105:). The extra keys, which are all at the bass end of the keyboard (that is, to the left), are colored black so that the pianist can tell them apart from the normal keys of an 88-key piano. They were originally covered with a removable panel to prevent a pianist from accidentally playing the extra notes. While the keys are seldom used, the extra bass strings create additional harmonic resonance that contributes to an overall richer sound. Compositions have been written specifically to use the extra keys. Pianist and
20:
133:
Bösendorfer
Imperial Concert Grand pianos, handcrafted in Austria, retail for between US$ 256,000 and $ 560,000 in the U.S., depending on finish, design and whether the Disklavier Enspire computer reproducing system is installed. (Bösendorfer's CEUS reproducing system, "Create Emotions with Unique
124:
the lowest note on the piano!" Reportedly, " 290 has proved a bit of a temperamental star, sounding harsh and jarring in the hands of pianists who do not understand how to play it and marvellously refined in the hands of those who do".
141:, which signs prominent artists to a performance agreement and urges them to refrain from playing any other piano brand, performers preferring the Bösendorfer Imperial will often have that piano shipped with them while on tour.
109:
School of Music director Robin McCabe explains the challenge of adjusting to the extra keys: "One's 'southern sight-lines,' so to speak, can be seriously skewed because of the extra footage in the bass. Ending a piece such as
437:
555:
53:, at around 290 cm (9 ft 6 in) long, 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) wide, and weighing 552 kg (1,217 lb). It has an eight-octave range from
101:
The Bösendorfer
Imperial features 97 keys: a full eight octaves. This is in contrast to their other extended model, the Bösendorfer 225, which has 92 keys (down to F
324:
134:
Sound", developed in-house, is more expensive still.) In 1977, the price was reported to be $ 35,000, $ 176,000 in 2023 adjusted for inflation.
445:
597:
289:
561:
98:'s organ works. In order to emulate the 32 foot registers available on some large organs, he needed the entire octave down to C0.
64:. For 90 years it was the only concert grand piano in the world with 97 keys, until it was joined in 1990 by the instruments of
401:
120:, for example, with its nose-dive final gesture to the low A of the piano, becomes a bit more problematic when that A is
603:
406:
334:
508:
358:
94:
to build a model with an extended range. Busoni sought to extend the range to accommodate his transcription of
377:
257:
438:"The Definitive Piano Buying Guide for Buying New, Used, and Restored Acoustic Pianos and Digital Pianos"
54:
106:
594:
site dedicated to the
Imperial pianos, with complete audio files of songs, images, history, specs
623:
468:
329:
190:
95:
24:
8:
473:
297:
363:
138:
482:
262:
205:
180:
160:
116:
411:
155:
91:
65:
210:
185:
90:
Bösendorfer built the first
Imperial in 1909, following a suggestion by composer
75:
618:
225:
195:
170:
111:
68:
of
Australia. Music critic Melinda Bargreen has described the Imperial as the
50:
612:
486:
215:
175:
70:
513:
220:
165:
43:
230:
200:
79:
19:
591:
150:
258:"Incredible Instruments: Some find Bösendorfer pianos grand indeed"
604:
Photos of a
Bosendorfer Model 290 Imperial Grand Piano Extra Keys
518:
585:
46:
509:"Charlemagne Palestine – a man who plays the whole building"
539:
Young, La Monte (1987). "Notes on The-Well Tuned Piano".
541:
The Well-Tuned Piano: 81 x 25 6:17:50-11:18:59 PM NYC
560:. Julien's Auctions. 4 November 2016. Archived from
532:
144:
557:Property from the Estate of Frank & Gail Zappa
554:"Item 468: Frank Zappa Bossendorfer Grand Piano".
251:
249:
247:
245:
610:
137:While the concert piano market is dominated by
588:official site of the Bösendorfer piano company
242:
23:Imperial Bösendorfer in the Music Hall of the
284:
282:
280:
128:
500:
277:
506:
255:
18:
431:
429:
611:
353:
351:
538:
466:
319:
317:
315:
460:
435:
426:
348:
13:
507:Hickling, Alfred (March 4, 2010).
442:Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyer
410:. 12 November 2014. Archived from
407:University of Wisconsin Eau Claire
402:"Bösendorfer Imperial Grand Piano"
325:"Bösendorfer Imperial Grand Piano"
312:
14:
635:
579:
256:Bargreen, Melinda (24 May 2002).
357:Wise, Michael Z. (May 9, 2004).
145:Notable composers and performers
38:(also colloquially known as the
547:
598:Bösendorfer model 290 Imperial
543:(Media notes). La Monte Young.
394:
370:
32:Bösendorfer Model 290 Imperial
1:
236:
85:
467:Stern, Ellen (6 June 1977).
378:"Concert Grand 290 Imperial"
7:
367:. Retrieved March 23, 2008.
42:) is the largest model and
10:
640:
586:Bösendorfer piano company
74:of pianos, while pianist
129:Pricing and availability
107:University of Washington
592:BosendorferImperial.com
27:
330:George Fox University
191:Charlemagne Palestine
96:Johann Sebastian Bach
25:University of Bamberg
22:
448:on September 2, 2017
436:Fine, Larry (2016).
