Testarellogasse 37/1A
August Förster II — a German-built grand, 160 cm long, in black high gloss with a French polish in shellac.
It is for those who want to do real work at a grand at home: advanced pupils, students, teachers, and small halls.
160 cm is the entry to grand scaling. The bass strings are longer than on any upright and a good deal shorter than on a concert grand; the length is built for that middle ground. Often it is not the length that decides matters but the action: the hammer falls back under its own weight, repetition comes faster and cleaner than on an upright, and a quiet trill asks less of the hand. Two pedals: the right lifts the dampers, the left shifts the action so that the hammer strikes fewer strings. There is no sostenuto in the middle — worth knowing beforehand if you play repertoire with a third pedal written into the score.
The polish is shellac, laid on by hand: no water, no alcohol, no heat. A glass does not belong on the lid, and dust comes off dry, with a soft cloth. High gloss shows every fingerprint, so the cloth is best kept within reach.
At 160 × 140 cm the grand covers about 2.5 m², and to that add room to sit and to open the lid. It passes through an ordinary door only in pieces: legs and lyre come off. At 280 kg it is carried by piano movers, not by friends. Do not stand it beside a radiator or in the sun, since swings in humidity put any instrument out of tune. If you practise late and the walls are thin, an acoustic grand can have a Silent System fitted, and you play on through headphones.
Hear how this instrument truly sounds — recorded with care in our Vienna salon.
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