This Tuesday, representatives from the Latvian Museum of Literature and Music (RMM) sized up Latvian instruments against the Estonian National Piano Museum (ERK) housed at Holdre Manor in Valga County.

Latvia doesn't have its own piano museum, but a comprehensive overview of locally-built pianos was recently completed there, and includes an impressive number of documented pianos.

Both handcrafted and factory-made pianos have been produced on either side of the border – and upright pianos bearing the Riga name can still be found in Estonian homes today. Few people know, however, that that very same Riga upright piano was created by Estonian pianomaker Ernst Hiis.

"We began making instruments around the same time; Estonia maybe started a bit later," said Elmars Semovics, a Latvian researcher of musical instruments and the author of the overview.

"The first musical instruments in Latvia were made as early as the 1600s already," Semovics continued. "A museum in Stockholm has a clavicytherium on display, which can be considered a precursor to the piano."

The Latvians tested out the sound of the Estonian pianos at the Piano Museum, and acknowledged that every master has their own unique qualities.

Currently, the piano race between the two neighboring countries is a very close one.

"There are currently 99 different pianos in Latvia made by Latvian masters, but in Estonia I've already found 97," highlighted ERK founder Alo Põldmäe. "So the Latvians are currently in the lead."

Nowadays, it's nearly impossible to find a true pianomaker anymore – you're much more likely to find piano restorers. And upright pianos aren't as popular for home use as they used to be either; the electric piano is a sign of the times these days.

"No museum or exhibition exists in Lavia where you can come see musical instruments made in Latvia," admitted RMM director Iveta Ruskule. "We now have beautiful and spacious storage facilities where we can carefully examine the instruments in our collection."

Estonia pianos remain in production in Estonia today.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!