Bösendorfer Magazine Nr. 4

BÖSENDORFER
The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
N0. 4 | December 2009
A Sensational Piano—by Audi design
Interview: Dr. Rainer Keuschnig
Gonzalo Rubalcaba: True to His Roots
Postage paid | Publisher’s post office: 1010 Vienna
L. Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH, Bösendorferstraße 12, A-1010 Wien, [email protected], www.boesendorfer.com | If undeliverable, please return to sender
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B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
A Piano Causes a Sensation
Music and design lovers the world over have received the new Bösendorfer by Audi design concert grand with great interest. Together with the Audi design studio in Munich, an instrument
has been created which continues the long tradition of the Viennese piano company: dressing
the purest sound in innovative design.
W
ith the premier of the Audi design grand to a global
audience in July for the 100th anniversary of the German automobile manufacturer, Bösendorfer followed the
formal and color language of the brand with the four rings.
The new grand piano is the current highlight of Audi’s longstanding cultural commitment.
The most striking feature of the new Bösendorfer grand
in Audi design is the closed side rim of the bass. It not only
lends the instrument unusual presence and stability, it also
allows it to project the bass more strongly into the auditorium. The liberal surfaces make for a clear shape; there are
no ornaments, and the edges and lines are sharply defined.
The lid extends optically all the way down to the floor. For
this complex lid shape, Bösendorfer design engineer Otto
Haller developed a custom press mold that is unique in piano
manufacturing.
Attention is called to the musician
pon closer inspection it is evident that the lid is inserted
directly into the case. When viewing from the side, the
elegant sweep of the treble side is thereby not interrupted
by a seam. The lower edge of the case thereby discretely rises
backwards, away from the pianist. An optical trick: “The attention is thus carefully directed to the musician,” Audi designer Philip Schlesinger explains. The delicate metal leg,
with its aluminum look, makes for the sense of lightness on
the treble side. The pedal lyre follows this simple and, by virtue of the aluminum finish, high-tech design. The interlocking metal adjustments necessitate a new dimension in precision construction and manufacturing.
Without the otherwise typical flanges on the sides, the
keybed looks as though it were slid in. The hydraulically attenuated fall board is recessed,
and the respective hinge
integrated into the lid. The
music rack is covered with a
net material for optimal
sound permeability.
The main lid, with
its two-level prop
stick made of metal,
retains Audi’s aluminum optics. It may be
opened together with the bass side rim. The coloring catches
the eye when looking into the piano: While classic piano black
dominates the exterior, the designers adjusted the interior to
the typical Audi colors—the cast-iron frame is kept gray, and
the damper felts are natural white.
The bench, developed especially for this piano, rounds out
its modern image.
U
Striking design: The most striking
feature of the new Bösendorfer
grand in Audi design is the closed
side rim of the bass.
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Axel Zwingenberger swings enthusiastically on the new design
grand during the Jazz Festival at the Audi Forum Ingolstadt.
Innovation
he Audi design grand is a genuine Bösendorfer with its
famous touching sound. It is also a sign of the continuing innovation of the Austrian piano maker, which since the
company’s founding in 1828 has been dedicated to the Viennese sound it carries into the whole world through its instruments.
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Rupert Löschnauer
E D I T O R I A L
Editorial
Dear Readers,
I
n keeping with the Bösendorfer tradition of partnering
regularly with famous architects
and designers, together with the
designers of Audi we have created a unique birthday gift to celebrate the Ingolstadt automobile
manufacturer’s centenary. The
first article in the new Bösendorfer Magazine is dedicated to the
Bösendorfer grand in Audi garb. It
combines tradition and innovation and is causing a worldwide sensation with its unusual stylistic vocabulary.
T
he new Conservatory Series (CS) models 170 and 185 are
also gaining considerable attention and popularity. With
these models, Bösendorfer satisfies the desire of young artists and many music institutions by assisting them in entering the world of the Viennese piano making tradition in a
cost-effective manner, without compromising sound quality
or workmanship. We invite you to read the article by Ernst
Weichselbraun, the Head of Production at the Bösendorfer
factory.
fer the opportunity for the instrumentalist to find a variety
of ways to produce the sound, dynamic, and whatever other
aesthetic qualities one desires.”
B
ösendorfer is alive. On the next twenty pages, we’re only
able to show you a fraction of the many activities and
performances in which Bösendorfer instruments take center
stage. Even in the fast medium of the Internet we can hardly
keep up with all the Bösendorfer news within the worldwide companies of business partners and music lovers (as
well as our company itself). Visitors to the Bösendorfer web
site www.boesendorfer.com find new entries and expanded
chapters virtually every day.
T
he close of our new magazine forms the traditional reference to our Bösendorfer showroom in downtown Vienna’s Musikverein building. Not just a Bösendorfer showroom,
it serves as a competence and communications center for all
lovers of piano music. We look forward to welcoming you to
Bösendorfer Downtown!
T
he top ranking which Bösendorfer enjoys in the international music world finds further confirmation in the artists’ interviews included in this edition. The great jazz pianist
Gonzalo Rubalcaba, for instance, values not only the “Bösendorfer identity” but also states that Bösendorfer pianos “of-
Yoshichika Sakai
Managing Director
Contents
A Piano Causes a Sensation ................................................................ 2
Editorial · Imprint .................................................................................... 3
“What’s that Gorgeous Piano?” . ....................................................... 4
Steel Pan, Calypso and Bösendorfer ................................................ 6
Viennese Sounds in a Historical Landscape . ............................... 7
Imperial Concert Halls .......................................................................... 8
Return of the “Emperor” Piano .......................................................... 9
Interview: Gonzalo Rubalcaba ......................................................... 10
Da capo Altenburg Music Academy! ............................................. 12
CS Grands: The New Generation ..................................................... 13
The Touching Sound—Part 3
The Resonance Case Principle . ........................................................ 14
Alexander Schimpf Wins 2009
Beethoven Piano Competition ........................................................ 16
“Wall Street of Voices” .......................................................................... 17
In Anton Rubinstein’s Shoes ............................................................. 18
CEUS is Unique ...................................................................................... 19
Bösendorfer Downtown . .................................................................. 20
Imprint · Editor, media proprietor, publisher: L. Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH, Bösendorferstraße 12, A-1010 Wien, Tel. 01.504.66.51-0 · Design and layout: FineStudios®, Vienna. Produced
and printed in Austria. Distribution: self-distribution to Bösendorfer friends and interested parties. Editorial office address: L.Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH, Attn.: Dr. Rupert Löschnauer,
Gymelsdorfergasse 42, A-2700 Wr. Neustadt. Senior editor: Dr. Rupert Löschnauer. Authors: Marion Alexander, Dieter Autengruber, Ferdinand Bräu, Noriyuki Kon, Dr. Rupert Löschnauer, Ursula
Oberhollenzer, Simon Oss, Yoshichika Sakai, Mira Weihs, Ernst Weichselbraun. Photos: Stift Altenburg, Audi AG, David Brandt, Bösendorfer, Hans Czihak, Kammeroper, Robert Lehrbaumer, Dr.
Rupert Löschnauer, Sawaro Masaru, Foto Nessler, Simon Oss, David M. Peters, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Yan Shi, Marlies Schnaibel, UDECOTT, Frank Wasser, de.wikipedia.ortg/wiki, Stefan Weber.
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
“What’s that Gorgeous Piano?”
