List of Keyboards
Grand Piano by Boehm, J
Napoleon's second wife, Marie Louise, is believed to have owned this grand piano while she was grand duchess of Parma. The exotic elm veneer is enriched by mercury-gilt mounts depicting grapevines, acanthus, and Psyche at a tripod brazier; imperial eagles crown the legs and nameplate. The original griffin-shaped pedal support was lost during World War II. The instrument has a six octave range (seventy-three keys), the size that was customary at the time, around when Beethoven was composing his late piano works. Joseph Böhm, the builder of this sumptuous piano, was a member of Vienna's civic keyboard-maker's association Credit: Met Museum
Piano/Organ by Boehm, J
This is one of the few surviving hammer-action grand pianos equipped with an organ stop. The overblowing flute register lends an enchanting quality to the instrument's sound. Combined with the instrument's other tonal modifications—such as the Janissary stop, bassoon stop, moderator, and damper lift—these features offered the musician a sonic palette capable of adding unique dimensions to performances, particularly of variations or musical tone paintings. Additionally, there are pedals for operating the bellows system and for playing the organ register either independently or in combination with the piano.
Grand Piano by Boesendorfer
A rare 280 Bösendorfer Concert grand in a French polished ebonised case with carved cheek brackets, with fretted music desk and raised on three turned octagonal legs. The lid with brass stringing and interior boxwood paneled. the instrument has 92 keys and an unusual English action.
Technical data:
Inscription: Bösendorfer
Compass: 7,5 octaves (FFF-c''''')
Keyboard: naturals in ivory, sharps in ebony
Pedals: 2: controlling keyboard shift - dampers
Dimensions: L 280 cm / W 157 cm
Case: French polished ebonised case
Chris Maene Collection number: CM 23 153
Condition: restored to concert level, Chris Maene workshop 1998
Location: 3 - Museum headquarters "Piano's Maene" Ruiselede
