Bösendorfer

This is an amazing piano, made by one of the most respected and trustworthy piano manufacturers in the world. The process that it takes for one to be made is a legend in and of itself. The same family has made these pianos in Austria for about 180 years. Each piano takes about five years to make and is meticulously crafted. It was a rare pleasure for me to be able to play this piano, as a host whose house I spent a weekend in had one. Before touching it, I saw that the bottom end of the keyboard extended to F, which was cool, as I was used to the normal ending point of C. The first thing I noticed after I started playing it was the immaculate feel of the keyboard, the comfort and response. It felt as though there wasn't anything getting in the way of me playing the piano and the sound emerging from it. Speaking of the sound, it was interesting in that it felt absolutely enormous yet wasn't so overpowering as to greatly disturb the other houseguests. One of the great things about this piano is the smoothness and sweetness that it contains; each note played, regardless of how loud or soft, high or low, comes out smoothly and accessibly. The dynamics can go from pianissimo to fortissimo easily, and without a drastic change in tonal quality. Single-note runs, heavily accented chords, everything sounds great on this piano. That makes this piano ideal for classical pianists primarily, as a jazz pianist would probably need something with a bit more of an edge and a harder timbre. This piano is insanely expensive, so I'd have to say that this is probably a lifetime investment for most players. However, there are many pianists worldwide who would agree that it'd be worth it.

The Bosendorfer 290 Imperial is a phenomenal instrument. Bosendorfer are arguably the most well-known piano manufacturer in the world, and it's not hard to see why. The version that I've played most is a 290 model that has been refurbished considerably, so it's a little more worn in than some of the newer models, but it's still quite similar. The piano is great in that it sounds almost completely different depending on who is playing it. The studio I worked at had one as their main piano, and many a good jazz pianist has used the piano and loved it. Classical pianists also appreciated it very much, and that mutual appreciation is something I didn't think was very typical. The high end on it is bright and shimmering, without being too shrill. I have heard some pretty dynamic and abrasive players on this keyboard and it has never once been too much low or high end. That being said, both the low and high end on the piano are stellar. Dynamically, this piano is incredible, as the response to pressure and touch for even a relatively inexperienced player such as myself range from barely-audible soft tones too deafeningly loud. That is arguably the defining feature of the instrument for me. I've played many a piano, before and since my time at the studio, and it's a shame that so few of them impress me anymore. Not being a very skilled player, I nonetheless know enough about the instrument itself to know quality when I hear it. Getting one of these in good shape is very much a good investment, as long as the piano is well-maintained. The only downside I can think of is that they are, in fact, rather delicate, and one wrong move can be disastrous. But as long as you don't move it too far, and keep it tuned regularly, it will serve you well. Highly recommended for studio owners who do live recordings of jazz and classical pieces.