Bechstein

Bechstein Upright Pianos at Forsyth Music Shop, Manchester

Bechstein is one of the most famous of all piano builders, widely considered as an alternative to Steinway. The 27 year old Carl Bechstein established his company in Berlin in 1853, but the turning point came in 1855 when his best friend, former Liszt pupil Hans Von Bulow, bemoaned the 'dearth of passable pianos' in the city. Bechstein finished his first concert piano in 1856 and the following year Von Bulow proved its worth with the premiere of Liszt's Sonata in B Minor. From thereon, Bechstein's ascent was swift with Liszt himself acquiring a C. Bechstein grand piano in 1860, and the company being awarded several medals at the 1862 London International Exhibition. By the early part of the 20th century, Bechstein had many high profile advocates including the great pianists Artur Schnabel, Wilhelm Backhaus,and Alfred Cortot. Artur Schnabel said " Bechstein is fulfilment for the hand the ear."

Despite changes of ownership in the intervening years, C. Bechstein is once again in German hands and continues to make a complete range of world-class upright and grand pianos in Seifhennersdorf, Germany as well as more affordable instruments at their Czech factory, acquired from Bohemia in 2007. Pianists who have performed and/or recorded on Bechstein instruments including Freddie Mercury, Walter Gieseking, Wilhelm Kempff, and Duke Ellington.

Buying a Bechstein Piano

We recommend a visit to our piano showroom in the heart of Manchester to try our range of Bechstein pianos, including the Classic and B-series, and to compare them with pianos by makers such as Schimmel, Yamaha, Steinway, Bösendorfer and Kawai. All our pianos are properly serviced and tuned by our expert piano technicians before going in display, but please let us know if there is a particular instrument you would like to try so that we can have it ready for you. To speak to our piano sales team, please call 0161 834 3281 ext. 604.

For more information you can also visit the offical Bechstein website here.