Most people who have any familiarity with pianos will have heard the name Bösendorfer spoken with respect and reverence. Considered alongside Steinway, Bluthner and Bechstein to be amongst the best piano manufacturers, Bösendorfer have been building the highest quality Grand and upright pianos in Austria since 1828. Made in comparatively small numbers it is a rare opportunity to come across a pre owned 130 CL so I was very happy to have the chance to put this Bösendorfer upright piano through its paces in the showroom this morning.
According to the Bösendorfer website this pianos sounds like a grand piano, it certainly plays like one, with the longer key sticks that provide a very responsive action. As to whether it sounds like a grand piano I’m just not convinced that is the best way to convey the appeal of this upright. In my opinion to say it’s just as good as a grand piano somehow seems to be doing a disservice by distracting from the unique character of this distinctive upright piano. It is probably more accurate to say that this piano is able to provide the classic Bösendorfer piano tone and sound in an upright format. Recognised for the pureness and sweetness of its tone Bösendorfer have long been favoured by pianists in the know. Handcrafted in Austria using only the finest materials and most exacting methods, these pianos may not come cheap but then they are built to last. The level of craftsmanship that goes into each piano ensures that they will bring lasting enjoyment to anyone lucky enough to be in a position to purchase a Bösendorfer.
This is a rare opportunity as we do not come by pre owned upright Bosendorfers very regularly, it is well worth a visit to the showroom to try for yourself and experience that beautiful crystal clear Bösendorfer tone. I will leave the last words of this review to Larry Fine (author of The Piano Book) who has this to say about Bösendorfer;
‘the opinions of the technicians involved were unanimously favourable. They consider the Bosendorfer Grand to be one of the finest pianos in the world. Perhaps the world’s most expensive piano inch for inch, the Bosendorfer Grands make an eloquent case for their prices, arriving from the factory needing little work but tuning and very minor regulation and voicing. As one technician said, “they come in from the factory astoundingly good. Literally, it’s been difficult to find much else to do than tune them” Distinctive in both appearance and sound, Bosendorfers are a joy for pianists to play and technicians to service’