Vintage Wanda Landowska Harpsichord Home Movie 1927

[walterleipzig]

This clip should be considered a national monument! Merci mille fois!

[Yuriy21]

Victor Gjugo wrote, that in art there is no progress... So it also is, and we did not manage to surpass pianists of the past.

[zzindorf]

How lovely to see her home, from which she was driven out by the Nazis, who stole her precious collection of manuscripts which were probably destroyed.

[earlymusicus]

What an absolute treasure this film footage is!

[creativebna]

Thank you so much. My father's playing is on the video and he did have the experience of seeing/being taught by Ms. Landowski @ his music teacher's house in Cincinnati.

[INTERNETVID]

thanks for posting enjoyed the music

[memelasmamasrico]

increible limpieza!!

[sshare]

Happy Birthday Mme. Landowska (July 5 1879); may your art live forever!

[rgeraredz]

One of these things is not like the other!

[jrakg]

A rare piece of luck unearthing this footage!  A pity a Landowska Scarlatti recording was not used to accompany it!

John Austin, Australia

[davidgray2]

This is very virtosic! Incredibly exciting.

[lichtbroeder]

I love the story about Tolstoy inviting her to his home in the country when she was in Russia. She traveled from Moscow (I believe) to his home in horse drawn sleigh, with her harpsichord strapped on the back!

[UngenioTarconi]

Never tired from watching this video, never tired from watching Wanda eating in her garden. Never tired from thanking you so much for sharing these inspiring images!

[Rhymingcode]

Most Beautiful! Thanks so much

[duxlucis]

è a dir poco sublime!!!bellissimo video vintage e superba lei...magnifica pianista

[RangerGordon]

Is the soundtrack a recording of a Landowska performance? It certainly isn't the original audio--unless that's a dual-manual piano sitting there in her parlor!

[3NUNS]

B e a u t i f u l SCARLATTI - I dreamed that I met Landowska in her home and she had a marvellous coffee machine. It was nice to meet Landowska ...

[sdthird100]

lol

[carrietide]

She plays here the PIANO not the harosichord!

[carrietide]

She was a genius.The goddess of the harosichord

[wandalewlandowska]

Thank you for sharing this extraordinary video! Several hours of film footage was discarded--at WL's insistence--after the editing of the 1953 documentary which is featured in "Landowska: Uncommon Visionary". What most of us wouldn't give to to see and hear that! There are many more hours of footage not included in Attie's 1999 documentary, particularly of Doda Conrad who was a most fascinating man. Perhaps that will be released in future. Meanwhile, what a treasure you've shared! Thank you.

[Flaminiasupersport]

Some of her quotes...

"You play Bach your way, I play Bach his way"... "I never practice, I always play!"

[Leibo07]

There is no 'Bach his way'.

[scraoo]

Amazing!!!!!!!!!

[Hobbs360]

BETTER! this woman single handedly brought back the harpsichord with her 1931 recording of the Goldburg Variations, the first time it had been recorded!

[NYCJockCub]

the video clearly shows a harpsichord, but the sound is clearly a piano.

Kenneth Gilbert is a better harpsichord performer than Wanda, though she is excellent.

[NYCJockCub]

UM, she's playing the piano?

[lsbrother]

playing the piano? - isn't that her eating a large bowl of pudding?

[forlino2]

My main piano teacher was a student of Wanda's in Paris in the 1920's, and she and I both idolized her harpsichord playing and her many recordings. I particularly love her LP set of Scarlatti Sonatas.

-- Paul

[archer070]

This is a shuck. First we get the scratchy old sounds, then the title "Landowska at home," then some guy playing some instrument in the dark, and the instrument looks like a harpsichord and sounds like a piano. Could you just make this a little simpler for us and add an electric bass and a drummer?

[UngenioTarconi]

We should be gratefull to the person that shares this document. Please read the comments attached to the movie.

[tritone1]

Whomever is trying to put one over on any great musician is failing ignominiously(As is this first part of this video) This is NOT Wanda!One,I know her playing,two,in this sham she is playing a harpsichord.How is a piano coming out of a harpsicord.Watch the fingering.The party is genuine,the playing is not.Oh,one more thing,where is her face in the video section?Curiouser and curiouser,eh forgery Fred.Nice try.

