Bechstein, (Friedrich Wilhelm) Carl

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Bechstein, (Friedrich Wilhelm) Carl

Bechstein, (Friedrich Wilhelm) Carl, German piano manufacturer; b. Gotha, June 1, 1826; d. Berlin, March 6, 1900. He worked in German factories and also in London. In 1853 he set up a modest shop in Berlin, and constructed his first grand piano in 1856; also established branches in France, Russia, and England. After World War I, the London branch continued under the direction of C. Bechstein, grandson of the founder; after his death (1931), it became an independent British firm, Bechstein Piano Co., Ltd. The Bechstein piano possesses a particularly harmonious tone, capable of producing a mellifluous cantilena. For many years it was a favorite instrument of pianists of the Romantic school.

Bibliography

B.-Chronik (Berlin, 1926).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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Bechstein, (Friedrich Wilhelm) Carl

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