Bosendorfer Imperial 290 (97-Key Grand Piano)

Bosendorfer Imperial 290: The Piano With Nine Extra Keys

There are grand pianos, and then there is the Bosendorfer Imperial 290. At 9 feet 6 inches long and weighing 1,217 pounds, the Imperial is the largest concert grand piano that Bosendorfer -- the legendary Viennese piano maker -- produces. But its size alone does not explain its singular reputation. What sets the Imperial apart from every other concert grand piano is its keyboard: 97 keys instead of the standard 88, extending nearly a full additional octave into the bass register. Pianist Garrick Ohlsson called it the "Rolls-Royce of pianos." Music critic Melinda Bargreen described it as the ne plus ultra of the instrument. Neither characterization is hyperbole.

For musicians, collectors, and serious piano enthusiasts, the Bosendorfer Imperial 290 represents the outer limit of what the acoustic piano as a form can achieve -- not just in size, but in tonal depth, harmonic richness, and the particular character of sound that emerges from 97 strings resonating through a soundboard of extraordinary quality.

Bosendorfer: The Viennese Tradition

Bosendorfer was founded in Vienna in 1828 by Ignaz Bosendorfer, making it one of the oldest piano manufacturers still in operation. The company earned its first major recognition when Franz Liszt, the most technically demanding pianist of the 19th century and the first virtuoso in the modern sense, performed on a Bosendorfer and praised its ability to withstand his formidable technique without the mechanical failures he routinely inflicted on other instruments.

The Viennese school of piano making differs philosophically from the Hamburg/New York approach of Steinway & Sons, the instrument that dominates the concert stage today. Steinway pianos prioritize projective power and brilliance -- they are built to fill large halls with a focused, penetrating sound. Bosendorfer instruments have a different quality: warmer in the bass, more transparent in the treble, with a sound that rewards listening at close range and rewards music that requires subtlety and gradation over sheer volume.

This distinction is not a matter of quality but of character and application. Many pianists who primarily perform on Steinways speak of the Bosendorfer as a revelation -- an instrument that shows them aspects of the music they had not heard before. Others find the Bosendorfer's particular character less suited to the large-hall concert repertoire and prefer the Steinway's projection. The conversation between these two instruments has been ongoing in classical music for well over a century.

Bosendorfer was acquired by Yamaha Corporation in 2007, a change that initially concerned some traditionalists but has been followed by sustained quality and continued production in Vienna with the company's traditional methods largely intact.

The Imperial's Origin: Ferruccio Busoni and the Extended Bass

The Bosendorfer Imperial was not created by corporate committee or market research. It was born from a specific artistic request by a specific composer. Ferruccio Busoni, the Italian-German pianist and composer whose transcriptions of Bach's organ works are among the most demanding pieces in the piano repertoire, approached Bosendorfer in the early 20th century with a problem.

Busoni's transcriptions of Johann Sebastian Bach's organ works attempted to bring to the piano the full sonic palette of the pipe organ -- including the massive 32-foot bass pipes whose tones descend to the lowest registers of human hearing. The standard 88-key piano, which runs from A0 to C8, simply could not produce these notes. Busoni needed an instrument that could.

Bosendorfer built the first Imperial in 1909, extending the keyboard downward by nine additional keys to achieve a full eight octaves from C0 to C8. The final page of Busoni's transcription of Bach's "St. Anne" Fugue, BWV 552, contains the notes Ab0 and G0 -- notes that exist nowhere on a standard 88-key piano. On an Imperial, those notes are available.

The nine extra keys are distinguished from the standard keys by a design choice that is both practical and elegant: they are colored black rather than white. This allows pianists to avoid accidentally playing them while performing standard repertoire. Originally, the extra keys were covered by a removable wooden panel; on modern Imperials, the color coding alone serves this purpose.

What Those Nine Extra Keys Actually Do

The practical question about the Imperial's extra keys is whether they are used in actual performance. The answer is nuanced. Very few pieces were composed specifically for the Imperial's extended range, and many pianists who perform on the instrument never play those nine lowest notes in concert.

