Tree of Life

The new Collector's Item Grand Piano from the Bösendorfer Artist Series Gustav Klimt

Unique Work of Art by the world Artist Gustav Klimt and main work of his "Golden Period"

Klimt's Tree of Life is a seminal work from his “Golden Period” and is still considered the high point of his artistic development.

For this monumental frieze he produced equally impressive full-scale drawings. Revised several times, the drawings even contain Klimt’s own handwritten notes and directions for the development of the individual mosaic pieces. Totally unique, they are now considered works of comparable artistic merit to the frieze itself, and are on permanent display at the MAK (Museum of Applied Arts) in Vienna. Klimt’s frieze symbolizes the cycle of life, and how all forms of matter interrelate and influence one another.

The Clients Adolphe and Suzanne Stoclet were wealthy Belgian art patrons, who resided in Vienna from 1903-1904. They soon became acquainted with the most exciting artists of the time, such as Gustav Klimt and the architect Josef Hoffmann. They eventually commissioned Hoffmann and his Wiener Werkstätten to build and furnish a palatial residence in Brussels. Hoffmann designed a strikingly modern city mansion with the all comforts and amenities of a country house. It was intended to not only house the Stoclets' extensive art collection, but to serve as a physical representation of it. As the artistic highlight of the many grand reception rooms, the dining room stages a perfect interplay of various art forms, whose combination of effects produce a striking whole.

Klimt's frieze, Hoffmann's architecture and the furniture of the Wiener Werkstätten have made this dining room one of the most famous interiors of the 20th century. The Stoclet Palace remains privately owned to this day and has never been open to the public. This has undoubtedly lent Klimt’s drawings an even greater importance.

Handwritten Notes and Fingerprints

From his time as a mural painter, Klimt had mastered the technique of drawing with a square grid on paper. For the Stoclet dining hall, the dimensions of the paper corresponded exactly to the dimensions of the mosaic. For these full-scale drawings, Klimt chose tracing paper. While completing his designs with water-based gouache paint, the paper warped and buckled, thereby altering its dimensions. To compensate for this, the paper was laminated onto canvas. This in turn resulted in wrinkling, and various cuts and interruptions to the design itself.

Klimt revised his drawings over and over. To make corrections he would use white paint and paint over areas already drawn or developed. Either that, or he would simply cross the affected areas out. In addition to gold, silver and bronze, Klimt also used platinum in metal leaf form. The drawings also served as instructions for the development of the mosaic. Klimt noted his exact ideas concerning materials and execution directly onto the corresponding areas of the drawings: "The areas marked with light silver are to be completed (most probably) in mother-of-pearl". The drawings laminated onto canvas could be easily rolled up, and were sent back and forth several times between the various arts and crafts workshops and Klimt's own studios in Vienna and on Lake Attersee, to impart and exchange information.

The Bösendorfer Tree of Life Grand Piano

With the Tree of Life Grand Piano from our Collector’s Item Artist Series, we honor Gustav Klimt not only as one of the most important Austrian painters. With his interdisciplinary works and their ancient oriental, early Christian and East Asian influences, Klimt was already in his own lifetime an artist of world renown.

For this piano we transfer imagery from “The Tree of Life” and the "Expectation" from the original drawings to the piano lid interior by means of an elaborate reprography technique. The jewellery of the young woman from "Expectation" has been intricately hand-gilded in the finest 23 carat gold leaf. The inner rim of the piano is finished in matt black, and, together with the colour-coordinated cast iron frame, enhances the luminosity of the imagery on the lid interior. The music stand uses further elements from the Tree of Life, including the striking Horus falcons, in ornamental form. As a collector's item, the Tree of Life Grand Piano is limited to 25 instruments worldwide, each with its individually numbered brass plaque.

The handwritten notes of the drawings from the Tree of Life make this work not only a unique contemporary witness, but provide a rare insight into Klimt’s creative process. Connected to heaven, earth and the underworld, the Tree of Life represents the cycle of life, of growth, strength and health. The Bösendorfer Tree of Life is availabe as Grand Piano 214VC and Concert Grand 230VC Vienna Concert. Austrian culture on all levels – artistically, technically, musically.

Read more about this homage to the world artist Gustav Klimt

Bösendorfer Concert Grand Piano 230VC

230 cm

154 cm

102 cm

230 cm

Bösendorfer Grand Piano 214VC

214 cm

151 cm

102 cm

214 cm

Resonance Case Principle

Details

Very similar in principle to a violin the whole body - not exclusively the soundboard - supports sound formation. The actual core of the piano rim consists of a 10 mm quarter-sawn piece that is specially grooved by our craftsmen to allow it to be bent to the silhouette around the inner rim. This is unique to Bösendorfer. When a note is played, the integrated spruce components become acoustically active, forming a complete resonating body that allows the whole instrument to project your play. An outstanding richness of tone colour and our legendary pure and brilliant sound is crafted this way. This complex construction is part of the Viennese tradition of piano making.

From delicate pianissimo to splendid fortissimo

Details

A Bösendorfer Grand shows optimal controllability. Developed in cooperation with artists and technicians our action is crafted to our own, refined specification. This action is built to transfer the finest articulation of masterful play. Controllability at play.

Unique bass strings

Details

All bass strings are spun in our unique Bösendorfer way. A steel core string is the basis for 1 or two layers of copper. The carefully spun strings are a substantial element of the warm and sonorous Bösendorfer bass

Independent Capo d’Astro

Details

Bösendorfer is the only piano manufacturer that applies a detachable and independent Capo d’Astro in the upper register. This is how we assure an utmost precise adjustment in the upper register guaranteeing the original Bösendorfer Sound for generations: Unique sound for more than one generation.

Traditional Sand Cast

Details

We are using the traditional sand casting to forge our frame. Our raw frames, produced in Austria, rest 6 months outside the factory. This is how all inner strain of the forging process are released allowing the frame to remain relaxed under 20 tons of string tension. Pure stability.

Open pinblock

Details

Tonal stability at its best: Our open pinblock consists out of 3 layers of 7mm quarter sawn maple, glued cross-grained to each other. Settled on a base of red beech this construction offers a firm basis for the pins tied with strings. The top layer is refined with a 1.5mm walnut veneer. Our open pin block: a sound basis indeed.

Nature

Details

The basis of each Bösendorfer Grand is spruce that is naturally dried by air and has proven to be the ideal tone wood. The four seasons, sun, wind and wide temperature differences gently prepare this wood for its final purpose: to resonate. At Bösendorfer we use more than 80% of spruce tone wood building our instruments, more than any other manufacturer. When you add the natural drying process to our manufacturing time, it actually takes 6 years until the Bösendorfer Grand arrives at your doorstep. Precious time, necessary to craft the unique Bösendorfer Sound.

Made in Austria

Details

Bösendorfer Grands are not just an object of investment but of value that will last more than one generation. Our skilled Bösendorfer Artisans reveal the inner beauty of the Bösendorfer sound, unique in colour, dynamics and expression. Perfected throughout generations. It takes the dedication of our Bösendorfer Artisans for up to a year to build your Bösendorfer Grand. A personal touch that you will sense the moment you play. Austrian quality, Viennese soul.

Vienna Concert

Details

Brilliant colours, energetic dynamics and a unique mechanical action: the new Vienna Concert technology is the sound for the next generation.

Collector's Item

Details

A tribute to precious materials, breath-taking aesthetics and master craftsmanship. Unique in design, sound and perfection: our Bösendorfer Collector's Edition. Exclusivity for the eye.

Disklavier Edition

Details

Listen to the grand works of great masters of piano music without lifting one single finger. After all, every pianist deserves a break. The Bösendorfer Disklavier Edition will surprise you by playing back any performance with ultimate precision and refinement. Listen to Rachmaninoff playing his own works, wonder about the mystical interpretations of Arthur Rubinstein, groove to Oscar Peterson’s tunes: Our Bösendorfer Disklavier Edition comes with more than 1.000 recordings of different styles and genres. We apply the most sophisticated system there is, the Disklavier Enspire player technology developed by Yamaha. Pianists cannot only enjoy listing to a library of performances but immediately record and play back their very own music.

Silent Edition

Details

This sound miracle can also be enjoyed in the middle of the night with the Bösendorfer Silent Edition. We only use the state of the art Yamaha Silent SH System which does not alter mechanical nor acoustic qualities in the slightest. Musical inspiration, acoustic and digital in nature: glistening sound waves oscillating in two worlds.

Concert Grand

Details

Illuminating the Bösendorfer Sound universe on the world's famous stages or within the intimate surrounding of your own 4 walls: Experience the brilliant Bösendorfer Sound in concert.

Grand Piano

Details

Uncompromising traditional handcrafting, beauty and the Viennese soul. Made in Austria for close to two centuries, since 1828. The sole limitation of your Bösendorfer Grand is its surrounding. Everything else is taken care of by us. Our instruments will unveil the fine nuances of the music you play - key by key, yet unseen and unheard.

Product changes reserved. Photos of products, colours and veneer patterns shown serve as sample. The actual colour of the selected materials may differ.

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