Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Just got back from Vienna... and boy are my arms tired!

How about a few last cool pics??

There is a collection of historic armor that ranges from simple breastplates to full suits of gold encrusted mail for ceromonial use.




Also, we took the regional train out to Danube and went through the gardens there. Here is the Danube Tower, which has a restaurant at the top and I am pretty sure part of it rotates.





The view from the tower was cool. Here is the Blue Danube and the surruonding village:





And some of the gardens:

Enough of the pictures and travelogue, where are the Austrian Chocolates you promised me????

Thanks Rich. I'm hopeful that the Yamaha-Boesendorfer tie-up will secure the long-term viability of Boesendorfer. I still have wonderful memories of the ravishing Imperial I used to occasionally play on when at university.

Rich, thanks for the pics, you certainly did not waste your time there..

It is beautiful to see that Boesendorfer seem not to lose anything of its features with the new bosses.

but the big question is just how "blue" is the Blue Danube!

Great pic's, Rich! Thanks for sharing. I'll most likely never be able to travel to places like that so the pictures are a great substitute to the real thing!

Best regards,

Rickster

Hey Rich

The factory just called...seems they're missing a couple "items"...they said you'd know what they were talking about.

Just curious, how DID you get that set of wood chisels and the spruce log on the plane??

Really great photos, Rich. Thank you for sharing!

Great pics, Rich! I've been to Vienna a couple of times, but sure didn't see as much as you did!

The Bosie factory sounds amazing.

Joe,

The factory WAS amazing. Frankly, because of the work that we do here in Philly to Bosies, it was nothing new... until I met the people and found how dedicated and passionate they were.

BoseEric said:


Well, once I cut it down to easily concealed slices, the log was easy to sneak out.

Great post and fabulous pictures - cheers Rich - sounded like a wonderful trip!

Rich is right:

People working in European factories take great pride in what they are doing: often these trades are handed down from one generation to another.

This is what makes European pianos so unique: they represent history, art and a very special kind of identity.

It puts into perspective the world we live in in North America and are often made to believe in: there's always the elusive "best" - the all important Nr.1 - next someone else with tag Nr. 2 - Nr.3 - and so on.

Thanks God, pianos are not like football, baseball or ice hockey games.

Not even soccer....

Piano are made for *people* - like you and me...

Norbert

Rich, thanks so much for sharing this trip with us in pictures!

Thanks, Rich, for taking the time to post up these pictures. I really enjoyed them!

Pictures, shmictures....where are the trip trinkets that you promised me???

Hi Norbert.

I had a recent conversation with a Bluthner exec. He made a comment about fine pianos being fine art which only the very fortunate few can afford. I believe that he is right. Many people enjoy the fine art. Only a few are able to afford fine art, and most people enjoy the fine art which the wealthy few donate to museums for the public.

With pianos, again, just a few people are donating money to the fine music halls so the public can enjoy the accomplished pianists performing on wonderful and expensive pianos.

At least with pianos, any good pianists can go to a fine piano store and play and enjoy the very best artistic grands and uprights. So thank you Norbert and Rich for allowing many people to come to your stores and enjoy fine art pianos.

That is an interesting perspective.
Other than the cabinetry, I would argue that a piano is more analagous to a painter's brush, paints and canvas rather than whatever they are used to create.

I happen to share this sentiment.

Pianos, at least for me, are more tools to *create the art* rather than the art itself.

Beethoven and Mozart are remembered - but much less the instruments these guys were using....

But it's also nice to have sometimes the "other perspective"

We all have to have dreams and some romance in life....

Norbert

Thanks for the pics and the story, Rich.

My wife is pressuring me to go to Europe now that it's no longer affordable for just about any American, and she wants Italy so if I can't make it to Wien, maybe I can at least make the Fazioli factory and offices. Although unlike here, you find out that entire countries are mere hours apart so maybe both.

I'd say relegating a Bosey Imperial down to the status of a mere painter's brush is a serious underestimation. Maybe a better analogy would be a play (music) and a theater (piano).

Well, I did say, brush, paints and canvas. I don't consider any of these things "mere".
However, perhaps your analogy really is better. But if the pianist ( actor ) is performing music ( a play ) on a piano ( theater? ) in a concert hall....err....isn't the concert hall the theater?

And, by the way, thanks Rich for sharing your trip with us.