Bösendorfer Magazine Nr. 7

BÖSENDORFER
The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
N0. 7 | 2012
Interview Paul Badura-Skoda
The Mind of Beethoven
The Imperial Grand
Postage paid | Publisher’s post office: 1010 Vienna
L. Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH, Bösendorferstraße 12, A-1010 Wien, mail@boesendorfer.com, www.boesendorfer.com | If undeliverable, please return to sender
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Director Okabe Receives Merit Award in
Gold of the Province of Vienna
Having been honoured with the Merit Award in Gold of the Province of Vienna, Yamaha Corporation Director and Managing Executive Officer Hiroo Okabe attended an award ceremony
held at Vienna City Hall, Austria, on May 30.
T
his award recognizes Mr. Okabe’s contribution to preserving and improving the Viennese Sound with the in-depth
understanding he has for Viennese culture and music. From
the early 1970s, at the request of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Yamaha Corporation assisted in the development of
special Viennese instruments, the manufacture and supply
of which continue to this day. Since 2008, Yamaha has participated in the management at L. Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik
GmbH and supported the handing down of traditional piano
manufacturing techniques. Mr. Okabe was deeply involved
in all these developments, as both an engineer and senior
executive. At the award ceremony, a congratulatory speech
by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra President Clemens Hellsberg was followed by Mr. Okabe expressing his appreciation:
“I would like to share this prestigious award with my elders
and betters as well as my colleagues.”
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n June 18, a press conference on Mr. Okabe’s receipt of
the award was held at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club
of Japan in Tokyo, which was attended by around 80 people,
including members of the Japanese and foreign media and
people connected with Bösendorfer and the ÖsterreichischJapanische Gesellschaft (Austria-Japan Society). In his presentation, Mr. Okabe touched on Yamaha’s attitude toward
craftsmanship and stated his determination to preserve the
traditional Viennese Sound in the years to come. After the
press conference, a mini-concert was held, and Yamaha Artist Chiharu Sudo gave a performance on a limited edition
Bösendorfer model that commemorates the 150th anniversary of the artist Gustav Klimt’s birth.
Photo: Harri Mannsberger
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B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
Vienna’s Executive City Councillor for Cultural Affairs and Science, Andreas Mailath-Pokorny, with Mr. Okabe at the award ceremony.
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E D I T O R I A L
Editorial
Dear Reader,
I
am now in my second year as
Managing Director of Bösendorfer. It has been a very busy time.
We have expanded our standard
range by the addition of a 155
grand piano and a new 120 upright. Both models have received
excellent reviews and increase the
choice for those seeking to experience our wonderful Bösendorfer
sound.
In addition to these models we introduced new limited edition models for those collectors amongst our customers, and
for those looking for a special cabinet design. 2011 saw the
Liszt anniversary model, 2012 the Klimt. 2013 (our 185th anniversary year) will see more exciting creations.
Q
uality is a journey not a destination and we continue
to focus on ensuring we make the best possible pianos.
Our 214 model has had a successful internal redesign that
has significantly opened up the mid treble area.
W
e continue to focus on expanding our markets and this
year we exhibited at the Shanghai music show for the
first time. Apart from Europe and North America we see increased activity in many other markets.
I
hope that you enjoy this issue – there are interviews with
two dramatically different Bösendorfer Artists – Paul Badura Skoda, the holder of the Bösendorfer ring, who enjoyed his
85th birthday performing on a Bösendorfer 290 in the Beijing
Forbidden City Concert Hall – and the German singer-songwriter, Konstantin Wecker.
T
here is a wide range of other articles we hope you find
interesting – for example one on Beethoven‘s mind by
American Peter Takacs (who recently recorded all 32 piano
sonatas on a Bösendorfer). There is also manufacturing information about our flagship 290 model and our new 120;
references from some important institutions, and various
news items from around the world about our activities and
successes.
Viel Freude,
Brian Kemble, MBE MA
Managing Director
Contents
Director Okabe Receives Merit Award in Gold ............................ 2
Editorial · Imprint .................................................................................... 3
1000 Concerts with Bösendorfer ..................................................... 4
The First Bösendorfer Festival in Thailand . .................................. 6
Art M Concerts ......................................................................................... 6
Valentina Lisitsa at the Royal Albert Hall ...................................... 7
New Concert Hall for the Vienna Boys’ Choir .............................. 7
Paul Badura-Skoda – Insights and Recollections . ...................... 8
The Mind of Beethoven ...................................................................... 10
Testimonials ............................................................................................. 12
Celebrating 40 Years of Porsche Design ....................................... 13
Tradition Meets the Future: Bösendorfer at Google . .............. 13
Factory: The Imperial Grand . ........................................................... 14
New Bösendorfer Model 120 ............................................................ 16
The World of Flower Artist Shogo Kariyazaki ............................. 17
19th International Johannes Brahms Competition .................. 18
In Conversation with Maestro Zubin Mehta ............................. 18
Celebrating 25 Years of the
Salzkammergut Festwochen Gmunden ..................................... 19
Attersee Klassik 2012 ........................................................................... 19
Imprint · Editor, media proprietor, publisher: L. Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH, Bösendorferstraße 12, A-1010 Vienna, Tel. 01.504.66.51-0 · Design and layout: FineStudios e. U., Wien. Produced
and printed in Austria. Distribution: self-distribution to Bösendorfer friends and interested parties. Editorial office address: L. Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH, Attn.: Monika Frank, Gymelsdorfergasse 42, A-2700 Wr. Neustadt. Senior editor: Monika Frank, Simon Oss. Authors: Marion Alexander, Ferdinand Bräu, Kwang Rae Cho, Corporate Communication Div. Yamaha Corp., AnneSophie Desrez, Prof. Martin Hughes, Brian Kemble, Mitsuyoshi Kimura, Dominique Meyer, Simon Oss, Pressezentrum Porsche Museum, Prof. Michael Schäfer, Daniela Seeber, Yoshi Suzuki,
Pimwadee Wakama, Markus Walther. Photos: Archiv Hochschule für Musik u. Theater München, Archiv Mari Sato, Ufuk Arslan, Guan Changxin, Christoph Edtmayer/Arnold Schönberg Center,
Stephen Frak, Rudi Gigler/SalzkammergutFestwochen Gmunden, Mitsuyoshi Kimura, Metha Kosolsathit, Harri Mannsberger, Michael Maritsch, Martin Moravek, David M. Peters, Michael
Pöhn/Wr.Staatsoper, Jones Rosen, Peter von Seherr-Thoss, John Seyfried, Rupert Steiner, Yoshi Suzuki. Cover: David M. Peters. Translation: Albert Frantz. Primary direction and disclosure according to media law: Magazine for persons interested in music and friends of Bösendorfer in Austria. Errata and printing errors, etc., including price quotations, excepted. No liability is assumed
for unsolicited pictures and manuscripts submitted. Reprints permitted exclusively upon written consent of the publisher. All rights reserved. Contributions marked by name present the
author’s opinion, not always that of the publisher. No legal action will be countenanced for sweepstakes.
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B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
1000 Concerts with Bösendorfer
BÖSENDORFER: You’ve been well-known for many years – decades even – and famous for your grotesque innuendos and for
cheering people up through your songwriting art. What were
your greatest or most moving incidents in your life?
