Bosendorfers are amazing but a Steinway Mod. B sounds better ... That's a fact. The only real diference is that the Steinway has a warmer sound but the Bosendorfer has a faster return time on the keys. So, Mozart on the Bosendorfer and Chopin and Bach on the Steinway. It's all about personal taste but I strongly prefer a Steinway.
"That's a fact" how is "Sounds better" a fact? It's an opinion.
Also, you got it completely backwards. The Bosie is a low tension rim piano using block of spruce which is specifically designed to give warmer sound. Please, learn the real facts.
you can get 10000 people to listen Justin Bieber and Beattles and, likely, you get more people saying Bieber is better. That will not make "Bieber better than Bettles" a FACT. It's just an opinion. "That piano is black" and "The earths revolves around the sun" are FACTS.
Also," theBosies rims are made of low tensioned block of spruce" is a FACT, not a subjective opinion.
You want to discuss overrated, how about the New York Steinway.
As far as the quality of Steinways goes, the only ones I can personally testify about are the Model A (particulary the ones made in the late 20's) and the Model B (the ones made in the late 30's) ... the other variations are good quality Pianos but ONLY the two I mentioned compare favorably with the Bosendorfers.
My highly biased 'Opinion' is that the sound of the early Steinway Grands has never been exceeded.
So I am a beginning piano player - How many years does it take till I can play Hymn to Freedom like that? Should I just not even think about it :-) ???
Thanks for the inspiration Wil! I am practicing a few hours every day.
Wow!! I played that first song (hymn to freedom) my senior year of college from the oscar petereson transcriptions :) I think this guy does a nice rendition of it...
My mother is a piano teacher and owns a simply wonderful 1917 Bosendorfer - only 5' 10", but wonderful nonetheless. Indeed, one of her wealthier pupils came for his first lesson and loved it so much he went out and bought one of these ^ 10' monsters new for £61,000 - knocked the dealer down from 80,000. Said dealer shortly thereafter lost the Bosendorfer franchise for selling too many pianos on the cheap...
Hahah now that I think about it, it does seem a little much. It would've been better just to get the piano without the player piano system but my father who doesn't actually play piano wanted to listen to it while I was gone.
The Bösendorfer company is the oldest piano manufacturing company still going strong today, and was started in 1828 by Ignaz Bösendorfer. Yamaha actually owns Bösendorfer today.
This is true. However,Bosendorfer are continuing their wonderful tradition of handmaking their piano's so the quality of both brands will still differ,Bosendorfer being the superior of the two. Yamaha's are still very fine instruments though.I'm buying a C7 in the new year
Good for you! I have just recently bought a Yamaha C7 myself, and I do enjoy playing it a lot. I'm afraid that the Bosendorfer pianos are a bit too expensive for me.
Agreed. My teacher owns one and I play it obviously, it's worth around $200k AUS but honestly I'd say it's worth nearlly every cent. Incredible instrument
Ha Ha ha ha I had this same argument S/W Vs B/D with a great drummer friend of mine Cecil Ricca in Cape Town back in the 60s we never did agree on which one was best but thanks for the memory
Steinways are like a Strat and Bösendorfers are like Les Pauls. Both incredible instruments, but each offer something different. Bösendorfers have a darker, bassier tone, while Steinways are brighter. Plus, by comparing only those two brands, you miss out on other great manufacturers like Bechstein (which is even more different sounding).
the purpose of my comment was not to do a piano comparison. if i wanted to do that, and i don't, it would require far more time than i have or am willing to give. the reasons why i compared, and only in very brief those two brands, was because of a private message which i received about Steinways.
further, it is interesting that you write that Steinways are brighter. They do use complete actions bought in from Yamaha. One might therefore say, that Steinways sound similar to Yamahas - which they do. In which case i would buy a Yamaha and spend the rest on a medium sized boat. And if you want to make a Baldwin, or a Carl Bechstein which you mentioned, or a Bosendorfer sound 'bright', Spray the hammer heads with hairspray. Something which both Yamaha and Steinway do for a 'bright voice'.
