Nowy, Bosendorfer, 290 Imperial

Impressive sound, imposing presence



Vienna, 1909

The Italian composer, conductor and pianist Ferruccio Busoni meticulously transcribed the famous organ works of J.S. Bach. He soon realized that additional bass notes were necessary to imitate, in his transcriptions, the immersive sound of 16- to 32-foot organ pipes. Ludwig Bösendorfer accepted the challenge and in 1909 built the first prototype with an eight full-octave tonal range. Not only did Busoni appreciate the exceptional qualities of the — later created — Imperial concert grand, but the great composers Bartók, Debussy and Ravel also composed special works that make use of the enormous resonance of this instrument. These works can therefore only be played and interpreted properly when performed on an Imperial concert grand. Due to its extraordinarily expressive, singing and richly resonant tone, the Imperial grand offers an orchestral timbre. The additional bass notes resonate with every keystroke and the massive soundboard supports the reproduction of every frequency. Ludwig Bösendorfer’s Imperial still represents today the precious heritage of the Bösendorfer factory.

Impressive in sound, imposing in appearance.