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My other piano is a V-8 supercar

By Chris Van Hof ~ Posted Wed, 07/08/2009 - 2:01pm
It's no secret that I am an automobile nerd.  While I drive a humble 11-year-old Subaru with 172,000 miles on it, I always envision myself maneuvering an eight-cylinder, two-seated, rear-engined supercar with something called "sodium-cooled exhaust valves" and carbon-fiber cupholders.  Unfortunately these types of cars are expensive, and I play trombone and work for public radio--both admirable pursuits, but neither going to cover the cost of even one of the two dual-overhead camshafts I so desire.  Now, if you play the piano, then it's a different story!  No, you'll still be a starving artist, but at least you can play one of these:
Audi's $140,000 Bosendorfer grand pianoAudi's $140,000 Bosendorfer grand piano
 
That's right: for $140,000, you can have this full-size grand piano from those masters of the 8-octave keyboard, Bosendorfer.  You see, it's the 100th birthday this year of German automaker Audi, and to celebrate they decided to team up with the German piano maker by designing a piano that matches the Audi design ethos.
 
According to Audi designer Philip Schlesinger, "Generous surface areas ensure formal clarity; there are no decorative applications, the edges and lines are sharply drawn, the joints logically positioned. All these are important aspects of the Audi design."  Fascinating.  I can only imagine the conversation between two German jazz pianists after one of them got hired to play it at one of Audi's corporate events:
 
"Gunther, I played the Audi Bosendorfer yesterday for a cocktail party"
 
"That's great Johann.  How was it?"
 
"Well, it's a piano.  That looks kind of like a Krups coffee pot"
 
Personally, I'd rather spend $140,000 on an actual Audi, then head off to Craigslist, buy a used Casio keyboard for another $30, and plug it into this:
Audi R8Audi R8
 
Sorry honey, I can't come in for dinner.  I'm practicing my scales.  At 185 miles per hour.
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