The Sound of European Pianos: “That’s Amore”

Amore. 愛. Amor. Liebe. 爱. Amour. Любовь. Love.

All completely different ways of saying the word love. Did you know that each and every piano is also very different from one another? It’s true. When you think about it, pianos are like snowflakes, fingerprints, genes – anything that is unique. The differences between pianos come primarily from where they are built. The crème de la crème pianos come from the famous piano factories in Europe, especially Germany and Austria. However, European piano builders offer a wide range and diversity to fit your individual needs.

“Bechstein is for pianists as Stradivarius and Amati are for violinists.”

- Hans von Bulow, The first chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic

Piano companies in Europe have a rich history, which is why most piano experts will agree to their superior quality. LivingPianos.com claims that the most popular piano builders are Bechstein (Germany), Bluthner (Germany), Boesendorfer (Austria), and Fazioli (Italy). Some eastern European builders that offer better value but not as fine quality as the former list are Petrof/Weinbach, and Estonia.

Most European pianos can attribute their legendary success to two main facets: tradition, and craftsmanship. Staying true to their timeless traditions, they combine this expertise with marvels of modern technology to keep increasing the quality of their instruments. PianoTreasure.com briefly explains some of the hierarchy of European pianos. The higher quality pianos have more history and more demanding craftsmanship standards, such as using only the finest materials and being almost completely hand-made.

Fun fact: The piano you hear on The Beatles “Let It Be” is a Bluthner grand at Abbey Road Studios in London.

For more information:

• Bechstein
• Bluthner
• Boesendorfer
• Fazioli
• Petrof/Weinbach
• Estonia
• The Piano Book by Larry Fine

Other References:

http://pages.ebay.com/buy/guides/piano-buying-guide/

http://www.hollywoodpiano.com/piano-buyers-guide.html