Playing a Rare C. Bechstein A208 - Hard to Find!

[@calvinlewis8924]

I absolutely appreciate your excursions on the great pianos of the world. Recently during one of your videos on various brands it was noteworthy to me that the sound of the C Bechstein was something that I had not heard before. I always trust what I can hear and the uniqueness of this piano is so beautiful.

[@moldenburg909]

Beautiful, crisp almost diamonds like. Great piano and you played marvelous again.

[@bksaun]

Absolutely the best piano I’ve heard you review yet. Hands down my favorite!

[@Pythonaria]

How wonderful to hear a C Bechstein again. When I went to music school as a child, the principal teacher/owner had one of these. The other two teachers had uprights. Just before we either did exams or the music festivals, we would get to play the Bechstein. It really felt different to what we were used to and I'm glad you mentioned the touch and the pedals. The touch was "stiffer" and I had to reach for the pedals but it was a lovely piano to play and I'm glad I've had the privilege of playing one. Move forward 40+ years. Three years ago I bought a digital grand piano. It's a Chinese made Minster 1000. The first thing I noticed was how reminiscent it was of the Bechstein in touch and even the sound is similar. I do believe it might have been modelled on the Bechstein and I love it. It inspired me to take up music lessons again and I'm lucky to have a truly marvellous teacher and in the last 3 years I've learned so much. I passed my Grade 6 and will be doing my Grade 7 in December. Thank you for this video.

[@bradmaier4804]

Great review James, you are really amazing. This piano sounds beautiful and the selection was just right to showcase it. Keep making these wonderful videos. Thanks again, Brad Maier Long Island

[@CaresinVerse]

Wow! Great piano and great musicianship! Thank you for playing my favorite piece of music so beautifully!

[@Topdoginuk]

It's a privelege to see and hear these videos. We learn a great deal about accoustic pianos from you and, we thoroughly enjoy your performace on the piano, esp this one you played with dynamic gracefulness.

[@ThePianoforever]

Really glad you enjoy the videos, they are a lot of fun!

[@louis-marlowe]

The A208 isn't even C Bechstein's best 7’ piano - try and find a dealer that has the C Bechstein Concert B212, because that piano will blow your mind.

[@rikspector]

James, There's an even and tranquil sound across the whole keyboard, but the treble is amazing... so crystalline and what a great ending to Claire De Lune, I smiled when you played that again. I felt the same way:) Cheers, Rik Spector

[@truebrit3884]

I'm actually buying this exact model of piano this week. Your excellent review helped me make that choice. Thanks so much.

[@johndavolta3124]

How is the piano so far?!

[@Drewster58]

The separation of voices and clarity between the parts sounds crisp and eloquent on this piano.

[@swilkobarfingtoniii1642]

Word on the street is those Bechstein pedals are positioned closer to the floor than other pianos. Looking forward to hearing your review of the concert model! One reason Bechsteins are not as popular in the US was the bad rep they got around WWII... Mr. Bechstein was particular good friends with a certain German dictator.

[@paulprocopolis]

It's good to know that C. Bechstein can still make beautiful pianos.

[@hilariorodriguez1511]

😮😍🤗🎹🎼🎶The sound of that piano is really Fantastic 😘😍🤗🎹🎼🎶🎵🚴🚴🏼‍♀️🚴🚴🏼‍♀️

[@benjaminsmith2287]

I think this is the Academy model. So that would make it C. Bechstein's tier 2. Still, it's a very refined piano. Yes, it has a crisp sound. For me, a bit Fazioli, a bit August Forster, but really its own sound. Listening to a C. Bechstein is a different experience than almost any other piano.

[@ExAnimoPortugal]

Bechstein has to be the piano with the best balance between all ranges. A good one has that beautiful bell-like tone.

[@ninjaassassin27]

Bechstein is very rare indeed. I had the pleasure of playing an upright a few months back. Even tone, resonance is warm and deep.

[@sugarpacketchad]

Awesome! That higher register was very crisp and clean.

[@Powerslider]

First of all, I want to thank you, James, for all the excellent music and pianos you've showcased on your channel! A beautiful channel you've got here! Next up, i want to give you a very sincere tip: instead of playing your testpiece , why don't you surprise us with other pieces from your gigantic repetoire? You can play so many fantastic works... Always when i hear the same tune again (like your test tune) i am left with the feeling of 'Oh damn, a missed opportunity to amaze his audience with a piece we've rarely heard before.' Just my opinion, nothing more. Have a great day and keep up the good work!

