Frederik Stamati: Tefta Tashko Koços piano is an object of special importance, but funding is required to complete the restoration works

Tefta Tashko Koço's piano, an unused instrument for years, is located in the National Historical Museum, where a few years ago work was done to restore it. Researcher and restaurateur Frederik Stamati, who has published photos, says that it is an object of special importance. According to him, a lot of work was done on the restoration, but there is still work to be done. "Tefta Tashko Koço's piano was transferred to the National Historical Museum a few years ago. Previously, he was at the "Jordan Misja" Artistic High School. Interventions had been made in it like for schools, but not like for museums. Neither the veneer motifs nor the geometric motifs were visible. A lot of work was done to restore it. The work will continue with the application of the glaze, not any glaze, but as is the technology of polishing musical instruments and specifically with the same requirements as pianos are polished, something special", says restaurateur Stamati. Tefta Tashko Koço's piano, which today is located in the National Historical Museum, according to restorer Frederik Stamati, who followed the works at the time when he intervened, was in a very problematic state. He says that a few years ago there were benevolent people who helped with funding for its restoration. "The piano was as it had come from the Lyceum and was in a catastrophic condition. At the time when the work started she was in a serious condition, she had been misused. At that time it was said that the piano, now no longer used, was given to the museum as a relic of a great singer. When we worked a few years ago, there was no state funding for it, but there were investments from benevolent people, who contributed at that time with funding for the piano. At that time, a specialist in the Lyceum for the arrangement of musical instruments also worked for the piano. Not only the piano, but also the stool you sit on was worked on", says Stamati.

Work by specialists

The restorer Frederik Stamati shows how the first stage of the work was the cleaning of the piano and now the veneer has come out very clearly, beautifully, just as it is in the original. But Stamati says that funding is needed to complete the works. "I don't know when the work will start again, because it needs financing to do it and it costs a lot to apply the varnish. So a budget is required to complete the work. The same varnish as the original will be applied as it was at that time and as required by the procedures for musical instruments", says Stamati. Regarding the works that were done years ago, Stamati says that at that time he gave instructions and followed the works, while he states that the piano of the prominent lyric singer is an object of special importance. "Tefta Tashko Koço played with this piano. An object of particular importance, an instrument of a famous singer. But in the museum I have seen people touching it, but it must be covered. There should be better conditions, it should be closed when the museum is built", says Stamati. The soprano Tefta Tashko Koço (November 2, 1910 - December 30, 1947), among the important figures of vocal interpretation, with a beautiful and authentic voice, during her career revealed an extraordinary talent of Albanian civic lyrical music and a rich repertoire of music classical opera.