C. Bechstein: the Legend Lives on C

grand & upright pianos C. Bechstein: The legend lives on C. Bechstein: the legend lives on The birth of a legend comes about under extraordinary conditions. Nearly 160 years after its founding, the C. Bechstein brand still enjoys a vibrant aura. Its vitality comes from the team’s dedication and passionate commitment to the company. The patriarch Tale” as it becomes an archipelago of the 1870s, however, will he devote retrograde States. himself to representing the industrial Berlin 1853. Friedrich Wilhelm revolution, then painting one of his Carl Bechstein, a twenty-seven- Founding a business masterpieces: The Rolling Mill. To a cer- year-old instrument maker from tain extent, the non-representation of Gotha, Thuringia, who is related in troubled times particular topics also reveals the spirit to the writer Ludwig Bechstein of a given time: for example, even Carl Bechstein, the company founder famous for his compilation of Although the period is quite bleak, though Menzel does not represent the traditional tales and legends, new ideas still arise and feed on the barricades and fires that shook Berlin decides to live out his dream German spirit of enterprise. Friedrich in 1849, his studies figuring a students’ and make his vision reality: he Krupp runs modern steelworks in Es- torchlight procession can be under- founds his own business. sen, while August Borsig founds smelt- stood as a discreet allusion to ing works in Berlin. A new age begins, the riots. Berlin has not yet forgotten the trou- one of heavy industry, blast furnaces bles of the 1848 revolution. Frederic and steam railway engines. Nonethe- All in all, 1853 is not the ideal year William IV, the king of Prussia nick- less, the industrial development suffers for founding a musical instrument named “the romanticist on the throne,” under a mighty bureaucracy and the business. We do not know exactly how has not kept his promise: instead of privileges of aristocracy that have not many brave young craftsmen do the 3 granting a liberal constitution to his yet been abolished. same as Carl Bechstein this year — but 4 States, he has just introduced a tax- must bury their dreams under a moun- based three-class suffrage. His brother In 1854, Hanover finally joins the tain of debts shortly thereafter. None- (who is to succeed him as Emperor German Customs Union that Prussia theless, Berlin already enjoys a certain William I) is nicknamed the “Canon initiated three decades earlier. This is aura in the mid-1850s, even though Prince” ever since he had hundreds of real economical progress, but social it still is not the prestigious cultural people shot to restore law and order progress does not keep pace: child metropolis that it would later become. during the 1849 Baden uprising. The labour remains legal as a Prussian law Several decades ago, Romantic poets Frankfurt parliament, which used to passed the same year merely raises the and philosophers formulated the vision- gather in the Saint Paul’s Church, has minimum age to twelve years. ary concept of “Athens on the Spree” as been dissolved and the hope of a uni- the cultural aspect of a political project: fied Germany is vanishing: all German The paintings by Adolph Menzel while Napoleon was remodelling States, whether Hesse, Saxony or such provide a good overview of the changes Paris taking the Roman Empire as an Lilliputian principalities as Lippe- that occur in the mid-19th century. A example, Berlin was to become a new Detmold, are stagnating and their broad-minded artist with a talent for Athens; a capital city of arts, sciences, trading is slow due to the high cus- rendering the world around him, Men- poetry and philosophy. As a reaction toms duties they charge each other. zel mainly paints landscapes, portraits to the political and military hegemony and genre pictures until the early of the French empire, the famous Such conditions lead many Germans 1850s. He also gives historic paintings Prussian scientist Humboldt stated: to emigrate to America, either to and his favourite subject at that time “Science is power.” The idea remains escape political repression or simply is Frederic II, as we know from several valid in the mid-19th century, and still to avoid starvation, and in the hope portraits of that king: riding, play- lives on today. of finding better living conditions on ing the flute, together with his Court the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. painter Antoine Pesne. In 1847, Menzel Moreover, Berlin is an obligatory station Among the celebrities who leave paints his two first works that feature for numerous musicians as they travel Germany but remain in Europe are social and contemporary subjects: a from one European city to another. The Richard Wagner, who lives in exile in view of the Berlin-Potsdam railway and Prussian well-to-do love music for a Zurich for political reasons, and the the portrait of two men entitled to suf- simple reason: in a period of political poet Heinrich Heine who, from his frage. And in 1854, he gives a famous troubles, they seek refuge in music Parisian “mattress grave,” considers