Konstantin Wecker: The concerts. What moves me the most
are of course the live concerts. Above all there was beauty. Of
course, the people I got to meet were also moving. I accompanied Harry Belafonte, toured with Mercedes Sosa and Joan
Baez, and played with Mikis Theodorakis. There were simply
a few tremendous musicians and authors whom I had the
privilege to get to know. I once summed it up in a book, Meine rebellischen Freunde (My Rebellious Friends). These people
also reassured me time and again anytime I thought I had
had it with rebellion, that I don’t like it anymore (laughing).
BÖSENDORFER: What role does the piano play for you as a
singer-songwriter and composer?
Konstantin Wecker: That is very interesting, because the piano is my instrument after all. I began playing the piano at the
age of five and studied with Gitti Pirner at the Munich Academy of Music (Musikhochschule München) – up to age 19. I
had written songs and poems, composed an awful lot, and as
a child had already set the Eichendorff texts to music in the
style of Schubert and Schumann. I then got the idea to sing
my own songs. At first I played them on the guitar, which was
idiotic because I can’t really play guitar well, but I thought
that’s how it had to be. And then I heard Georg Kreisler! The
thought then came to me: Why am I so stupid, and why not
do this on the piano? I was thus the first singer-songwriter
in Germany who sang and set words to music at the piano
and not the guitar. For me, the piano is a life partner. While
composing – I’m not among those composers who compose
purely from their mind – I have to get inspired from playing
the piano, even for film music and such things as musicals
and theatre music. I’ve done a lot of other things besides just
writing my own songs.
BÖSENDORFER: You’re always seen travelling with your Bösendorfer grand piano. What do you like so much about this
instrument?
Konstantin Wecker: Since I’ve been with Bösendorfer, I’ve
reached the absolute top league. I love the instrument; I’m truly an avowed Bösendorfer fan. I’m crazy about the instrument.
It has a form of life all its own, a certain softness or lyricism
that other pianos don’t have. And getting to select my Bösendorfer was great. Meanwhile, I may well be the Bösendorfer
Artist who has given the most concerts on a Bösendorfer
grand. I once did the maths: For about fifteen years, I’ve performed about 80 concerts a year with my Bösendorfer, which
comes to roughly 1000 concerts with Bösendorfer. We can call
that a jubilee. Somebody ought to imitate me (laughing).
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© Bayr. Rundfunk / Ralf Wilschewski
The singer-songwriter, composer, actor, and author, Konstantin Wecker, found time during his
concert tour “Wut und Zärtlichkeit” (“Rage and Tenderness”) for an interview with Markus
Walther.
The singer-songwriter Konstantin Wecker – an avowed Bösendorfer fan.
BÖSENDORFER: You once mentioned that you write your songs
in a Brahmsian or Schubertian style. What do you mean by that?
Konstantin Wecker: No, that may have come across wrong.
When composing, I orientate myself rather towards the
classical lied, to Brahms and Schubert. And in many songs I
perhaps have a proximity to Brahms; a musicologist also confirmed that for me. Yet I don’t compose like other songwriters
who have a melody and then write a song text to it. Some of
my colleagues come from the French school, such as Reinhard Mey – he comes from French chanson; Johannes Wader, like most, comes from American songwriting. Of these
colleagues, I’m the only one who comes from classical music
and Italian opera. This plays a major role, since my father was
an opera singer and as a boy I always sang with him. I still
have nearly all the female voices of Italian opera down pat
(laughing). That’s why I had a cello in the beginning; that was
very important to me and also unusual.... You have to imagine that in the ‘70s everything was minimalistic like Johannes Wader, who wanted to be so minimalistic that six strings
on the guitar were too many. He wanted to have only three
strings, not move, and not even address the audience; only
the content should count. It was an overly politicised era. And
then a guy like me, with an entirely different type of pathos
and music, approached people. That was already definitely
unusual back then.
BÖSENDORFER: You’re in the middle of your concert tour “Wut
und Zärtlichkeit.” You released this original album after a sixyear break. Why such a long time?
Konstantin Wecker: That’s a good question. Nothing significant occurred to me. For song texts, as much as playing and
composing music is a pleasurable activity, writing texts is
hard work. The texts have to permeate through me and also
surprise me. I often have to get away for a period, until I get
everything down; that’s a difficult struggle more often than
not. It’s different in the case of the music. You can give me a
phone book and I’ll set it to music. I’ve never had a problem
with that.
BÖSENDORFER: In your songs you address political and human
problems. Given so many problems, is there a meaning of life?
What is it for you?
Konstantin Wecker: Of course there’s a meaning of life, but I
won’t give it away even if you’re expecting it so eagerly. If this
meaning didn’t exist in some form... I’m not telling you because I can’t express it in words. In my opinion, for a reasonable and intelligent person, the ultimately important things
around which life revolves are where do we come from, where are we going, why are we here …?
The philosophical questions – these can’t be solved with
the aid of thinking anyway. These can only be experienced
via intuition, in mystical encounter, in mystery. As much as I
am an atheist as a person of reason, as a mystic I’m entirely
fraught with godliness. Hence, via non-thinking we experience something of the ultimate questions, but surely not via
thinking. As fascinating as this is and as much as we need
thinking.... I studied philosophy for a long time, which was
incredibly fun, but I had not experienced what I had hoped
for before I commenced my studies. Of course, you train your
mind wonderfully by studying philosophy. That’s already very
good.
BÖSENDORFER: This year, you received the “Reif & Bekloppt”
(“Mature & Crazy”) Prize from the Prix Pantheon Cabaret
Awards. What were your initial thoughts on it?
Konstantin Wecker: That they wanted to make a fool out of
me. Then I found out who’s already received this prize and I
thought, wow, that’s a real honour. It’s also a very good and
very honourable prize. You’re right: If like me you’ve been
onstage for forty years with that much maturity, if you’ve
sought to change the world for forty years and all of a sudden you notice that you can’t, you’ve got to be crazy. From
that perspective, it’s an important title.
Konstantin Wecker: My understanding of human dignity is
that you look after refugees so that they aren’t forced to live
like the poorest sods;that you stop with this Hartz IV rip-off.
By human dignity I also understand that you take these psychopaths who are currently letting our financial system go
south – and they can only be psychopaths, who speculate
with foodstuffs even though millions of people are starving
– that you simply forbid this from continuing. All of this is
very simply expressed, yet this monstrous injustice that is
looming right now, this has nothing more to do with human
dignity – although we’re still doing very well in Germany and
Austria. As I read yesterday in your newspaper, 78% of Austrians are happy and we’re also doing well in Germany. Yet in
this case thinking isn’t enough: What is the price and what
price do others pay? We have to start once again contemplating justice more.
BÖSENDORFER: You’re not only a songwriter, but also a composer, actor and author. What new things can we expect from
you in the future?
Konstantin Wecker: I hope to be able to be onstage for some
time to come and to hug my audience with lots of energy.
© Ufuk Arslan
BÖSENDORFER: In your songs you address current and critical
topics. What do you wish to accomplish by doing so?
Konstantin Wecker: Forty years ago, I showed up to change
the world with my songs; that is the goal of every singersongwriter. We love and live utopia, after all. But when I look
at the world today... I didn’t do it; It’s not my fault...
What moves Konstantin Wecker the most: live concerts
BÖSENDORFER: You sing “Human dignity is subject to financing.” Human dignity is inviolable, according to German law.
What is your understanding of human dignity?
