Half a century ago I used to hire a Bechstein studio on Wigmore Street for 75 pence an hour for my piano practice.
Now they are opening a new C. Bechstein building at 22 Wigmore Street with a two-story showroom, 13 practice rooms and a 100-seat concert hall.
Can’t wait.
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I used to hire a piano there at the same time as you did. Did our paths ever cross? Great news! -things opening up instead of shutting down.
Fantastica notizia!
Can’t wait!
Some really great news from the classical scene, for a change!
Ah yes, the Nazi Bechsteins
This is what is upsetting me about my piano. I have a beautiful 1908 Bechstein “C”, and loved it until I found out the Nazi sympathies of, and financial support of the Nazi party by, Carl Bechstein’s son, Edwin, who owned the business at the time of my piano’s manufacture. I’m sure you know all of the below, but I share it here for others to see. All of this is findable online.
Edwin and his wife, Helene, were very friendly with and fond of Hitler and wanted him to marry their daughter. When Hitler was in prison (for less than one year) for attempting a overthrow of the German government and was writing “Mein Kampf” while in prison, Helene visited him several times to encourage him. After he got out, she taught Hitler the social niceties so he could be considered a gentleman and rise in society. Edwin and Helene financially supported Hitler’s anti-Semitic propaganda newspaper and converted one of their piano factories into a weapons or munitions factory for the Nazis.
After learning all of this, I can’t look at my Bechstein the same way. I can’t sell it because it’s developed the not-uncommon (for Bechsteins of the period) hairline cracks in the frame. I’m not in a financial position to splurge on another piano right now, so I’m kind of stuck.
My Bechstein has lost its lustre. I practice now on my Kawai digital piano and use the Bechstein to teach piano because the students need to experience a grand. I cannot tell you how saddened I am. As soon as we can save the money, we’re replacing it with a Steinway.
This sounds really stupid, I hate to say it! Inanimate object, it is not your piano’s fault. Where does this end. Alright, they were on the wrong side of history and making amazing piano’s is their only saving grace…
Oh I would use and enjoy your beautiful old Bechstein! It is doing no harm to anyone now, and could bring you much joy. It’s not like you’re supporting Nazism in any possible way now. There’s so much art from (very flawed) people but especially when you’re not supporting them or their ideology, I don’t see anything wrong with enjoying it. If we decided never to enjoy art by antisemites we’d miss out on a lot. I don’t know what your background is, but I’m a Jewish person whose ancestors perished in the Holocaust. And I still say enjoy your Bechstein. It would be a waste not to, and we need to find joy where we can.
Why can’t you sell it? I’m sure someone would give you a couple hundred for your cracked Nazi piano, and you wouldn’t have it haunting you all the time.
I am sure your piano does not remember any of that.
‘You can’t be serious’!
So it’s OK to play piano made in Japan after what they did in WW2.!!
A rather hypocritical logic.
Are they still Nazis? And would you refuse to play a Bechstein? Great pianos.
Not the biggest fan of the man who runs it I’m afraid.
Are they still Nazi sympathizers?
Is this the reason? (If it’s not, I’m not asking for the specifics.)
Can they please coordinate concerts in the afternoon prior to Wigmore Hall events. With enough time for a pint and some food in between?
It is actually nearly next to Wigmore Hall and they are working on this for a while. I see it every time I visit Wigmore Hall.
It is for sure good news.
I wonder how much they will charge to hire a practice room these days.
Well, here are some comparators in the (fairly) general vicinity of Wigmore Street:
https://themusicstudios.co.uk/rates/
https://bluthner.co.uk/services/piano-practice-studios
https://schottmusiclondon.com/events/practice-rooms/#prices
https://www.jspianos.com/booking
https://www.peregrines-pianos.com/prices-and-policies
It will doubtless be run by Jacques Samuel, so I don’t imagine the charges will be too different from theirs. Bluthner and the Music Studios also offer practice rooms with grand pianos. If you want recognised grand in a less spartan environment there are (for example) three nice (and under-used) model B Steinways (£15/hr upwards) listed on “Find mushRoom” practice rooms
Will they now go the whole hog and restore the original name of the Wigmore Hall – namely, the Bechstein Hall?
Once upon a time Wigmore Hall _was_ Bechstein Hall — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigmore_Hall
They just opened another store in Vienna (next to Theater-an-der-Wien). Bechstein seems to be implementing an expansion strategy.