But the extra keys do something even when they are not directly played: the nine additional bass strings resonate sympathetically with the notes that are played, adding layers of harmonic overtones that contribute to the Imperial's characteristic warmth and depth. Every bass note you play on a standard piano will cause any harmonically related string to vibrate. On the Imperial, there are nine additional strings available for this sympathetic resonance, creating a richer acoustic field that you feel as much as hear.

This is why pianists who perform on the Imperial often describe its sound as having unusual depth and "fullness" even in passages that do not use the extra keys at all. The instrument is, in effect, its own resonating chamber, with the extra strings acting as a permanent extension of the instrument's acoustic vocabulary.

Specifications and Construction

The Imperial's physical specifications reflect the demands of concert hall performance and the standards of Viennese craft.

Specification	Imperial 290
Length	290 cm (9 ft 6 in)
Width	175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	552 kg (1,217 lb)
Keys	97 (8 full octaves)
Standard Range	C0 to C8
Strings	Approximately 242
Soundboard	Solid Viennese spruce
Rim Construction	Multi-layer solid maple
Action	Bosendorfer's custom Viennese action
Finish	Polished ebony (standard); other finishes available

The soundboard is solid Viennese spruce, harvested from the mountain forests of Austria and air-dried for years before use. Bosendorfer's construction philosophy treats the entire case structure as part of the resonating system -- the rim is built to flex slightly and contribute to the overall sound rather than being a rigid container. This approach differs from Steinway's philosophy and contributes to the characteristic Bosendorfer tone.

Each Imperial is built by hand in Vienna by craftsmen who work on a relatively small number of instruments each year. Production volume is deliberately limited to maintain quality. New Imperial 290 pianos retail between $256,000 and $560,000 in the US market depending on finish and whether optional player system technology is installed.

Current Market: New and Used Values

The market for Bosendorfer Imperial 290 pianos spans new instruments from the Vienna factory and a secondary market for used examples that can range from recent near-new examples to instruments several decades old requiring significant restoration work.

New Imperial 290 (2024-2025 Pricing)

Configuration	Price Range
Standard polished ebony	$256,000 - $320,000
Special finish or veneer	$320,000 - $420,000
With CEUS reproducing system	$420,000 - $560,000

Used Imperial 290 Market

Condition	Age Range	Estimated Value
Like new, recent production	0-5 years	$180,000 - $250,000
Excellent, restored/regulated	10-25 years	$80,000 - $160,000
Good, needs regulation/voicing	20-40 years	$40,000 - $80,000
Restoration project	40+ years	$15,000 - $40,000

Used values depend heavily on action condition, soundboard integrity, string condition, and the quality of any previous service or restoration work. A well-maintained Imperial from the 1980s or 1990s can represent extraordinary value -- the quality of mid-century Bosendorfer construction was exceptional, and a restored example often compares favorably to new production at a fraction of the cost.

The Competition: Imperial vs. Steinway D

Any serious discussion of the Bosendorfer Imperial involves comparison with the Steinway Model D, the 9-foot concert grand that dominates classical concert stages worldwide. Understanding the differences helps potential buyers determine whether the Imperial is the right instrument for their needs.

The Steinway D is a projective instrument -- its sound is designed to carry across large concert halls without electronic amplification, maintaining clarity and tonal focus at the back of a 2,500-seat venue. The action is calibrated for the demands of large-scale Romantic and contemporary concert repertoire, where rhythmic precision and tonal brilliance serve the music.

The Bosendorfer Imperial is a different kind of instrument. Its sound is more rounded, with a fuller bass and a treble that has more singing quality and less cutting brilliance. Many pianists describe the transition from Steinway to Bosendorfer as requiring a period of adjustment -- the Imperial responds differently to arm weight and key speed, and its voicing can seem gentler until you learn how to draw its full voice out.

