Wanda Landowska at Home
(1953) 30m, prod. Caroline Burke. By the time she died in 1959 at the age of 80, this incredible woman had single-handedly reintroduced the harpsichord to the concert stages of the world, had generated a resurgence of interest in baroque music, and had solidified the position of women the male-dominated world of the performance hall. She was a fine writer and a gifted teacher, and after being uprooted by two wars in Europe, found a home in Lakeville, CT, where she was interviewed in 1953 by her recording supervisor, Jack Pfeiffer, who continually seems at a loss for words when talking with this funny, erudite, and charming performer. Her performance at the high-powered, dual-manual Pleyel harpsichord (which she assisted in designing) is stellar; in demeanor, one can’t believe she was 74 years old at the time this was filmed. Landowska was far from a martinet as a teacher, and she addressed one of her books to youthful performers, "those who search and wait, often discouraged by the tyranny of virtuosity". Without a doubt, this wonderful visit is one of the most magnificent musical films ever made; it originally aired on 20 October 1953 as part of NBC’s "Conversations with Elder Wisemen" series.The above summary of an NBC program is reproduced from http://www.afana.org/98chrono.htm
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