@Renga488 - Donald Swann swore by his 1920s Bechstein which sounds GORGEOUS in the old Flanders & Swann recordings (and God knows Swann gave it no quarter, nowhere to hide any weaknesses). I can't get over just how cheap they are these days compared to equivalent Steinways and Bösendorfers!
No they don't. I've played a 9 foot 6 inch $250,000 new Imperial Bosendorfer in the showroom and there is no 'delay' at all. What does that even mean? A delay from the time you push the keys to the time you hear the notes? If any piano did that, no one would play them! I also own a Yamaha C7 7 foot 6 inch grand and there is no delay whatsoever.
Thanks for the posting - very sensitive playing and beautiful sound - have been you-tubing oscar peterson all morning and enjoyed your performance - looked like you were having fun
it would be hard to really compare this piano with a Steinway concert grand without playing the two side by side. every piano has subtle differences but this one was exceptional. the action was perfectly even throughout and the tone was bright. the extra keys at the bass end are pretty cool too.
Whilst the Steinway is undoubtedly a fine piano, the Bosendorfer is the undisputed Rolls Royce of pianos and that is very clearly demonstrated in the price difference. A Steinway D 9.0 feet concert grand costs around $140,000, and the Bosendorfer imperial 9.6 concert grand costs $180,000, new of course.
Yeah, according to the 08-09 supplement to the piano book, a steinway D in satin ebony is about $111,000 and a bosendorfer 290 in satin or polished ebony is about $190,000. Their artison version is about $280,000. A hamburg D is about $160,000. I've played a D and really want to play a 290 but I don't know where one is....
Bear in mind also that the Bosendorfer is much more of a hand built instrument. Steinway buy in their actions complete from guess who?
Yamaha.
so.. you choose. and as far as popularity goes, remember that Steinway's amazing marketing trick many, many years ago was to 'gift' a free concert grand to every major concert hall in the world. An incredibly costly exercise, but one that paid off.
@rolandatheola - FAR better. Steinways these days are mass-produced junk, a too-bright, tinny tone, lots of nasty buzzing resonances. There's the odd excellent one but, having been to their sales on a number of occasions, the majority are nothing special. A Bösendorfer, even an ordinary 6ft or so one, is a true work of art. Mine sounds richer and more mellow than this, but I suspect this one could use some toning work! Mine's also much older, built 1917. It's WONDERFUL: I love it!
the first piece is called "Hymn To Freedom" by Oscar Peterson but I'm really just improvising over the changes for the most part. I think there's music for this in a Peterson transcription book put out by Hal Leonard. The second piece is called "Echoes Of Spring" and is by Willie "The Lion" Smith. I've never seen sheet music for this piece but perhaps someone has trancribed it.
Beautiful
YouLoveAly 9 months ago
I frequent the Mises institute here in Auburn and have access to this piano more or less whenever I ask nicely ^_^
AlabamaIceman 1 year ago
Bosendorfers are amazing but a Steinway Mod. B sounds better ... That's a fact. The only real diference is that the Steinway has a warmer sound but the Bosendorfer has a faster return time on the keys. So, Mozart on the Bosendorfer and Chopin and Bach on the Steinway. It's all about personal taste but I strongly prefer a Steinway.
hammerogod 1 year ago
@hammerogod
"That's a fact" how is "Sounds better" a fact? It's an opinion.
Also, you got it completely backwards. The Bosie is a low tension rim piano using block of spruce which is specifically designed to give warmer sound. Please, learn the real facts.
robertoppenheimer 1 year ago
@robertoppenheimer
Get up off my ass!
All you did was post some 'Subjective' opinionology.
I suggest we get 100 'Objective' listeners and do a Double Blind survey on which Piano sounds better.
My money remains on the Steinway Mod B.
My comment about Bosendorfers being "Overrated" (on another Bosie worship Vid) stands too. (and that is more widely agreed upon than not).
Play Style makes or breaks most Pianos.