study that depicts Clara Schumann and as it conveys a reassuring image, that Germany as sinking into “A Winter’s the violinist Joseph Joachim. Not until of the Ancient Cythera. Thus it is not will write no memoirs in his old age. rich culture-friendly people). We can Photos of him picture a self-confident therefore be fairly certain that Carl man with an imposing stature. One of Bechstein did not decide by chance to them (see page 9) shows him stand- locate his workshop in Behrenstrasse. ing with his left elbow leaning on one of his uprights, with a large coat in Various publications underscore the the Romantic fashion draped over his fact that some of his ancestors were broad shoulders. Such a fellow could also wilful and had a practical charac- not possibly remain unnoticed in a ter. According to an article published select Paris salon… in Gothaisches Tageblatt in 1926 on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary Upon his return to Berlin in 1852, of Carl Bechstein’s birth, the company Bechstein becomes manager of the founder stems from peasants and Perau factory but as early as the next craftsmen who had lived for centuries year, he departs for Paris again and in various villages in Thuringia, in par- works there just a few months as man- ticular Laucha, Langenhain, Walters- ager of the Kriegelstein factory. Why hausen and Ohrdruf. The article also Claude Debussy and Johannes Brahms does he leave again? Maybe for the states that several members of this Great musicians and composers, such as Debussy and Brahms, favour C. Bechstein. love of a certain Louise Döring, a young family were talented musicians, which woman from Straussberg, Brandenburg, is not surprising as Thuringia has whom he would marry in 1856. Back a long musical tradition. A certain surprising that the Berlin bourgeoisie only 130 centimetres that offers well- in Berlin for good now, he again works Johann Matthäus Bechstein, who favours a musical instrument that is balanced registers and constitutes a as the right hand of Perau, who allows studied first theology, then natural continuously being improved and of- good investment. him to build his own pianos starting sciences, established a forestry school fers unequalled learning possibilities: 1 October 1853 in the upper storey in Waltershausen and later became di- the piano. Of course, the Érard brand is also of the company’s warehouse at rector of the Dreissigacker/Meiningen famous when Carl Bechstein is in Paris. Behrenstrasse 56. It is unlikely that Forest Academy. His nephew, Ludwig Carl Bechstein arrives in Berlin in 1846 Among the innovations of the legen- Bechstein decides to settle down in Bechstein, published a compilation (or 1848, according to some sources) dary company founder, Sébastien Érard, Berlin because he knows that Perau of Thuringian tales that decisively 5 and starts working with Gottfried Perau, is the double escapement piano action would allow him to work on his own contributed to popularisation of the 6 whose workshop is located on Hausvog- still used — with certain improve- while managing the workshop. A better German Middle Ages and was one of teiplatz in the very centre of Berlin. Just ments — in today’s grands. In the mid- explanation for Bechstein starting his Richard Wagner’s sources of inspi- like Kisting, Perau is famous in Berlin 19th century, every music aficionado own production could be that his boss ration as he composed Tannhäuser. for his traditional pianos, but he is by knows that Franz Liszt favours the refused to implement in his pianos Appointed a librarian by the duke of no way a tinkerer in search of innova- Érard pianos. We cannot ascertain the innovations Bechstein learned of Saxony-Meiningen and titled “Court tive solutions, like Theodor Stöcker, for whether Bechstein meets Pierre Érard, in Paris. Anyway, both men reach a Advisor,” which was a common form example, whose pianos with downstrik- Sébastien’s nephew, but we know that gentlemen’s agreement and although of sponsoring the fine arts in the 19th ing action and articulated keyboard are the young German is perfectly aware Bechstein begins signing his name century, Ludwig Bechstein died in still exceptional today. of the brand’s worldwide significance. on pianos as soon as 1853, the official Meiningen in 1860. Until his death in 1855, Pierre Érard, foundation of the company, as stated on Although Bechstein is entrusted with who has been running the family busi- official documents, is not until 1856. Among his cousins were Carl Bechstein’s the management of the Perau work- ness since 1831, is to strengthen his father, a hairdresser living in Laucha shop in the autumn of 1848, he resigns market position steadily: the Paris and A glance at a map of Berlin shows that who worked hard, ran his own busi- shortly thereafter and travels to London London factories are producing nearly Bechstein’s workshop is located at a ness… and played the spinet during the following summer, then to Paris 2500 pianos a year; Paris’s Érard strategic location in the Prussian capi- his leisure time.

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