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Harpsichords and Related Topics

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Subject:
From:
Rodney Myrvaagnes <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Harpsichords and Related Topics <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 6 Feb 2008 14:27:48 -0500
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I got my wife to type a Landowska anecdote from her childhood in largely Polish central CT.

*************

I recall reading a modified story of this incident by Wanda Landowska but I can't seem to locate it. It concerned how to determine whether one captured the right spirit of a dance. I thought readers might be interested in another viewpoint.

My Uncle Henry worked as a fireman in Torrington, CT. Since firemens' hours are irregular and involve some weekdays off, many of the guys moonlighted by making occasional deliveries for the local furniture store.

One day Henry got an order to deliver a chair to an address in Lakeville. When he got there, he recognized that the lady of the house was Polish. He said some words to her in her native language and they had a short conversation. She then asked him to get some coal for the stove from the cellar . Always happy to help a lady, Henry complied. When he returned the lady was playing some dance music on a strange instrument that was "sort of like a piano" but wasn't. Upon hearing it, he danced a little jig (that was the playful way Uncle Henry acted and was quite believeable). The lady was very excited to see this. Henry thought she was overreacting and wasn't sure what all the fuss was about.

******************* end of Barbara********

I don't think Uncle Henry ever knew who the lady was, or what a harpsichord is. WL did tell the story differently. Maybe some lister can come up with it.

Henry was, however, the grandfather of the then 6-year old girl who took stubbornly to the little fretted clavichord we brought to the Highland Lake cottage, repeating the one chord sequence she knew over and over until it came into tune. I thought this showed a latent musical talent but she never went anywhere with it. We both remember Henry being present on that occasion, but it was about 35 years ago.

Rodney Myrvaagnes

Please send emails to 
rodneym (AT) alumni (DOT) tufts (DOT) edu
with obvious corrections.

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