PROFESSIONAL PIANIST REVIEW

Jean Cocteau Bösendorfer Model 200
Artist Series Limited Edition 3/12

Review by Pianist-Composer John Ryan
(johnryanpiano.com)

I personally selected this piano to record several new solo piano compositions for an album project that I have been working on.  The piano is a special Collector’s Edition Jean Cocteau grand piano from the Bösendorfer Artist Series.

Sound and playability are absolutely amazing, but they are not the only virtues this piano possesses.  What this piano puts forth in sound is complemented by the visual appeal and splendor of the case itself.  This model 200 (6’-7”) grand piano in high-polished white is adorned with a reproduction of Cocteau’s ‘Orpheus’ on the inside of the piano lid.

Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) was a French writer, designer, playwright, artist and filmmaker.  He was a contemporary of Picasso and had working associations with many world famous artists and musicians like Igor Stravinsky and Erik Satie.   The Collector's Grand is designed for model size 200 and 214VC.  It can be ordered in either black or white polyester with chrome fittings or a silver colored frame and is limited to 12 pieces.

I have played on many Bösendorfer 200’s and in my opinion, the Jean Cocteau 3/12 is truly an exceptional piano.  I particularly love the ability of this piano to produce everything from the most gentle and expressive pianissimo to the most powerful forte notes with incredible detail and clarity.

The action and keyboard have been so expertly designed and handcrafted that there is definitely a noticeable increase in the level of dynamic control available to the player not found on most other pianos manufactured today.  This increased level of control allows the player to better express their intent because the piano is able to capture the nuances and emotions they are expressing with greater detail.  The more the piano gives back to the player, the more inspired the player becomes.

This piano plays and records exceptionally well due to the richness and clarity of the sound it projects.  This is made possible partly due to the extra-long length of the bass strings and the increased size of the soundboard found in this 6’-7” model.  Pianos in this size-range are especially good for recording as the bass is less likely to overwhelm the other registers (as concert grand pianos sometimes do), resulting in a more balanced and detailed sound recording.  When listening to the piano live in a room, it has just the right amount of projection; the bass notes are neither lost nor overwhelming, they are just perfectly balanced with the higher octaves lending a solidity and richness to the overall sound.

Everything I played on this piano sounded very, very good.  It is the kind of piano that you lose yourself in; I found myself sitting down to play for a few minutes and realizing that an hour had gone by.  I especially liked playing slow to medium tempo compositions with open-airy chords; this is where you can really hear the beauty of this piano.  The notes just seem to sustain indefinitely with a pronounced richness and clarity that is really quite remarkable.  Bösendorfer pianos have often been described as being ‘darker’ and ‘richer’ sounding than most American and Asian pianos.  I would not say that this is a particularly dark piano; in fact is sounds a bit brighter in the middle register than some other Bösendorfer pianos I’ve played, but not overwhelmingly so; it sounds just right.  The action is an absolute pleasure to play on.  It is smooth, even, incredibly responsive, and as I mentioned earlier, there is a very high degree of control to this keyboard, as well.  All said, this is one fine instrument and a shining example of the superiority of Bösendorfer's quality and craftsmanship.  A true work of art.