Reread my comment and perhaps you will get it.
hammerogod 1 year ago
@hammerogod
you can get 10000 people to listen Justin Bieber and Beattles and, likely, you get more people saying Bieber is better. That will not make "Bieber better than Bettles" a FACT. It's just an opinion. "That piano is black" and "The earths revolves around the sun" are FACTS.
Also," theBosies rims are made of low tensioned block of spruce" is a FACT, not a subjective opinion.
You want to discuss overrated, how about the New York Steinway.
Hamburg Steinways are fantastic however
robertoppenheimer 1 year ago
@robertoppenheimer
OK ... It WAS an 'Opinion; and not a 'Fact'.
As far as the quality of Steinways goes, the only ones I can personally testify about are the Model A (particulary the ones made in the late 20's) and the Model B (the ones made in the late 30's) ... the other variations are good quality Pianos but ONLY the two I mentioned compare favorably with the Bosendorfers.
My highly biased 'Opinion' is that the sound of the early Steinway Grands has never been exceeded.
hammerogod 1 year ago
i'm getting this piano in my school :D
Cheeellleee 1 year ago 2
That tone....
korlock3000 1 year ago
That bass is a beauty
gainweighttoday 1 year ago
i played on a bosendorfer once...it was amazing haha :D
vailmaster5 1 year ago
So I am a beginning piano player - How many years does it take till I can play Hymn to Freedom like that? Should I just not even think about it :-) ???
Thanks for the inspiration Wil! I am practicing a few hours every day.
EarTipper 1 year ago
The size of this grand's sound doesn't fit in the small room it's in. Great piano!
willowlax 2 years ago
I have two Bösendorfer
flashpadxxx 2 years ago
@flashpadxxx ahh you lucky bastard... lol
vailmaster5 1 year ago
@flashpadxxx - lucky bastard! =D
TheMysticalOrgan 1 week ago
I love Bosendorfers...they are the tops in pianos!
hotsickle 2 years ago 8
Wow!! I played that first song (hymn to freedom) my senior year of college from the oscar petereson transcriptions :) I think this guy does a nice rendition of it...
kuehling83 2 years ago
ur badass!
ReturnOfTheStienway 2 years ago
with that great piano and that great playing. you'll make a fortune :O
meixiu01 2 years ago
Oscar Peterson and Bosendorfer is a perferct comination!
What an instrument!!!
mchadud 2 years ago 2
My mother is a piano teacher and owns a simply wonderful 1917 Bosendorfer - only 5' 10", but wonderful nonetheless. Indeed, one of her wealthier pupils came for his first lesson and loved it so much he went out and bought one of these ^ 10' monsters new for £61,000 - knocked the dealer down from 80,000. Said dealer shortly thereafter lost the Bosendorfer franchise for selling too many pianos on the cheap...
EccentricRichard 3 years ago 4
No,I'm sorry, both pieces were taken from the recordings.
sargea1 3 years ago
Thank you so much.
You are a splendid pianist. Does not it release the CD?
luxaul 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Thank you so much.
You are a splendid pianist. Does not it release the CD?
luxaul 3 years ago
Please teach me a name of this music.
luxaul 3 years ago
The two tunes are in part: Hymn to Freedom, Oscar Petersen and Echoes of Spring Willie "the Lion" Smith
sargea1 3 years ago
thank you !!! (^v^)
luxaul 3 years ago
&sorry,do you have this seet music?
luxaul 3 years ago
Brilliant playing on an out of this world piano!!!
Jilly88888 3 years ago 10
Please teach a name of this music.
luxaul 3 years ago
so kauften Sie es?
ylju 3 years ago
How much does this beast cost?!?!?
GrandPatzer 3 years ago
$190,000
Spudeaux 3 years ago
Actually you can get it for less than that...we paid $160000 for ours including the CEUS system.
Boboua 3 years ago
omg you paid 160k for it:D that impossibly much:D
bcsab1 2 years ago
Hahah now that I think about it, it does seem a little much. It would've been better just to get the piano without the player piano system but my father who doesn't actually play piano wanted to listen to it while I was gone.
