Mystery unravelled behind Bösendorfer caught in whirlwind of history

A grand piano that laid abandoned in a corner of a studio at Radio Slovenija until just over a decade ago is the main protagonist in a film that premiered at Ljubljana's Kinodvor on 4 January, 79 years after the piano's erstwhile owners were executed by the Partisan secret police.

The Bösendorfer used to be used to produce special sound effects, but was then covered in black cloth and left to gather dust. It was musician Gregor Strniša who discovered it by chance in 2011 while recording a radio play. Impressed and intrigued by the piano, he set out to unravel its mystery.

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