The Piano Revolution

An item from Estonian commentator Michael Tarm about Stalin's Favourite Pianos.

More than 50 years after Josef Stalin set up the Soviet Union's premier piano plant in this Baltic Sea state, the despot's favorite pianos are back in red-hot demand — in the United States.

"I've never seen a piano light up the market like the Estonia," said John Cordogan, owner of the PianoLand store in suburban Chicago, where a glistening Estonia presides center-stage in a showroom otherwise crowded with American and Japanese pianos. "They're our only product that sells before they even arrive."

The reasons for the pianos' popularity are not hard to fathom. Indrek Laul, the piano firm's present director, is himself a concert pianist and graduate of New York's Juilliard School of Music - so he may be said to know his trade from the inside. Then there is the question of price:

At US$20,000, an Estonia baby grand is half the price of a Steinway, seen as the thoroughbred of pianos. A full-sized Estonia concert grand is US$60,000 compared to at least US$120,000 for a Steinway.

Labor costs enable the Estonians to keep prices low. Average wages in Estonia are the equivalent of US$500 a month -- less than what a U.S. worker might make in a week.

Another edge for the Estonias, say analysts, is Laul himself.

"When you have a concert pianist at the helm, they want to reach the highest levels," said Harrison. "They're embarrassed if they can't."

Laul, who splits his time between Estonia and a New York office, likens himself to a race car river who makes his own cars. "Most pianists have to make the best of the piano they're on," he said. "I can change my piano as I see fit. It's every pianist's dream."

Incidentally, as Mari-Ann Kelam points out, when reading this item it's as well to be aware of a few facts that Tarm got slightly wrong: "NB 'Estonian craftsmen have been crafting pianos for over 200 years. Today, the ESTONIA Piano Factory, started in 1893, is among the leading handcrafted grand piano makers of Europe.' Stalin did NOT 'set up' the Estonia Piano factory - he 'nationalized it' (read 'STOLE IT') like everything else when the Soviets took over Estonia and the other two Baltic states.

The ESTONIA Pianos website may be visited at this URL.