Boboua 2 years ago
The Bösendorfer company is the oldest piano manufacturing company still going strong today, and was started in 1828 by Ignaz Bösendorfer. Yamaha actually owns Bösendorfer today.
Klyaa 3 years ago
This is true. However,Bosendorfer are continuing their wonderful tradition of handmaking their piano's so the quality of both brands will still differ,Bosendorfer being the superior of the two. Yamaha's are still very fine instruments though.I'm buying a C7 in the new year
DJBozo01 3 years ago
Good for you! I have just recently bought a Yamaha C7 myself, and I do enjoy playing it a lot. I'm afraid that the Bosendorfer pianos are a bit too expensive for me.
Klyaa 3 years ago
Agreed. My teacher owns one and I play it obviously, it's worth around $200k AUS but honestly I'd say it's worth nearlly every cent. Incredible instrument
DJBozo01 3 years ago
:D im raleted to the creator/founder/inventor of bosendorfer piano's
jayboz1 3 years ago
Ha Ha ha ha I had this same argument S/W Vs B/D with a great drummer friend of mine Cecil Ricca in Cape Town back in the 60s we never did agree on which one was best but thanks for the memory
1960COB 3 years ago
a concert grand from steinway costs 127 thousand almost like a house. i was i nthe gallery
spike2133876 3 years ago
Steinways are like a Strat and Bösendorfers are like Les Pauls. Both incredible instruments, but each offer something different. Bösendorfers have a darker, bassier tone, while Steinways are brighter. Plus, by comparing only those two brands, you miss out on other great manufacturers like Bechstein (which is even more different sounding).
Renga488 3 years ago
the purpose of my comment was not to do a piano comparison. if i wanted to do that, and i don't, it would require far more time than i have or am willing to give. the reasons why i compared, and only in very brief those two brands, was because of a private message which i received about Steinways.
pianoplayeruk 3 years ago
further, it is interesting that you write that Steinways are brighter. They do use complete actions bought in from Yamaha. One might therefore say, that Steinways sound similar to Yamahas - which they do. In which case i would buy a Yamaha and spend the rest on a medium sized boat. And if you want to make a Baldwin, or a Carl Bechstein which you mentioned, or a Bosendorfer sound 'bright', Spray the hammer heads with hairspray. Something which both Yamaha and Steinway do for a 'bright voice'.
pianoplayeruk 3 years ago
@Renga488 - Donald Swann swore by his 1920s Bechstein which sounds GORGEOUS in the old Flanders & Swann recordings (and God knows Swann gave it no quarter, nowhere to hide any weaknesses). I can't get over just how cheap they are these days compared to equivalent Steinways and Bösendorfers!
TheMysticalOrgan 1 week ago
these pianos are so nuts that there is like a second or so of delay if u play one live. what u play and what they hear is off so slightly
fucking awesome i want one
yellowdart6666 3 years ago
What are you talking about? Large pianos do not mean that there is any delay; they are just as good as any other piano, large or small.
Klyaa 3 years ago
but see ive played one and yes they do that
yellowdart6666 3 years ago
No they don't. I've played a 9 foot 6 inch $250,000 new Imperial Bosendorfer in the showroom and there is no 'delay' at all. What does that even mean? A delay from the time you push the keys to the time you hear the notes? If any piano did that, no one would play them! I also own a Yamaha C7 7 foot 6 inch grand and there is no delay whatsoever.
Klyaa 3 years ago 2
Very great performance! Could we please hear complete versions of both pieces played by you?
I really like your way of playing them best and hope I will be able to play those pieces someday myself.
Thanks for posting this video!
imgonnafuckingkillya 3 years ago
steinway is to ipod as bosendorfer is to archos
mdeonx12 3 years ago
Hymn to Freedom never sounded so good. Fucking awesome; even better than the Carnival Inspiration (which aside from PS2 sucked ass).
