Victory for my Art

A story of “victory for my art” is how Polish-French keyboardist Wanda Landowska described her life’s work. I consider her one of my keyboard heroes.

Born in Warsaw in 1879, Mme. Landowska began her musical journey at the age of four, demonstrating prodigious gifts from the outset. Through her studies, first in Warsaw and then later in Berlin, she was constantly drawn to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and later that of other 17th and 18th century composers such as Francois Couperin, Jean-Phillipe Rameau, Domenico Scarlatti, and Wolfgang Mozart.

Wanda Landowska

Having developed an abiding curiosity about and love for the harpsichord, Mme. Landowska travelled throughout Europe before and after WWI researching and collecting 17th century harpsichords and later worked with Pleyel piano builders in Paris to construct four reimagined harpsichords. These instruments allowed Mme. Landowska to explore the greatly-expanded capabilities of her ideal instrument and resulted in a series of groundbreaking recordings. Most notable, perhaps, was her recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations in 1933.

Mme. Landowska, a composer in her own right, partnered with other composers as part of her artistic mission to reestablish the harpsichord as a significant 20th century keyboard voice, most notably French composer Francis Poulenc and Spanish composer Manuel De Falla. Poulenc’s Concerto for Harpsichord and Orchestra was a particularly inventive expressive vehicle for the harpsichord.

Visit my YouTube channel to learn more about Wanda Landowska.

Through her legacy of research, teaching and recordings, Mme. Landowska’s devotion to 17th and 18th century keyboard music laid much of the groundwork for the resurgence of Early Music studies later in the 20th century. She succeeded in attracting a popular following at a time when other harpsichordists met with little or no success. Her commitment to her artistic vision was unwavering throughout the course of her life, taking her from Poland, Germany, France and later to the US. This commitment to her art and her prodigious talents make Wanda Landowska one of my keyboard heroes.

—Rick Ferguson

More information about Wanda Landowska can be found on the Music of the Past YouTube channel:

J. S. Bach Goldberg Variations, Wanda Landowska, Harpsichordist from Music of the Past

Landowska, Poulenc: Concert Champêtre for Harpsichord and Orchestra from Music of the Past

Wanda Landowska Interview Clips 1953 from Music of the Past