The frail-looking young pianist walked into the recording studio one day last June, wearing beret, coat, muffler and gloves, carrying two large bottles of spring water to drink, five small bottles of pills, and his own piano chair. Before he started to play, he soaked his hands and arms in hot water. Then he began a week's stint: recording Bach's difficult "Goldberg" Variations. Sometimes he sang as he played, and when he finished a "take" that particularly pleased him, he jumped up with a gleeful "Wow!" But when a piano note sagged by a...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