Dr. Rainer Keuschnig is the pianist for the Vienna Philharmonic and one of the great advocates
of the “Viennese sound.” In an interview with Mira Weihs and Simon Oss, he gives insight into
his life as a musician, his thoughts on the “Viennese sound” and his very special love of Bösendorfer.
BÖSENDORFER: Dr. Keuschnig, how did you start playing the
piano? Was the piano your instrument of choice?
Dr. Rainer Keuschnig There was one at home. I think this
was the case, as in all middle-class households, that pianos
were on hand and were also played. Like all children who
are advised to play piano, at five or six I banged around on
the piano for half an hour every day. It was a tough path,
as the “little old lady”—my first teacher—was a real house
guest. She came for coffee, and in between my brother and
I had our lessons. Then my interest increased some. A piano
teacher came, who sparked a certain love of music in me.
Besides that, my father played chamber music once a week.
A violinist from the Vienna Symphony was among the play­
ers and they formed a piano trio. My father could play very
well, yet due to the economic situation at the time he had to
study law and he became a lawyer rather than musician.
At thirteen and a half I entered the master class of Prof.
Raupenstrauch at the Vienna Conservatory, since my broth­
er Peter already studied piano there. I was of course at the
lowest end of this very famous class and slowly advanced,
until I had a pivotal experience during my school-leaving
exam. Herr Bock, the first percussionist of the Vienna Symphony, had always impressed me immeasurably—a factotum of the time. I thus studied percussion with Herr Bock’s
successor, Herr Hammer. While doing so it all of a sudden
became clear to me that I knew nothing about discipline,
orderliness or rhythm. However, I practiced a lot and after
only a year and a half I substituted constantly in the Vienna
Symphony, which continued in the ORF under Max Schönherr. And then something quite strange happened: all of a
sudden, with Caridis, the Radio Orchestra played modern
classical music. The orchestra inspector knew that I could
play piano and said, “If Keuschnig can play percussion, then
he’ll also be able to play piano, right?!” The first rehearsal
was the next day: Music for Strings by Béla Bartók. As the
first piece with a large orchestra, I had the honor of playing
the piano part and it also went well. Since that time I’ve
also been a good friend of Herr Caridis and followed him.
For instance, I reopened the Munich State Opera with this
piece. I then gave up percussion and, through the Ensemble
Kontrapunkte and the ORF Orchestra, simply fell into the
pool in which I’m still swimming.
BÖSENDORFER: As a pianist in an orchestra, as the only mu­
sician with such a large instrument, do you sometimes get
funny looks?
Dr. Rainer Keuschnig: [laughing]: Yes, of course you sometimes get funny looks! You have to see what role you’re taking on. Are you dominant or leading? But “I am me” doesn’t
work. With the Vienna Philharmonic a string is bowed and
people are listening. With good orchestras, the piano is a
pivot.
BÖSENDORFER: In your opinion, what’s special about your or­
chestra, the Vienna Philharmonic?
Dr. Rainer Keuschnig: Rehearsals there go very fast. You
think the second rehearsal is already the concert, which
with pieces that the orchestra has almost never played is
astonishing. The ability to react quickly is only possible via
the daily opera work, where every day you’re forced to improvise, listen and correct mistakes. You learn to give way to
singing and perhaps not always to look at the conductor if
he’s bothering you.
BÖSENDORFER: And in terms of sound?
Dr. Rainer Keuschnig: We’re guardians of the Viennese
sound. The horns thereby form an important part of the
foundation. And for as long as I’m here, Bösendorfer will remain one of the most important foundations of the sound.
My potential successor, Herbert Rüdisser, is also an advocate of this sound.
Earlier in the ORF, an important place for pianos, there
was always another piano onstage. I always had it removed.
After some time they knew that I play Bösendorfer. It was
thus more practical for them to put the right piano onstage
from the beginning…
Dr. Rainer Keuschnig, pianist for the Vienna Philharmonic, to­
gether with Mira Weihs, Artist Relations Manager for Bösen­
dorfer, in the good company of Schubert and Brahms.
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BÖSENDORFER: The Vienna Philharmonic is associated with
the term “Viennese sound.” What is your understanding of
this term?
Dr. Rainer Keuschnig: The Viennese sound is something incompletely complete, distinguished. It’s not purely about
technical perfection, but rather you play with charm. That’s
a Viennese mentality. It’s about creating colors, which you
can do on a Bösendorfer. In my life I’ve often unfortunately
had to play other pianos, which don’t produce colors. Yet
that is one of the important arguments in favor of the Viennese piano.
And when you’re in Vienna you should live the Viennese
tradition. I also wish that from other orchestras.
BÖSENDORFER: Does that mean that the Vienna Philhar­
monic and Bösendorfer pursue a common goal, namely cul­
tivating the Viennese sound in order to sustain the variety of
tone colors?
Dr. Rainer Keuschnig: It’s like with Microsoft and Apple…
the great (!) Viennese composers played Bösendorfer, as did
Franz Liszt.
BÖSENDORFER: Viennese sound, Vienna Philharmonic, Vien­
nese composers. How is it with Stravinsky for instance? Can
an orchestra with the so-called “Viennese sound” play his
music?
Dr. Rainer Keuschnig: Of course! We played Stravinsky’s
Symphony in 3 Movements—it’s practically a piano concerto—everywhere. In New York and of course in Vienna; on a
Bösendorfer, an Imperial. Above all, the Vienna sound means
an abundance of tone colors and nuances. The Bösendorfer
is of benefit to the music.
BÖSENDORFER: Is the piano’s brand important to you as an
orchestral musician?
Dr. Rainer Keuschnig: Oh yes. We just played this concerto
for nine solo instruments in Japan. Everything was lined up
in Vienna so that I’d get a Bösendorfer grand. Then I played
the Imperial I know so well in Tokyo, in Suntory Hall. Yet in
another concert hall there was a different piano onstage. It
could hardly be controlled. It was really alien to me. Rough,
really rough. For this fine music, with these pianissimi, it
was hardly playable. On a piano it has to be possible to play
your solo of course, but you have to be able to blend in with
an ensemble just as well, with the same instrument. I can’t
say, “Here I am! I play piano. I couldn’t care less about what
the rest of you are playing.” If for example the oboes have
soft, beautiful ties, then I’d like to be able to produce them
on the piano as well.
BÖSENDORFER: In the perfect piano, you thus look for versa­
tility. If you want to play loud on the Bösendorfer, does that
work just as well?
Dr. Rainer Keuschnig: That absolutely works just as well.
Backhaus for instance was never too soft and always played
Bösendorfers.
BÖSENDORFER: Dr. Keuschnig, in addition to your activity
as pianist you are also dedicated to training students at the
University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. What
challenges do you have in this connection?
Dr. Rainer Keuschnig
Dr. Rainer Keuschnig: We have a major problem in piano
education. Students—probably in order to be able to carry
out as large a selection process as possible—are required to
play a nearly impossible number of pieces. There isn’t much
time left over for specialties, for instance, how do I stroke
the key or color a sound; otherwise no one would be able to
cram the notes into their fingers. Everything is stored in the
brain as if it were a five hundred gigabyte hard drive that
always needs to be present.
Yet how do you color a sound, how do you play a mediant
harmony, how can you produce colors on a piano, which in
principle is monotone? You need time for these things and
that is necessary for expressing music with any depth.
BÖSENDORFER: In conclusion, could you give us an account of
a special moment from your musical life?
Dr. Rainer Keuschnig: There are situations in the orchestra
which for some strange reason lead to a good performance.
Sometimes the music was rehearsed very poorly or there
are problems between the conductor and the orchestra.
Then for some reason somebody plays something beautifully and the orchestra blossoms all at once. I had such an
experience with the ensemble Die Neue Reihe of the Berlin
Philharmonic. Of course I played a Bösendorfer. Then everybody came and announced: “What’s that gorgeous piano?”
Mira Weihs, Simon Oss
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B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
Steel Pan, Calypso and Bösendorfer
A fleet of Bösendorfer grands has arrived in Trinidad and Tobago.
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urquiose-blue water, long sandy beaches, tropical forests,
scarlet red ibises, gloriously colorful butterflies, sugar
cane and tobacco, steel pan and calypso... that’s what we Europeans think about when we dream of the Caribbean. Both
islands, Trinidad and Tobago, which together form the eponymous insular state off the coast of Venezuela, fit beautifully
into our vision. They are two marvelous little spots of earth,
and already Christopher Columbus knew to report back on
them when he landed there for the first time in 1498.
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oday’s globe trotters land via the great “birds” of the international airlines or the national Caribbean Airlines. Their
curious glances from the windows when approaching Portof-Spain (Piarco Airport) have since recently been fixed upon
a building whose shape could be a large Chaconia, the flower
on Trinidad’s coat of arms. If you look more closely, however,
you’ll notice that this flower has grown from concrete, steel
and glass.
acoustic design. Since recently, two Bösendorfer Imperial
concert grands are also among its features.
I
n January of 2009, an experienced representative of the
University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) visited our Bösendorfer partner “All About Pianos” in Las Vegas to select a fleet
of instruments for the state university’s new campus and the
academy which then was under construction. There he found
five Bösendorfers. For the other five instruments, the music
expert traveled to Vienna, where he completed the order
and used the opportunity to share product knowledge and
experiences with the Bösendorfer technicians looking after
the pianos.
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ll ten Bösendorfer pianos have meanwhile arrived in the
Caribbean’s southernmost insular state. By selecting
Bösendorfer instruments, the renowned university continues
its constant striving for competence and educational excellence, as the Viennese pianos are known and treasured the
world over for their colorful, orchestral sound and their artistic craftsmanship. As part of his contract, the long-standing piano technician and owner of “All About Pianos,” Louis
Spencer-Smith, will service the Bösendorfer pianos in Port-ofSpain for three years.
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t the beginning of November, the new National Academy for the Performing Arts celebrated its grand opening, which was attended by Trinidad and Tobago President
George Maxwell Richards and Prime Minister Patrick Manning. At two concerts on November 17, performed by UTT faculty and students spanning many different musical genres,
both of the new Bösendorfer grands were presented to an
enthusiastic audience.
The new, breathtaking National Academy of the Performing
Arts building in Port-of-Spain was designed in the form of a
Chaconia, the national flower.
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his brightly shining “flower” can’t be found in plants, but
rather in modern cultural guidebooks and publications
of contemporary architecture and design. It’s called the National Academy of the Performing Arts and is the latest pride
of a self-assured country whose population, thanks above all
to considerable oil and gas deposits, has one of the highest
per-capita incomes in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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he National Academy of the Performing Arts in the heart
of the capital city of Trinidad and Tobago should become,
according to the government, a permanent home for developing talents in the liberal arts, with a particular emphasis
on the national instrument, the steel pan. The US $70 million
complex comprises state-of-the-art classrooms, two practice
halls and an impressive 1500-seat auditorium with a coveted
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Louis Spencer-Smith, Rupert Löschnauer
Steel Pan
he steel pan is a musical instrument in the family of
idiophones and was invented in Trinidad. “The pan,” as
locals call it, is made from a thin sheet of steel that is beaten into a concave shape, contained in a round metal resonating body (traditionally an oil drum). Various sound-producing membranes are incorporated to produce a range
of pitches when struck with drumsticks. Upon striking,
each membrane vibrates like a little gong and allows the
player to produce both melodies and harmonies.
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Viennese Sounds in a Historical Landscape
There’s more to Ribbeck than just a famous pear…
“H
err von Ribbeck in Ribbeck im Havelland, in whose garden a pear stands…”—With his poem, Theodor Fontane
brought fame to Ribbeck im Havelland well beyond its borders. Great poets, scientists and historical figures such as
Einstein, Fouqué, Lilienthal, Duncker, Albert the Bear and
Queen Louise lived in this historical area. Numerous manors,
garden monuments and over 30 museums tell of their life
and work. Was it the beauty of the palaces, parks and gardens
that drew them to Havelland, the way Theodor Fontane also
crossed Havelland on his literary journeys through the Mark
of Brandenburg?
“M
odern-day nomads” travel by bicycle or—more comfortably—by car. To the Caputh Palace on Lake Schwielow,
to Luise’s palace “Still-im-Land” in Paretz or to the evidence
of the Mark’s landed gentry, the von Bredows, von Rochows
or von Ribbeck.
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ait! No one goes to Ribbeck today only for the pear.
This is of course part of every excursion, as is the
nearby Ribbeck Palace. The palace, built in 1893 in a Neo-Bar­
oque style, was taken over a few years ago by the Havelland
administrative district and renovated with considerable investment. It houses a well-equipped Fontane Museum—and
since recently a Bösendorfer grand piano.
Ribbeck Palace—renovated in accordance with official conser­
vation practice and rebuilt into a cultural tourism center.
Havelland Music Festival
he piano was selected by Frank Wasser and Prof. Georg
Sava in Vienna; together with Silvia and Wolfgang Klatt
from the Berlin piano store that bears their name. In July,
the Bösendorfer celebrated its premiere concert with a song
recital by soprano Ute Beckert, sensitively accompanied by
Frank Wasser.
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F
rank Wasser is not only an internationally renowned pianist, he is also founder and head of the Havelland Festival,
which he also founded. Havelland distinguishes itself from
the many music festivals by its quite original charm: for the
past nine years, Havelland’s
palaces have opened their
historic salons to music and
literature. Piano concerts, orchestras and soloists, harps,
violins and guitars. A bit of
jazz, a few readings, and old
Berlin chansons. In its variety, the Havelland Festival is
hardly surpassed. Amongst
Havelland residents and their Frank Wasser—successful pi­
guests (above all those from anist and cultural manager.
nearby Berlin) it is highly
popular: experien­cing special musical enjoyment in a special
place guarantees sold-out halls.
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his year marks the first time concerts also took place in
Ribbeck Palace. In October, French pianist Bertrand Giraud
gave tremendous interpretations of Liszt, Brahms and Schubert in the palace hall “on a wonderfully tender-sounding
Bösendorfer grand,” as the Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung
later reported.
Sorin Creciun thrilled the audience on the Bösendorfer grand.
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oon thereafter, the new regular guest to Ribbeck Palace
was able to demonstrate his brilliance and color palette
anew: in November, the Havelland Music Festival invited
young pianists to the third International Piano Competition
in the palace hall. Among 23 participants who qualified for
the competition, Sorin Crecuin of Rumania won first prize.
The competition is distinguished by the high level of the
participants, and it is thus no wonder that every seat in the
palace hall was taken for the closing concert.
Rupert Löschnauer
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B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
Imperial Concert Halls
Five new Imperials expand the “Bösendorfer concert fleet” in China’s impressive venues.
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ince China has been displaying increasing interest in European classical music, more and more pianists from the
world’s most populous country are making themselves heard.
