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This was a time of richness and flamboyance, as can be heard in the works of Johannes Brahms, Peter Tchaikovsky, and the composers of the various national schools.
1870: Between 1870 and 1890, exports grow rapidly, mainly to England and Russia. Production reaches 500 instruments per year. A grand piano sells for 3,000 Reichsmarks, and the company’s turnover reaches 1 million Reichsmarks.
1880: A second factory is built in Berlin, in Grünauer Strasse. Carl Bechstein also buys a villa near the Dämritz lake, and his residence becomes a meeting point for composers and pianists. Eugen d’Albert composes his Piano concerto in b-minor there.
1885: A magnificent Bechstein branch opens in London, and the company supplies a gilded grand piano to Queen Victoria. C. Bechstein also exports to several Commonwealth countries, and another branch soon opens in Saint Petersburg. |
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By 1900, artists all over the world were searching for new forms of expression. Composers such as Arnold Schoenberg explored unorthodox harmonies and tones, while French artist Claude Debussy fell in love with Eastern music, creating a style called “musical" Impressionism.
1892: Opening of the Bechstein Concert Hall in Berlin. Hans von Bülow, head conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, presents a three-day music festival for the occasion under the participation of Johannes Brahms and Anton Rubinstein. C. Bechstein sets a standard for the highest pianomaking art, and takes many concert stages by storm.
1897: Another factory is built in Berlin Kreuzberg.
1900: Carl Bechstein dies after an unparalleled career. His sons Edwin, Carl and Johannes take over the leadership of the company.
1901: In London, the Bechstein Hall opens in Wigmore Street, offering 300 concerts per year. The concert hall will be expropriated during the Second World War, and renamed “Wigmore Hall”.
1903: : Fifty years after its foundation, C. Bechstein employs 800 people and manufactures 4,500 instruments annually. A branch opens in Paris, in the prestigious rue Saint-Honoré. |
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The traditional symphony concept, although modified somewhat over time, attracted masters such as Gustav Mahler and Dmitri Shostakovich. But Igor Stravinsky experimented with instrumental ideas throughout his long and eventful career.
1919: Some 1,100 workers produce 5,000 Bechstein pianos annually. Due to post-war inflation, an upright piano sells for 25,000 Reichsmarks, and the smallest grand for 30,000 Reichsmarks. In order to maintain contact with customers, instruments are handed over to clients free of charge. Clashes occur among the sons of Carl Bechstein.
1923: Bechstein becomes a joint stock company. Export business levels off due to high customs duties. The US market is mostly beyond reach, even though the famous Wanamaker department store is proud to market Bechstein pianos. Famous transatlantic liners and the Zeppelin airships are furnished with gilt Bechstein pianos. During this year, C. Bechstein participates in the Barcelona World Exhibition, but few customers are able to afford the instruments. |
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While many twentieth-century composers experimented with new music forms, artists such as Giacomo Puccini and Sergei Rachmaninoff remained faithful to the tradition of classical music.
1930: C. Bechstein remains an innovative company and endeavours to widen the possibilities of pianomaking. Together with Siemens and Nobel Prize laureate Walther Nernst, Bechstein produces the world’s first electronic piano – the sophisticated Neo Bechstein, a precursor of the 'Silent system' later developed by an Asian producer.
1932: From this time on throughout the Great Depression, considerable decline of prices, a drop in production, and disputes among Carl Bechstein’s heirs considerably weaken the company. Moreover, it loses many customers as Jews begin to emigrate due to ruthless persecution by the Nazis, while a growing anti-German resentment abroad hinders international activities. In the highly educated Jewish families, the Bechstein was the favorite instrument.
1945: During World War II British and American bombardment destroy the production facilities. Bechstein is located in the American sector, the US administration confiscates the company. |
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In the 1960s, the protest movement against the Vietnam War Music considerably influenced American culture. Many rock songs dealt with social unrest, rebellion, sex, and, increasingly, drugs.
1953: The Berlin Philharmonic under Wilhelm Furtwängler and Wilhelm Backhaus celebrates Bechstein’s centennial. In the following years, famous artists such as Sergiu Celibidache, Leonard Bernstein, Jorge Bolet and Wilhelm Kempff favour Bechstein pianos.
1954: The company builds new production plants in Karlsruhe and Eschelbronn, in southern Germany. In the 1960s, the depopulation of Berlin after the construction of the Wall also affects C. Bechstein, and the company produces only 1,000 instruments annually. The American military authorities in Germany systematically favour American products in the country.