[@KeepingOnTheWatch]

Powerslider Yeah, I get what you’re saying. I thought the same thing too. A benefit, however, is that you’re better able to immediately compare between the different pianos he plays - that is if you’ve seen plenty of his other reviews - when the same test is played.

[@jacobberg5584]

Good review. It's better than Steinway. I found my ideal piano.

[@harrysalvini2028]

James - thank you SO Much! Loved this talk - and that piano. And more importantly, the final song - Clair De Lune. A favorite! Always envision great water fountains dancing and duffel bags of money! Now to buy the house that can hold such a beauty...

[@ThePianoforever]

Always great to hear from a dear friend! Hope your family is doing well. The Shawcross family.

[@amascia8327]

~6.8 feet... just enough to get the bass real ! ! ! This piano really sings... you play it to its max. Thanks.

[@judithsimmermon3495]

Love the sound! Very bell like

[@judithsimmermon3495]

Off topic but can u review a Wm Knabe? My husband owned one. I thought it sounded lovely. Not super powerful but very warm sounding. Thanks. Love your videos. I’m not a pianist ( flutist) but they r so interesting and u play beautifully!

[@Modeltnick]

Very rich sounding piano. Yes, it does have a very unusual sound in that it is a very crisp sound but not overly harsh in the upper registers. Some of the other makes can be a bit overly "thin" in the upper ranges, as you have stated. Very nice tour. Thanks!

[@2Hearts3]

Beautiful playing. Must be fun to travel around playing all these wonderful pianos. Interesting to hear Debussy on a Bechstein; I think he chose Bluthner for his own music.

[@philipallard8026]

Lovely music. I am certain it sounds even better in person.

[@thepocketboy]

Agreed everytime I hit that last chord my eyes almost roll haha. Sounds beautiful

[@TheOrganInternational]

The Bach piece in this video is Schmückle dich, O liebe Seele (Deck, thyself, my soul) Op.122, No.5 by Johannes Brahms.

[@BennoWitter]

"Piano music should only be written for the Bechstein" --Claude Debussy

[@thythyli]

Debussy himself was a Bechstein fan!

[@philyew3617]

Stunning instrument. Steinway & Yamaha... Eat your hearts out! There are only two other makes that can equal or better that Bechstein. Either a Bluthner or, the all time winner, A Bosendorfer Imperial. (OK a similar Bechstein, or maybe a B212 would also do it). But I guess you could buy a house for less money :-)

[@tonirazz5565]

This crispy mid range should make it a good Rock piano, too. Anyways, I love Bechsteins and here in Germany they're everywhere.

[@domodepiano]

Super nice find always liked these, modern August Forster grands are also worth seeking out and you've showcased those before, this is up there w those.... Waiting for you to come across and showcase a modern Ibach from their final years before sadly were no more :)

[@RModillo]

Worth pointing out that the A series are the Academy pianos-- much less expensive than the top-line Bechsteins. Still sounds good, though!

[@yoyemama]

Nice playing.That piano has a nice sound.I wonder what that song must sound like played on a harp.

[@alexstephens8064]

James, if you ever find yourself in Missouri, I would be greatly honored if you would come play and, if you wish, video, my C. Bechstein C234. While I have 20 years of playing under my belt, you have much greater skill and I believe you could make the piano perform to its true potential.

[@ThePianoforever]

Alex Stephens, What year is your C. Bechstein, and have you had it tuned recently? JPS

[@alexstephens8064]

@@ThePianoforever It is a 2008. I last had it tuned about 10 months ago.

[@ThePianoforever]

Please feel free to contact me at the link below. aloveofmusic.com/Contact.html

[@kassemir]

As a pretty tall person, I can tell you, having long legs isn't always a good thing either. Trying to get seated, only to notice that your knees are touching the edge of the keybed isn't fun, and can be a very frustrating experience.

[@seunggunchoi1690]

Thank you so much!

[@1banjorick]

Fantastic as always. Could you place more from Chopin, Liszt, and Rachmaninov.

[@organist660]

every time I watch your videos I wish I had learned to play a piano. the same as I can with my organ. also you are a great isnperiation. to me as I learn how to play properly. my teacher says my fingers let the music flow .

[@cww4888]

That is the best sounding piano that i have ever heard. Crisp, clean, and rich sounding. How much does this piano cost? Very enjoyable, thank you.