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B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
The Month of Bösendorfer, the First
Bösendorfer Festival in Thailand
T
he Month of Bösendorfer, the first Bösendorfer Piano Festival in Thailand, was presented on June 9–30 to promote
the perfection of Bösendorfer pianos, as well as to invite the
audience to discover and appreciate the celebrated “Bösendorfer Sound” performed by pianists Dora Deliyska, Indhuon
Srikaranonda, Artas Balakauskas and Sek Thongsuwan. The
pianists were able to reveal and make more evident to the
audience the dynamic range, richness and variety of tone of
the instrument.
A limited edition Klimt model has been played by the artists
and presented on the occasion of this festival. This limited
edition model was chosen in 2012 to introduce the first of
the Bösendorfer “Artist Series” pianos. It was dedicated to the
most famous Austria painter, and a founder of the Viennese
Secessionist movement, Gustav Klimt, as it is the 150th Anniversary of his birth.
The event in Thailand counted more than 1,000 guests,
among whom were Thailand‘s former prime minister Prem
Tinsulanonda, Joan A. Boer (Ambassador of the Kingdom of
the Netherlands), and Stephan Heisler (Minister-Counsellor
of the Ambassador of Austria). In our age of uniformity and
standardisation, the particular qualities of a phenomenon,
event or person become more and more valuable. Audience
and pianists enjoyed this unique festival in Thailand.
Art M Concerts
Fund raising concert series in Seoul
H
yundai Pharm, a Korean pharmaceutical company, holds
classical music concerts every month in art galleries to
mix music and art and to lower the barrier to classical music
for the general public. These concerts are also carried out as
fund raising activities as the entire proceeds collected from
these special concerts go to charities.
A special feature of the Art M concerts is that the famous
pianist and music commentator Kim Joo Young provides
commentary to help the general public with better understanding of classical music.
43 concerts have been held so far and a quickly increasing
community has been established out of the audience who
share their impressions about the concerts on social networks.
In addition Art M Concerts can be viewed online via a special
smart-phone application called “Classic Magazine” which
has been launched thanks to a cooperation between Hyundai Pharm and Art M Plus. It provides concert videos, photos
as well as editorials.
Bösendorfer Model 225: Unique sound with 92 keys at Art M
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Photo: Metha Kosolsathit
Dora Deliyska performing the famous “Bösendorfer Sound”
I n t e r n at i o n a l
Valentina Lisitsa at the Royal Albert Hall
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Imperial up brilliantly, and to hear Valentina perform in such
an iconic space – home of the Promenade Concerts – and to
feel the enthusiasm of the audience was a very special occasion for me.”
For Valentina herself the occasion was “as much a celebration as a concert, a gathering for friends old and new”. In
addition to all her thousands of YouTube viewers, many of
her most devoted fans had travelled from around the world
– from as far afield as Barbados and New Zealand – to attend
the concert in person.
Photo: Stephen Frak
alentina Lisitsa, the virtuoso Bösendorfer artist and
global Internet phenomenon (a staggering 44 million
hits makes her the most watched classical pianist in history),
made her much-anticipated solo recital debut before an enraptured audience at London’s 5,000-seater Royal Albert Hall
on Tuesday 19 June. She performed on a Bösendorfer 290 Imperial grand.
Streamed live on YouTube, her two-and-a-half-hour concert of mainly romantic repertoire from Chopin, Liszt and
Beethoven – chosen by her loyal fans themselves in an online
poll – received an incredible 74,329 views during its initial live
screening and subsequent extended availability as a YouTube
Video On Demand, while some 6,000 comments have been
posted on her YouTube channel to date.
Of the Royal Albert Hall performance Albert Hewitt wrote
in the UK’s Daily Telegraph “Lisitsa is a serious artist. She’d
chosen a hugely taxing programme.” Her playing “often engendered a huge emotional charge, as in Liszt’s arrangement
of Schubert’s “Erlkönig”. At the other end of the scale, the
middle movement of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” was
beautifully remote and poised, as if made from porcelain…”
Brian Kemble, Managing Director of Bösendorfer was in
the audience. “It was a truly dazzling performance. The renowned technician Gerd Finkenstein set the Bösendorfer
Valentina Lisitsa performing at the Royal Albert Hall, London
New Concert Hall for the
Vienna Boys’ Choir
Vienna’s new music and theatre venue makes its debut
connects, both in name and in its programmes, music and
theatre, tradition and experiment, great artists and up-andcoming artists. After the top-flight opening with a concert
by the Vienna Boys’ Choir and the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Franz Welser-Möst, MuTh is starting a colourful
and varied first season. A new musical centre has emerged at
a prominent place in Vienna.
Photo: Rupert Steiner
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n December 9, 2012, in the Vienna Augarten, “MuTh – Vienna’s new venue for music and theatre” – a new and
unique venue for Vienna, as well as the Vienna Boys’ Choir’s
first concert hall of their own – made its debut. With MuTh,
one of the oldest and most famous children’s choirs in the
world gets a permanent residence. “After about a hundred
years, a concert hall is built in Vienna once again. It will be a
venue for all the senses – with a fantastic acoustic, the best
lines of sight from every single seat, comfortable seating and
many extras,” said Elke Hesse, head of the new venue for music and theatre, which is located in the immediate vicinity of
the Vienna Boys’ Choir’s training centre.
T
he new venue for music and theatre is an ensemble made
from a Baroque basic structure and modern architecture.
With a capacity of 400 persons, the new concert hall forms
the heart of the building. The large, 12 x 9 metre stage is connected with an optimal orchestra pit. As an instrument, a
Bösendorfer Model 280 grand piano has a fixed place in the
new concert hall. The Vienna Boys’ Choir’s marvellous voices
are framed by the sound of this piano. However, the concert
hall is not only a rehearsal and performance venue for the
Vienna Boys’ Choir: MuTh considers itself to be a bridge and
Vienna’s new venue for music and theatre
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B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
Paul Badura-Skoda
Insights and Recollections
Paul Badura-Skoda, Bösendorfer Ring recipient, is one of today’s most important pianists, a
legendary artist who has performed in the world’s most significant concert halls as a soloist,
as well as with the most renowned orchestras and conductors. In addition to his continuing
concert activities, more than 200 LPs and dozens of CD recordings – among them the complete piano sonata cycles of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert – bear witness to his immense
musical achievements. In an interview with Simon Oss, Paul Badura-Skoda speaks about his
life as a pianist, Viennese music, as well as the piano from then and now.
BÖSENDORFER: This year you celebrated your 85th birthday
with a concert in the Forbidden City Concert Hall in China,
where in 1979 you were the first Western pianist to perform
after the Cultural Revolution. How did your pianistic career get
started?
Paul Badura-Skoda: I had my first piano lessons at the age of
six. However, my youthful ambition was actually to become
an engineer or scientist. During the war, when I was fifteen
or sixteen, I gradually recognized my calling as a pianist and
then in 1945 I attended the Konservatorium in Vienna. Parallel to my studies with Viola Thern, who was a kind of central
figure in my life, I also studied with a Viennese phenomenon,
Otto Schulhof – the classic Viennese pianist with a fabulously beautiful piano tone. That was a good complement. Viola
Thern was unbelievably analytical in her teaching and had
a fantastic knowledge of how to strike a key correctly. I have
her to thank for the fact that I have never in my life suffered
from the pianist’s affliction of tendonitis. By contrast, Schulhof was a concertizing artist who had travelled the world
and was above all a specialist in the Viennese waltz, the Viennese rubato and the Viennese piano sound – not to mention
an enthusiastic Bösendorfer player! I have him to thank for
a more free way of playing the piano, which later led me to
Edwin Fischer – a musician who gave me the impression that
Beethoven and Mozart must have played in exactly the same
way.
