Musicology Annotation << Back The Underrated Carl Goetze Pianos: Stories from the History of Russian Piano Makers Sergeev Maxim V. Carl Friedrich (aka Karl Vasilievich) Goetze (1837–1916), today one of quite a number of the undeservedly forgotten names in the history of Russia’s piano building, was a St. Petersburg master piano maker and factory owner. A not very favourable printed review of the Carl Goetze firm’s piano left by the Soviet piano historian Piotr N. Zimin was long the only one that musicologists, professional musicians and piano tuners had available and based their attitude towards the business’s production on. Scholarship in the field of Goetze has been advanced by new historical data, accounts of contemporaries and exhibition expert committees in and outside Russia, which makes it possible to get a different idea of the quality of Carl Goetze’s instruments as well as his designer talent. Goetze’s well-designed piano models having won several silver medals at exhibitions, the 1880s saw him shifting his focus to making Cabinet and Salon Grands. After the factory had been moved to Berlin in 1895, C. Goetze got involved in the development of miniature grand piano models which are still so much in demand these days. Even today, his 138-cm Pygmy and 150-cm Baby continue to be a rare example of an outstanding design solution as well as a sought after piece of art. Seen from a fresh perspective, the history of the Carl Goetze firm reveals not only the German influence on the piano building in Russia, but also what effect the Saint Petersburg school of piano building had on the piano making in Germany. And the use of modern methods of expertise and historical restoration can help both make a dramatic difference to the attitude towards Carl Goetze’s business and ensure his pianos are well preserved as Russia’s national treasure. Keywords: C. Goetze, Bülow H. von, H. Lichtenthal, piano making, musical instrument makers, organology. DOI: 10.25791/musicology.05.2020.1124 Pp. 09-17.