The Piano Shop and its Pianos

• Passage A is adapted from "The Piano Shop on the Left Bank" by Thad Carhart.
• Passage B is adapted from "Me and My Violin" by Arnold Steinhardt.

Passage A by Thad Carhart

• Even when Luc was busy, he welcomed the narrator and allowed him to wander.
• When things were quieter, Luc would tell the narrator about the pianos that had just arrived.
• Luc believed each piano had completely individual characteristics, even if from the same manufacturer and age.
• Sometimes Luc knew details of a piano: owners, their relationship with the instrument, and how they treated it.
• Other times, Luc knew nothing beyond what he could see, feel or hear regarding the pianos.
• Most pianos came to him from auctions or charity sales, so their history was anonymous.
• Luc could deduce a great deal: whether a piano had been played much or little, humidity levels maintained, and whether children were in the household.
• The "worst thing" to do to a piano was transport it by ship.
• At these moments, Luc became a detective, archaeologist, and social critic.
• Luc's attitude was about how people treated pianos reflecting his philosophy of life.
• Luc regarded depredations worked by children on keyboards and strings as tolerable because the piano was at least used.
• "Au sein de la famille" translates to "at the heart of the family".
• If drinks were spilled and stains were on the piano, that was the price paid for initiating the young to a joy that should stem from familiarity rather than reverence.
• Those who preserved their piano as an altar for the art of music to be worshipped irritated Luc.
• Luc was deeply respectful of serious musicians who used and depended upon their instrument for their livelihood.

Passage B by Arnold Steinhardt

• Marc Lifschey, a great oboist, sold his oboe after retiring as a performer and teacher.
• Giving up an instrument no longer used seems reasonable, but the narrator was taken aback.
• Even in retirement, the narrator wondered if Marc would have some sort of lasting relationship with his oboe rather than performing on it.
• The narrator wondered if Marc would want to keep his oboe as a reminder of the magnificent music the two had made together.
• Joseph Roisman, first violinist of the Budapest String Quartet, seemed content to give up his beloved Lorenzo Storioni when he agreed to sell after the Quartet retired.
• When the narratormet with Roisman, Roisman had second thoughts and said he would sell the violin someday, but for now, he was enjoying playing chamber music with friends every Friday night, and he did so until his death a year or two later.
• Lifschey and Roisman dealt with retirement differently.
• Their stories made the narrator wonder about his relationship with his violin if and when he retires, but also about the very nature of a musician's relationship with his instrument.
• The narrator begun playing violin at six years old and is now seventy-six with it being an integral part of him.
• There are times when narrator feels violin has been his very close friend, as they respond with an astonishing range of substance and emotion.
• Other times, however, the violin refuses to do the narrator's bidding, or only reluctantly plays in tune.
• When that happens, the narrator has to cajole, bargain, or adjust to its every whim.

Luc, a piano shop owner, intimately understands the unique characteristics of each piano that arrives. He could deduce a piano's history and condition through careful observation, even without prior knowledge of its origin. He could tell if it had been transported by ship.