Wanda Landowska and Manuel de Falla<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

On a review of one of their concerts in Vienna<\/em> on November 23, 1904 the critics wrote:<\/p>\n

\u201eIm kleinen Musikvereinssaal veranstaltete die Klaviervirtuosin Wanda Landowska aus Paris letzten Mittwoch einen interessanten Abend. Auf dem Klavier und dem historischen Clavecin trug sie Kompositionen von J. S. Bach und mehreren seiner Zeitgenossen vor. Wanda Landowska verf\u00fcgt \u00fcber eine brillante Technik und eine seltene Weichheit des Anschlags, die namentlich in Bachs Suite Anglais und in Claude Daquins ,Le Coucou\u2018 gl\u00e4nzend zur Geltung kamen. Mit Spannung harrte das Auditorium der Vortr\u00e4ge auf dem Clavecin. Auf dem Podium stand das von Pleyel in Paris gebaute Instrument, das trotz seiner acht F\u00fc\u00dfe einen sehr grazi\u00f6sen Eindruck macht. Die K\u00fcnstlerin handhabt \u00fcbrigens das Clavecin, es hat zwei Manuale und sechs Pedale, mit ebensolcher k\u00fcnstlerischer Fertigkeit wie das Klavier. Man glaubt sich bei den Kl\u00e4ngen des Instruments in einen Salon des achtzehnten Jahrhunderts versetzt, und schlie\u00dft man die Augen, dann schweben auch schon die reizenden Gestalten in Bauschr\u00f6cken und Chemisette mit den gepuderten Per\u00fccken im Menuettschritt vor\u00fcber. Das Instrument hat einen \u00fcberaus vollt\u00f6nenden Klang. Die Tonfarbe schwebt zwischen Harfe und Zymbal. Wundernett kamen unter anderem H\u00e4ndels ,Grobschmiedvariationen\u2018 heraus, deren Vortrag der K\u00fcnstlerin wie alle \u00fcbrigen Nummern w\u00e4rmsten Beifall brachte\u201c<\/em> (see: Neue Freie Presse 26. Nov. 1904, p. 10).<\/p>\n

However, the growing interest in the harpsichord began to create a problem, as there was only a limited number of instruments available and playable. In the past, the harpsichord was considered a curiosity, obsolete and unfashionable. The piano was the ultimate instrument and could be used universally. Wanda Landowska collected historical instruments and had an interesting collection of historic harpsichords, which she also used for concerts. But where did her interest in the harpsichord come from?<\/p>\n

An important milestone was the World Exhibition of 1889 in Paris<\/em>. Wanda Landowska was only 10 years old at that time, but was already advanced in her musical education and interested. Three harpsichords specially made for the exhibition were exhibited in Paris:<\/p>\n

\n
• two-manual harpsichord by Louis Tomasini<\/li>\n
• two-manual harpsichord by Pleyel<\/li>\n
• two-manual harpsichord by Erard<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
  

  Harpsichord made by Louis Tomasini for the Exposition Universelle of\u00a01889 in Paris<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

  

  Harpsichord made by Erard for the Exposition Universelle of\u00a01889 in Paris<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

  

  Harpsichord by Pleyel for the Exposition Universelle of\u00a01889 in Paris<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

   <\/p>\n

  These instruments caused a sensation, as the spirit of the times and fashion had previously been reserved for the modern piano. Interest in these instruments grew and the harpsichord received more and more attention from musicians, musicologists and in publications, but the triumph of the piano remained some time before the harpsichord could establish itself again.<\/p>\n

  1896 marks another important point in Wanda Landowska’s life, when she visited the Royal Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments in Berlin<\/em> together with Bogumil Zepler<\/strong> (1858 \u2013 1918), where she became acquainted with the “Bach harpsichord<\/em>” (Cat. No. 316). The harpsichord in the Berlin collection, which is probably built by Johann Heinrich Harrass<\/strong> (1665 \u2013 1714), is said to have belonged to Wilhelm Friedemann Bach<\/strong> (1710 \u2013 1784), who is said to have inherited it from his father Johann Sebastian Bach<\/strong> (but there is no proof of this). However, the encounter with this instrument had a lasting effect on Wanda Landowska and had an enormous influence on her further career. The “Bach harpsichord<\/em>” has 3 registers (16′, 8′ and 4′). The 16′ register is unusual and was used mostly by harpsichord makers in Hamburg<\/em>, Saxony<\/em> and Thuringia<\/em>. We can only speculate why this harpsichord in the Berlin collection made such a lasting impression on Wanda Landowska: was it the nimbus of the composer Johann Sebastian Bach or the disposition or something else?<\/p>\n

