Robbie said:

 [ The pianos of Fazioli sounds interesting, too.  Can you tell us
 [ more about that, Dan?  -- Robbie

Fazioli are a large and very successful mass-market furniture company in
Milan, Italy.  The owner's son was interested in pianos (sorry I don't
have the names here, they would add interest) and there was unused space
in the factory, and his father said, "I don't mind putting some money
into a piano project -- Italy doesn't have a well-known maker."

The son was fascinated by reproducing pianos and said, "Why don't we turn
back the clock and make a replica Duo-Art in a really good grand?"

Well, Fazioli Snr didn't get where he was by pursuing crackpot dreams,
and so he did some market research.  The grey men in suits said, "Toy
pianos that play themselves?  Forget it!  Why not go for the unexploited
sub-concert grand market, for which Steinway and Yamaha produce graceless
brilliant instruments and Boesendorfer actually fails at?"

So that's what they did.  They head-hunted for the best piano men all
over the world, and around 1987 produced a seven-foot domestic grand
piano that had crowds gathering 'round wherever it was played.  Fazioli
are now a name up there with the best -- as long as you're not talking
concert grands.  According to a recent post in Usenet/rec.music.makers.
piano, they're more expensive in Europe than Steinways of the same size.

However, the grapevine says that Fazioli Jnr hasn't given up his dream
yet -- one day he'll be in charge !

Dan Wilson

 [ The notable attribute of the Boesendorfer is it's cost -- it is
 [ manufactured with the same production technique as in 1897 !  Yamaha
 [ has a true assembly line for producing grand pianos.  I wonder if
 [ Fazioli can withstand price competition in the world market?  Is their
 [ production more efficient than Boesendorfer?  (If Father Fazioli has
 [ his way, I bet it _is_!)  -- Robbie