[@louis-marlowe]

MSRP in the UK is £42,000; not sure what the equivalent would be in the USA, but you can find dealers through C Bechstein's website

[@Dobermanator]

If you can locate one (new) in the US for under $50,000.00 that would be a good price.

[@vangstr]

@@Dobermanator Wow, only $50k? I'll stick with my little Kawai.

[@eduardoquirino8131]

sublime

[@danirem1]

Thank you for the detail on the operation of this piano. You say that the action is a bit heavy when you push the note. It goes down, but there is a firmness that many other pianos don't have. I have an A 208 myself and I cannot perform trills, and pianissimos are difficult to perform. It would require an adjustment, but is it possible to reduce this effect of heaviness that is not found when playing a fast piece, ie flush with the keys. Thank you Thepianoforever for your response. Kind regards.

[@ThePianoforever]

It is possible to make actions feel lighter, through a number of different techniques. Is your piano new, or old? I'd be surprised to hear that a new C. Bechstein had a hard action to play. All the ones I've played were impeccable, even their Academy series.

[@WarrenPostma]

Fazioli is a good comparison. It feels like masterful craftsmen went over everything on this piano until it was basically perfect or 10% past perfect.

[@uh7385]

👍🎶 greetings from Germany 👏

[@carlosmagno1112]

Pianos alemães e austríaco e, na sequência, italiano, são os melhores do mundo. Até porque, as melhores madeiras (abeto) estão em áreas que abrangem Áustria (vizinha da Alemanha) e Itália. Então, por consequência, os melhores pianos do mundo são os Europeus. Americanos e japoneses também fazem bons pianos, mas não são melhores que os Europeus !

[@TurnFullCircle]

Lovely......thank you.....

[@josefriga8253]

There is slightly a difference between C.Bechstein and Bechstein pianos (without "C") I don't no what's the matter increaseing the cost for loosing the "C". I played a 208 some weeks ago and had the same feeling relating to the richness of sound, especially in the central part. But the pedals are too far away for a 173 cm grown-up like me.

[@lawriecherniack]

I very much enjoy your videos. One piece of information from this rank amateur: Artur Schnabel played Bechstein and did not perform much in the US, when he came over before the Second World War, because Steinway (whose action he disliked) had such a lock on pianos throughout the country, and no one would pay for the transport of his Bechstein to the various concert venues. You can read about this in his lectures. Having watched this video and listened to the sound of the Bechstein, I can now understand why Schnabel preferred it. The contrasts between the extremely pure and sudden staccato that you demonstrated and the singing tone of the notes when depressed are the hallmarks of Schnabel's expressionism.

[@ianbell4816]

It's got a beautiful sound. No muddiness in the lower tones and you are right, the upper registers are very bright. It's like a Yamaha but with resonance. Out of curiosity, how to do mike the pianos for your evaluations?

[@ThePianoforever]

We use small recorders that are no longer made, but we know them well. The secret to recording well is understanding your equipment and trying everything until you find what works for the equipment you have.

[@ianbell4816]

@@ThePianoforever I hear you. It's the same advice I give to newbie photographers. Get a cheap camera with and shoot the hell out of it. Constraints spur the imagination.

[@largecarken8504]

I would love to hear it in person. I thought it was too sparkly on the phone.

[@danielwhite9595]

As to vintage German pianos in America Bechstines turn up fairly regularly. The turn of the century ones in some models sometimes have issues with cracks in the harps so one has to be careful. They are beautifully sounding instruments in any case and are often much more reasonably priced than comparable pianos. I am drawn to instruments with a more unique sound and Bechstine fits this while also yet remaining a perfect example of general German piano sound paradoxical as that may be

[@danielwhite9595]

Bechstein, not Bechstine. I thought something didn't look right

[@c3piano]

Debussy wrote his music to be played on a Bechstein. I am in the market for one.

[@ericecklund676]

Maybe you can add the Pirates of the Caribbean song you like to play on the upper register as a way to showcase the higher notes on a piano you're interested in. My Casio PX-S3000 has incredible (sampled) bass register notes that I've been told were sampled from a C. Bechstein German Grand. The upper register samples on my keyboard don't sound as nice to me as this A208. Thanks for this video of the C. Bechstein!

[@danirem1]

Hello, the ACADEMY C.BECHSTEIN 'A208) pianos are economically made pianos. The 'Silverline' mechanism is less efficient. slower, less responsive than the Renner mechanics. Piano with flatter sounds with fewer harmonics than C.BECHSTEIN B series but the A208 are also half the price! I have an A208 myself. The real problem on this piano is the lack of responsiveness of Silverline mechanics (which I think Asian).

