Playing the piano

Hobbies: Playing the piano

by: G.W. Stinis / Jenneke JR.

One of my major hobbies, except for being an amateur photographer, was playing the piano. I started to play when I was very young and practice for many years. I not only play songs from musicbooks but out my head as well.

When Jenneke JR. was little, I played St. Nicholas and Christmassongs for her and we bought a lot of musicbooks with songs for children, songs from musicals etc. I always found it a pity that she didn’t play too but her hands were too small for that. She never made it further then just playing a song with one hand.

In the Obrechtstraat we first had an old piano. A black one but later we bought a brown, smaller one on which I played mostly every day. Especially in the evening when Jenneke already laid in bed. It was like a bedtimestory for her and she felt asleep much easier then. I guess, she missed that the most when I died. (Note from Jenneke JR.: Indeed it was very strange not to hear the piano just before I felt asleep. It took months before I got used to it that I would never hear my father’s piano playing anymore. And it’s still difficult to open the piano and play a song myself)

Besides of playing at home, I also played at special occasions. Like during St. Nicholas at work or when one of my colleagues retired.


They even "played" two of my favorite songs during my cremation, but it didn’t sound like the ones I always played. I made my own versions of them. The first of my favorite songs was the "Wolgalied" from "Der Zarawitsch". The other one was"When I Grow Too Old To Dream" which was featured in the Metro Goldwyn Meyer Production "The Night is Young".

The Wolgalied

Allein! Wieder allein!
Einsam wie immer!
Vor�ber rauscht die Jugendzeit
In langer, banger Einsamkeit
Mein Herz ist schwer und tr�b mein Sinn,
"Ich sitz" im goldenen K�fig drin.

Es steht ein Soldat am Wolgastrand,
H�lt Wache f�r sein Vaterland.
In dunkler Nacht allein und fern,
Es leuchtet ihm kein Mond, kein Stern.
Regungslos die Steppe schweigt,
Eine Tr�ne ihm ins Auge steigt!
Und er f�hlt, wie’s im Herzen frisst und nagt,
Wenn ein Mensch verlassen ist und er klagt, und er fragt:

Hast du dort oben vergessen auf mich?
Er sehnt ja mein Herz auch nach Liebe sich.
Du hast im Himmel viel Engel bei dir, schick doch einen davon auch zu mir!
Du hast im Himmel viel Engel bei dir, schick doch einen davon auch zu mir!

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