Fischer played regularly at the Salzburg Festival. I played
for him and he immediately said, “Yes, I’ll accept you for my
master class.” That was in 1948 and I was 21 years old. In the
meantime, I had graduated from the Konservatorium with
honours and was already a pianistic hopeful in Vienna. At
twenty I won first prize in the first Austrian piano competition after the war.
My second milestone arrived with the invention of the LP
record: A legendary company, Westminster, from the United
States, hired me as their main pianist.
And my third milestone was when I jumped in for Edwin Fischer, who had fallen ill, at the Salzburg Festival. I didn’t know
that Fischer had appraised me so highly and I was already
looking forward to the trio concert in Salzburg in August of
1950. One week prior to the concert, a telegram came from
Salzburg, saying that Fischer had fallen ill and they asked me
if I could jump in. I was surprised that anyone had thought
of me of all people, as I was just a young pianist. The programme was sent together with the telegram: Beethoven
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Trio in C minor, Op. 1, No. 3. No problem; it’s possible to learn
that in a week. Yet the programme also included a piano trio
by the Italian composer Ildebrando Pizzetti. Seemingly miraculously, I received the score to it from the Italian Cultural
Institute. I studied this work like a crazy person and proudly
came to Salzburg. There, I met Fischer’s long-time partner,
Enrico Mainardi, a wonderful cellist with a sound to die for,
a captivating personality not only at the instrument. When
he heard what I had prepared he was appalled: “But that’s
not our programme at all! We announced our programme
change already a year ago. We’re performing the Brahms
Trio!” What to do? I stood there crestfallen. Mainardi said,
“You’re talented. Learn the Brahms B major Trio, Op. 8. You
can do that in three days. I’ll teach you.” I thereby had excellent instruction from Mainardi. I learned a great deal and the
concert was a major success. That was the beginning of my
career.
At that time, audiences were starving for classical music.
That’s unimaginable today. In every country there were tremendous numbers of musical organisations that invited
pianists to play. At the age of 24–25, I made a huge tour of
Australia via the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and
afterwards tours of the USA and South America. These were
great experiences.
I have the destruction of the war to thank for the feeling for
music. Music had a mission, a constructive power, one that
gave people joy and the will to live, as well as a feeling for
what is important in life, what goes beyond everyday life.
With this feeling I also survived the crises that everybody of
course has.
BÖSENDORFER: How do you personally experience the changing image and the role of the pianist from the period before
the Second World War to today?
Paul Badura-Skoda: There was a very strong change. The relation of the pianist to the audience was marked by trust. As
Furtwängler formulated, it was a love affair: “Every concert
is a kind of declaration of love for the composer, the music,
as well as the listener.” This wave comes back to us; it’s one
of the most important of reciprocities. When we began our
careers, the majority of the audience was not yet force-fed by
the mass media. In order to hear a concert, you had to dress
up, and back then you had to go to the concert on foot.
And much more important was that there was serious musical instruction in every school, which was entirely directed to
classical music. We were taken to operas, what a Beethoven
symphony is was described to us, and we sang constantly.
Formerly, people played the great works (symphonies and
operas) for piano four-hands; that was quite a major culture
throughout the world because you couldn’t even hear these
works otherwise. The audience came full of curiosity.
Nowadays, you have to lure the audience with every possible
means. True, there’s still a core audience in the major cities,
but it’s very difficult above all for a young artist.
BÖSENDORFER: You’ve written numerous texts about the
works and the appreciation of great Viennese composers such
as Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. What constitutes Viennese classical music? Does it have an essence?
Paul Badura-Skoda: The word “classical” means the highest
level of accomplishment, the highest perfection. Just as we
speak of classics in literature, philosophy and the fine arts,
the term “classical” was quickly chosen for the great composers who were active in Vienna. Brought down to a common
denominator, it’s about the deepest content with the simplest of means. Within classical-era music, Mozart is a culmination. No composer could express so much and have so
much depth with so few notes.
It’s something unique in the entire history of culture; it took
centuries to reach this culmination.
BÖSENDORFER: What does the oft-quoted “Viennese sound”
mean to you?
Paul Badura-Skoda: There is indeed something that distinguishes Viennese music making. It is the mixture of a certain
mentality that was formed by our history and by the fact
that Vienna was the centre of a multinational state during
the monarchy. A certain balance of oppositions prevailed in
Vienna. What was so special about Viennese music making
was, as Mozart himself said, “Even when I depict something
ugly, the music still has to be beautiful.” This principle can be
found throughout all of the Viennese way of making music.
And of course the Viennese waltz and Johann Strauss, the
café culture, the literature, the incredible richness of dialogue, humour and sparkling spirit are all part of being Viennese.
BÖSENDORFER: You predominantly play the “modern” grand
piano yet are also famous as a pioneer in the use of historical instruments. What significance does this have for you as
a pianist?
Paul Badura-Skoda: In this regard I had a revelation: private
concerts by the unforgettable Isolde Ahlgrimm, who played
a Bach cycle for my friend Jörg Demus and me on her harpsichord. That was already quite a deep experience. But then,
two years later, she played Mozart’s piano works on an authentic Mozart piano over the course of several evenings, and
there you noticed that much that is problematic on the modern piano – primarily the preferred lower register of the piano in most compositions – sounds brighter and more transparent on the old instruments due to the thinner strings and
thinner soundboard. In principle, it’s the same music, only
with different timbres. In 1952 I noticed this for the first time
© Guan Changxin
Maestro Paul Badura-Skoda celebrates his 85th birthday with a
concert in the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing.
when I recorded a Mozart programme on the Anton Walter
grand of the Vienna Museum of Art History and simultaneously on a beautiful Bösendorfer grand.
For me, the art of playing Schubert or Mozart, for instance,
lies in the fact that it has to sound authentic on every piano.
Naturally, I learned from the knowledge of these instruments
to create a clear, transparent tone on modern instruments as
well, even in the lowest register. Conversely, in every composition there is something that goes beyond the instrument.
This is very important!
BÖSENDORFER: How do you feel about piano making today?
Paul Badura-Skoda: The modern piano has stood still for the
last 120 years. It reached a pinnacle that – like the violin 300
years ago – can hardly be surpassed acoustically. At the same
time, piano making during Mozart’s and Beethoven’s time,
and Schubert’s as well, was distinguished by incredible variety, the willingness to experiment, and different tonal characters. The modern piano is uniform in this sense. Bösendorfer
is one of the very few manufacturers of modern pianos that
has not followed this trend, but rather dared to this day to be
different in sound as well. At the same time it is just as versatile as all other instruments. What’s typical about Bösendorfer is the Viennese sound – a tone that is especially pleasing
to the ear and something that can’t be described in words.
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B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
The Mind of Beethoven
A Performer’s Perspective
O
ne of the lasting rewards of performing and recording
Ludwig van Beethoven’s thirty-two piano sonatas is the
privilege of getting to know the creator’s mind, of identifying
the ideas, values, and visions that were the catalysts for his
continued productivity in this form. The challenge is to identify these recurring patterns in their vast variety and over a
lifetime of artistic evolution.
I
have identified seven specific artistic aims and techniques
that are central to Beethoven’s creative process. The following list, while somewhat arbitrary, begins to provide a window into “the mind of Beethoven.”