And to whoever the goat raper is who hasn't given 5 stars to Wil's videos: I'd like to see some of your piano videos.
tednugentsghost 3 years ago
Nice.
homerboy488 3 years ago
Thanks for the posting - very sensitive playing and beautiful sound - have been you-tubing oscar peterson all morning and enjoyed your performance - looked like you were having fun
jonte251 3 years ago
This is a great recording. Great pianist. The piano sounds beautiful too.
Bosendorferdude 3 years ago
How does it compare to a Steinway?
rolandatheola 3 years ago
it would be hard to really compare this piano with a Steinway concert grand without playing the two side by side. every piano has subtle differences but this one was exceptional. the action was perfectly even throughout and the tone was bright. the extra keys at the bass end are pretty cool too.
sargea1 3 years ago
Whilst the Steinway is undoubtedly a fine piano, the Bosendorfer is the undisputed Rolls Royce of pianos and that is very clearly demonstrated in the price difference. A Steinway D 9.0 feet concert grand costs around $140,000, and the Bosendorfer imperial 9.6 concert grand costs $180,000, new of course.
pianoplayeruk 3 years ago
Yeah, according to the 08-09 supplement to the piano book, a steinway D in satin ebony is about $111,000 and a bosendorfer 290 in satin or polished ebony is about $190,000. Their artison version is about $280,000. A hamburg D is about $160,000. I've played a D and really want to play a 290 but I don't know where one is....
thevolslover 3 years ago
there is a 290 in the musikverrine (golden hall) in downtown vienna.
heavensomewhere 3 years ago
Hah, the next time I'm in Vienna, just dropping through, I'll be sure to check it out.
thevolslover 3 years ago
@heavensomewhere - which is the venue for which the Imperial was created!
TheMysticalOrgan 1 week ago
Bear in mind also that the Bosendorfer is much more of a hand built instrument. Steinway buy in their actions complete from guess who?
Yamaha.
so.. you choose. and as far as popularity goes, remember that Steinway's amazing marketing trick many, many years ago was to 'gift' a free concert grand to every major concert hall in the world. An incredibly costly exercise, but one that paid off.
pianoplayeruk 3 years ago
@rolandatheola
Subjective, but Bösendorfer is a lot more intricate than Steinway. I love them more than any other piano, save for Kawai and Shigeru Kawai.
dragonsagoth666 9 months ago
@dragonsagoth666 Intricate? What do you mean sir? Cheers
MrJackanthony 8 months ago
@rolandatheola People with Steinways trade theirs in for a Bosendorfer. I won't perform or record on anything but.
thrillscience 5 months ago
@rolandatheola - FAR better. Steinways these days are mass-produced junk, a too-bright, tinny tone, lots of nasty buzzing resonances. There's the odd excellent one but, having been to their sales on a number of occasions, the majority are nothing special. A Bösendorfer, even an ordinary 6ft or so one, is a true work of art. Mine sounds richer and more mellow than this, but I suspect this one could use some toning work! Mine's also much older, built 1917. It's WONDERFUL: I love it!
TheMysticalOrgan 1 week ago
Wow, fabulous playing and a fantastic piano!
keys1205 3 years ago 2
thanks. it was probably the best piano I've ever played so I decided it needed to be captured on video.
sargea1 3 years ago
Nice Playing and Piano. What is the piece you are playing is it by Randy Newman
Contrapunctus1 3 years ago
I want it!
IloveAlexisBledel689 3 years ago
the first piece is called "Hymn To Freedom" by Oscar Peterson but I'm really just improvising over the changes for the most part. I think there's music for this in a Peterson transcription book put out by Hal Leonard. The second piece is called "Echoes Of Spring" and is by Willie "The Lion" Smith. I've never seen sheet music for this piece but perhaps someone has trancribed it.
harrylegends 3 years ago
Hi! It´s amazing! Don´t you have sheets for thse pieces?
Centrotoma 3 years ago
Hey Wil great to hear you play, lovely touch and tone. Nice piano too, look forward to more of your stuff.
Leigh
jazztube 4 years ago