Welcome to a special edition of Living Pianos. I’m Robert Estrin, and today, we’re comparing three exceptional German pianos with Steinway. As many of you know, Steinway was founded by German immigrants in New York City and later established a factory in Hamburg. However, most Steinways you encounter in North America are produced in the New York factory, while the Hamburg facility primarily serves Asia and Europe.
A Look at German Excellence
In this video, we’ll explore three top-tier German pianos: Bechstein, Blüthner, and Grotrian-Steinweg. Each of these prestigious brands has a long history, dating back to the 1800s, and is renowned for their superb craftsmanship. I’ll be playing excerpts of Chopin on each of these pianos as well as a Steinway, so you can hear the distinct sounds and qualities of these instruments for yourself.
Bechstein: A Pure Tone
Let’s begin with Bechstein. Listen to the clarity and focus in the beginning of Chopin’s B-flat minor Scherzo. The Bechstein offers a purity of tone that’s truly remarkable.
Blüthner: A Unique Sound
Next, we have the Blüthner. Known for its unique and indescribable sound, the Blüthner will give you a fresh perspective on piano tone. Let’s hear Chopin’s F-sharp Nocturne on this piano and experience the distinct quality of its sound.
Grotrian-Steinweg: A Heritage of Excellence
Grotrian-Steinweg, originally part of the Steinway family, has been crafting exceptional pianos in Germany since the mid-1800s. Listen to a portion of Chopin’s A-flat Ballade on the Grotrian-Steinweg and discover its rich, nuanced sound.
Steinway: The Benchmark
Finally, we’ll compare these German pianos to a Steinway, specifically a model B, which is just under seven feet. Hear Chopin’s Military Polonaise on this Steinway and see how it stands up to the German pianos.
I’d love to hear your impressions of these four instruments. Do you have a favorite? Are there aspects of one piano that you prefer over the others? Do you think some of these pianos are better suited to particular types of music or players? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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Share Your Thoughts!
14 thoughts on “3 German Pianos VS Steinway”
It is risky to compare piano brands rather than individual pianos. I understand why you chose each piece to the advantage of each instrument, but it makes it even more difficult to make a comparison.
The Bechstein mostly sounds nice on the scherzo which will overstimulate virtually any piano. However, it has this kind of music box tone at times which I don’t care for.
The Blunther attempts a darker timbre but winds of just sounding muddy most of the time. I wouldn’t have this piano even as a gift because it would make me insane.
The Grotrian is nice. It doesn’t sound artificial like the Bechstein did, but I think it lacks the necessary resonance in the lower register.
The Steinway sounds okay. I’m not sure if I just compare all Steinways to the 9′ foot, hand-picked from NY, that we had at my college–my God! That thing just sang at you. Pick any key, play it and go into rapture. Steinway, again, has the best tone. It might be the excerpt you selected wasn’t the best fit. Not all Chopin was created equal.
Also, you don’t give us any idea of the touch or what the dynamics are really like. There are pianos with full resonant tone which are unplayable because they are incapable of dynamics and only suitable for the ham-handed and the deaf. Others break down when pushed.
It’s always nice to listen to pianos though.
This video took pieces that I had already recorded from the videos of each piano. All of them are regulated to a concert level of performance. For a comparison of pianos with the same repertoire, check out this video I just did: https://livingpianos.com/steinway-vs-baldwin-which-concert-grand-sounds-best/
I loved all 4 pianos! But, I think the SS B, at least to my taste, wins hands down!
Of course, the Steinway B is a 7-foot grand compared to smaller pianos!
Is the unique sound of the Bluthner due to the fourth string design resonance
The Aliquot stringing you refer to is a unique technology utilized in some Bluthner pianos. However, this Bluthner does not have the 4th string. Yet is still has a unique sound!
The Bluthner “rings” more than all the others, creating an illusion of depth. It is almost as if a tiny amount of sustain was added, or as if the piano was being played in a large, hard room. It is a pleasant effect, but one that I believe would wear. The Steinway can be played with great clarity or with sustain, pianissimo or fortissimo. Ultimately, the ability to play every way is a winner for me.
Yes, the Blüthner seems to have its own concert hall attached!
I love the unique sound of the Bluthner. I can hear the expressiveness for tone poem and the like from the Romantic era. I like both the Grotrian-Steinweg AND the Steinway for the full bodied voice. Actually if I could have all four, that would be nice. Right now I have a Steinway, Kawai and Baldwin.
I love having all of these different pianos to play and practice on!
I’m a tuner /tech/rebuilder and have had the opportunity to work on all but a Bluthner. Each have their unique sound. I really like the clarity of the Bechstein, the Bluthner a sound hard to describe. But my choice always comes back to Steinway. The overall sound is rich and uniform and still with clarity in the upper register. However if someone gave me a Bechstein or Bluthner I would have to put it next to my Steinway and enjoy both. Great videos.
I find that each piano inspires a unique performance, even when playing the same piece!
Loved all the pieces but for comparisons it would have been better to play the same piece on all 4 pianos.
I used the existing videos of these pianos. I do have some plans for future videos of multiple pianos where I will play the same piece. But they all have to be tuned for the video. So it’s a little bit more complicated!