1963: The Baldwin Company (USA) takes over the Bechstein shares. Under American management Bechstein ultimately lacks the rigour required to nurture market confidence. The deficit in entrepreneurial commitment and initiative will impair the company’s vitality for decades. |
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The composer, pianist and conductor Leonard Bernstein was another great musician of the 20th century—and a Bechstein fan. The first classical musician born in the USA to achieve global fame, Leonard Bernstein is famous for both his conducting of the New York Philharmonic—in particular during the acclaimed Young People's Concerts series—and for his compositions, including West Side Story.
1978: C. Bechstein’s 125th anniversary is celebrated with Shura Cherkassy, Christian Zacharias, Alfons and Aloys Kontarsky. Many jazz pianists join the friends of Bechstein.
1986: In a time of changing values, the market for grand pianos grows tighter in Europe, and Baldwin sells its Bechstein shares to German master pianomaker and entrepreneur Karl Schulze. The new head of the company develops a clear strategy aimed at re-establishing the brand’s fame and strengthening the company. The new business policy revives the vision of the company’s founder, and is rooted in the awareness of C. Bechstein’s key role as an integral part of the universal culture of sound. In the course of the year, C. Bechstein opens new production facilities in Berlin-Kreuzberg and takes over Euterpe and W.Hoffmann, two formerly Berlin-based companies. Meanwhile, however, piano production falls by 40% worldwide. |
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Many of the techniques developed by the great 20th-century composers later drifted into pop music from groups such as The Beatles, Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones. Such musicians often composed on a C. Bechstein.
1992: C. Bechstein takes over the Sächsische Pianofortefabrik in the small town of Seifhennersdorf, Saxony. The company invests € 15 million and opens one of the most visionary manufacturing plants for high-quality grand and upright pianos. The investment and the intelligent combination of handcrafting and state-of-the-art technology secure the company’s future in Germany.
1996: C. Bechstein goes public. This step renews a link to Bechstein history as a joint stock company, and opens up the way forward in view of the increasing globalisation of markets. The goal is not just to strengthen the business, but also to maintain and develop a cultural asset.
1999: The company opens a first C. Bechstein Center in Berlin. By 2006, eight exquisite showrooms for the growing range of C. Bechstein products and brands will have opened in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Cologne, Tübingen, Münster, Hanover and Hamburg. Another C. Bechstein Center opens in the Dutch city of Woerden. |
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Bechstein pianos played an important, yet often forgotten role in 20th-century pop music. The Bechstein grand from Trident Studios in London, for example, has an astounding history: the Beatles used it to record Hey Jude and most of the tracks on the White Album. Elton John, David Bowie and Freddie Mercury also played on the instrument.
2003: After careful consideration regarding the planning of the company’s future, a partnership in cooperation with the Korean musical instrument manufacturer Samick is launched.
The new partner takes over the marketing for C. Bechstein instruments in important overseas markets. With this step C. Bechstein can fulfill global market requirements and profit from a great number of synergy effects. Another C. Bechstein Center opens in Seoul/Korea. More Centers in Asia, America and Europe are opening.
2004: As a result of the capital increase between November 2004 and July 2005, Samick’s participation in Bechstein is reduced to 39%. The capital increase takes place in agreement between both partners, and leads to an increase in the free float.
2005: C. Bechstein and Samick found a joint venture in Shanghai/China, named “Berlin Bechstein Piano (Shanghai) Co. Ltd”. The new production plant in Shanghai/Pudong manufactures affordable pianos exclusively for the Chinese market.
2006: The married couple, Küpper/Schulze, of the management board take over more than half of Samick’s shares in Bechstein. Again in financial year 2006 significant increases in revenue (6%) and annual net profit (26%), relative to the previous year, are achieved. With annual net profit of 1.5 million euros after taxes, the company shows a return on sales of more than 5%.
2007: After years of collaboration Bechstein takes over the partnership interest of Bohemia, the Czech upright and grand piano manufacturer. Henceforth “C. Bechstein Europe” completes the C. Bechstein product offering with the products of this wholly-owned subsidiary.
Kiev: “Lysoform”, the C. Bechstein partner, opens an elegant Bechstein salon in the exclusive residential area near the famous Pecherska Lavra Monastery. All dignitaries from the region’s conservatories and from the cultural political scene attend the opening. Address: JSC Lysoform, Panfilovcev 15, Kiev (Ukraine) Tel. + 38/44 20 276 75.
New York: The New York C. Bechstein Centre opens at 207 West 58th Street between the Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall. As the first USA dependence the New York Centre is the hub for support of the American and Canadian market, as well as venue for world-class concert events. Address: 207 West 58th St, 10019 New York, NY. Tel. + 1/212-581 5550. |
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