Historic keyboard instruments in the collections of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar

The Klassik Stiftung Weimar has begun extensive conservation work on historic keyboard instruments dating between 1790 and 1850 – four fortepianos and a table piano - which paradigmatically demonstrate how the art of piano-making developed through the years until the pianoforte made its debut. It is particularly fascinating that these instruments have never left the historic premises of their original owners, some of whom were renowned figures of Weimar’s cultural history, including Maria Pavlovna and Franz Liszt.
The task of this KUR project was to safeguard the instruments from further decay and preserve them for the future. The preservation and conservation measures made it possible to perform on several of the instruments again, either for presentation purposes at the museum or occasional concert performances. Furthermore, the project developed guidelines for using restored historic instruments with regard to their availability in the museum activities and their use for historic performance praxis.

Project administrator:
Klassik Stiftung Weimar

Cooperative partners:
Institute of Musicology, Weimar - Jena
Greifenberger Institut für Musikinstrumentenkunde GmbH
Händel-Haus Halle Foundation