Carl Bechstein

Biography

Carl Bechstein, described as having done more than any modern maker to establish the prominence of the German piano, was born at Gotha on June 1, 1826, imbued, per the text, with the poetic and musical instincts typical of Thuringians. So proficient did he become that at age 22 he was given the responsible position of managing the business of G. Perau, one of Berlin's best-known makers. After four years there, wanderlust led him to London and then Paris, where he studied under "that genial empiric" Pape and gained insight into modern business methods with Kriegelstein. Equipped with this broadened experience, Bechstein returned to Berlin and built his first grand piano in 1856. Amiable and magnetic, he attracted artists and writers to himself, a publicity that fed his business's growing prosperity. He received numerous decorations from kings and emperors and was appointed purveyor to the courts of nearly all the reigning monarchs of Europe. He died at Berlin in 1908 at the age of 82. A portrait of Carl Bechstein accompanies the text. Carl Bechstein is named, alongside Frederick Mathushek, as one of the most talented pupils trained in Johann Heinrich Pape's Paris factory during Pape's prime years, from 1835 to 1855, when young piano makers from across the Continent studied under him.

Highlights

• Born at Gotha June 1, 1826; at age 22 was given the responsible position of managing the Berlin business of G. Perau
• Studied further in London and Paris, under Pape and with Kriegelstein, before returning to Berlin and building his first grand piano in 1856
• Appointed purveyor to nearly all the reigning courts of Europe; died at Berlin in 1908 at age 82
• Studied as a pupil under Johann Heinrich Pape in Paris

Source

Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. I (1911), pp. 235, 236, 260.

Public domain.