Estonia donates piano to newly restored Notre Dame cathedral
Estonia is to gift a grand piano to the restored Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, due to reopen fully in December.
Indrek Laul, head of Estonia piano firm, which makes quality and bespoke instruments, told "Ringvaade" the 2019 Notre-Dame fire symbolized such a loss for European culture, that he wanted to contribute in some way.
"The reopening will be a powerful event," he said.
As for the rationale, Laul said: "The cathedral organ, which contains over 8,000 pipes, will also be restored. This is one of the largest of its kind in the world. If we, as a small nation, had financially contributed to that, while it would have been nice, it would have disappeared somewhere into the large melting pot. But, as a musical instrument, our Song Festival tradition and the sing-song, beautiful Estonian language will resonate in Notre Dame."
Laul decided to donate a model 210 grand piano, which is both large enough for performances and yet easily movable.
A piano is often needed for choir practice and musical recitals.
"How else would you practice?" Laul noted.
"Large works need to be performed, and they needed a piano for that. That's why I made the decision not to offer the largest concert grand piano, but the model 210, which is big enough and can even be used for recording, but can also be moved from hall to hall. It is a bit more mobile than the largest models," the Estonia piano firm director went on.
The piano is still being completed, with final assembly and testing expected before it ships in November.
"There is still more to be done, and in November, the piano will be packed off. We also want the instrument to be ready early as sometimes the strings need time to stretch out, so then the piano will be more stable on site," Laul added.
Laul worked with religious leaders, in Estonia.
"We discussed the matter with [head of the Catholic Church in Estonia Bishop Philippe] Jourdan, and he took the matter up. Several months passed, but then a response came from the chief conductor of the Notre Dame choir, that they would be extremely grateful not to mention delighted to receive a piano," Laul recalled.
The Catholic Church in Estonia is also celebrating its 100th anniversary since being established in the newly independent state, an anniversary which coincides with the piano's delivery to Paris.
The piano will be blessed in a ceremony involving both Catholic and Lutheran churches, before it departs for France.
Notre-Dame is due to reopen December 8, ending several years of restoration work.
On April 15, 2019, the world watched in horror when an out of control blaze ripped through the cathedral. While the precise cause is not known, either an electrical short circuit or a carelessly discarded cigarette butt are believed the most likely explanations.
The restoration process has cost hundreds of millions of euros, much of it from donations.
The building has had its fair share of trials and tribulations in the past, too; for it was turned into a temple to the cult of reason during the first revolutionary period in the 1790s.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Neit-Eerik Nesto
Source: 'Ringvaade.'