The soul of sound – A film on C. Bechstein

Resonances, the latest documentary by award-winning director Tom Nitsch, pays tribute to the fascinating sound of the Bechstein pianos, gives glimpses of the C. Bechstein manufacture and features several great pianists.

A special sound, created by expert piano-makers

Today, most upright and grand pianos are made in the Far East. What are the differences between the sound of these mass-produced instruments and that of a C. Bechstein? Which are the secrets of the Bechstein voice? What makes the German production site so unique? Tom Nitsch’s documentary evokes the special relationships that arise between pianists and their instruments, presents the various production steps and underscores what makes every single C. Bechstein piano unique: the successful combination of exquisite traditional craftsmanship, high technology and state-of-the-art engineering.

Love, passion and personality

Every single C. Bechstein grand is a unique instrument with a distinctive personality, just like the pianists who play them in concert halls around the world. The engineers, artists and concert technicians interviewed in the film highlight the expertise and wealth of emotions inherent in every C. Bechstein instrument. Great classical and jazz pianists speak passionately of their love for the Bechstein sound and explain its characteristics and advantages for professional musicians. They also talk about their lives and how they came to play the piano.

A legend rooted in European tradition

The exceptional C. Bechstein voice is omnipresent in the film, of course, as pianists play works by Bach and Liszt or do jazz improvisations. The documentary thus evidences that C. Bechstein is a legend deeply rooted in the European tradition, a brand that fascinates anyone who loves piano music. Resonances features interviews and performances by the following pianists: Saleem Ashkar, David & Götz, Pavel Gililov/Mischa Maisky, Ulrike Haage, Denys Proshayev/Nadia Mokhtari, Morten Schantz & Group, Serra Tavsanli, Haiou Zhang, Dudana Mazmanishvili.

A documentary by Tom Nitsch

Germany, 2018

37:30

Versions: Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian