Bösendorfer vs Shigeru Kawai
Two very different roads to a top-tier grand: the old-world Viennese Bösendorfer and Kawai’s modern hand-built flagship, the Shigeru Kawai.
The makers
Bösendorfer has built pianos in Vienna since 1828, by hand, in small numbers. Shigeru Kawai is the flagship of the Japanese maker Kawai, built by its most experienced craftsmen and finished by a master technician. Both aim at the very top.
Tone
Bösendorfer is warm, mellow and transparent, the classic Viennese voice, especially loved in classical and chamber music. Shigeru Kawai is refined and even, with a clarity and consistency that has won it a strong following and impressive blind-test results. Which you prefer is taste.
Price
The Shigeru usually costs less than a Bösendorfer of the same size, sometimes considerably less, which is a large part of its appeal to players who care more about the piano than the heritage.