Neither instrument is superior in absolute terms. They are optimized for different acoustic ideals, and many performing pianists who primarily use Steinways maintain that the Imperial offers musical experiences unavailable on any other instrument. The existence of both at the top of the concert piano market is healthy for music -- two different answers to the question of what a concert grand can be.

Authentication and Buying Tips

Every Bosendorfer Imperial carries a serial number that can be verified with the factory records that Bosendorfer maintains. The serial number allows you to determine the exact year of manufacture and confirm authenticity.

When evaluating a used Imperial, the key areas to assess are:

Soundboard: Look from inside the piano for cracks running parallel to the grain of the wood. Minor cracks can be repaired; extensive cracking or separation at the ribs indicates significant structural issues that affect tone and value.

Strings: Older strings lose elasticity and brightness. Full restringing is expensive (typically $8,000-$15,000 for an Imperial) but can transform a tired instrument into a vibrant one.

Action: The 97-key action has more parts than a standard action. Look for even response across the keyboard, consistent key height, and no sticking or sluggish keys. A full action regulation and voicing typically costs $3,000-$6,000.

Hammers: Worn hammer felts produce a bright, harsh tone. Replacement hammer sets are available, and voicing (adjusting the felt's density) can significantly change the character of the instrument.

Pedals: Test all three pedals (soft, sostenuto, sustain) for smooth, quiet action without metallic creaking.

For any significant purchase, an evaluation by an independent registered piano technician (RPT) with Bosendorfer experience is strongly recommended. The cost is modest relative to the transaction value, and expert eyes can identify issues that are invisible in photographs.

The Imperial's Place in Musical History

The Bosendorfer Imperial has been played by some of the most significant pianists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Artists who have specifically sought out the Imperial for recording sessions include Oscar Peterson, Keith Jarrett (who recorded his celebrated Koln Concert on a Bosendorfer, though not an Imperial), Paul Bley, and many others who found that the instrument's particular character served their music uniquely.

The Imperial is also a significant presence in film scores and classical recordings. Its extended bass range and tonal warmth make it a frequent choice for intimate chamber music recordings, solo piano works that explore the full depth of the instrument, and jazz recordings where the rich, resonant bass adds dimensions that standard concert grands cannot match.

Owning a Bosendorfer Imperial 290 is, for those who can access one, an experience that reframes what the piano is capable of. The instrument demands serious musicianship in return for its extraordinary capabilities, but for those who meet that standard, it offers a depth of tonal possibility that no other piano in production can match.

Practical Considerations for Imperial Ownership

The logistics of Imperial ownership deserve discussion, as they differ significantly from standard grand piano ownership.

Space requirements are substantial. The piano needs a room large enough to accommodate the 9'6" length plus adequate space for the piano bench, the pianist's movement, and -- ideally -- some distance from walls to allow the sound to develop properly. Many private homes, even large ones, lack rooms suitable for an instrument of this size. Concert halls, universities, and conservatories are the primary institutional owners; private ownership is usually limited to serious musicians with appropriate facilities.

Humidity control is critical for any fine piano but is particularly important for an instrument of the Imperial's value. Bosendorfer recommends maintaining relative humidity between 45% and 70%. A whole-room humidity control system or at least a dedicated piano humidity system (such as the Dampp-Chaser system installed within the piano case) is essential in most climates.

Regular tuning by a qualified piano technician is necessary approximately four times per year under normal conditions. In rooms with variable climate, more frequent tuning may be needed. For an instrument of this quality, the tuner should ideally have specific Bosendorfer experience.

Moving an Imperial requires specialized movers with piano-moving experience and appropriate equipment. The 1,217-pound weight makes this an expensive undertaking that should be planned carefully and budgeted for explicitly.

These practical realities do not diminish the Imperial's extraordinary appeal -- they simply clarify what ownership actually entails. For the musician or institution for whom the instrument is appropriate, no other piano offers quite the same combination of extended range, tonal depth, and connection to the richest tradition in the history of keyboard instrument making.

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