Lost genius : the curious and tragic story of an extraordinary musical prodigy / Kevin Bazzana.
| Author/creator | Bazzana, Kevin |
| Format | Book |
| Edition | First Carroll & Graf edition. |
| Publication Info | New York : Carroll & Graf, 2007. |
| Description | 383 pages : illustrations, music ; 24 cm |
| Subjects |
| Contents | Prelude: the strange case of Ervin Nyiregyházi -- Musical wonder child, 1903-1920 -- A young Liszt of the pianoforte, 1920-1928 -- A soldier of fortune, 1928-1972 -- The pianist who came in from the cold, 1972-1980 -- A great antithesis, 1980-1987 -- Postlude: the Nyiregyházi legacy. |
| Abstract | Born in Budapest in 1903, Ervin Nyiregyházi was a remarkable piano prodigy: composing at three, performing publicly at six, he became the subject of the first book devoted to the scientific study of a single prodigy at thirteen. Managed by his super-domineering mother, he was paraded before Europe's artistic and social elite and praised by many of the great musicians of the day. As a teenager, his idiosyncratic, intensely Romantic playing electrified audiences and astounded critics in Europe and America. But by twenty-five he had all but disappeared. Exploited, mismanaged, and infantilized, he was reduced to penury, occasionally sleeping on the subway, or a park bench. In 1928, he settled in Los Angeles, where he worked briefly for United Artists, playing in some of the early "talkies." Psychologically, he remained a child, and found the ordinary demands of daily life onerous--he struggled even to dress himself. He drank heavily, was insatiable sexually (he married ten times), and candidly declared himself "addicted to Liszt, oral sex, and alcohol--not necessarily in that order." He was rediscovered playing in an old church in the 1970s, and enjoyed a sensational and controversial renaissance, but by the time he died, in 1987, he had slipped back into obscurity. |
| General note | Previously published: Toronto : McClelland & Stewart, 2007. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 348-368) and index. |
| LCCN | 2007015457 |
| ISBN | 9780786720880 |
| ISBN | 0786720883 |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music | Closed Stacks - Ask at Circulation Desk | ML417.N95 B39 2007 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |