Bösendorfer, Wr. Neustadt

Organ, clavichord and harpsichord - these keyboard instruments are, among others, the predecessors of the piano known to everyone today. With its 88 keys, the piano is the instrument with the greatest variety of tones. The white keys for the fundamental notes and the black keys for the semitones enable the pianist to exploit the full range of pitches and depths. Such an instrument therefore also requires a time-intensive production of several months to several years. HERZ News conducted an interview with Thomas Broukal, Technical Director at Bösendorfer, about the intricacies and challenges of piano manufacturing.

Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and many other timeless names are important composers for whom the piano has served as a great inspiration throughout the history of music. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, for example, began playing the piano at the age of 4. and composed his first piece when he was only 5 years old. It is not for nothing that he is called a child prodigy. Worldwide famous piano works of these and other composers are indispensable pieces of classical music.

Music and health - the Mozart effect

Playing the piano has special benefits for human health. The precise movement of the fingers, hands and arms promotes fine motor skills. Playing melodies and chords with both hands at the same time, as well as using the pedals, promotes pedals promotes coordination skills. In addition, memorizing notes, chords and pieces of music helps to strengthen memory and retention skills. Both playing the piano and music in general have a great impact on human health on a psychological and emotional level. Composers such as Mozart, Bach and Beethoven even use their masterpieces to improve people's spatial imagination and memory. This is called the Mozart effect.

The birth of the piano

Keyboard instruments have been around for several centuries. The organ, known as the "queen of keyboard instruments," is one of the earliest keyboard instruments in history, dating back to ancient times. Italian piano maker Bartolomeo Cristofori is considered one of the first pioneers of the piano, if not the developer. In 1698, he developed the instrument "Gravecembalo col piano e forte" which translates to "a harpsichord that can play loud and soft." The harpsichord produced notes by plucking the strings across the keys. This allowed for a smaller range of 4-5 octaves. In comparison, on the piano, the strings are struck with a hammer. The modern piano was born.

The tradition since 1828

In 1828 Ignaz Bösendorfer took over the piano workshop of his master Joseph Brodmann. His special gift and passion for music and art made his pianos unique. His ideas of sound were deeply influenced by Beethoven and shaped by the cultural environment of Vienna. His piano even survived the temperament of the famous pianist Franz Liszt, who was known, among other things, to have damaged some pianos due to his passion and intensity when playing.

The piano established itself as a standard piece of equipment in middle-class households in the 19th century. The instrument served as the only means of entertainment. Children received piano lessons and played the piano for guests, especially since social life took place in upper middle-class households until the revolution of 1848. Considering that at that time there were hardly the entertainment options known today, these and the concert halls were the best opportunity to get together.

Ignaz Bösendorfer and his son Ludwig, the later owner of Bösendorfer pianos, recognized the growing demand here and bought concert halls, which they equipped with Bösendorfer pianos. In this way, father and son succeeded in offering the citizens a comprehensive package of musical enjoyment and etched their name in history. From today's perspective, a great marketing concept.

Even though Bösendorfer changed hands and was sold several times over the years, the company tradition as well as unique quality remained intact. Today Yamaha is the parent company of the Austrian piano brand.

HERZ News: Bösendorfer has a very long company history of 195 years. How has it been possible to continue to maintain the old tradition?

Thomas Broukal: It all starts with the construction. Ignaz and Ludwig Bösendorfer were very creative minds and you never stop learning about what they used to do. We combine modern technology with old knowledge. For example, Bösendorfer was the first to use computer technology in the 80s. Today, we offer a self-player and a recording function on 5 models, where the action, i.e. the movement of the key, hammer and pedals, is stored and the piano then plays this back independently when the piece is played.

HERZ News: So do you combine tradition with modernity here in Wiener Neustadt?

Thomas Broukal: Exactly. Here the piano is made according to traditional and modern methods. We are an independent Austrian company with a Japanese mother. We develop, produce and decide here on site.

HERZ News: Bösendorfer pianos are seen by many as an investment. What makes Bösendorfer so special?

Thomas Broukal: The high percentage of handicraft work, as well as quality. 95% of the production is done by hand. Our pianos are custom made and are not standard products.

HERZ News: So the customer can have a piano produced exactly to his specifications?

Thomas Broukal: There is not much leeway in the acoustic setting, as this is clearly defined. Everything else, like the appearance of the piano, is decided by the customer and realized by us. The customer gives us his preferences for the veneer and the appearance of the piano. We receive a small bundle of veneer from our supplier and make samples in different color shades, which we send to the customer. Once the customer approves one of the samples, the piano is produced.

HERZ News: Accordingly, the production time is also I assume?

Thomas Broukal: Only the construction of the instrument takes 6 months if all parts are available and it is a classic black instrument. For special models, this period can be between 10 - 18 months. If you include the drying of the wood, we are talking about a few years.

HERZ News: Wood quality has a big impact on your products. Are they native woods that you use?

Thomas Broukal: We use about 80% spruce wood in the construction of our instruments, because spruce wood has the best sound conductivity among the wood species. The wood we source comes from the Austrian Alps and grows from 800_meters above sea level. At this altitude, the trees have uniform growth and therefore excellent quality. The wood is cut in winter so that the tree is not in sap. In order to preserve the exceptional cell structure of the spruce wood, we dry the wood gently in the open air, on average for 5-6 years to a wood moisture content of 12%. After that we store the wood again for at least 6 months in dry storage until it has a wood moisture content of 6-7%, at which point production can begin.

HERZ News: The production of your pianos also generates a corresponding amount of wood waste. So heating with HERZ firematic 301 T-Control was probably a good decision, wasn't it?

Thomas Broukal: Definitely. Although we already select the wood at the supplier, waste is naturally produced here as well. About 25% of the well-dried wood falls out here, which with the plant provides a cozy warmth for the employees. The efficiency of the boiler is indescribable. We consume 50% less heat energy than before. The bills are the best proof.

Bösendorfer is a monument of Austrian cultural history. HERZ News is filled with great joy and gratitude to report on the use of the HERZ Kessel as well as the opportunity to conduct an interview with Bösendorfer.

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