Originality
(1) A desire to surprise, startle, and delight the listener.
Beethoven was wary of convention, and found myriad ways
of avoiding predictability by playing with expectations,
sometimes humorously, sometimes to startlingly innovative
effect, but never in a gratuitously shocking way. He accomplishes this goal by the originality of his themes, novel ways
of developing them, and creating structural surprises that
humorously or dramatically deny our Classical expectations.
Orchestration
(2) Instrumental colors and textures. In attempting an understanding of Beethoven’s piano writing, it is helpful to
become familiar with his entire output, especially the string
quartets and symphonies. The richly homogeneous texture
of the string quartet is often found in slow movements, as in
the Adagio molto of Op. 10/1. Tonality and texture sometimes
suggest woodwind writing, as in the opening of the late sonata Op. 110, or the horn duet opening the “Lebe wohl” sonata
Op. 81a. Many orchestral textures can be found in the piano
sonatas, evoking strings, winds, or timpani writing (as in the
repeated low C’s in the recapitulation of the “Appassionata”).
For performer and listener alike, these instrumental dimensions provide opportunities for an enhanced perception of
the composer’s imagination and of the piano’s coloristic capabilities.
Drama
(3) Operatic aspects. Beethoven was obsessed by the desire
to write operas, in which, as a moral idealist, he yearned to
embody his beliefs in theatrical form. One operatic element
that he uses in his piano sonatas is the recitative, a form of
sung speech found, most tellingly, in the “Tempest” Sonata,
Op. 31, no. 2. According to Beethoven’s pupil Carl Czerny, the
use of the pedal is supposed to create an echo effect “as if
coming from a cave,” a haunting and powerful image of
loneliness and abandonment.
Another dramatic effect with psychological overtones is
what I call the “stern/pleading duet,” a juxtaposition of implacable force with vulnerable humanity, of which the most
| 10
wrenching example is the Adagio of the Fourth Piano Concerto, in which the powerful orchestral string unison vies
with the quiet, pleading voice of the soloist. One example in
the piano sonatas is the ff bass and p treble exchange in the
Adagio of Op. 2/3 (mm. 26–36).
One operatic image that recurs in the piano sonatas is the
stark opening of the second act of Fidelio: a dark stage where
the prisoner languishes in despair. In piano music, darkness
can be represented by the low register, as in the pp start in
the Introduzione of the “Waldstein” sonata, Op. 53. To me, this
movement represents desolation, arriving at the final Allegretto as a symbol of rescue and hope.
Nature
(4) Nature as mystical inspiration. To Beethoven, nature represented a reflection of the divine. In one of his notebooks,
he wrote: “I am happy, blissful in the forest: every tree speaks
through you, O God! What splendor!” In the piano sonatas,
one can find its manifestation in many forms: benevolence
(“Pastorale” sonata, Op. 28), bliss (Adagio, “Tempest” sonata),
threat (opening of “Appassionata”), and storm (finale, “Moonlight” sonata, Op. 27/2). As in the “Pastoral” symphony, there
is a love of village life, a Romantic symbol of folk simplicity
and wisdom.
Illness and healing
(5) One of Beethoven’s most intimate friends, Antonie Brentano, wrote to her sister-in-law Bettina: “He visits me often,
almost daily, and then he plays spontaneously because he
has an urgent need to alleviate suffering, and he feels he is
able to do so with his heavenly sounds…”. There is no doubt
that the composer, who himself suffered from many physical
ailments, found musical ways to describe the ravages of disease followed by the renewal of strength and the blessings
of healing. The most powerful expression of this idea is in the
Molto adagio of his String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132, which
bears the inscription “Holy Song of Thanks by a Convalescent,
to the Divinity, in the Lydian Mode.”
A similar stream-of-consciousness scene of weakness and
regained strength is depicted in the finale of the Sonata in
A-flat major, Op. 110, which alternates an “arioso dolente”
(song of suffering), with a vast, restorative fugue followed by
a return of the arioso, this time marked perdendo le forze, dolente (losing strength, lamenting), after which the inversion
of the fugue is stated with detailed instructions: sempre una
corda (muted), poi a poi di nuovo vivente (gradually reviving).
The gradual return of strength is indicated later by removing
the mute (poi a poi tutte le corde), and by a speeding up of
the pace (poi a poi più moto), finally bringing the piece to a
close with a joyfully exhilarating restatement of the original
fugue subject, harmonized by excited accompanying figures.
In its vast stream-of-consciousness scenario, this is truly
Beethoven’s pianistic opera.
Improvisation
(6) Improvisation as compositional device. Beethoven was a
masterful improviser, as noted by numerous contemporary
witnesses. As he matured, he increasingly used improvisatory passages in his sonatas, making them part of the overall structure. This technique is best seen in the transition to
the finale of Op. 101, where the theme of the first movement
gradually becomes the inspiration for the fourth movement
by transforming three notes: E–C#–B. It is inspiring to be allowed, through this device, a glimpse into the creative thinking of the Master. As an example of this stream-of-consciousness compositional process, listen also to the introduction to
the final fugue in the “Hammerklavier” Sonata, as Beethoven
samples various Baroque forms (prelude, fantasia, toccata)
through a cycle of descending thirds, until he finally arrives
at his bold fugal subject.
Transcendence
(7) The search for transcendence. By his maturity, Beethoven
had traversed an immense journey in his development as a
composer, moving beyond the Classical traditions inherited
from his immortal predecessors, Haydn and Mozart. One of
the forms that allowed him to explore new territory was the
Classical composer’s bread and butter, the theme with variations. In the final movements of two of his last sonatas, Op.
109 in E major and Op. 111 in C minor, he explores all aspects
of musical expression, creating cumulative narratives of unprecedented power. In he finale of Op. 111 he begins his quest
for transcendence with a simple Arietta in C major, marked
Adagio molto semplice e cantabile. After many transformations, a sublime texture emerges: the theme in high register,
surrounded by trills above and murmuring triplets below,
creating a magical sense of heavenly glow. This is the Master
marking his farewell to the piano sonata with a statement of
resignation and ultimate peace.
Peter Takács, Pianist
© John Seyfried
Peter Takács
Hailed as “a marvelous pianist” by the New York Times,
Peter Takács has established himself as a distinguished
performer, teacher, and lecturer. Winner of the William Kapell International Competition, he has appeared in recital,
chamber music, and with orchestra in the United States,
Europe, and Asia.
He has given master classes throughout the world, and
has been an adjudicator in many prestigious international
competitions.
His recording of the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas
was released on the Cambria label in July 2011.
© Rosen-Jones Photography
Piano: Bösendorfer 290 Imperial, Opus 44786
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Testimonials
B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
232 Bösendorfer pianos at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
At present the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst
Wien has 232 Bösendorfer pianos. As far as I am aware, all
these are grand pianos. It is well known that Bösendorfer
pianos have an exceptionally clear and transparent sound,
which makes them the chosen instrument of many artists specialising in the classic repertoire of Haydn, Mozart,
Beethoven and Schubert. The Imperial Concert Grand has arguably the best bass of any piano available and is undoubtedly among the finest instruments manufactured today.
Our technicians insist on the purchase of Bösendorfer pianos
because of their longevity – a matter of no little importance
when planning for conversatories.