Less surprising is that the People’s Republic is experiencing
increasing demand for pianos of the highest quality. Thanks
to the delivery of five additional Imperial concert grands by
Bösendorfer partner Yan Shi, the colorful, touching Bösendorfer sound can now be heard in the Taizhou Grand Theater,
Huizhou Arts Center, Yantai Grand Theater, Chongqing Grand
Theater and in the Wuhan Qintai Arts Center as well.
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n November 4, the fifth Imperial experienced its premiere in the Wuhan Qintai Arts Center. The concert hall
management, professors from the Wuhan Conservatory, famous artists from Wuhan’s musical circles as well as famous
personalities from politics, culture and economics all gathered in the concert hall of the large complex, which with six
floors reaches to over 37 meters in height.
The concert was performed by pianists Cheng Qian, Jing
Wen and Xiaoxiao Chou. Liping Jiang, head of the keyboard
department at the Wuhan Conservatory and who had already played the new Bösendorfer Imperial during the approval process, enthusiastically summed up his feelings:
“This Bösendorfer 290 grand has an outstanding quality. The
beautiful sound of the treble is clear and transparent, the
bass full and powerful. At the same time, its playability is very
pleasing. The piano worthily shows that Bösendorfer is now
the top instrument in the world.”
Simon Oss
The modern “Chamber Music Hall” is shaped in the form of a
“classic European shoe box,” popular throughout the world.
The Wuhan Qintai Arts Center
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Cheng Qian thrilled the audience with his sensitive playing on
the Imperial.
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Return of the “Emperor” Piano
Bösendorfer celebrates the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Austria and Japan.
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n 1869, Austria and Japan commenced their diplomatic
relations and the Austro-Hungarian monarchy donated a
Bösendorfer piano, designed specially for this historic event,
to the Japanese emperor. The so-called “Emperor” piano had
extraordinary wood- and gold-work containing putti and was
adorned by fantasy creatures inspired by Baroque art. Unfortunately, the piano went into hiding after being donated to
the Japanese emperor, but for the 175th anniversary of the L.
Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH, the company decided to reconstruct the piano based on extant paintings.
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or the celebrations of 140 years of diplomatic relations
between Austria and Japan, L. Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik
GmbH and Yamaha Corporation Bösendorfer Japan Group
brought the reconstructed Bösendorfer model 290, “Emperor” to Japan.
Several events have taken place this year to celebrate the
unique relationship between Austria and Japan, starting
with a press conference held by the Vienna Boys’ Choir at the
Austrian Embassy in Tokyo on April 22, 2009.
Further musical highlights included were a concert by
Bösendorfer Ring recipient Paul Badura-Skoda upon invitation of ambassador Dr. Jutta Stefan-Bastl, as well as a concert
by the Benny Goodman Orchestra at the Fujitsu Jazz Festival
in U-port Hall. Among the 1500 audience members were Mr.
Mitsuru Umemura, President of Yamaha Corporation, and Senior Director Mr. Hiroo Okabe.
Noriyuki Kon, Simon Oss
The Benny Goodman Orchestra at the Fujitsu Concord Jazz Fes­
tival (copyright Sawano Masaru).
Drawing of the original Bösendorfer “Emperor” grand piano.
The reconstructed “Emperor” piano was kindly provided by its
owner, Mr. Louis Spencer-Smith of Bösendorfer Las Vegas.
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B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
Interview: Gonzalo Rubalcaba
Remaining true to his roots
Cuban-born Rubalcaba is considered one of the world’s best jazz pianists. Herbie Hancock once
ennobled him with the words, “This is the sound of the 21st century.” In addition to spectacular
Cuban jazz-rock projects, the classical piano trio is among his great passions. And Rubalcaba
loves Bösendorfer pianos.
BÖSENDORFER: Mr. Rubalcaba, you were born in Havana, Cuba
and come from a highly musical family. Your father Guillermo
Rubalcaba is a pianist and your grandfather Jacobo Gonzales
Rubalcaba was a composer. Whose influence on the young, de­
veloping musician Gonzalo was more formative?
Gonzalo Rubalcaba: My grandfather realized a labor as a composer, marching conductor, and pedagogue that marked the
artistic dynamic of the beginning of the 20th century in the
most Western province of Cuba. The genre of Danzon, through
military bands, is probably what defined him and where he left
one of his important fingerprints. His deep sense of discipline
and musical study was not limited to music, for he applied
it inside the family with his children. Guillermo Rubalcaba,
my father is the youngest of 4 brothers. He became at a very
young age a very versatile musician, but it was definitely the
piano with which he felt the greatest freedom of expression.
Throughout the years (during 3 or 4 decades) he has evolved
the genre of classical Cuban music through Danzon, Bolero,
Cha Cha Cha, etc… with his constant ambition of understanding the new tendencies of how popular music is made in Cuba.
My childhood was perfumed, assisted, and watched over by all
who conformed my familiar environment and important professionals of Cuban music who had ties with my family.
BÖSENDORFER: Did you decide on a musical career early on?
Gonzalo Rubalcaba: I think so. I gave signs at a very young age
(between 4 or 5 years of age) of an intense interest and desire
to produce sounds through percussion.
BÖSENDORFER: You studied percussion, piano and composition
at the conservatory and later at the Havana Institute of Fine
Arts. Do you look back favorably upon this period? What knowl­
edge and experience(s) from these years have you taken with
you for your career in music?
Gonzalo Rubalcaba: The period of my specific musical formation was more than favorable, it was determining, for to this
day, I think that it was during this time that I received the theoretic and intellectual tools to create solid bases of the musician I am today. Even when the conceptual differences and
contradictions were marked between the classical teachings
and the dynamics of popular music, I modestly believe to have
counted with the most valuable of both worlds. One of the
most important lessons that I learned through my classical
formation was, and is, to not deny anything from the worlds
of music I was a part of and to find some common ground between them.
BÖSENDORFER: When and why did you decide on jazz as your
personal means of musical expression?
Playing the “sound of the 21st century”: Cuban-born Gonzalo
Rubalcaba.
| 10
Gonzalo Rubalcaba: I discovered around the age of 10 or 12
that in my house there existed old LPs that contained the music of jazz figures such as Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, West
Montgomery, Dizzy Gillespie, among others, and my attention
was captured by the sound that these bands and soloists pro-
duced. I felt that the barrier between preconceived music and
the improvisation of the individuals did not exist. But it was
not until between 12 or 13 years old when I discovered that
within my friends at school, there was a group of them who
were already very involved in what was jazz improvisation. I
perceived that what they played and did was full of an energy
that was due to our young spirit, as if this was what we were
supposed to be doing. I think this was the hook that made me
feel like I should be part of them.
BÖSENDORFER: You left Cuba in 1990, lived in the Dominican
Republic for six years and then settled in Florida. What effects
did this change have on your music, and does it continue to ex­
ert any effects?
Gonzalo Rubalcaba: The passage through Dominican Republic
and then the United States brought and still brings experiences and learning in almost every department of my life. There
is a constant necessity to understand everything and to discover the origin of that everything; a necessity to understand
the diction, the language, the behavior and the history of the
men and acts that define these nations and their interactions
with the world. As a professional of art, it is very important and
determining to know how a nation, its nationality, its identity
is composed, and this way I can live in it, embrace it, critique it,
and appreciate it having understood where one fits within it.
BÖSENDORFER: You’re a wonderful pianist. Why did you decide
on the piano as your instrument, in addition to percussion?