359:"Piano Versus Piano"
290:"Model 290 Imperial"
36:Imperial Bösendorfer
414:on 24 December 2017
300:on 11 November 2013
139:Steinway & Sons
364:The New York Times
28:
16:97-key grand piano
263:The Seattle Times
206:Carol Rosenberger
181:Valentina Lisitsa
161:Paul Badura-Skoda
66:Stuart & Sons
631:
574:
573:
571:
569:
551:
545:
544:
536:
530:
529:
527:
525:
504:
498:
497:
495:
493:
464:
458:
457:
455:
453:
444:. Archived from
433:
424:
423:
421:
419:
398:
392:
391:
389:
388:
374:
368:
355:
346:
345:
343:
342:
333:. Archived from
321:
310:
309:
307:
305:
296:. Archived from
286:
275:
274:
272:
270:
253:
156:Wilhelm Backhaus
92:Ferruccio Busoni
49:manufactured by
639:
638:
634:
633:
632:
630:
629:
628:
609:
608:
582:
577:
567:
565:
553:
552:
548:
537:
533:
523:
521:
505:
501:
491:
489:
465:
461:
451:
449:
434:
427:
417:
415:
400:
399:
395:
386:
384:
376:
375:
371:
356:
349:
340:
338:
323:
322:
313:
303:
301:
288:
287:
278:
268:
266:
254:
243:
239:
186:Garrick Ohlsson
147:
131:
104:
88:
78:dubbed it the "
76:Garrick Ohlsson
62:
58:
17:
12:
11:
5:
637:
627:
626:
621:
607:
606:
601:
595:
589:
581:
580:External links
578:
576:
575:
564:on 6 June 2017
546:
531:
499:
459:
425:
393:
369:
347:
311:
276:
240:
238:
235:
234:
233:
228:
226:La Monte Young
223:
218:
213:
208:
203:
198:
196:Oscar Peterson
193:
188:
183:
178:
173:
171:Malcolm Frager
168:
163:
158:
153:
146:
143:
130:
127:
117:L'isle joyeuse
102:
87:
84:
60:
56:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
636:
625:
622:
620:
617:
616:
614:
605:
602:
599:
596:
593:
590:
587:
584:
583:
563:
559:
558:
550:
542:
535:
520:
516:
515:
510:
503:
488:
484:
480:
476:
475:
470:
463:
447:
443:
439:
432:
430:
413:
409:
408:
403:
397:
383:
379:
373:
366:
365:
360:
354:
352:
337:on 2021-11-09
336:
332:
331:
326:
320:
318:
316:
299:
295:
291:
285:
283:
281:
265:
264:
259:
252:
250:
248:
246:
241:
232:
229:
227:
224:
222:
219:
217:
216:Wibi Soerjadi
214:
212:
211:András Schiff
209:
207:
204:
202:
199:
197:
194:
192:
189:
187:
184:
182:
179:
177:
176:Keith Jarrett
174:
172:
169:
167:
164:
162:
159:
157:
154:
152:
149:
148:
142:
140:
135:
126:
123:
119:
118:
113:
108:
99:
97:
93:
83:
81:
77:
73:
72:
71:ne plus ultra
67:
63:
52:
48:
45:
41:
37:
33:
26:
21:
566:. Retrieved
562:the original
556:
549:
540:
534:
522:. Retrieved
514:The Guardian
512:
502:
490:. Retrieved
478:
472:
462:
452:September 2,
450:. Retrieved
446:the original
441:
416:. Retrieved
412:the original
405:
396:
385:. Retrieved
382:Boesendorfer
381:
372:
362:
339:. Retrieved
335:the original
328:
302:. Retrieved
298:the original
293:
267:. Retrieved
261:
221:Cecil Taylor
166:Victor Borge
136:
132:
121:
115:
100:
89:
82:of pianos".
69:
39:
35:
31:
29:
624:Bösendorfer
600:(in German)
469:"Best Bets"
418:20 November
294:Bösendorfer
231:Frank Zappa
201:Terry Riley
80:Rolls-Royce
51:Bösendorfer
613:Categories
481:(23): 68.
387:2018-03-13
341:2018-03-13
237:References
86:Extra keys
524:March 11,
487:0028-7369
151:Tori Amos
492:26 March
474:New York
304:26 March
44:flagship
568:12 June
112:Debussy
519:London
485:
619:Piano
269:3 Mar
47:piano
34:, or
570:2018
526:2010
494:2010
483:ISSN
454:2017
420:2014
306:2010
271:2024
59:to C
30:The
122:not
114:'s
40:290
615::
517:.
511:.
479:10
477:.
471:.
440:.
428:^
404:.
380:.
361:.
350:^
327:.
314:^
292:.
279:^
260:.
244:^
572:.
528:.
496:.
456:.
422:.
390:.
344:.
308:.
273:.
103:0
61:8
57:0
55:C
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.