There is a problem representing a maker while blogging. It means that I have to be rather circumspect both in regards to Bosendorfer and in regards to competitors. This is an insanely small industry and one tends to hear all kinds of rumblings. The rumblings that actually turn out to be true and of significance […]
The piano world
Nice piano!
I’m in Charleston SC right now (really great city!) and just heard Valentina Lisitsa play the Tchaikovsky 1 with the Warsaw Philharmonic. Valentina is a big Bosendorfer fan, and the feeling is mutual. But our bank of concert pianos can’t completely keep up with the vast range of her performances, and we don’t have a […]
Bluthner 3
And the 3rd unique feature, in my opinion, is the 4th unison string in the treble. This string is raised above the level of the other 3, so the hammer does not strike it. It’s purpose is to vibrate sympathetically, contributing to the unique Bluthner tone. It even has it’s own little damper.
Wait, Andreas…let me explain!
Why am I such a Bosendorfer geek? In a nutshell, everything I know about high end pianos I learned from Bosendorfer. Seeing my first Imperial at the University of Wisconsin/Madison at the ripe age of 20 set me on my path. From then on, there was nothing so dramatic, spectacular and, well, downright sexy as […]
Bluthner 2
Bluthner was the only maker of the 3 that allowed me to take photos. As Christian said, one can take all the photos one wants, you still won’t be able to build a Bluthner, and he’s right. The factory is a familiar sight of individual craftspeople working on individual pianos, with a mixture of machines […]
First stop, Bluthner
Wednesday morning was a visit to Bluthner, where Christian Bluthner met us with his customary hospitality. This was the hardest day for my son, who had to endure a number of hours of piano related talk before getting on to the good part, but he was a trooper. […]