[ePub] Brass Diva: The Life and Legends of Ethel Merman by Caryl Flinn at Arts-Photography

Description

The stirring memoir of one of the greatest pianists of the postwar eramdash;an inspiring tale of triumph over crippling incapacity that rivals Shine. The pianist Leon Fleishermdash;whose studentndash;teacher lineage linked him to Beethoven by way of his instructor; Artur Schnabelmdash;displayed an exceptional gift from his earliest years. And then; like the hero of a Greek tragedy; he was struck down in his prime: at thirty-six years old; he suddenly and mysterishy;ously became unable to use two fingers of his right hand. It is not just Fleisherrsquo;s thirty-year search for a cure that drives this remarkable memoir. With his coauthor; celebrated music critic Anne Midgette; the pianist explores the depression that engulfed him as his condition worsened and; perhaps most powerfully of all; the sheer love of music that rescued him from complete self-destruction. Miraculously; at the age of sixty-six; Fleisher was diagnosed with focal dystonia; and cured by experimental Botox injections. In 2003; he returned to Carnegie Hall to give his first two-handed recital in over three decades; bringing down the house. Sad; reflective; but ultimately triumphant; My Nine Lives comshy;bines the glamour; pathos; and courage of Fleisherrsquo;s life with real musical and intellectual substance. Fleisher embodies the resilience of the human spirit; and his memoir proves that true passion always finds a way.From the Hardcover edition.