway and American piano companies followed their lead but it took longer for European companies to follow suite. Many pianos still don't have them because they're kinda useless for most pieces anyway
I'll take two. :D absolutely drop dead gorgeous isn't she? and the extra keys.. it's like a beautiful woman with a well cut black dress on.. pure magic!
THE Jake360 You can afford it? And have space for it? I on the other hand hope to have space and money for a 7 foot grand piano one day. In the meantime I enjoy the sound of a German made Seiler upright piano in my apartment.
That would be 12•12 + 8 = 152 keys, not 128. And anyway, C₋₋₂ ≈ 4 Hz. That's no longer a tone; it's a thumping sound. Even C₀ , at the bottom of the Imperial Grand's keyboard, at ≈ 16 Hz, is a bit below the nominal lowest perceptible pitch (20 Hz). And the top of the human hearing range, nominally 20 kHz, is around E₁₀ . G₁₀ is ≈24 kHz, which some ears can hear. But any note's richness depends on its perceptible overtones; and above the C₈ (≈ 4 kHz) at the top of present-day pianos, you're very much in the realm of diminishing returns on that front. A few extra notes up there could maybe be argued for; not a whole octave, though, and certainly not 2. Fred
The Bosendorfer doesn't have the most keys. Bosendorfer Imperial Grand has 97, Paulello has a piano with 102 and so does Stuart and Sons. 108 keys is coming soon with a range from C2 to B9. In fact, there is already a 97 keys piano in 1844. That is still when the sostenuto pedal isn't a thing.
sorry for not responding to your replies youtube for some apparent reason youtube didn't give me notifications and the reason i want this is because one: i like below audible frequencys. two: the piano rolls used in midi consist of 128 keys. C below bottom c through g above c above top c. which is what i was talking about and no i couldn't even afford a $300 out of tune upright piano with 128 keys .-.
I especially loved the last piece played on this piano and the rich darkness of its base notes. I have heard Steinway, Yamaha & Shigeru Kawai pianos which all sound beautiful. But the Bosendorfer is so much richer and melodic. It is definitely my preference.
As a professional pop & jazz pianist, those extra bass notes are great to have. I play a lot in Ab and the lowest Ab on the standard piano leaves the sound wanting - especially on that last chord. A 92 key model that goes down to F would be the cats pajamas.
Twisted World Incorrect pronunciation is like nails on a chalkboard. It's like people who pronounce Iraq as "EYE-RACK" instead of the correct "ee-ROCK"
Piano with the Most Keys? What about the Austrailian Stuart & Son... 102 keys + 108 keys There are at least 3 in USA. Maybe you will get an invite to try one?
would have been interesting to listen to the exrta contra tones alone. Other pianos, like the mentioned Stuarts and Sons and the French Paulello have also extra discant tones... but all these extras are not really beautiful sound, hard to identify. I guess a piano tuner would not be amused to fight with the shrill tones after c8. A real nightmare for a tuner must be the quadruple string grand-piano by Förster 👹
5:25 that bass!! wow
I watch your videos not as potential buyer, but to listen to your playing! Thank you for your contributions to the piano and music world!
Wish I had the space and money for the Bosendorfer. Played on one many years ago and got chills and goosebumps
GREAT VIDEO. Every pianist should play the Bösendorfer Imperial Concert Grand at least once in their lifetime. I did and certainly never forgot the experience. You can play powerful sounds or the most delicate sounds, and the balance, the action, and the response of the keys practically play themselves... you almost only have to think the notes and the piano responds to our every touch. This piano is in a cloud well above the highest class of pianos. Although anyone may play it, it should be owned and relished by serious musicians who can truly appreciate the genius of the both craftsmanship and the technology that this instrument has to offer. This piano simply BEGS to be played often and will NOT disappoint you.
I agree, but I think it's been bettered by the new 280VC. It's not as big as the Imperial, or have as much resonance in the bass, but it has an even more controlled projection of sound.
And seriously rich
I saw harriette’s video about the piano from a few years ago, such a small world that you’d end up with it!
Incredible instrument. And amazing pianist. Thanks for sharing this.
This piano has the best bass String I’ve ever seen, they’re huge and the winding runs all the way from the agraffe to the bridge pin! Best string line ever
The sound quality of this Imperial video is so much better than your previous Imperial video. Thank you for that. Yes, the piano sounds fantastic. Cecil Taylor, the avant-garde jazz pianist that died April 5, 2018, also often played this instrument. I saw Andras Schiff play the 280VC, smaller and with 88 keys, play just a few days ago (April 5) and it also has a Viennese sound with a different projection. This Imperial's voices are separated in the ranges, so Bach, Mozart and Hadyn work quite well. Yet the bass can boom and it can sound big and percussive, that's why an avant-garde power pianist like Cecil Taylor also like it. I noticed the bass to tenor break is different on this piano, not as big as most, and also the Capo d'astro is the usual thick, movable type you find on Bosendorfer. Plus, this piano has a very unique looking iron plate that locates its strings.