[@joaomagalhaes6675]

Hello Danielle, could you compare the quality of the A190 to an Kawai GX3? I live in Brasilia, where we don´t have stores to compare those pianos, and it´s given me now an opportunity to buy a Bechstein A190 from a friend. It´s a fairly new (2011) and almosta untouched piano. Here in Brazil, we basically can only buy Kawais and Yamahas.

[@SpringtrapTv102]

Bohemian Rhapsody was recorded on a whit bechstein model c

[@davidbird9947]

I’m an Amateur piano piano and we’ve had an antique (I think) upright beckstein piano in our family since before I was born that I’ve inherited. It has very old ivory keys. My dad explained the story to me but I can’t quite remember it! Wasn’t interested at the time. I think he got it at an auction many decades ago for 5 quid! And my best guess is that it’s over 100 years or at least approaching 100 years old. Weirdly enough Clair de lune is my favourite song to try to play on it. And I always get told I have a good touch when I play it. I know what I have is only an upright (I’ve only played a grande maybe once or twice in my life) but whenever I play other pianos I always get a mild bit of shock. It feels different. Kind of more blunt but at the same time not. Sometimes I think it sounds nicer, but now I think that must be because I normally want it to sound like the jazz pianos or normal music pianos that im used to hearing and wondering why my touch isn’t quite the same. And my operation of the pedal on other pianos is always well off! I honestly thought bechstein was a company that went out of business because I’ve never seen one before (and I’m British). Good to know they’re still made so I can get a grande when I have my dream house with enough space in it 🙂. I’d love to know how old it is and how much it’s worth. Any idea where I look to find out? Not because I’d ever sell it but it seems like one of those bargain auction finds that’s a gem that becomes a family heirloom. And I want my new born daughter to learn the piano on it one day!

[@juan345salga6]

wooooooow claire de lune+bechstein magic congrat

[@jakeschreacke4421]

Name of that Bach piece?? :)

[@TheOrganInternational]

The Bach piece in this video is Schmückle dich, O liebe Seele (Deck, thyself, my soul) Op.122, No.5 by Johannes Brahms.

[@zihui1234567]

208 is 6ft 10

[@lokmanmerican6889]

208 cm is 6 feet 8 inches

[@joaomagalhaes6675]

@@lokmanmerican6889 It´s 6ft10 indeed. 6ft8 would be 203cm: 6*30,48+8*2,54=182,88+20,32=203,2cm

[@diegofedelipiano]

Is it new?

[@ThePianoforever]

I believe it was.

[@ChrisDragotta]

Good for Jazz. Compact, dry sound.

[@lostinbeauty7129]

Lovely! It really is a unique sound. How do you account for that? What is it about the C. Bechstein piano that makes it sound so different?

[@lanzi655]

Yes Fazioli is the next closest to it. Wright

[@jean-pierrepericaud8224]

Excellent video? Clair de lune is perfect, piano is easy to find in France... sorry for that new. And price is low for a grand piano : One third of the C.Bechstein B-212 !

[@RModillo]

Just a bit more than half of the equivalent C Bechstein's price.

[@layzer80]

it sounds like........a piano.

[@MyAnno1404]

In Germany we habe Bechstein Stores. The Concert series is actuelly much better then Academy. In my opinion a Bechstein is by far the best you can get for your money.

[@joaomagalhaes6675]

MyAnno, how would you compare an Academy to a Kawai in terms of action?

[@fabiogutierrez5197]

🤗

[@MH-yz8ht]

Hello James, Greetings from Washington! Thank you for your video on the C. Bechstein, a piano I agree is very overlooked in America. Of the "seven C. Bechstein concert grands" you estimate in America, I have one of them! It is a Model E (280 cm/ ~9'2") built in 1964 in Berlin before the company moved fabrication out of the Berlin factory. I purchased the piano a few years ago and have enjoyed collaborating with it through various repertoire. My tuner and I are slowly doing maintenance work as a I can afford it; next step a solid regulation and voicing. If you are ever in WA and want to play an authentic Berlin C. Bechstein concert grand, I would be honored to introduce you to the piano. Here it is with Rachmaninoff's Prelude in B Minor: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3KUon9mpLdgptU

[@ThePianoforever]

Washington state or D.C.?

[@MH-yz8ht]

@@ThePianoforever Washington state, near Seattle.

[@AL-pu7ux]

Sounds a lot like a Baldwin!