thanks for the pictures!
Does anyone know what the point of the extra keys on the bottom bass of the Bosendorfer is for? I'm sure this question has been asked many times...
Concert review Orchestra's gamble pays off The Reading Symphony Orchestra goes out on a limb Saturday night, devoting the entire evening to an almost unknown piano concerto. By Susan L. Peña Reading Eagle Correspondent <-- Removed SCRIPT section --><-- Removed SCRIPT section --> The Reading Symphony Orchestra, led by music director Sidney Rothstein, went out on a limb Saturday night, devoting an entire evening to an almost unknown, rarely heard piano concerto. It was something of a gamble, but the orchestra and guest soloist Marc-André Hamelin definitely came out winners at the Sovereign Performing Arts Center, galvanizing the audience with Ferruccio Busoni's ambitious, grand and difficult Piano Concerto in C Major, with Men's Chorus. Premiering in 1904 in Berlin with the German-Italian composer at the keyboard, the five-movement work is more like a symphony, or even a group of tone poems, incorporating the piano than a concerto and the addition of a men's chorus in the last movement, while echoing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, is unheard of in a concerto. Lasting more than an hour and demanding a huge orchestra and a pianist with vast technical skill, the concerto needs to stand on its own, and it's an appealing enough work to captivate listeners as long as it's performed well. Both Hamelin, who has performed the work a number of times and recorded it, and the RSO were more than capable of pulling it off. For this concert the RSO brought in an immense 11-foot Bosendorfer Imperial 290 piano, which in itself was worth hearing. One of the difficulties of performing the Busoni concerto is the fact that the orchestration is often so thick that the soloist can be drowned out by it; this was never a problem in Saturday's concert, since Hamelin has a monster technique to match the monster piano. As he sat imperturbably before the keyboard, tossing off one impossible feat after another, one couldn't help but marvel at the sheer stamina it took to get through this piece. But in addition to stamina, Hamelin displayed sensitivity and nuance while coaxing waves and veils and torrents of sound from the Bosendorfer. It was a heroic and poetic performance. Structurally, the concerto's opening, middle and final movements combine large gestures and architectural elements, evoking, respectively, a Greek temple, an Egyptian pyramid and a Babylonian edifice. The other two movements are highly energetic, especially the fourth, whose chief theme is a demonic tarantella. Joining the RSO for the final movement was the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia Men's Chorus, directed by Alan Harler, singing a hymn to Allah with text by the Danish poet Adam Oehlenschlager. While the chorus was offstage, the acoustic balance was as perfect as if they had been standing by the piano.
As far as I know, Hamelin plays exclusively on Boesendorfers. Not because he has an exclusive contract, but because he prefers them over other brands. There are a couple of Boesendorfers in the US that get shipped wherever Hamelin performs. Not many pianists enjoy such service. Of course, the next step up is to travel with your private piano.
How far do you know? Correct me if I am wrong, but Hamelin has an Estonia piano, right?His recordings of the Godowsky Studies and of the Godowsky Sonata were recorded on the Steinway piano, right? Do you know whether any of his other recordings are on a Bose?
I thought the review from the concert might be appreciated:
Yep!
I can get it cheap now, because it is used?
You know, Chris, nobody wants a piano all mucked up from a concert like this. If you dig through the trash tonight behind our store, you might find the Imperial.
Dear X,Hamelin is a personal friend of mine as well as a customer. I can tell you that he does not contract with any piano manufacturer, but uses either what is there (more than not, I understand) or uses what is best for what he is playing. Frankly, there are only a few pianos that can hold up to the Busoni's dense orchestration. Bosendorfer isone of them. The piano was requested a year before the concert.
quote author=CJ Quinn link=topic=7262.msg73968#msg73968 date=1110544578]This one is the special 11 foot model too! Must have been an Estonia dealer who gave the details to the press... "It sounds bigger than it actually is."
I had a tape measure to one yesterday, that's how I know for sure...(Jon-NYC and I went up to Bosie NY. Another boring lunch hour )
I hope you didn't have that tape measurer in your pocket, CJQ. The heat from your pocket would have shrunk the tape. Then that 11 foot piano would have measured less........ maybe as small as 9'6". (The marketing guy made a mistake. The reviewer just did not double check)
CJQ, you probably are just more discerning than those who prefer the larger piano.
I second CJQ's opinion. I have played both the Bosendorfer 290 and 280 and liked the 280 better.
Topic: bosendorfer imperial 290 