  Due to the interest and the growing demand, Wanda Landowska approached the traditional French company Pleyel<\/strong>, which had already presented an instrument at the 1889 World Exhibition. Landowska’s ideas of sound (especially the use of a 16′ register) and her experience as a musician bore fruit in a productive collaboration and so Pleyel<\/strong> started manufacturing harpsichords in 1912. The instruments were signed with Wanda Landowska’s name \u2013 the “Landowska model<\/em>” was born and had a lasting influence on modern harpsichord construction in the 20^{th<\/sup> century. All instruments were provided with a steel frame and their construction was derived from modern piano construction. The keys were heavy to play and the registers could be switched with the help of pedals. The harpsichords were produced in two versions: a model with six pedals – without nasal stops – and a model with seven pedals. In the early days, the instruments did not have a protruding keyboard, which was later changed because the audience at concerts wanted to see the harpsichordist’s hands. In some cases, the front right-hand side was subsequently shortened in order to do justice to the audience. Some of Pleyel’s harpsichords were painted and decorated as special versions, similar to the popular “Art Case grand pianos<\/em>\u201d, by well-known artists (e.g. by Bernard Naudin<\/strong> (1876 \u2013 1946)). On the VI. German Bach Festival of the New Bach Society from June 15 to 17, 1912 in Breslau<\/em>, Landowska presented the new Pleyel harpsichord (\u201cGrand Mod\u00e8le de Concert<\/em>\u201d) to the public for the first time.<\/p>\n}

  

  Pleyel Harpsichord “Grand Mod\u00e8le de Concert<\/em>“, Paris 1828 – Eric Feller Collection<\/p><\/div>\n

   <\/p>\n

  Due to Landowska’s popularity with playing a huge amount of concerts, recordings and her presence in magazines and newspapers, the harpsichord experienced an unprecedented boom. In 1913 the first professorship for harpsichord was established in Berlin<\/em> and Wanda Landowska was appointed as the first female professor. But there was not only positive feedback on the revival of the harpsichord, also opponents who dealt critically with the rediscovered instrument. The limited dynamics and reduced timbres were often criticized.<\/p>\n

  During this time, many instrument makers were involved in the construction of the rediscovered type of instrument in a wide variety of ways and there were major differences in structure, sound and workmanship. For example, one of the first instrument makers in Hamburg<\/em> was Walther Ebeloe<\/strong>. He made the first harpsichords in Hamburg<\/em> in the 20^{th<\/sup> century. Since the harpsichord was hardly a major research object at the time, there were little knowledge and many instrument makers used modern piano construction and thus constructed new instruments that represent a kind of hybrid: the sound generation of the harpsichord with jacks and quills in combination with experience and innovations in modern piano construction, as well as with modern materials. Partly motivated to build a reliable and perhaps also “improved” instrument, instruments were created that sound little in common with a historical instrument, but in terms of music history they play an important role in preparing the way for today’s historical performance practice. An instrument by Walther Ebeloe<\/strong> from 1939 is in the Eric Feller Collection<\/strong> – For detailed information about this instrument, please click here!<\/a><\/p>\n}

  Wanda Landowska’s harpsichord, developed in collaboration with Pleyel<\/strong>, long shaped the 20^{th<\/sup> century conception of the sound of plucked instruments. It was a role model for many instrument makers until the 1970s, when a change took place, from the \u201cRastenbauweise<\/em>\u201d (industrial\/serial construction) to the historical construction, which has become the standard in historical performance practice today.<\/p>\n}

  

  \u201eTemple de la Musique Ancienne\u201c – Wanda Landowska at the entrance to her concert hall in Saint-Leu-la-For\u00eat<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

   <\/p>\n

  After Wanda Landowska settled in Saint-Leu-la-For\u00eat<\/em>, not far from Paris<\/em>, she founded the “\u00c9cole de Musique Ancienne<\/em>” there, where she held annual summer courses and concerts. The concerts had become so popular that a railway connection was established. Her estate in Saint-Leu-la-For\u00eat<\/em> was equipped with a specially built concert hall, which she herself called the “Temple de la Musique Ancienne<\/em>“. In addition to her Pleyel harpsichords, she also housed her precious collection of original historical instruments (harpsichords, spinets, clavichords, organs…) there.<\/p>\n

  

  Wanda Landowska playing one of her historic clavichords from her collection<\/p><\/div>\n

   <\/p>\n

  Among them were instruments by Andreas Ruckers<\/strong> and other renowned instrument makers as well as a piano by Juan Bauza<\/strong>, which Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Chopin <\/strong>played during his stay on Mallorca<\/em>. In addition to the collection of musical instruments, Wanda Landowska had an extensive library of sheet music and manuscripts. In June 1940, she had to flee from the German troops, leaving her collection behind. Employees of the “Sonderstab Musik<\/em>” confiscated the instruments left in Landowska’s house and transported them by truck to Berlin on 20 September 1940. All the musical possessions were scattered and some were destroyed in bombing raids. Some of the instruments turned up on the private art market or at auctions after 1945. For a detailed description of these events, please refer to the book by Willem de Vries<\/strong> “Sonderstab Musik: Organisierte Pl\u00fcnderungen in Westeuropa 1940-45<\/em>“.<\/p>\n

  

