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Thanks for this information A443. As an admirer of Bösendorfer pianos I'm glad that production continues, and I do hope that Yamaha fully understands that they have to care for the unique tradition of this company.

This is not at all my understanding, but I'm checking the facts and will post again when I have them.

That was an exact quote from my dealer, as originally we went into the store hoping to buy a C1X.

Although it's annoying that either he was exaggerating (or worse) in the long run we are very happy with the C2X and would make the same choice again if we had to.

Interesting, and not at all what I was told by my dealer.

I am glad to hear the entire CX series is selling well though. Curious as to how the C2X sells in relation to the other smaller sizes?

The factory is already gone; I watched it come down myself. The pianos are now 100% made in the suburb of Wiener Neustadt. With the train/bus connects, it would take visiting artists c.hour to get there from the city.

O Great Ice Princess - Hast thyne own piano risen to the heights of the sampled digital?

Reminds me of a line from the Honeymooners...

Ed Norton: "Boy, these flowers had me fooled. They're real! I mean it, they're almost as good as the artificial ones."

Bösendorfer's production now is in Wiener Neustadt (south of Vienna), a Bösendorfer piano salon remains in the Musikverein Building in central Vienna, see http://www.boesendorfer.com/en/company.html

Personally, I have always felt a sense of loss since Steinway moved from 85 Varick Street to the entire block at Park and 53rd Street in Manhattan. Then, to add further insult to injury, there came that whole folly in Astoria, Queens.

Just like Steinway, Bösendorfer has no hope of survival in a new factory.

In 1870?

Indeed - Those changes "interfered with the culture and connection between artists and piano-builders/concert-technicians."

(My cheek is starting to ache from my firmly implanted tongue.)

hehehe

I do feel that something was lost when the Steinway family gave up control of the company, though.

Of course.

Yamaha had it listed as the C1X.
http://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical-instruments/keyboards/grandpianos/gp-cx/c1x/?mode=model

What was lost?

Motivated leadership that cares about pianos. Similar thing happened to IBM after Tom Watson Jr left.

Well, Marty, it may be that you are not accustomed to urban life in a European city such as Vienna.

Well lets see. I would have a lovely lunch at Restaurant Anna Sacher with dessert, of course. Then I might amble over to the Bösendorfer Salon at the Wiener Musikverein to get my fingers limbered up and test the latest in the showroom. Next I would meet some friends from the Academy and have some coffee before we head to the Staatsoper for the event of the day. Ending the evening might necessitate a late supper at Fabios.

Gee, I just don't feel any need to travel to Wiener Neustadt for artistic camaraderie at the Bösendorfer Fabrik.

Yes I know, I'm missing the "culture and connection between artists and piano-builders/concert-technicians." I live a life of desolation and depravity.

Again, I weep.

We literally have thousands of professional pianists in the city of Vienna at any given time. Professional/performing pianists in the city would routinely visit the Graf Starhemberggasse factory to play on the concert fleet and meet/work with the piano-builder/concert technicians for their upcoming concerts/recordings. Every pianist had "their" concert technician that they trusted and ones they didn't like so much, and it was more of a working-friendship that often culminated in lunch and/or coffee. This happened, because there was a convenient and comfortable place for everyone to come together.

Minnesota Marty, you are being disrespectful/dismissive of a longstanding musical cultural tradition that you were never part of--you obviously don't care, but you are neither a professional pianist nor concert technician living/working in the city. <---to those people, it was a loss that was not insignificant.

The Bösendorfer Salon the Anna Sacher Restaurant, BTW, are for tourists, or perhaps: international, non-german speaking, students. Foreigners, the world over, are sadly: all alike.

I disagree. there has been a significant number of improvements since the sale. Today's NY Steinway is a better piano that those made in the 60s-70s and 80s. For example:

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