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If you are in the market for a new Yamaha, Kawai, Petrof or other mid-price grand piano, be sure to also consider Estonia pianos. Estonia grand pianos are the only truly high-end grand pianos in the mid-price field.

The Return of Estonia (the Country) to the Scandinavian Community
and of Estonia (the Piano) to the World Stage
by Irving Faust

Sara and I visited the Estonia factory in Tallinn this summer (August 2002) to see for ourselves the origins of these wonderful

pianos. We also wanted to learn whether the new Estonia piano (the only high-quality, handcrafted, moderately priced piano in the market today) is here to stay. I have much to report.

Let me start by recommending Tallinn as a fabulous town to visit as part of any trip to Scandinavia. A short (1 ½ hour) ferry ride from Helsinki brings you to the vibrant, cobble-stoned streets of a charming old city that rivals many of the must-see old cities of Europe. It is filled with glorious restaurants, pastry shops and taverns and with shops and stalls brimming with bargain-priced, hand-crafted, woolen, glass, ceramic and leather goods. The seemingly endless flower stalls are amazing (at least in the summer). There are reminders of the Soviet era, particularly when you venture outside the old city, but it is clear that these will not last too long. The people of Estonia want to become an integral part of the European Union and are doing everything possible to hasten the process. This includes a level of industriousness and pride in craf

tsmanship that is particularly evident at the piano factory.

We spent two days at the factory, reviewing the production process, examining the materials and equipment and talking to the workers. Forget the plant, the machinery, the forms and the jigs. These are just as you would expect in a modernizing, old-world piano factory. It’s the passion that you see in each and every worker that sets this place apart from the rest. Sara made some comments as to how some nearly completed pianos she was reviewing might be somewhat improved (subtle technical stuff having to do with string terminations, angles and strike points). We then headed to the lounge for an hour- long meeting with the owners. As the meeting was coming to a close, we got a call informing us that the changes that Sara had suggested were complete and ready for her to inspect. We went back to the production line and found the area filled with factory staff, their usually serious expressions fully transformed by powerful grins. Of course they were proud of the expertise that they had just displayed by their rapid and perfect execution of some fairly sophisticated maneuvers. But that was hardly the source of their pleasure. Their delight was in knowing that they had just learned how to make their pianos even better than before.

So what is the Estonia piano? During the Soviet era, it was a bland, utilitarian workhorse concert grand pumped out in huge numbers by uninspired workers. It was not something to write home about. Nevertheless, an important body of knowledge and expertise regarding concert pianos was developed and preserved. During the 1990’s, everything changed rapidly. First, Estonia became an independent country. Then, ownership of the factory went private. Concepts like ingenuity, individual initiative, hard work, efficiency and profit quickly began to take hold. New 5’ 6” and 6’ 3” piano models were designed and put into production. Everything relating to high-quality piano design and production that it could beg, borrow or buy from piano makers around the world, the factory quickly acquired. By the late 1990’s, piano dealers throughout Europe and the US were placing orders for more and more Estonia pianos. Today, the factory is working at full capacity. Demand has outstripped supply. Construction of a brand new factory that will allow production to quadruple was about to start while we were in Tallinn this summer and is now well under way. And the people who are acquiring the new Estonia pianos for their homes and their families are getting, by far, the best piano value in the market today.

Saving the best for last, let me now tell you the really big news. A newly-updated 9’ Estonia concert grand arrived at our Dobbs Ferry facility this summer and now graces the piano spot of honor at our Irvington headquarters. The instrument is remarkably similar to the Hamburg Steinway, especially in its sound and touch. But the price is dramatically less than that of the Steinway! Sara loves this piano. Nearly everyone who has played it has been blown away by it. One of the first people to see this piano bought it on the spot. No one can believe that these concert grands are selling for such an affordable price. Is it possible that the perch that the Steinway D has occupied on the American concert stage for over a hundred years may finally have a serious challenger? The workers at the Estonia factory have no less of a goal in mind. And they are in this for the long haul. Count on it.