Benjamin Smith This piano was formerly on the stage of the Vienna Concert-house
Beautiful piano, beautiful playing. Thank you Sir.
No middle pedal? So no sostenuto? (Note sustain) i don't care. I would sell my house and get one of these, maybe I can live underneath it.
It’s Because It Is Made In The 1960’s In Austria
What a delicious, rich, sonorous, _colorful_ tone -in every register. And if the action is typical of Bösendorfers, the only thing this piano lacks is that _sostenuto_ pedal. (I think it might have been fun for the company to add a fourth pedal -one that suspends the dampers in just the bottom octave.) These are like Stradivaris. What an acquisition! Does this one have a name? I know you'll find him a good home.
Perhaps the best piano of the world!
Put it up against the Bechstein EN-280 (nt the new D-280) any day.
They now make Pianos w/ 108 Keys the Big Beleura, it has a 9 Octave Range like a Pipe Organ from C0 to B8
In case anyone is wondering, there do actually exist pianos with more keys than this, made by Stuart & Sons and Stephen Paulello, which, in addition to the extra bass notes, have extra treble notes as well.
I really loved the tone of this piano as I heard from my headphones. I definitely wish I had the money and space for one like this. The price you are asking seems like you are practically giving it away for free, given how often I see inferior pianos being sold at over twice that (and, obviously, the fact that Imperials are usually even more expensive still), yet I still need to make a lot more money to afford such a thing, which is a shame.
th-cam.com/video/3pI2w46vqoI/w-d-xo.html
From last year, so Robert is indeed aware of the Aussie Stuart & Sons label. He also addresses them in a comment farther down the thread....
Stuart and Sons make nice-sounding pianos. But I've never heard the actual instrument. They are so rare in the United States. But from videos, I think the higher notes have no resonance and sound toyish and the lower notes barely have a pitch and sound like vibrations. Having more and more notes doesn't really add much to pianos. Bosendorfer even says that the lower notes on the Imperial are for sympathetic resonance more than for actual playing of them.
At the music fair in Frankfurt Germany I had the opportunity to play a Bösendorfer imperial concert grand. It was great!
Beautiful . . . piano and playing!
Very nice and nice playing too! It would be great to hear the last few bars of the Bach-Busoni Chaconne and hear the bottom-end open up! Thanks!
If this be a crass commercial sales pitch, then all I can say is . . .
. . . please, PLEASE, *PITCH ON!!!*
That was sublime - thanks!
BTW, I had the incredible fortune, a few years ago, to get to sit down at one of these (of much more recent vintage), owned by a friend/acquaintance. It was a reality-altering experience!!
It made my own upright seem like a kid's toy piano. There just aren't enough superlatives to describe the sound.
Fred
PS. One small correction. This isn't the piano with the most keys. It has only 97. The one in your own intro has 113. ;-o)
This is a very unusual sounding piano. Robert I always enjoyed your playing, but on this piano, it is incredible, in some of the passages some of the note sound plucked, just incredible. Thank you as always, I would write the check to day, but, maybe soon. Namaste
I like that quality of this piano. It's even more pronounced in the 280VC. Like the piano is part piano, part harp or harpsichord.
The lower keys certainly make the piano more resonant and darker sounding, which is a notable contrast to Steinway's overly bright sound.
Wow! What a clear and beautiful sound that piano creates. Sounded even better than the Steinway model D (through youtube of course). My dream piano!
Why does the brass metal pase in the piano have to be so big? How does it affect the sound? Because there is like 1 ft of metal not touching the strings
Why there are just two pedals?
Until the late 1800s that's how all pianos were. The middle pedal was made popular by Steinway and American piano companies followed their lead but it took longer for European companies to follow suite. Many pianos still don't have them because they're kinda useless for most pieces anyway
most pianist use demper and sof pedals
Bosendorfer doesn't want you playing Rach C#m prelude in a concert (so overplayed ugh jk)
@@sarahkraus8247 Haha you're right it's overplayed, but nonetheless not a bad piece haha. Thanks for bringing it up, this prelude was a nice listen^^
Beautiful piano!
Hi. What is the name of those pieces? I mean the organ transcriptions you talked about which the extra keys are needed to play
I'll take two. :D absolutely drop dead gorgeous isn't she? and the extra keys.. it's like a beautiful woman with a well cut black dress on.. pure magic!
What would Chopin say if he could hear his compositions played on this Bosendorfer. What would he sound like playing it?
Try the Stuart & Sons 108 Key Piano
i hope someone makes a 128 keys piano (C-2 through G10)
THE Jake360 You can afford it? And have space for it? I on the other hand hope to have space and money for a 7 foot grand piano one day. In the meantime I enjoy the sound of a German made Seiler upright piano in my apartment.
