Google's animated doodle on Mon., May 4 set the internet abuzz with the question, 'Who invented the piano?'

The answer -- little known artisan Bartolomeo Cristofori who worked for the Medici court in Italy during the 17th century as a caretaker of the instruments. It was during that time the modern piano was born.

Materials often used to create those early wood pianos included cypress, spruce or pine for the soundboard and hardwoods like hickory, beech and maple for pins and bridges. Cristofori likely used these materials when his Grand Piano was built in 1720.

The Grand Piano, the oldest of three of Cristofori's creations still in existence today, is part of New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art's (The Met) Musical Instruments collection.

Oddly enough the museum was also in the news on May 4 because of the 2015 Met Gala, an extravagant annual fund-raising event for its Costume Institute. The ball took place that evening and the costumes of celebrities who graced the red carpet were oftentimes equally extravagant, elegant and absurd -- perhaps not too different from the Medici court?

While R&B and pop singer Rihanna was the evening's entertainment a more timely treat would have been if The Met had pulled out Cristofori's Grand Piano to amuse its guests.