Gonzalo Rubalcaba: The piano was an obligated excuse to
comply with the required age to begin my studies in percussion. At first I had two options: piano or violin, and it was my
mom who oriented me to elect the piano. I began to study the
piano not without difficulty so this wasn’t exactly the instrument of my dream to study, and it wasn’t until three years
later that I fell in love with this precious instrument.
BÖSENDORFER: You like to play Bösendorfer pianos very much.
What do you especially like about our instruments?
Gonzalo Rubalcaba: Bösendorfer as a brand forms part of the
musical history created and developed in Europe, which then
affected the rest of the world. I am convinced that it is one
of the most serious piano creators who also have the most
constant evolution. These pianos offer the instrumentalist not
only the identity of Bösendorfer but also the opportunity for
the instrumentalist to find a variety of ways to produce the
sound, dynamic, and whatever other aesthetic qualities one
desires.
BÖSENDORFER: You perform mostly in groups—mostly trios or
quartets—as well as solo. What do you find fascinating about
“team work?”
Gonzalo Rubalcaba: Working in groups is fascinating and I
would say necessary, similar to the human need to socialize.
The group projects offer a mass of intelligence that allow dy-
He’s also a team player at home: Gonzalo Rubalcaba with his
children Yolanda (left), Joao (red t-shirt) and Joan (above), as
well as with his wife Maria.
namic recycling and refreshment of the information given by
each of the members of the group. But we can not forget that
for the previous to be possible, the conditions need to be fulfilled in different ways: spiritual, chemical, academic, psychological, social, cultural…
BÖSENDORFER: You also have a team of five at home. You’re hap­
pily married and have three eagerly maturing children. How do
you reconcile your many concerts with being a family father?
Gonzalo Rubalcaba: I have been married for 23 years, a marriage consummated after just two years of courtship. Maria’s
parents were involved with art and film. She was raised in an
intellectual and artistic environment and had musical preparation through 8 years of classical guitar material, which she
declined to pursue professionally. We have three children (Joao,
aged 19, Joan, 16 and Yolanda, 13 years old) who are definitely
our best reason to live, love and make better music. The three
have grown in an environment of artists and this influence remains to be seen but they do what they want with their lives.
Maria and I agree that the most important thing in life is to do
and be where and with whom we are happy.
The music career is definitely not static in one place, but I’ve
had a wife who has a high sense of family and education of
children and we had the support and help of my family. While
I may not be able to always be there with them physically, I try
to constantly stay in contact with them. When I am home, I interact with my family and make sure I fulfill all of their needs.
Marion Alexander, Mira Weihs, Rupert Löschnauer
11 |
A C A D E M Y
B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
Da capo Altenburg Music Academy!
An impressive Baroque monastery in Lower Austria is the venue for a particular summer
academy.
W
hen the church in the small village of Markt Aschbach
in Lower Austria was getting a new organ in the early
1980s, the young musician Robert Lehrbaumer was invited
to perform the opening concert. Since the organ succeeded
so admirably, the idea came about to found a summer academy dedicated to keyboard instruments. No sooner said than
done: in the summer of 1983, the Aschbach Music Academy
(AMA) celebrated its premiere with three courses and roughly
30 participants, under the artistic direction of Lehrbaumer.
T
he young academy offered a unique orientation towards
keyboard instruments: from the beginning participants
were convinced by its intensity of teaching, a family-like atmosphere and the highest quality—in addition to Lehrbaumer (piano), prominent artists also taught, among them Rudolf
Scholz (organ) and Isolde Ahlgrimm (harpsichord). Rapid success proved the organizers right. The number of students increased year over year and after five years they moved: in the
spirit of St. Benedict, who had established the medium of art
as part of his rules for monks, the monks of the Altenburg
monastery received the summer academy hospitably. The
“Aschbach” now became the “Altenburg Music Academy”—
the abbreviation “AMA” could be retained.
S
ince 1988, young virtuosos and finished interpreters from
around the world have met among the magnificent
domes with Paul Troger’s ceiling frescoes; in order to have
their playing perfected by recognized artists and teachers. In
addition, singing and guitar courses have been introduced,
which results not only in personalized training, but also unusual possibilities for musical combinations together with
the keyboard instruments. Meanwhile, there are also offerings for hobby musicians and children.
F
or the lessons (and the practice sessions) by the organizers, the historic monastery organ by Anton Pfliegler is
The Altenburg Monastery has housed the Altenburg Music
Academy since 1988.
available, among others. The pianists concertize, learn and
practice on the best pianos: Bösendorfer and Yamaha. “I got
to know and love the special Bösendorfer sound already as
a child. To this day playing on Bösendorfer pianos remains
a ‘homelike’ experience,” Robert Lehrbaumer, who has celebrated worldwide successes not only as a pianist but also
as an organist and conductor, reports. The artist values the
Bösendorfer grands’ “Brahmsian warmth” and their “orchestral, colorful sound.”
Orchestra for pianists
aybe it was also the orchestral Bösendorfer sounds
in Robert Lehrbaumer’s ear which inspired him to expand the Academy by a course with orchestra for pianists, in
partnership with his colleagues Robert Ward (Los Angeles)
and Min Kwon (New York)—a special course that is probably
rather unique in the world in its particular form. “The course
participants are familiarized with the specifics as well as differences in the interpretation of piano concertos by Haydn,
Mozart and Beethoven in lectures, master classes and individual instruction. Afterwards, each participant who already
has introduced him- or herself as a special talent or a mature
young pianist has the opportunity to perform as a soloist in
orchestral concerts in marvelous monasteries, castles and
palaces in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland. A memorable, intense and instructive experience for many pianists
of many different age groups and nationalities,” according to
Robert Lehrbaumer.
M
T
Straightforwardness, quality and individuality are the success­
ful cornerstones of the internationally highly respected sum­
mer academy. Founder and artistic director Robert Lehrbaumer
teaching young pianists.
| 12
he Altenburg Music Academy’s excellent reputation can
also be traced to the many artists of international fame
whom Lehrbaumer has brought to Altenburg. Among these
dignitaries are names such as Wolfgang Schneiderhan, Gott­
fried von Einem, Peter Planyavsky, Christa Ludwig, Walter
Berry, Renate Holm, Kurt Equiluz, Gabriele Sima and lldikó
Raimondi.
Rupert Löschnauer
N E W g e n e r at i o n
CS Grands: The New Generation
Those wishing to learn their craft properly should work with the best available tool straight
from the beginning: in addition to the commitment to the highest musical quality, the responsibility to young, up-and-coming musicians is very dear to us. We developed the Conservatory Series (CS) for them, making low-priced entry into the Bösendorfer product range
possible.
M
anufacturing an optimal and affordable instrumental
tool was the “simple” demand on the development
team while planning and realizing the CS grands.
Special attention was given to all materials and production steps relevant to sound: playability, the action and sound
quality were not permitted to be influenced in any way by
any design simplifications.
Crafted with the greatest care
he Bösendorfer Conservatory Series grands go through
the full manufacturing process; in this respect they are
no different from the standard models. Not until the end is a
CS piano recognizable as such, via its special semi-gloss black
finish and the different designs of individual case parts:
T
• The lid profile is slightly rounded.
• The music rack is open-worked six times.
• The leg tops are beveled (as opposed to the standard models’ curved shape).
• The key-rail is beveled.
• The lock-escutcheon is painted black (which matches the
surface finish).
