From handmade masterpieces to the indulgently adorned. Antique or newly minted. In fine tune or short a few keys. The staggering amounts paid are their common bond.
Purchased by John Lennon in December 1970 for £1,000 from Steinway & Sons in London, the Hamburg-built chestnut Model Z upright served as both a personal and studio instrument while recording the musician’s first solo albums.
Unlike other public sales included in the category of most expensive pianos, Sotheby’s (RED) Auction was organized solely for charity and involved an interdisciplinary, collaborative spirit based on the concept of ‘ethical consumerism.’
The legend and artistry of Austrian born Ignaz Bösendorfer (1794 – 1859), apprentice to the premier piano maker Joseph Brodmann (1771 – 1848), and the contemporary artist Jon Kuhn (b. 1949) collaborate in the creation of the Kuhn Bösendorfer grand piano.
The backstory of this white lacquered piano produced in the early part of the 20th century (original manufacturer unknown) is recounted in Marilyn Monroe’s posthumously published autobiography.
The first of two, affectionately known as The 'Tiny Piano,' as it has only 58 keys (a standard piano has 88), the green Casablanca piano was seen in the romantic flashback scene at the Parisian café, La Belle Aurore.
Founded by Italian Paolo Fazioli (b. 1944) in the late 1970’s as the Fazioli Piano Factory. Fazioli studied mechanical engineering as well as piano, receiving degrees...