Prof. Martin Hughes
Director of Institute of Solo Keyboard Studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
Photo: Martin Moravek · Copyright: MDW
Three new Bösendorfer grand pianos for the Vienna State
Opera
The Vienna State Opera has very high demands on a piano
manufacturer: instruments of the highest quality and the
most careful maintenance of them. Over the years, we have
turned to Bösendorfer time and again and have been satisfied every time. The result: new instruments on reasonable
terms and exceptionally accommodating care, from the sales
contract to delivery, all the way to regular maintenance.
We thank Bösendorfer warmly and are happy to continue our
collaboration!
Dominique Meyer
Director, Vienna State Opera
Photo: Michael Pöhn · Copyright: Wiener Staatsoper
The new Bösendorfer Imperial grand piano for the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München (Munich Academy of
Music and Theatre)
I think that an academy of music such as the Hochschule
für Musik und Theater München, where the training of pianists has traditionally played a very important role, ought to
make a broad range of instruments available to its students.
Students need to have the possibility of trying out various
makes and their top products in concert. If we were to concentrate on only a single brand it would impoverish the music and piano world. On that note, I think that Bösendorfer
is making a very significant contribution to creating sounds
other than the mainstream sound.
Prof. Michael Schäfer
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Photo: Archiv Hochschule für Musik u. Theater München
miscellaneous
Celebrating 40 Years of Porsche Design
Special Exhibition in the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart
T
he world’s first black wristwatch, the legendary exclusive
glasses and the Porsche 911 – for decades, all of these
products have stood for the unique design language of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. In 1972, he founded the Porsche
Design Studio in Stuttgart, whose headquarters he moved to
Zell am See in Austria two years later. The Porsche Museum
is acknowledging the company’s 40th anniversary with a
special exhibition, where visitors can experience Porsche Design’s most important, interesting and exceptional products,
as well as the company’s history.
Photo: Peter von Seherr-Thoss
A
highlight of the special exhibition is the concert grand
piano that Porsche Design Studio designed for the
Bösendorfer piano company in 2003. This piano symbolically
represents all of the studio’s design works, which are distinguished by their clear, functional formal language, careful
selection of materials, as well as high-quality workmanship.
The piano combines exceptional design with the famous
Bösendorfer sound, which impressed the numerous guests
at the grand opening celebration, among them the entire
Porsche family.
Porsche Museum, Stuttgart
Tradition Meets the Future:
Bösendorfer at Google
Senior Vice President Andy Rubin and his love of modern technology, design and tradition.
T
he story began with a Disklavier grand piano in Google’s
IDEA Center. Months later, Andy Rubin, Senior Vice President of Google, was searching for a very special grand piano
for his wife and son. Bösendorfer’s partner in San Francisco,
Music Exchange, introduced him to the Bösendorfer grand
designed by Audi. Andy Rubin was instantly thrilled by it and
decided to purchase the piano.
After the instrument was delivered to his private residence,
some desired technical changes on the part of Andy Rubin
prompted Bösendorfer to arrange to deliver a substitute Audi
grand piano. In the meantime, the customer’s desires were
quickly implemented and Andy Rubin was so thrilled with the
service by our partner and by Bösendorfer that he also purchased the second Audi grand. This piano now inspires the
employees at Google’s corporate headquarters.
Photo: Yoshi Suzuki
W
hy did Andy Rubin buy two Bösendorfer grand pianos
designed by Audi? As an aficionado of both high performance automobiles and sophisticated contemporary design, the combination of piano building rich in tradition as
epitomized by Bösendorfer together with the design by Audi
particularly thrilled him.
From left to right: Andy Rubin (Senior Vice President, Google)
with Paul Starkey and Jim Fishback (Music Exchange) at Google’s headquarters.
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F A C T O R Y
B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
The Imperial Grand
The Bösendorfer model “Imperial” is a unique instrument in many ways. Apart from its imposing size, most apparent is of course the expanded compass of the keyboard. No other piano
offers a compass of fully eight octaves – normally only 7 1/4 octaves are available on a piano.
To avoid any difficulties in orientating oneself, the additional white keys are given a black key
cover. In place of the black key cover, older Imperial grands have a foldable cover that was designed as an expansion of the key block.
T
he Imperial is the 19th model that was designed and developed at Bösendorfer. With its length of 290 cm (9’6’’),
the grand piano may not be the longest piano ever built, but
with its width of 168 cm (5’6’’) it has a significantly larger
soundboard surface area and span width compared to any
other concert grand piano ever made.
T
he genesis of the Imperial grand can be split into two
significant stages. The first step was taken with the forerunner model number 14, which did not have a compass of
eight octaves, but whose external design and length of 290
cm largely corresponds to the dimensions of today’s Imperial.
The second step was initiated by the composer and pianist
Ferruccio Busoni, who approached Bösendorfer to build a
grand piano whose compass should extend to subcontra C in
the bass. At this time, Busoni was composing transcriptions
of Bach’s organ works, and in so doing he desired to have the
sound of the 32-foot pipes of the organ available directly on
the piano as well. Since people at Bösendorfer have always
liked to experiment and have been very open to new developments, this experiment was in fact investigated and implemented. The result was ultimately so convincing that the
piano went into series production starting around 1910 and
was personally introduced to the then-emperor Franz Joseph
by Ludwig Bösendorfer. To this day, the Imperial remains a
fixed and essential part of Bösendorfer’s range of products,
and since its introduction more than one hundred years ago
has been built without interruption and without any changes in significant areas.
F
rom a technical, constructional standpoint, there are several specific details that are significant. For example, the
lowest string, the subcontra C, vibrates with a frequency of
only sixteen Hertz, i.e. sixteen vibrations per second. It is actually possible to follow and observe this movement – an extremely slow one for a musical instrument’s vibrating string
– with the naked eye. Altogether, the Imperial has nine additional bass strings, whose collective tensile force amounts
to approximately 13,500 newtons, or, expressed differently,
loads the piano with more than one tonne of additional force.
T
he soundboard of the Imperial grand likewise presents
a special technical challenge, as the dimensions deviate
significantly from those of a “normal” grand piano, particularly in terms of width. Due to the soundboard’s large span
width, a special ribbing must be applied in order to both
guarantee the proportionate load bearing capacity of the
soundboard and simultaneously to make optimal vibrational
| 14
capability possible. For this purpose, the ribs are made such
that they exhibit a special curvature on the side facing the
soundboard, in order to guarantee the optimal balance between static load bearing capacity and high vibrational freedom. True, the principle of curved ribs is also used in all other
Bösendorfer models, yet specific demands – and custom dimensions and constructions as a result – apply to the Imperial in terms of the dimensioning of the rib cross sections and
radius of curvature.
A
lso imposing is the rim construction of the Imperial
model, with its numerous longitudinal beams and crossbeams, which together with the outer rim and cast iron
frame form an extremely stable structure to withstand the
enormous string tensile force. The design of the cast iron
frame is likewise special and very easily recognisable via the
extensions on its outside. This specific design is necessary
to reduce the weight of the frame, given its dimensions, as
much as possible.
I
n addition to the specific constructional and technical features of the Imperial model, above all there are also acoustic properties that are exclusively reserved for this model. The
specific sonic properties can in turn be traced back to the additional strings on the one hand, as well as to the dimensioning and implementation of the soundboard, the bridges and
ribs, and indeed to the entire resonating case. The outstanding wealth of tone colours that fundamentally distinguishes
Bösendorfer grand pianos is even more strongly pronounced
in the Imperial model and lends the instrument its unique
sound, its special, “imperial” timbre.
