Piano dedicated at Washington Library

    A crowd of nearly 100 people turned out for a piano concert at the Washington Free Public Library Saturday evening. Réne Lecuona, professor of piano at the University of Iowa, performed three classical numbers for the audience. The event also served as the public dedication of the library?s new grand piano, a Model A Steinway from 1888.

    Susan See, the Iowa Mennonite School music teacher, remarked that she invited Lecuona to perform because she is so lively and exuberant. 

    ?I thought that was what we needed for tonight,? said See.

    Lecuona is aware that her body language is very effusive during a performance, and she said people have commented on that many times. 

    ?I find it interesting that people tell me, ?It?s so energetic. It?s so emotional,?? she said. ?Stravinsky (a composer) said that expression is the proper emotional response to pressure.?

    Lecuona said she was under a little pressure Saturday night. She performed pieces by renowned composers such as Sergei Prokofiev, Frédéric Chopin and Ludwig van Beethoven. Her rendition of Chopin?s ?Ballade in F minor? was her first public performance of that piece. 

    ?I?ve played it four times in the last week and a half, but that was just for friends,? she said. 

    The Washington Free Public Library Foundation sponsored the concert. Jean Potratz was also honored at the event for donating the piano to the library. Potratz dedicated the piano to ?Tomorrow?s Children.?

    ?I am pleased to see so many children here,? said Potratz. ?I?m glad we can use this piano as another teaching tool to keep music alive and well in our community.?

    See has lobbied to get a piano in the library for several years. Her campaign started with a recommendation to put a piano on the second floor of the former library. Earlier this year, her wish for a temporary piano in the library was granted. A few concerts were held in the library at noon and after hours over the summer. See said the response from the public was very positive.

    See later met with piano technician Tom Zasadny, who was in the process of fixing up the 1888 Steinway. Zasadny remarked that the Steinway would be a good fit at the library, and See agreed.

    ?I love the idea of a piano from 1888 as a way to bridge the past to the future,? said See. ?We never want to make it so people can?t study here, but I love the idea of the vision of the library as being educational in a lot of different ways.?

    The 1888 Steinway has 85 keys, which is different from modern pianos, which have 88.

    ?For most of what we?ll be doing, 85 keys is fine,? she said. ?Although Réne did need one of those other keys tonight.?

    See sent out a letter to community members asking them if they would support a piano in the library. Potratz received the letter and decided to purchase and donate the Steinway to the library. She explained that she did so in order to give children another outlet to explore their musical abilities.

    ?My passion here is that every child should have the opportunity to enjoy music,? said Potratz. ?Not everybody can be in sports, and we need other avenues for children with other gifts.?

For more, see our Oct. 18 print edition.