The new millennium continued to be swept along in the early fortepiano wake. On tour with the Labèques again in Germany with Musica Antiqua Kὃln, a high point for Barbara was a concert in an exquisite 18th century room. Meanwhile, Jacques Ogg used his Silbermann to finish a huge recording project with preeminent flutist Wilbert Hazelzet. Most of the Bach flute sonatas want a harpsichord, but they needed the piano for a few. Barbara was thrilled to tune for the recording session in Utrecht, after which everyone went out to celebrate the completion of this ground-breaking homage to Bach.
Back in the shop, another Walter piano was off to Gettysburg College, whose piano technician paid close attention to maintenance instruction. Out of the shop, we were beginning to enjoy the company of our new young horse, Sheba, in unexpected ways. Tom rode her, but she was a natural “driving” horse, so she and Barbara took up the sport together and we all got to go on organized drives in the countryside. These photos are the last ones taken before a life-changing disaster less than two days later.
At the end of July, the table saw ate Tom’s right hand in a freak accident. A helicopter ride to a surgical center earned an all-night session with the “re-attachment” team, who saved his index and middle fingers, but not the upper joint of the thumb (details in the letter below). Thus began a dozen years of recovery on many levels; the first three years included six more surgeries for grafts to ruptured tendons. Therapy for these surgeries is immediate, frequent, and endless – long after the insurance runs out.
When Tom recovered from the initial emergency surgery, he realized that life would never be the same and that he needed to reinvent himself. But first, we had to figure out how to pay the mortgage reliably: the Friends of Music at the Smithsonian created a fund to support a fellowship for Tom that first year. Their fund-raising letter outlines both the moment and the direction of our future.
