793. The Pianola as a Sports Training Device

In October 1916, Charles Ricketts acquired a pianola, inspired by Edmund Dulac. On 14 October 1916, he wrote to his friend the poet and playwright Gordon Bottomley about his exercises at the instrument:

The first day of its arrival I played on it for some 5 hours, & was prostrate in the evening, in a new shirt, the former one had got wet through; and with sore insteps and backs of thighs. This was due to excess, inexperience, stiffness of new gear & the resistance of the springs to the foot board which I have since had removed, with the immediate result, that the response of the instrument is now too sensitive and I have to learn it over again, practically without the use of pedals and indicator both all of which are of course necessary for fine playing. Briefly with your hands in your pocket and intelligent feet you can play intelligently and smoothly.

In his letters, Ricketts wrote about music frequently. As well as being an avid reader, he was also a great lover of music and dance, even though he did not play any musical instruments himself and his physical condition was not even suitable for cycling, let alone for the dance stage.

Edmund Dulac, 'Charles Ricketts and Charles Shannon as Medieval Saints'
(The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge)

In his letter, he keeps talking non-stop about his new musical toy and all this is rounded off with a wise summary.

But I am complaining as I did before the Pianola which is a friend – a rather expensive friend, but this probably adds to friendship, affection, love!

Later he added that even his companion Charles Shannon was able to play the instrument:

[...] even Shannon sat down and compassed straightaway the finale of Carnaval with its tangle of tempos, and Shannon is confessedly non musical.