KOMONO, Mie Prefecture--Pianos from the time of Beethoven and Mozart form part of a collection here that was lovingly put together by a piano tuner who is now retired.

Despite being more than 200 years old, the instruments, amazingly, are all in playable condition.

They do not sound anything like a grand piano of modern times, however. The sound is much softer, as visitors notice when they first step through the door of the Komono Piano History Museum.

One of the showpieces at the facility is a dulcimer whose many strings are struck by handheld “hammers.”

A cembalo, better known as a harpsichord, features strings that are plucked with plectra made of bird quill. This type of instrument was a favorite of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) and Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750).

Another early type of piano on show is a clavichord, whose sounds are produced by striking strings with metal blades.

These early models led to the invention of the grand piano, whose strings are struck by felt-coated wooden hammers to create sounds.

The word “piano” is a shortened form of the Italian “pianoforte,” signifying that the instrument can produce both soft (piano) and loud (forte) melodies.

The Komono Piano History Museum has 37 instruments on show, which are all kept in tip-top condition.

The collection was amassed by 83-year-old Mitsuyoshi Iwata during business trips to Europe and the United States. The retired piano tuner now holds the title of representative director at the museum.

Sixty or so instruments from his collection were originally on show at a training center of the Chubu Piano Choritsu Senmongakko (Chubu piano tuning academy), a school that Iwata established in Nagoya in 1980. The school is current Chubu Technical Academy of Musical Instruments.

The instruments were intended for educational use. But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the center closed.

Loathe to leave the instruments to gather dust, a group of volunteer tuners close to Iwata spent a year restoring 20 of them. In October 2021, the center reopened as the Komono Piano History Museum.

When tinkering with the instruments, staff pay special attention to reproducing, as much as possible, the original sounds.

For example, the bodywork and internal workings are examined carefully so that strings and other components can be imported from Europe. Difficult-to-procure parts are crafted manually on occasion.

“We do not mess around with the original designs,” Iwata said. “We also ensure that the materials we use are as close as possible to those from the periods in which they were created.”

As audio recording technology had not been invented when Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) was alive, no recordings exist of his works as originally composed.

“This is why it is so important to protect not only the design of the instruments but also their original sounds,” Iwata said.

A typical contemporary piano has 88 keys that span seven and a half octaves. The steel strings are stretched tightly over the instrument’s frame to produce powerful, resonant sounds even when played with an orchestra in a huge concert hall.

A less refined piano from Mozart’s time covered five octaves with 61 keys. The keyboard was more compact, resulting in less volume.

The piano underwent significant improvements in Ludwig van Beethoven’s most active period.

It is said that the German composer who died in 1827 aged 56 relied on different types of pianos at different times in his life.

“Changes in the instrument’s design are reflected in his scores, as the piano continued to evolve through his final years,” Iwata said.

By the time Chopin was making a name for himself, the piano had expanded to more than six and a half octaves to boast around 80 keys. The introduction of a metal frame to allow for greater string tension enhanced both the instrument’s tonal power and elegance.

Visitors to the Komono Piano History Museum are assured of hearing the distinct sounds of various pianos, including those from renowned instrument makers Broadwood & Sons, Erard and Pleyel. They are all available to play--the very same models once cherished by Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin.

Piano enthusiasts from all over Japan visit the Komono Piano History Museum to sample the sounds cherished by composers who left their mark on history.

There is a growing movement in the world of classical music to reproduce the original sound of early compositions by using pianos from the period in which the pieces were written. As a result, the facility is inundated with people visiting for research purposes.

Due to the difficulties in tuning the antique pianos, the Komono Piano History Museum generally opens only three times a week. The remaining days are reserved for repairs and adjustments.

Materials for maintenance are funded through admission fees, donations from individuals and contributions from six sponsor companies, including Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., as well as membership fees from 500 project supporters.

“Quaint pianos not only enable people to appreciate the charm of history but they also deepen their understanding and interpretation of musical scores,” Iwata said. “We will continue striving to pass down both the instruments and their unique sounds as well as the techniques to preserve them.”