When you hear this word, what comes to you? I’m sure out of the not-so-many things that jump on your mind, piano is definitely not one of them. And yet, Estonia actually is one of the country that produce one of the nicest instruments in the world, with really high-quality craftsmanship and a pride that seldom found in the world of corporations nowadays.
Praised by notable artists such as Marc-Andre Hamelin, Claudio Arrau, Emil Gilels, Sviatoslav Richter, Matti Raekallio, all the way to the jazz legend Dave Brubeck, the Estonia pianos have been gathering more and more following in the past few decades with their commitment to making excellent instruments that has wonderful musical capabilities regardless of the genre of music you’re playing.
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As a country with a long legacy of piano building, starting in the late 18th century, the current Estonia Piano was established by Ernst Hiis-Ihse after the World War 2. During the 1960s, after Mr. Hiis’s passing, Estonia Piano experienced a decline and was only revived in 1991. While the history of the company is not one like the others with steady growth and smooth sailing, the current company is run by Dr. Indrek Laul, an Estonian pianist that earned his degree at The Juilliard School, with the utmost dedication and passion to grow the company to build the piano of the highest quality possible.
THE ESTONIAN QUALITY
What makes the Estonia piano special? And why should we pay attention to it?
First of all is of course the musical capability of the instrument itself. A piano, first and foremost, is a musical instrument, and ultimately, it is a work of art. Each piano is special in its character, an embodiment of the smaller components that create something definitely larger than the sum of its parts. The pianos are built with the European tradition in mind, gathering choice materials to create a beautiful piano capable of expressing the players deepest musical thoughts and interpretation.
A few examples worthy of mentioning is the fact that their iron plates are made in Finland the old-fashioned way. Old-fashioned? Shouldn’t things be the newest technology instead of the old-fashioned way? Well...depending on what you think a beautiful instrument requires. Modern manufacturing, while definitely gives more yield in a shorter period of time, doesn’t really represent the craftsmanship that goes into building the piano itself, especially when concerning the details of the plates themselves. The continued care and reassessment of the plates can take up to a year, and only then the best plates are selected for the instrument. Finding a good plate is easy, but finding one that truly speaks for the musical quality is not that simple, and this is where we can see their commitment to excellence, where quality is more important than quantity.
Even more when you read up about their soundboard, which is made entirely by high-quality spruce that grows over a long period of time only from the high altitude Alps in Switzerland or Italy, where it would be continually chosen more and more selectively to make the most musical soundboard for their instrument. To think about the commitment that they have invested into the makings of the piano, from the keybed to the wounding of the strings, to the tuning and the thick rim, it is definitely quite a feat in terms of their production quality, which brings us to the result of all of these hard work.
The beauty of the Estonian piano lies in its sound - a rich, melts in your ear (yes, it’s true!), round sound that rings true to the touch. Incredibly sensitive to even the slightest change in how we play, the colors are limitless and bound to grow even more. Estonia pianos are also very easy to play, giving you the biggest reward when playing compared to the ones that feel very...resistant to cooperate in performances. As musicians we are always looking for a better instrument to play on, and Estonia indefinitely surprises you with more and more things to discover and what the instrument can do. Equally powerful in the bass compared to the other more famous makers, but yet has a unique character that it wouldn’t overpower and blows everything over.
That feeling when you really found comfort with an instrument...that is what you feel when you try an Estonia piano. Something about this piano is made for the highest amount of artistry, and yet it doesn’t intimidate, but gives you the space you need in order to be creative. That sense of belonging with the instrument is rarely found, especially when the instruments are not calibrated well or requires a lot of getting to know. Estonia pianos are surprisingly easy to be acquainted with, and probably being owned by a pianist certainly brings a different dimension to the construction and the feel of the instrument itself.
WHY CHOOSE ESTONIA?
Well...because they’re good!
But more than just that, they are really good instruments for any genre of music that you ever thought about playing. With musical capabilities that Estonia piano has, the pianos are suitable for both professionals as well as amateurs and students looking for an instrument that can inspire them to be the musicians that they can aspire to be.
But more than just that, Estonia’s range in price point is definitely lower than other piano makers that could give you this musical quality. While Estonia is definitely on the higher range for the “student” piano, considering the utmost dedication and commitment that goes into building these beautiful instruments. Biggest bang for your buck is what we’d say about this instrument, especially considering that it is definitely a hidden gem that not a lot of people know about, but the instrument that will definitely stay with you for a long period of time.
Of course, talking about the instrument means nothing if you haven’t tried it, so come visit us at The Grand Signature Piano to try out the Estonia piano today!
All information on Estonia piano is taken from www.estoniapiano.com. For more information, please visit our website www.thegrandsignaturepiano.com