E
ach string that is set into vibration via the striking of a
hammerhead in turn stimulates all other strings of the
piano more or less to vibrate in sympathy, and these sympathetic vibrations complement the sound of every individual
note. Often, this complement takes place largely in the partials spectrum area – this holds of course for the additional
bass strings as well. This can very easily be proven by a little
experiment: Play for instance a C major triad in the melody
register in the treble while holding the lowest keys C2, E2 and
G2 so that the dampers of these notes are raised and the
strings are free to vibrate. These lowest notes are not actually played, but are entirely set into vibration via the vibrations of the treble strings. If you now release the treble keys
that were played while continuing to hold the lower keys, the
treble strings are dampened and the only sound that is audible is that which arose from the sympathetic vibration of the
deep bass strings. The result is actually astonishing – above
all the intensity of the upper partials spectrum that is clearly
audible in the form of higher frequencies.
T
his specific property of sonic expansion is remarkable in
that it is not dependent upon directly striking the additional strings; rather, the sonic spectrum of every individual
note benefits in each case. This means that especially music
that does not take advantage of the keyboard’s entire spectrum – such as Mozart’s music for instance – profits as much
or more from the additional tone colours. A special feature of
the Imperial’s sound, which is discovered and described again
and again by pianists and other musicians, is that individual
notes sound very expressive and colourful. This phenomenon
can in large part also be traced to the additional partials of
the extra strings.
A
ltogether, the Imperial model probably most clearly
represents the typical Viennese, inspiring Bösendorfer
sound for which our instruments have been internationally
renowned for generations.
Modell 290 Imperial key points:
Length: 290 cm / 9’6’’
Width: 168 cm / 5’6’’
Compass: 8 Octaves
Number of keys: 97
Weight: 552 kg / 1.217 lbs
Number of strings: 249
Visually unique: the nine additional black keys
15 |
F A C T O R Y
B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
New Bösendorfer Model 120
Bösendorfer has decided – after quite a few years of abstinence – to reintroduce a 120 cm / 3‘11‘‘
upright piano into its product range. The goal of this project was not simply to resume manufacturing the original Model 120, but rather to present an entirely newly revised and refined
instrument.
Of course, Bösendorfer’s tradition and experience were not
abandoned in this ambitious project, and many time-tested
details of the pre-existing Model 120’s construction were
thus incorporated into the new instrument.
String properties:
s the basis for the Model 120’s stringing, we drew upon
the existing Bösendorfer 120’s string properties, which
were significantly revised in several sections and could
thereby be decisively improved. In particular, the breaks at
the bars were uncompromisingly optimised with regard to
strike distance and the lengths of strings, in order to achieve
as balanced and even a sonic character as possible. A series of
different parameters needed to be taken into consideration
for this exercise, including string tensile force, inharmonicity, load proportion, stiffness of the strings, and a number of
other factors. Not to be forgotten is that in all of our efforts,
our trademark – the typical “Bösendorfer sound” – needed to
be up front and centre.
A
Back construction:
he Bösendorfer 120 is a classic upright piano with a resonating spruce wood back construction with five back
posts. The key bed is also manufactured from the same
material. In the Model 120, the construction and manufacturing principle at the heart of the instrument, the acoustic
construction, has been entirely redesigned. Since the soundboard of an upright piano has an irregularly curved, convex
surface shape, fitting it correctly to the back is of great importance. The more successful this alignment, the better is
the dynamic efficiency and the vibrational capability of the
instrument’s acoustic construction. With the possibilities of
CAD-supported construction software, such three-dimensional surfaces can be precisely designed, and transferred to
CNC-controlled processing machines to be made. Through
this, the curved underside of the ribs and the long bridge,
and the surface of the back liners can all be precisely shaped
according to the construction design. This method is an entirely new approach and offers the highest degree of precision and the possibility of perfect alignment of all the individual components.
T
Cast iron frame:
he cast iron frame for the Model 120 (like all other Bösendorfer models) is cast by the Wagner company in Upper
Austria. In the construction and manufacturing of the pattern
for the foundry, we likewise blazed new paths by implementing state-of-the-art construction and manufacturing methods from the three-dimensional design drawing to the CNCcontrolled milling of its individual parts.
T
| 16
The new Bösendorfer Model 120
Action:
or good playability of the piano, the length of the keys is
decisive. For the new Bösendorfer Model 120, the same key
length as the larger Model 130 was used. In connection with
the dynamically active acoustic construction, this has an exceptionally positive effect on the playability and controllability of the action, and the sound, and is ground-breaking in a
piano of this size.
F
Case:
he case – a classic console shape – can also be equipped
with a “Sound Release System” as an option. In this version, direct sound is able to flow outwards, even when the
case is closed, through concealed slits in the top door, which
is significantly richer in overtones than the rather damped
sound of a completely closed upright piano.
T
Sound:
he Model 120 exhibits a dynamically open sonic character
and simultaneously represents a further typical and unmistakable “Bösendorfer” sound that is distinguished by its
richness of colours and its warmth.
T
The Model 120 in numbers:
Height: 120 cm / 3’11’’
Width: 151,8 cm / 4’4’’
Compass: 7 1/4 octaves
Weight: 262 kg / 578 lbs
Number of pedals: 3
I k e b a n a
Photo: Mitsuyoshi Kimura
The World of Flower Artist Shogo
Kariyazaki at the Chorakukan, Kyoto 2012
Flower arrangements by Shogo Kariyazaki and the Bösendorfer Model Klimt – a feast for eyes and ears
B
ösendorfer Japan Group displayed our Klimt model at the
exhibition of the renowned Japanese flower artist, Shogo
Kariyazaki, held at the Chorakukan in Kyoto from 14th to 19th
March 2012. Since Shogo Kariyazaki’s floral arrangements
have a reputation for their own style – bold yet subtle – and
their unique use of colour, approximately 10,000 people visited throughout the exhibition. They greatly enjoyed both his
gorgeous flowers and a special Bösendorfer piano with the
world famous “Kiss” by Gustav Klimt.
C
horakukan is a Renaissance style building established
in 1909 to welcome distinguished guests. This beautiful
European guest house was named by Hirobumi Ito, the first
Prime Mister of Japan. When he went to Europe by order of
the Emperor Meiji, he was strongly impressed by the sound
of Bösendorfer performed by Franz Liszt in Vienna, and then
tried to invite him to Japan. Chorakukan has its own Bösendorfer piano and now holds concerts with some exclusive
pianists. During this exhibition, 4 pianists played with the
Klimt model day by day. They stated their impressions about
the Klimt model with admiration; “This is the best instrument
ever that enables you to express colourfully and sensitively
with very soft sound. What a delicate piano it is that makes
it possible to play both soft and clear pianissimo!”, “I’m overwhelmed with the beautiful sound. I feel like being covered
by harmonic tones while the bass strings are resonant with
Bösendorfer unique deep sound. This piano makes control of
dynamics from pianissimo to fortissimo much easier than I
imagined.”
T
he flower Artist Shogo Kariyazaki has a profound know­
ledge of Classical Music and also plays piano. He praised
the Klimt model with its rich and warm sound as “the best
piano in the world”. The combination of the floral arrangements by Shogo Kariyazaki, famous for “the hands spinning
the beauty”, and the Klimt model with impressive appearance
and sound, attracted the visitors’ eyes and ears. In this way
Bösendorfer timelessly fascinates many people even today.