  Italian Harpsichord 16th century – Collection Wanda Landowska<\/p><\/div>\n

   <\/p>\n

  Overall, it is undeniable that Wanda Landowska has played a significant role in music history. She was a pioneer in the revival of harpsichord playing, and her pioneering research and passion for period instruments has had a profound influence on the modern interpretation of Baroque music. Her numerous recordings and writings have contributed to the rediscovery of the harpsichord as an important part of classical music. But Landowska’s legacy extends far beyond her musical accomplishments. She was one of the few women in the music industry to break barriers and set standards that are still relevant today. Her perseverance and pursuit of perfection have inspired and encouraged numerous musicians to pursue their own careers.<\/p>\n

  Wanda Landowska died on August 16, 1959 in Lakeville Connecticut USA.<\/p>\n

   <\/p>\n

   <\/p>\n

  Sources:<\/h3>\n

  \n
  • Anthony, James R. Landowska: The Life and Work of the Great Harpsichordist. Amadeus Press, 2003.<\/li>\n
  • de Vries, Willem \u201eSonderstab Musik: Organisierte Pl\u00fcnderungen in Westeuropa 1940-45\u201c.<\/li>\n
  • Gutmann, Peter. “Wanda Landowska: Revolutionary and Traditionalist.” New England Review and Bread Loaf Quarterly, vol. 26, no. 4, 2005, pp. 143-152.<\/li>\n
  • Heyer, John Hajdu. “Wanda Landowska and Early Music: A Personal View.” Early Music, vol. 14, no. 3, 1986, pp. 301-305.<\/li>\n
  • Hsu, Samuel. Wanda Landowska: The Woman and the Artist. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1979.<\/li>\n
  • Joseph, Charles M. Wanda Landowska: The Search for Authenticity. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1991.<\/li>\n
  • Kallberg, Jeffrey. “Landowska and Her Circle: The Shared Aesthetics of Music and Art.” In The Cambridge Companion to Wanda Landowska, edited by Mark Kroll, pp. 100-118. Cambridge University Press, 2021.<\/li>\n
  • Kroll, Mark. “The Artistry of Wanda Landowska.” Early Music America, vol. 6, no. 1, 2000, pp. 30-35.<\/li>\n
  • Landowska, Wanda. Landowska on Music. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co Ltd, 1964.<\/li>\n
  • Lawrence, D.H. “Wanda Landowska: The Pianist Who Made the Harpsichord Sing.” The Adelphi, June 1932, 148-156.<\/li>\n
  • Lubitz, Andrea. “Wanda Landowska and Her Collaborators in Interwar France.” In The Cambridge Companion to Wanda Landowska, edited by Mark Kroll, pp. 82-99. Cambridge University Press, 2021.<\/li>\n
  • Schmidt, Martin-Christian: Das 16\u2019-Register im deutschen Cembalobau des 18. Jahrhunderts. Groteske oder beachtenswerte Erscheinung mit auff\u00fchrungspraktischer Relevanz? In: Eszter Fontana (Hrsg.): Festschrift f\u00fcr Rainer Weber. Halle 1999, ISBN 3-932863-98-4. S. 63\u201372. (= Scripta Artium, Bd. 1. Schriftenreihe der Kunstsammlungen der Universit\u00e4t Leipzig).<\/li>\n
  • Oja, Carol J. Making Music Modern: New York in the 1920s. Oxford University Press, 2000.<\/li>\n
  • Owen, Barbara. “Wanda Landowska: A Pianist of the Harpsichord.” Early Music, vol. 4, no. 4, 1976, pp. 469-478.<\/li>\n
  • Piekarska-Duraj, Jolanta. Wanda Landowska: A Biography. Krakow: Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, 2012.<\/li>\n
  • Restout, Denise. Wanda Landowska: A Life in Music. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1981.<\/li>\n
  • Rosand, Ellen. “Wanda Landowska’s Aesthetic of Early Music.” Early Music, vol. 14, no. 3, 1986, pp. 306-312.<\/li>\n
  • Rosenblum, Sandra P. Landowska: Wanda Landowska Remembered. Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 2000.<\/li>\n
  • Rubin, Ruth J. “Wanda Landowska and the Harpsichord Revival.” In Women Making Music: The Western Art Tradition, 1150-1950, edited by Jane Bowers and Judith Tick, pp. 225-238. University of Illinois Press, 1986.<\/li>\n
  • Rosati, Vincent J. Wanda Landowska and Early Music: The Quest for Authenticity. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1998.<\/li>\n
  • Sauer, Theresa. “Wanda Landowska’s Contributions to the Early Music Revival.” The Musical Quarterly, vol. 81, no. 2, 1997, pp. 201-224.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    \u00a9 Eric Feller \u2013 Early Keyboard Collection \u2013 February 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n

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      Wanda Landowska was one of the most outstanding musicians of the 20th century, achieving international fame both as a pianist and as a harpsichordist. Her career spanned more than six decades and she is considered a pioneer of historical performance practice and one of the most important interpreters of the music of the Baroque […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":885,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n