By any measure, Byron Janis has had an extraordinary musical career. His discovery of two long-lost Chopin scores made headlines around the world, and he has been honored many times for his breathtaking performances of some of the most exciting and challenging works in the standard classical piano repertoire. As he retraces this remarkable journey in Chopin and Beyond, he shares something even more extraordinary: the other-worldly experiences that have shaped his life and music in surprising and profound ways.
- Shares milestones and memories from the life and musical career of one of the world's greatest pianists
- Includes lively anecdotes of famous classical musicians and other notable figures, including Vladimir Horowitz and Pablo Picasso
- Describes his long-secret but ultimately triumphant battle with arthritis
- Recounts the paranormal experiences that deepened his personal association with Chopin, effected near miraculous recoveries from serious accidents, and more
Like the best music, Chopin and Beyond will open your mind to explore the wonder and possibility of a different world.
Autorentext
BYRON JANIS is a living legend of the classical music world and is renowned for both the power and the sensitivity of his interpretations. After hiding the painful arthritis that had plagued him for twelve years, he accepted the role of artistic spokesman for the Arthritis Foundation in the 1980s. Today, he gives lectures and performances, teaches master classes, composes, and writes regularly for the Wall Street Journal. Mr. Janis's life is also the subject of the public television documentary "The Byron Janis Story," released nationally in late October 2010.
His wife, MARIA COOPER JANIS, the daughter of actor Gary Cooper, is a talented painter, has collaborated on three television specials, has been a parapsychology researcher for many years, and is an active board member of the American Society for Psychical Research. The Janises live in New York City.
Klappentext
Praise for Byron Janis and Chopin And Beyond
"Byron Janis's life has been the stuff of music and of magic—and so is his extraordinary autobiography. From Chopin to Horowitz to Pablo Picasso, from the Soviet Union in the thick of the Cold War to otherworldly dimensions in which the unexpected happens, he has been on a remarkable and compelling ride. Don't think classical music, global politics, and the paranormal can mix? You will."
—Jeffrey Kluger, coauthor of Apollo 13
"Byron Janis's autobiography is both intimate and revealing, providing us a remarkable window into the soul and spirit of one of America's most gifted musical artists. But it is much more than that. One also experiences a concert pianist's struggle to come to terms with the debilitating onslaught of arthritis. From these ashes a phoenix rises to share with us a deeper inner journey that is inspiring and uplifting—what it means to triumph against odds, to confront and accept the reality of paranormal experiences, to be open to being truly alive in a universe full of wonder—a truly unique portrait of one of the greatest artists of our time."
—Hal Puthoff, Ph.D., theoretical and experimental physicist
"A fascinating story of the courage and perseverance of one of the great pianists of the twentieth century and the present. I have been a fan of his for many years, and this very personal story makes me admire him even more."
—Emanuel Ax, concert pianist
"A wonderful and poignant story from a great musician of the modern period. An important read on important and interesting topics, including his intuitive gifts."
—Edgar Mitchell, Sc.D., Ph.D, Apollo astronaut, founder of the Institute of Noetic Sciences
"Byron Janis shares the unspoken challenges of living with a debilitating form of arthritis that tested his spirit and threatened his career as a piano virtuoso. His story of perseverance, courage, and triumph will inspire anyone who has faced a formidable obstacle."
—John H. Klippel, M.D., President and CEO, Arthritis Foundation
Inhalt
Foreword by Maria Cooper Janis.
1 CHOPIN WALTZES.
2 BEGINNINGS.
3 DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS.
4 WORKING WITH HOROWITZ.
5 SOUTH AMERICA.
6 CARNEGIE HALL.
7 WANDA.
8 A FEW MORE TURNS OF THE WHEEL.
9 COMING TO TERMS WITH THE PARANORMAL.
10 NOHANT.
11 SOVIET UNION, 1960–1962.
12 A RIVIERA DREAMSCAPE.
13 ADIEU À LA BELLE FRANCE.
14 MEETING MARIA.
15 SYNCHRONICITY.
16 AT LAST.
17 THE ABBEY OF REGINA LAUDIS.
18 A POWER TRIP.
19 ARTHRITIS.
20 MEETING URI GELLER.
21 PÈRE-LACHAISE AND MARIE D’AGOULT.
22 A PATH TO SPONTANEITY?
23 PARANORMAL HIGH JINKS.
24 SAND DRAWING.
25 CAPE COD MYSTERIES.
26 COMPLETING THE CIRCLE.
27 A PICASSO DREAM.
28 MEETING CHAGALL.
29 ANDREW BOREY.
30 ISRAEL.
31 REINCARNATION.
32 THE UMBRELLA.
33 UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS.
34 THE BELLS.
EPILOGUE.
Acknowledgments.
Recommended Reading.
Index.