Pending approval by the Yamaha board in late December. Then probably a couple months of closing.
I’m not going to say much, except that I believe that Yamaha is purchasing Bosendorfer with the best of intentions for preserving an important name in the piano industry and helping them prosper. I believe they will be good stewards of the company.
I have already been criticized, of course not directly, by somebody who took offense at some of my language in a now-deleted post. This is despite this blog being somewhat buried on a private web site.
If you might be offended by something somebody writes when expressing their personal opinions, then simply don’t read the (or any) blog.
While in Boston I visited (finally) the famous North Bennet Street School and met the director of the Piano Department, David Betts and Debbie Cyr, one of the instructors. The school has somewhat mythical status in the US, being a very old, formal and well respected school of a variety of crafts, including book binding, jewelry making, furniture making and piano technology.
Deep in Bostons Italian North End, it’s in a charming area and a funky, very large building, oozing skill and craftsmanship. I’m going back to give a class and am going to try to find a piano that I can place there for awhile…they should have a Bosendorfer for close up inspection of European craftsmanship…they certainly have enough exposure to Steinway and M&H.
By the way, if you are at all familiar with Boston, what an amazing difference the Big Dig has made…the old Central Artery, which cut the city like the Berlin Wall is gone. There is sun, open space and a well groomed but very obvious scar very much similar to Berlin. Unbelievable improvement in downtown Boston. I’m glad I wasn’t there for the construction.
No particular order…
James Levine
Leonard Bernstein
Erich Leinsdorf
Christoph von Dohnanyi
Michael Tilson Thomas
Daniel Barenboim
Sir Colin Davis
Leonard Slatkin
Mistislav Rostropovich
Raphael Fruhbeck de Burgos
Neemi Jarvi
Last night was my return to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. I’ve heard James Levine conduct the Met Opera Orchestra, both in opera and in concert settings and have always been impressed. This was my first opportunity to see what he has been doing in Boston.
I went to college in Boston and had a subscription to the BSO. Now I wish I had saved those programs…lots of eye opening experiences (ok, ear opening) highlighted by hearing the Shostakovich 4th…unprepared!!
Anyway, the Berg Violin Concerto is one of the greatest 20th century compositions and a highlight of serialism, not to mention beauty and profundity. One of my favorite pieces of music. I could go on and on, but I won’t. If you’re not familiar with this piece, listen to it about a dozen times.
The other piece on the program was one of my least favorite, by one of my least favorite composers…the Mahler 9th. I know I know, it’s one of those “important” works, full of profundity, but I have the same reaction to Mahler that I do to Chopin…”too many notes, Mozart”.
Here is my impression of Mahler..
noodle noodle noodle noodle …. Oh, that’s pretty … noodle noodle noodle noodle… oh that’s exciting….noodle noodle noodle noodle… Oh look , the horns are standing up…Jeezus, my butt hurts, what time is it…
Yes, he can evoke lots of orchestral color, blah blah, but only someone whose ego is bigger than…anything… would think that everything he has to say should take so long.
I should have left at intermission, with that great Berg ringing in my ears. I would have missed the occasionally sloppy passage work and fleeting intonation problems as well.
We had our 2nd annual (so far) dealer meeting in Las Vegas the end of September at the Luxor. Overall, very fun and productive time. We went to the show La Rev which was simply unbelievable, as well as the buffet at Wynn, which was also unbelievable (sorry for the narrow range of adjectives).
While we had some unfortunate last minute cancellations, one due to illness, it was a great group of core and some newer dealers. Lets just say the discussion was lively! The group above attended our optional Sunday session on CEUS…not, it’s not the whole group!
I’m still a little conflicted about this blog…on one hand the power of a blog is when the writer is completely honest about a topic people care about. The problem is that being completely honest may not be in my best business interest. No, no scandals about Bosendorfer using laminated soundboards. But other observations, experiences that may not look so good in print. On the other hand, nobody seems to be reading this..
I did a PTG presentation in Dayton OH that went, I thought, extremely well. Not exactly a dynamic group with detailed questions, but they all stayed and stayed awake, which is the first measure of success. I think I do a good job with these tech presentations (“look…that’s a lot of CHALK!!”) and techs are influential, but what I need right now is short term business.
The fall selling season still has not started in earnest. Dealers are reporting being ahead overall of last year, but the high end seems stalled. Yes, economic uncertainty blah blah, but in the end you never really know what drives customers and in the absence of a specific outside reason, my conclusion is that I’m doing something wrong. That does not lead to restful nights.
Another big, beautiful promotion on the east coast, really beautiful presentation, with less than stellar results. My theory is that promotions just do not bring in our customers..they will buy when they are damn well good and ready, which makes it difficult to plan. However, I’ve got some ideas on that as well, and maybe putting some into action.
I’m at one of our valued dealers for a promotion. There is a lot going on and part of my time is spent laying low until I’m needed, so I’m catching up. While the national economic news is rather screwy, you wouldn’t know it by the sales traffic here. It is a good reminder that not all of America cares about the stock market and is not overextended on their mortgage.
We’ve got a North American dealers meeting in Vegas next week and I’m spending some time getting ready for that. We’ll have some good things to talk about
This trip included detailed discussion about a very particular rosewood finish, stimulating technical discussion at the factory (!) all set in gloomy early European winter weather, gray skies and rain, sometimes a lot.
The problem with traveling to interesting places on business is that you rarely get the time to really experience a city. I’ve been to Vienna at least 20 times and love it but still don’t really feel like I know my way around. It probably is partly the American idea that since I have never driven a car around, how can I be expected to know anything?
On the Saturday I left, I had lunch with Rupert L and his 2 sons at the Cafe Central, one of the real Viennese coffee houses. What really great experience! Rupert intentionally brings his sons regularly so they can learn true Viennese culture.
This has been a crazy month. I’ve been traveling every weekend.
Made a whirlwind trip to Europe, flew into and out of Munich for a trip to Vienna with a dealer. Left warm sunshine for clammy rainy Europe. Well, I guess summer is over. But it is always good to visit the mothership and every trip to the factory shows me something new (if nothing else, I learn my way around a little better).
For one thing, I saw with my own eyes that the beech cap on the inner rim does not extend to the bass side, except for the model 280. That was the source of personal embarrassment on PianoWorld recently. The factory has really been working on making the 280 a more familiar sounding piano, while still remaining a Bosendorfer. So,the inner rim has much more beech, not just the perimeter cap. It also has that rail around the inside top of the outer rim (got that?). There is another dramatic change in the construction of the 280 that will be seen in this country in the next couple of months (the next time we bring in a new 280). No, my lips are sealed…it is very visible if you know where to look…lets see if anyone notices….