And by the way: I would no be able to hear the tones above A9 which is slightly above 14kHz . It would be too high pitched.
That would be 12•12 + 8 = 152 keys, not 128. And anyway, C₋₋₂ ≈ 4 Hz. That's no longer a tone; it's a thumping sound.
Even C₀ , at the bottom of the Imperial Grand's keyboard, at ≈ 16 Hz, is a bit below the nominal lowest perceptible pitch (20 Hz).
And the top of the human hearing range, nominally 20 kHz, is around E₁₀ . G₁₀ is ≈24 kHz, which some ears can hear. But any note's richness depends on its perceptible overtones; and above the C₈ (≈ 4 kHz) at the top of present-day pianos, you're very much in the realm of diminishing returns on that front. A few extra notes up there could maybe be argued for; not a whole octave, though, and certainly not 2.
Fred
The Bosendorfer doesn't have the most keys. Bosendorfer Imperial Grand has 97, Paulello has a piano with 102 and so does Stuart and Sons. 108 keys is coming soon with a range from C2 to B9. In fact, there is already a 97 keys piano in 1844. That is still when the sostenuto pedal isn't a thing.
sorry for not responding to your replies
youtube for some apparent reason youtube didn't give me notifications
and the reason i want this is because one: i like below audible frequencys. two: the piano rolls used in midi consist of 128 keys. C below bottom c through g above c above top c. which is what i was talking about
and no i couldn't even afford a $300 out of tune upright piano with 128 keys .-.
LivingPianosVideos It's an 8 Octave Piano.
2:27 Only two pedals! I'm wondering what the left pedal does?
Fuck Google una chorda
Perché solo 2 pedali? E perché i tasti in più sono bianchi e non neri?
lovely sound
I especially loved the last piece played on this piano and the rich darkness of its base notes. I have heard Steinway, Yamaha & Shigeru Kawai pianos which all sound beautiful. But the Bosendorfer is so much richer and melodic. It is definitely my preference.
I've always wondered: whats the nob for thats in the curve of the rim ?
tuklplubl when you turn it while the lid is down it locks the lid into position
I wonder why there is no sustenuto pedal on such a grand instrument?
The sustenuto pedal took awhile to catch on in Europe.
I think a piano like this was on the movie "grand piano"
As a professional pop & jazz pianist, those extra bass notes are great to have. I play a lot in Ab and the lowest Ab on the standard piano leaves the sound wanting - especially on that last chord. A 92 key model that goes down to F would be the cats pajamas.
the bosendorfer 225, 275, and the 213 all go down to F
Oscar Peterson had 2 and now Arturo Sandoval has 2
What about Stuart and Sons? 102 keys
I guess the obscurity of the Stuart pianos in America makes them relatively difficult to access.
He was demonstrating sound not number of keys
No sostenuto pedal?
Please, it's Bösendorfer, not Busendorfer (since Busen means breasts in German)
That's the equivalent of naming a brand "brestdorfer" in English and expect everyone to get it right.
Twisted World Incorrect pronunciation is like nails on a chalkboard.
It's like people who pronounce Iraq as "EYE-RACK" instead of the correct "ee-ROCK"
what does dorfer mean?
th-cam.com/video/yyZa_jfetXc/w-d-xo.html
The umlaut over the o gives it an oo sound. Your spelling analogy ignores the linguistics involved....
Twisted World oh come on,thats just disrespectful to the company
6:30 Ferruccio Busoni
Why the cover on the extra keys? :-(
Because of the fact that most pianists aren't used to 97 keys and all those extra keys can confuse them.
Stuart & sons piano concert grand has 108 keys.
Piano with the Most Keys?
What about the Austrailian Stuart & Son... 102 keys + 108 keys
There are at least 3 in USA. Maybe you will get an invite to try one?
I’m just here to listen to you play good sir
I want to have this grand piano to just play do re mi
It only has two pedal's!
Err... built in 1963 and has just 2 pedals!!? What!? I'm more than confused by this luxary intrument.
World's Most Expensive Piano!
Until It Was Surprassed By The Yamaha CFX
Bösendorfer Pianos Are A Perfect Choice For Vienna Sausage Eating Pianist
Who else wants to play a 128-keyed piano
earthquake 7:06
Lovely majestic piano, but... (sorry, guys) no sostenuto pedal... aww...
would have been interesting to listen to the exrta contra tones alone.
Other pianos, like the mentioned Stuarts and Sons and the French Paulello have also extra discant tones... but all these extras are not really beautiful sound, hard to identify. I guess a piano tuner would not be amused to fight with the shrill tones after c8.
A real nightmare for a tuner must be the quadruple string grand-piano by Förster 👹
To be honest, a real bargain at that price..!
in the 1970s an imperial cost about 30k
Don't care for it at all... has that nasty "European" sound to it.. Give me a Mason and Hamlin any day of the week!