Portugal had an issue in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The worldwide empire that great ancestors found was doing more to drown us in the white man’s burden than making us rich. Portugal falling behind. Stories of that won’t inspire our young here in 1969 before they go off to do their patriotic chore in Bissou or Sou Tome’. Time to show the other side of the coin, a pianist trained by Liszt who traveled the world. Telling people getting out might also not be the answer but why not try. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
The image on this stamp is taken from a painting of pianist Vianna da Motta by artist Colambano Bordalo Pinheiro. It shows the pianist at his craft looking thoughtful and elegant. The stamp might have been improved if it somehow could be brought home to Portugal. Without that, the message to the young seems to be; if you want to succeed get out like da Motta.
Todays stamp is issue A268 a 1 Escudo stamp issued by Portugal on September 24th, 1969. It was a two stamp issue cellebrating the birth century of Vianna da Motta. According to the Scott catalog,the stamp is worth 25 cents used.
Vianna da Motta was born on Sou Tome, the then Portuguese colony off Africa where his father was a pharmacist and amateur musician. After moving back home his father saw his potential on the piano. Soon he was off to Berlin to study under Scharwenka brothers and to Weimar to study under Liszt and von Bulow. da Motta came of age in the romantic era and loved playing works of Bach and Beethoven. Soon he was doing concerts in Berlin, London and New York and associating with such heavyweights as Busconi. He also took a hand at composing both for the piano and a full symphony. In order to lure him back and remind him where he comes from, Portugal appointed director of the Lisbon Conservatory in 1919.
Vianna da Motto did one interesting thing to bring the classical music he performed to a wider audiance. The German firm of Welte-Mignon was advancing technoloy with regard to player pianos. Previously the wooden rollers inside the player pianos could only reproduce the musical notes themselves in order. Welte- Mignon perfected paper rollls of perforations that could better reproduce tempo, dynamics, and pedalling of piano playing. Welte-Mignon hired da Motto to record for them so the rolls purchased for their player piano was music as performed by a virtuoso. The Welte-Mignon player piano was first featured at the Leipzig trade show in 1904 and soon featured in pianos sold around the world.
Well my drink is empty and stuck at home I may have another. I think I may be more in the mood for listening to Kenny Rogers than Beethoven however. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.