The renowned Japanese flower artist Shogo Kariyazaki
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miscellaneous
B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
19th International Johannes Brahms
Competition in Pörtschach/Wörthersee
I
n memory of the composer, the Johannes Brahms Society,
based in Pörtschach, Austria, created the International Johannes Brahms Competition for piano and chamber music.
Around 500 candidates from 47 nations applied for this year’s
competition. Virtually every Eastern and Western European
country was represented. In the piano jury were the President of the Vienna Beethoven Society (Wiener Beethoven Gesellschaft), Alexander Jenner; the Director of the Franz Liszt
College of Music, Prof. Lehel Both; the Vice President of the
Piano Society of Korea, Prof. Dr. Young-Bae Kim; the Professor
of piano and chamber music at the University of Music and
Performing Arts in Vienna, Prof. Avedis Kouyoumdjian, as well
as the internationally acclaimed pianist Prof. Jura Margulis.
T
he winners of the piano competition: 1. Mari Sato, b.
1987, Japan; 2. Kanako Kuroda, b. 1982, Japan; 3. David
­Hausknecht, b. 1992, Czech Republic. The competition was
crowned by the violin and piano finale, accompanied by the
Euro Symphony SFK Youth Orchestra conducted by Ernest
Hoetzl, at the Congress Centre Pörtschach. Finally, the winners’ concert took place at the well-filled Casino in Velden.
Photo: Archives Mari Sato
In 1877 Johannes Brahms made his way to Wörthersee for the first time. Soon thereafter, he discovered that “Here, the melodies just flow out of me,” and spent three summers composing there.
Mari Sato won the 19th International Johannes Brahms Competition in the piano category.
The best participants from the piano, lied, chamber music,
viola and cello competitions guaranteed some inspiring moments. At the same time, the audience prize was announced,
which was awarded to the French cellist Benjamin Truchi.
In Conversation with Maestro Zubin Mehta
I
| 18
than 50 years. According to Mehta, once you have the sound
of the Vienna Philharmonic in the Golden Hall of the Vienna
Musikverein in your ear, you long for that sound regardless
of where you are in the world and the orchestra with which
you’re currently working. For Mehta, part of this sound is the
instruments by the Bösendorfer piano company, and this is
also a reason why he was happy to visit Bösendorfer Downtown.
Photo: Christoph Edtmayr · © Arnold Schönberg Center
n the course of a master class at the Arnold Schönberg
Centre, following a rehearsal of Schönberg’s Gurrelieder at
Bösendorfer Downtown showroom in the Vienna Musikverein, Maestro Zubin Mehta entered into a discussion with
around thirty students and young artists. For two weeks, the
Schönberg Academy brought young pianists, composers and
musicologists to Vienna to enable them to critically examine Schönberg’s works and influence. The participants came
from the United States, primarily from the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Tchaikovsky Conservatory
in Moscow, the State Conservatories of Kazan, Shanghai and
Chengdu, as well as from the Central Conservatory of Music
in Beijing. All of them are among the most renowned institutions in their areas of speciality worldwide. The Schönberg
Academy thus had an excellent selection of future international top artists amongst the participants.
A series of questions from the Academy participants to Maestro Mehta dealt with details of compositional and performance practice. In a more general second part, Mehta spoke
about his period of study in Vienna, where he graduated from
the class of Hans Swarovsky with a conducting debut in the
Brahms-Saal of the Musikverein with Schönberg’s Chamber
Symphony, Op. 9. Since this unforgettable experience, he has
regularly and happily returned to the Musikverein for more
Feeling at ease at Bösendorfer Downtown in the Vienna
­Musikverein: Maestro Zubin Mehta
miscellaneous
Celebrating 25 Years of the
Salzkammergut Festwochen Gmunden
Pianistic World Class
he perfectly matched connection between enjoying culture and the freshness of summer is a good Austrian
tradition. One of the most beautiful places is the Salzkammergut, on the Traunsee in Upper Austria, which provided
an incomparable setting for the 2012 Salzkammergut Festwochen Gmunden. This anniversary festival, which has already been in existence for 25 years, presented outstanding
pianists on Bösendorfer pianos in addition to outstanding
young talents, celebrated composers and interpreters, and
major names of Austrian literature. As well as performances
by pianists including Dennis Russell Davies, Maki Namekawa
and Andreas Eggertsberger, there was a grandiose concert
with the young star pianist Khatia Buniatishvili. This new star
in the pianistic sky captivated the audience with a scintillating virtuosity that was never extroverted, one that seemed to
know no technical boundaries. This virtuosity was combined
with an outstanding awareness of sound and a musical hypersensitivity that also expressed the melancholy, shadowy
sides of Liszt’s late style in an overwhelming manner. She
played the following works: Franz Liszt’s Sonata in B minor
and Mephisto Waltz, Franz Schubert / Franz Liszt lieder and
Igor Stravinsky’s Three Movements from Petrushka.
Photos by Festwochen Gmunden
T
Dennis Russell Davies and Maki Namekawa
Star pianist Khatia Buniatishvili
Attersee Klassik 2012
Continuation of the Attersee Klassik concert series at one of Europe’s most fascinating
landscapes
the Bösendorfer Model 280 concert grand. Together with the
Attersee Institute Orchestra conducted by Maestro Bertrand
de Billy, Kit Armstrong played works by Franz Schubert, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johannes Brahms.
Photo: Michael Maritsch
T
his summer, on the beautiful Lake Attersee in Upper Austria, the concert series Attersee Klassik took place once
again. With this series, the festival, founded in 2002, continues the encounters between artists and the audience in a familiar atmosphere. A central part in the programme is taken
by the International Orchestral Institute Attergau, which is
under the patronage of the Vienna Philharmonic and collaborates with the University of Music and Performing Arts
in Vienna. Teachers at the institute are exclusively members
of the Vienna Philharmonic, who familiarise students from
all over the world with the distinctive features of the Viennese style of sound. The best students of the Institute and
the Vienna Philharmonic’s Angelika Prokopp Summer Academy were introduced at Attersee Klassik. Workshops, public
rehearsals and concerts with renowned artists, including
Corinne Chapell, Adrian Brendel and Milana Chernyavska,
took place. The students also had the opportunity to look
over the great master’s shoulder and be inspired by his abilities during the chamber music seminar led by Alfred Brendel.
For the event’s finale, Alfred Brendel’s student Kit Armstrong,
whom he called “the greatest musical talent,” performed on
Kit Armstrong on a Bösendorfer Model 280 concert grand
19 |
The Bösendorfer Origin Guarantee
Every Bösendorfer grand piano is made by hand in Wiener Neustadt, Austria.
All parts of a genuine Bösendorfer grand piano are European:
Modell 214
The cast-iron frame:
The bass strings:
The soundboard:
Hand moulded
in Austria
Independent Capo d‘astro:
Handspun by
Bösendorfer in
Austria
Unique, designed by
Bösendorfer in
Austria
Mountain spruce from
the Austrian Alps
The action:
Renner, Made in Germany
to Bösendorfer
specifications
The bridge:
Handcrafted
by Bösendorfer
in Austria
The resonating case:
Model 214
Handcrafted
by Bösendorfer
in Austria
The keyboard:
Made in Germany
to Bösendorfer
specifications
The inner rim:
Handcrafted
by Bösendorfer
in Austria
Open pin block:
The tonewood:
Handcrafted
by Bösendorfer
in Austria
Airdried, top Alpine
quality
www.boesendorfer.com