Ernst Weichselbraun
The new generation of the Conservatory Series
Four different model sizes to choose from
he Conservatory Series grand pianos are available especially for music education and to facilitate educational institutions’ entry into the Bösendorfer sound world. They can,
of course, also be acquired by friends and lovers of high-quality instruments, especially those among them who are considering purchasing a Bösendorfer grand for the first time.
Model sizes (lengths) of 170, 185, 200 and 214 cm (each with
a width of 151 cm) are available.
T
T
he CS grands are manufactured at the Bösendorfer factory by our trained employees of many years, in parallel
with the standard models and at the very highest quality.
From the bronze-colored cast iron frame with the screwed
capodaster (which ensures original sound over generations)
through to the resonance case principle, which treats the
entire instrument as a resonating body; from a high-quality
soundboard made of carefully selected mountain spruce
(tonewood) to the single stringing (for holding the tuning for
as long as possible), all the way to the proven Bösendorfer action and keyboard: every CS grand is a genuine Bösendorfer!
“Many of my best and most motivated students grew up with
a Bösendofer. It imparts that inspiration, that energy, life-long
joy in playing and stimulates an especially personal
creativity.”
Paul Badura-Skoda, Bösendorfer Ring recipient
13 |
F A C T O R Y
B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
The Touching Sound—Part 3
The Resonance Case Principle
In the first part of the series “The Touching Sound,” the extraction and initial processing of
tonewood was thematized; in the second part the “anatomy” of the grand piano’s primary
components and the special construction and processing into tonewood, up to gluing the outer rim were described. Building on the first two articles of the series, I dedicate the third part
to the soundboard—the heart of the resonating case.
T
he soundboard is of course an essential component of
every grand or upright piano. Nonetheless, there are
differences in construction design and manufacturing, depending on the different construction principles (resonance
case principle vs. the concept of laminated rim construction), which can be serious and which need to be adjusted
to the total concept in either case. The specific work procedures and dimensions have been handed down and refined
over generations.
W
hat is the actual function of the soundboard? From
an acoustical/physical perspective, the soundboard is
a passive resonator or acoustic radiator. This means that it
is activated by external influence and induced to vibrate. Its
primary task is to amplify the vibrations of the strings and
thus make them audible by creating sound waves in the
surrounding air. When the hammer head strikes a string,
the soundboard creates these vibrations, since once taken
out of its resting position it continues to vibrate due to the
repercussive energies, that is, elasticity and gravity. When
the sound waves impact other bodies, these bodies can
be made to vibrate and resonate sympathetically; they are
brought into vibration by the transfer of string vibration to
the soundboard. Due to the vibrations of the soundboard,
primarily those strings for which the fundamental or a par-
tial agrees with the vibrating frequency of the initial vibration, are likewise made to vibrate. Even the human voice can
cause the string assembly to vibrate, which is then further
amplified via the soundboard. If, for example, one were to
sing or speak loudly into a grand piano with raised dampers,
the strings will be excited and vibrate in sympathy.
The significance of the material for the soundboard
he reason why spruce tonewood is better suited than
any other available material for the soundboard lies in
the specific properties of this wood. The ratio of radiation
absorbability to loss absorbability is nowhere near as favorably pronounced with any other material. The loss absorbability is exceptionally low, which is synonymous with fast
and low-loss sound conductivity and a low inner friction
loss. At the same time, the radiation absorbability is very
high, which results in a high frictional resistance with regard to surrounding air; sound waves can thereby be optimally generated.
T
T
he transfer of string vibrations to the soundboard occurs via the soundboard bridges. The pressure exerted
on the bridge and the soundboard by the taut strings plays
a decisive role. For optimal, lossless transfer, the string pressure needs to be great enough; however, it may only be so
high as to not limit optimal vibration and freedom of movement of the soundboard. The soundboard is therefore provided with a convex curve which is primarily achieved by
the ribs on its underside. Producing this balance between
pressure and vibration ability optimally is the high art in
piano building. “The soundboard must be in an elastically
taut condition” has been cryptically passed down from previous generations of piano builders.
T
The ribs of Bösendorfer instruments are rounded on the glue
side. This design optimally supports the soundboard’s curva­
ture.
| 14
he Bösendorfer soundboard is produced from the
highest-quality Central European mountain spruce.
The boards, sawed into quarters, need to exhibit a very
tight grain structure, fully straight growth and total freedom from branches in order to be suitable for producing
the soundboard. The ribs are manufactured from the same
selective material. The special molding of the ribs guarantees the soundboard’s stability over many years. The ribs of
Bösendorfer instruments are rounded on the glue side. This
design optimally supports the soundboard’s curvature and
guarantees sufficient string pressure over generations to
come.
The so-called “Druck richten”—the setting of the bridge height and the angle of the supporting area of the strings.
H
aving to exchange a soundboard due to insufficient
curvature virtually never happens with a Bösendorfer
instrument—even if the piano has already been played for
a hundred years. The strength of the soundboard is variably
formed in order to guarantee a maximum of resonance and
vibration ability.
Bass strings all the way to subcontra C (12 Hz)
nother thing that distinguishes a good soundboard is
that it exhibits an even resonance range for vibrating
strings between 27 and 6000 Hz. With the Imperial model,
A
the resonance range extends even deeper due to the additional bass strings, reaching all the way to subcontra C
(12 Hz). The notched rib ends are fitted into the soundboard
base by hand.
T
he treble bridge and bass bridge are manufactured from
solid maple wood, which likewise displays vertical grain
structure due to its special cutting. In the uppermost treble
section, an additional bridge cap made of hornbeam is inserted. The bridges’ glued side is fitted precisely to the curvature of the soundboard. The so-called “Druck richten”—the
setting of the bridge height and the angle of the supporting
area of the strings—and the bridge notching are performed
by hand with the greatest possible precision.
T
he enormous number of different factors which influence the sound of a grand piano is directly proportional
to specific demands with regard to construction and the
operational procedures of constructing the soundboard. A
comprehensive mathematical computational model can
therefore not be drawn on for developing a soundboard. Science of course offers us significant assistance in the areas
of acoustics, mathematics and analytical methods, yet in
the end, experiential knowledge and a certain “feel” on the
part of the instrument builder are irreplaceable.
Ferdinand Bräu, Technical Director
The bridge notching is performed by hand with the greatest
possible precision.
15 |
competitions
B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
Alexander Schimpf Wins 2009
Beethoven Piano Competition
“Never has a musician known more and experienced more of the harmony of the spheres, the
accord of Nature, than Beethoven.” (Wilhelm Furtwängler)
S
ince 1961, the University of Music and Performing Arts
in Vienna has invited pianists of all nations between the
ages of 17 and 32 to gauge their musical powers—exclusively
with Beethoven. The Beethoven Piano Competition, which
takes place every four years, is the oldest international music competition in Austria. Not only international fame is
competed for—a brand-new Bösendorfer grand piano model
200, which the prizewinner traditionally has the privilege of
bringing home, is also up for grabs.
The artistic esteem of performing musicians is determined
to a high degree by the quality of their Beethoven interpretations. With the ongoing organization of the Beethoven Piano
Competition in Vienna, the young generation of pianists is
regularly called upon to prove themselves in this demanding
artistic discipline.
The list of prizewinners to date includes famous names
such as Mitsuko Uchida, John O’Conor, Jasminka Stankul, Stefan Vladar, Oliver Kern and Herbert Schuch.
