A machine press, particularly a press brake, with a machine structure, a lower tool carrier that is arranged in a fixed spatial relation to the machine structure, an upper tool carrier that can be linearly displaced upward and downward relative to the lower tool carrier by a working stroke, and a hydraulic drive that acts upon the upper tool carrier and causes the downwardly directed motion of the upper tool carrier, wherein said hydraulic drive features at least one closed, autarkic hydraulic drive system (8; 9) that in turn comprises at least one hydraulic piston-cylinder unit (12; 12'A, 12'B) and at least one hydraulic power unit (15, 15', 15") that acts upon this piston-cylinder unit and is supplied from a storage tank, with said machine press having the following features: - the at least one hydraulic drive system (8; 9) can be switched between a rapid motion mode, in which a first effective piston area (27; 45) is acted upon by the at least one hydraulic power unit, and a pressing motion mode, in which the at least one hydraulic power unit acts upon a second effective piston area (48; 47) that is significantly larger than the first effective piston area; - no hydraulic connection whatsoever exists between the working chamber (22; 22'B) on the piston rod side and the working chamber (24; 24'B) on the piston side of at least one hydraulic piston-cylinder unit (12; 12'B) of the at least one hydraulic drive system; - the upper tool carrier is prestressed into its upper end position by means of a spring unit that overcompensates the weight of the upper tool carrier, the tool installed thereon and the components of the hydraulic drive connected to the upper tool carrier, as well as the closing force implied by the prevalent base pressure in the at least one hydraulic drive system; characterized in that - the hydraulic fluid of the at least one hydraulic drive system is stored in a pressure accumulator that forms the storage tank and constantly subjects the entire associated hydraulic drive system to a base pressure that lies at least above the ambient pressure. - the at least one hydraulic drive system (8; 9) can be switched between a rapid motion mode, in which a first effective piston area (27; 45) is acted upon by the at least one hydraulic power unit, and a pressing motion mode, in which the at least one hydraulic power unit acts upon a second effective piston area (48; 47) that is significantly larger than the first effective piston area; - no hydraulic connection whatsoever exists between the working chamber (22; 22'B) on the piston rod side and the working chamber (24; 24'B) on the piston side of at least one hydraulic piston-cylinder unit (12; 12'B) of the at least one hydraulic drive system; - the upper tool carrier is prestressed into its upper end position by means of a spring unit that overcompensates the weight of the upper tool carrier, the tool installed thereon and the components of the hydraulic drive connected to the upper tool carrier, as well as the closing force implied by the prevalent base pressure in the at least one hydraulic drive system; characterized in that - the hydraulic fluid of the at least one hydraulic drive system is stored in a pressure accumulator that forms the storage tank and constantly subjects the entire associated hydraulic drive system to a base pressure that lies at least above the ambient pressure.