[forlino2]

Dear Tritone1: I was just about to post a comment almost identical (in content and tone) to yours, since it's obviously not Wanda who's playing in that modern-sounding recording, but first I decided to enlarge the comments and click on "More Info" and then I saw the explanation about just whose Scarlatti recording we're really hearing! By the way, the first word in your message should be "Whoever", rather than "Whomever". --- Paul

[verodes]

Once an art teacher said to me "nothing like at first sight". That was my case. It took me time.., for me " a GG fanatic". Wanda Landowska is really the best in HISTORY OF BAH PIANO RECORDED. She is one of the seven wonders of the world, playing the music my heart likes. SHE IS REALLY THE NUMBER ONE.

[speedstick77]

Ooooh......I had no idea Mme Landowska was that good. I think I had better go practice.

[UngenioTarconi]

Thankyou very much for sharing this great video. And yes indeed, happy birthday Mamusia!

[sshare]

How interesting...not too many people know of her "pet name," Mamusia...you must be a true fan.

[sshare]

Happy Birthday Mme. Landowska (July 5, 1879)--you are still amazing!

[creamofcardstv]

Your video clip is great and I've rated it as awesome. Please check out mine on some 1920's trading cards of musical instruments, including the harpsichord.

[bachmaninoff]

haha....I swear some of you are so arrogant. I doubt any of you can play nearly as well as Landowska, regardeless of how Bach, Scarlatti, or anyone else played. The fact is that Landowska's interpretations are very authentic (considering the lack of information pertaining to the way the masters played in the past) especially compared to people like Glenn Gould who played how ever the hell they wanted.

[ThisDream]

The piece is Scarlatti K.20, played in the typical outdated 'viruosic buffoon' style so well criticised by Kirkpatrick. In relying so heavily on the historical data available to her time Landowska becomes open to criticism from modern scholars like Kirkpatrick, who has a far greater understanding of the Baroque than she did (through no fault of her own, simply because more data has been discovered since her time).

[ThisDream]

"Bach his way"! what kind of ridiculous claim that anyone can guess what Bach sounded like. FOr one thing, her pleyel harpsichords were a joke compared to the Baroque replicas of today, so I don't know how she can claim to sound like Bach.

[COOKiiEMONSTERRR]

That's not the Harpischord song. My friend Cassidy can play it.

[fynnjamin]

if you look carefully you will see that this video doesnt actually show her playing the piece you are hearing (which i believe is in fact on the piano). the movements of the hands in the close up do not coincide with the actual music. the recording is much better quality than would have been available in the 20s, and may be a later recording of the great woman. that audience doesnt seem to be able to keep still! the piece is, i believe, by scarlatti.

[Pianowrestler]

Please, before you post anything, read the descriptions of the video's! (I presume you can also read when you can write)

It is the father of the person who posted this video who plays the piano here, his name is David Smith and he plays the Scarlatti/Tausig Capriccio (a 19th century-style transcription, played brilliantly).

[RiccardoP1983]

Where's the harpsy??

[ivrykeys]

WOW! I can't believe this exists! Thanks so much for sharing it with the world.

[skoulikantera]

what is that piece?it is great...

[3cplantin]

This reminds me of something WL was supposed to have said about how to play the music of Bach: "You play him YOUR way, and I'll play him HIS way!"

For the person who thought that was a piano she was playing: it looked like her modern harpsichord, designed for her by Pleyel, well known for its pianos. The case looked more like a piano than do hpschd cases, but it had 2 keybrds.  There are many good places to read more about her and her instruments. Thanks for posting this remarkable video!

[tommyIglesias]

love wactching the past

[alyushka]

This is the greatest surprise!.. It is unbelievable to find this video here. Does the rest of the video exist?

[Lutzenberger]

what?? where is the harpsichord - man ... tztz.

its piano ... therefor. glenn gould is the best!

[efarstan]

wanda was the best..:)

[sandrexca]

Hard to believe this video exists. Much appreciation for sharing this treasure.

[dominustecum]

thanks.