The 13th International Beethoven Piano Competition has finished
applicants from 40 countries lined up for the
2009 preselection rounds in Tokyo, New York, Paris,
London, Bonn, Berlin and Vienna for the 13th International
Beethoven Competition in Vienna. 36 “contenders” qualified
for the final selection concerts in Vienna in June. Finally, the
three top pianists battled it out in the finale, which took place
in the Great Hall of the Vienna Musikverein and was accompanied by the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted
by Stefan Vladar, to date the only Austrian prizewinner of this
competition, to win the jury’s favor and the victory wreath.
With a sentimentally balanced interpretation of Beet­
hoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37, and great
virtuosity, German pianist Alexander Schimpf secured first
place and thereby (in addition to prize money of 7500 euros)
the prize(d) piano donated by the Bösendorfer company, a
Bösendorfer model 200 grand. Third prized was shared ex aequo between Ji-Hoon Jun and Chi Ho Han, both born in Seoul,
South Korea.
139
A worthy victor
he renowned cultural critic Karl Löbl wrote on the occasion: “With the C minor Concerto, Alexander Schimpf offered the most interesting, personal, mature interpretation
and in dialog with the orchestra was capable of seducing it to
create a nuanced sound. In the C major Concerto, Chi Ho Han
demonstrated the highest manual gifts and a secure instinct
for buildup and effect. Both proved in the slow movements
how intimately a Bösendorfer piano can sing” (ÖSTERREICH).
T
| 16
Alexander Schimpf was born in Göttingen, where he started
playing the piano at the age of eight. Over the course of his
training, important teachers were Wolfgang Manz (Hannover) and Winfried Apel (Dresden); in 2003 he continued his
studies under Bernd Glemser at the Würzburg University of
Music and graduated in 2009 with a master class diploma. In
addition, he received decisive stimulation from the French pianist Cécile Ousset, as well as in international master classes
by teachers including Klaus Hellwig and Andrea Lucchesini.
C
ompetition diplomas and special prizes were awarded,
in order, to Christian Chamorel (Schweiz), Yi-Chih Lu (Taiwan), Yusuke Kikuchi (Japan), Amir Tebenikhin (Kazakhstan),
Sheng-Yuan Kuan (Taiwan), Andreas Donat (Austria), Anna
Magdalena Kokits (Austria), Christopher Devine (Great Britain) and Clemens Berg (Germany).
The performances of all participants in the 13th International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna were—very much
to the delight of the international high-caliber jury and the
presenter—on an exceptionally high level.
Alexander Schimpf—the radiant winner of the 2009 Beethoven
Piano Competition in Vienna. Lower left: Only 17 years old: Chi
Ho Han was the “nestling” of the Beethoven Competition. He
passed a tremendous test of talent in the Musikverein. Lower
right: South Korea musically stormed the “musical fortress”, Eu­
rope. Even if it wasn’t quite enough for Ji-Hoon Jun: only three
musicians remained in the finale and he was one of them.
Competitions
“Wall Street of Voices”
The International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition is among the most renowned
and largest voice competitions in the world and offers young talents the opportunity to develop international contacts for their future careers. The preselection rounds take place in roughly
50 cities on all continents.
S
ince the beginning of his artistic career, Hans Gabor,
founder and for many years head of the Vienna Chamber Opera, has been preoccupied with the discovery and promotion of young vocal talents. Many a later opera star first
entered the spotlight under his direction, which meant the
world to the singers. From these efforts arose the successful
concept of a singing competition, the beginnings of which
extend back to the year 1982.
In the nearly thirty years of its existence, a special sort of
international jury has turned the International Hans Gabor
Belvedere Singing Competition into a “Wall Street of Voices”:
not academic educators, but rather those experts who are
responsible for implementation in practice, judge the talent and maturity of the singers: opera and festival directors,
music presenters, as well as representatives from the media
industry. Representatives of artists’ agencies are also invited
as onlookers.
In 1988 the competition, which had previously been reserved for opera, was expanded by the operetta category.
3000 competition participants
t was thus no surprise that again in 2009, 3000 young singers auditioned, among whom 158 were able to qualify for the
main competition in Vienna’s Chamber Opera. The grand finale
took place in an adequate ambiance: the ballroom of Vienna’s
City Hall was (again) the site for the vocal contest of the 16 “hottest young stocks” of the largest singer exchange in the world.
Late on the final evening, South African soprano Pretty Yende
said goodbye to Vienna’s City Hall and the accompanying in-
I
The radiant winners of the 28th Hans Gabor Singing Competi­
tion, from left to right: Sean Panikkar (USA, 2nd prize, operetta),
Claudia Boyle (Ireland, 3rd prize, operetta), Pretty Yende (South
Africa, 1st prize, opera & operetta), Maria Porubcinova (Slovakia,
3rd prize, opera), Markus Appelt (Germany, winner of the Staet­
shuys Antik Prize Amsterdam in accompaniment), Gaston Riv­
ero (USA, 2nd prize, opera).
strument, which is traditionally a Bösendorfer grand piano, her
voice crowned with the first prize. The dazzling soprano was
crowned the best in both categories, opera and operetta.
S
o that the accompanists are also able to breathe competition air, in 2000 the Hans Gabor Singing Competition was
expanded by a competition for lied accompanists. This competition takes place exclusively on Bösendorfer pianos and is split
into two prize categories: the Staetshuys Antik Prize Amsterdam, endowed by Jan Meulendijks and Bart Schuil, which was
awarded this year to German pianist Markus Appelt; the pianist
Annemarie Herfurth brought this and 1000 euros likewise back
to Germany.
A
Vienna’s City Hall with its imposing ballroom was once again
the site of the vocal contest this year.
s you read these lines, the preparations for the 29th International Hans Gabor Singing Competition in 2010 have
already begun. Registration is possible starting in mid-January.
The preselection rounds will take place between February and
June. For further information, please visit:
www.boesendorfer.com/de/Hans-Gabor-BelvedereWettbewerb.html
Rupert Löschnauer
17 |
competitions
B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
In Anton Rubinstein’s Shoes
180 years ago, on November 28, 1829, Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein was born in Vykhvatinets,
a small town in the then-Russian governorate of Podolia. As a highly gifted nine-year-old he
gave his first public concert in Moscow.
I
n 1842, the child prodigy came to Vienna for the first time
and played two concerts in the renowned Musikverein, the
second one on a Bösendorfer piano. The concert’s great success led to the breakthrough of the young Bösendorfer factory’s instruments on the concert stage as well as to a lifelong
friendship between Anton Rubinstein and the Bösendorfer
company.
Anton Rubinstein was a driving force in the music world
during his lifetime, as a pianist, composer and founder of the
St. Petersburg Conservatory. In 1890 he founded a competition
for piano and composition, which he named after himself.
Among the winners of the Rubinstein Competition are
pianists who would go on to become famous, including Ferruccio Busoni (composition), Nikolai Medtner (piano), Edwin
Fischer (piano) and Wilhelm Backhaus (piano), who in 1953
became the first pianist to be awarded the newly created
Bösendorfer Ring, which could be worn for life.
Anton Rubinstein Piano Competition in Dresden
he “Forum Tiberius” in Dresden, which aims to give new
impetus to the dialog between culture and enterprise,
picked up on Anton Rubinstein’s idea of a competition again
in 2003. Here, in the Saxon capital, the great artist spent the
final years of his life.
