Glenn Gould was famous for his obsessions: the scarves; sweaters and fingerless gloves that he wore even on the hottest summer days; his deep fear of germs and illness; the odd wooden "pygmy" chair that he carried with him wherever he performed; and his sudden withdrawal from the public stage at the peak of his career. But perhaps Goulds greatest obsession of all was for a particular piano; a Steinway concert grand known as CD318 (C; meaning for the use of Steinway Concert Artists only; and D; denoting it as the largest that Steinway built). A Romance on Three Legs is the story of Goulds love for this piano; from the first moment of discovery; in a Toronto dept. store; to the tragic moment when the piano was dropped and seriously damaged while being transported from a concert overseas. Hafner also introduces us to the world and art of piano tuning; including a central character in Goulds life; the blind tuner Verne Edquist; who lovingly attended to CD318 for more than two decades. We learn how a concert grand is built; and the fascinating story of how Steinway Sons weathered the war years by supplying materials for the military effort. Indeed; CD318 came very close to ending up as a series of glider parts or; worse; a casket. The book has already been lauded by Kevin Bazzana; author of the definitive Gould biography; who notes that Hafner "has clarified some old mysteries and turned up many fresh details."
#3370570 in eBooks 2010-07-02 2010-07-02File Name: B003VD1C1O
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