The new Anton G. Rubinstein Piano Competition is distinguished, like its historical model, by its international scope
and high quality. Like its model, its goal is to promote up-andcoming young musicians. And the presenters are achieving
their goal with increasing success. 100 young musicians
had auditioned for the 2009 Anton Rubinstein Piano Competition. The best 15 among them were invited to Germany
in early autumn for the selection rounds at the Hochschule
T
One of the most beautiful opera houses in the world, the Sem­
peroper in Dresden, was the stage for the finalists of the 4th In­
ternational Anton Rubinstein Piano Competition.
| 18
für Musik Carl Maria von Weber in Dresden. According to the
jury, the level of the applicants’ interpretations was the highest since the competition’s founding.
The high level of technical ability and artistic interpretation was stepped up once again during the semifinal rounds
on October 1 and 2, very much to the delight of the competition director and general manager of the Bremen Theater,
Hans Joachim Frey, as well as the artistic director, Prof. Arkadi
Zenzipér, and the first-rate jury. The jury was spoilt for choice
in selecting the three finalists.
Grand finale in the Semperoper
n German Unity Day (October 3), the three finalists selected by the top-class jury competed for the crown. In
one of the world’s most beautiful opera houses, the Semperoper. On one of the best pianos in the world, the Bösendorfer
Imperial, with its sheer size and fully eight-octave compass
the Viennese piano manufacturer’s flagship, unexcelled in
sonority and tone color. The Klavierhaus Weber had provided
the Bösendorfer and prepared it exemplarily. In the end, the
laurel wreath (including 8000 euros of prize money) went
to a German by choice of Ukrainian descent: Alexej ­Gorlatch
made it to the top of the jury’s ranking with a powerful interpretation of Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto in E-flat
Major, Op. 73—also called the “Emperor” Concerto—thereby
seizing the “emperor’s crown” in Dresden. His technique was
tremendous, his musicality great.
Second prize went to German pianist Maria Derevyagina
that evening. Hyun-II Seo from South Korea was honored
with the third prize.
Rupert Löschnauer
O
Above: Alexei Gorlatch during his grand “Emperor” Concerto.
Below: The prizes are awarded. A smile for the photographers.
C
E
U
CEUS is Unique
Bösendorfer’s CEUS reproducing piano system represents a new dimension in recording and
playback with playing, practicing or concerts on a grand piano.
I
f you hear terms such as circuit board, capacitor, sensor or
solenoid, you think of mass production and machine assembly, not necessarily of individuality and craftsmanship.
That a high-tech product in a fast-moving, impersonal time
geared to mass production can also be a unique specimen
developed with love of detail and hand-built is not a contradiction in terms. This fact is demonstrated by CEUS, the
self-playing system by Bösendorfer, made in an exclusive
and beautiful special model “Vienna,” into which the reproducing system by the Viennese piano factory was recently
integrated. Yet not only the special model Vienna, but rather
all seven Bösendorfer grand piano sizes (as standard or special models) in its product range can be equipped with this
system, even as a retrofit. CEUS stands for “Create Emotions
with Unique Sound” and represents the exceptional creativity of the Bösendorfer employees, primarily implemented via
collaboration with the TVE Electronic Systems company, the
Institute of Control Engineering of the Vienna University of
Technology and the OFAI (Austrian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence) as well as the University of Vienna’s Institute of Musicology. A scientific study by OFAI revealed that
the difference between “mechanical” and “human” interpretation of a musical work lies primarily in the precision of the
time of attack, the exact moment the hammer head touches
the piano string.
Authentic interpretations
hanks to this collaboration, Bösendorfer’s goal—of developing a reproducing system whose recording and playback quality is dependent on the moment of attack as well
as its force—could be realized. The quality is so incredibly
high that the emotional depth of the interpretations can be
authentically reproduced. The movement of the grand piano
action is thereby recorded by the reproducing system. During
playback, the sound of the musical work previously recorded
on the Bösendorfer grand is reproduced—without limitations—by the Bösendorfer grand. And nothing reproduces
piano music more authentically than the piano itself.
T
F
or the pianist, a piano with a built-in CEUS system means,
first and foremost, an expansion of artistic possibilities, as
precise recording and playback of one’s own performance becomes possible. During playback of the previously recorded
piece, the Bösendorfer’s keys and pedals move of their own
accord, in accordance with the pianist’s touch. An incomparable “live” sonic and optical experience thus arises.
By experiencing the playback live, the artist is able to draw
inferences from his or her interpretation of a work. It is now
possible for pianists to carry out a commensurate analysis
of their performance in order to implement any possible
improvements in their playing. Moreover, pianists can experience themselves from the audience’s perspective. From
Special model Vienna with built-in CEUS reproducing system.
The overall appearance remains unchanged.
the “concertgoer’s” view, musicians can now internalize the
“sound” of their playing and make an aural image of how
their interpretation of a piano piece sounds to music lovers
in the “concert hall.” And these are only some of the many
features of the CEUS system.
Vienna CEUS model
ith this special model, Bösendorfer especially succeeded in combining the Viennese piano company’s outstanding craftsmanship with the customer’s ideas as to the
integrity of the Bösendorfer grand’s exterior appearance.
Amongst other things, the brass buttons, which in addition
to the piano keys serve to control the system, were so inconspicuously integrated into the design that the layout of the
extravagant inlay work, done by hand, was not compromised
in any way.
For further details, please visit www.boesendorfer.com
W
Dieter Autengruber
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D o w n t o w n
B Ö S E N D O R F E R – The magazine by Bösendorfer Austria
Bösendorfer Downtown
The competence center for piano fans right in the heart of Vienna
L
ocated in an important music-historical venue—Vienna’s
Musikverein—since 1913 is the representative office of
our piano company. Bösendorfer Downtown is a paradise for
piano lovers who wish to get to know the uniqueness of an
instrument built by the Bösendorfer company.
At Bösendorfer Downtown, our staff would be happy to
answer any questions you may have concerning our instruments. Whether you’re looking for a lower-priced entry-level
model or a concert grand—at Bösendorfer Downtown you’ll
be optimally attended to. In addition to instruments by the
Bösendorfer company, you’ll also find interesting uprights
and grands by other European brands in all price categories.
Artist studios & events
n addition to the instruments on display, artist studios for
hours of practicing can be rented in the historical building
behind the Hotel Imperial. The Salon Studio is equipped with
two concert grands—an Imperial model and a model 280—
while the small studio contains a grand piano model 170. The
Salon Studio also offers sufficient space for chamber music
ensembles or singers who wish to rehearse new parts with
an accompanist. The facilities are also well-suited for master
classes. In addition to its role as a sales showroom, Bösendorfer Downtown offers a beautiful venue for exclusive presentations for up to 45 people.
I
Since its founding, Bösendorfer Downtown has been the heart
of the Bösendorfer world.
Bösendorfer Downtown, Bösendorferstraße 12, 1010 Vienna,
(Canovagasse entrance), Tel. +43 / 1 / 505 35 18-0
Opening hours:
Monday – Friday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM / 2:00 – 6:00 PM
or by appointment
For questions regarding Bösendorfer Downtown as well
as any general questions (service, international sales),
please email: [email protected]
Bösendorfer Downtown—the competence center for
piano fans:
• Professional piano sales at the best price/performance
ratio
• Information on the instruments
• Support by the Bösendorfer concert technicians’
excellent service team
• Organization of tours of our factory
• Reservation of artist studios
• Information on Vienna’s cultural life
www.boesendorfer.com/en/downtown.html
SENDER: L. Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH · Bösendorferstraße 12 · A-1010 Wien
Postage paid. Publisher’s post office: 1010 Vienna
The Vienna Musikverein, famous throughout the world for the
Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concerts
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