Of Fleisher, dystonia and Botox

Leon Fleisher, an American pianist and conductor, was born in 1928 in San Francisco, where he started studying piano at the age of 4. He made his public debut at the age of 8, and played with the New York Philharmonic under Pierre Monteux at 16. Monteux called him “the pianistic find of the century.”

After studying with local teachers, he went in 1938 to study with Schnabel, in Germany, his teacher until 1948. He then performed in Italy, then in New York. By the early 1960s he had made many records.

At Christmas this year I received a CD of his excellent playing, which included two Bach numbers, Mozart’s “Sonata in E-flat Major,” Chopin’s “Berceuse in D-flat Major,” Stravinsky’s “Serenade in A” and Beethoven’s “Fur Elise.” (Many of us piano pupils played “Fur Elise” after a year or two of study.)

Now comes the sad part: Fleisher said that in 1964 he was happy, and his career was flourishing. But after years of electrifying his audiences, at the age of 36, he noticed one day a slight curling of the fourth and fifth fingers of his right hand. He said, “Within 10 months my fingers had curved inward until the tips pressed my palms – an oddly defensive posture. Even when my hand was exhausted, I kept going”.

But it got worse and piano concertos for the left hand became staples of his scaled-back performance.

Then, with the help of neurologists at Johns Hopkins, he was diagnosed as having focal dystonia. Dystonias are defined as movement disorders in which sustained muscle contractions cause twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures. In 2004, he received injections of Botox. Each injection costs as much as $400.

But what a change that was for Fleisher. The caption under a picture of Fleisher, smiling and playing the piano with both hands, says, “His joy is profound. His music is spirit-filled. Forty years after a condition called dystonia caused Fleisher to lose the use of his right hand, receiving injections of Botox every six months, he is back at the keyboard.”

He is still teaching and conducting, too, and has a recent CD out called “Two Hands.”

Isn’t that a happy change for him?

International background for Callas

I wrote in the Jan. 18 Ramblings that the Russian soprano, Anne Netrebka, has been called “the Russian Maria Callas”, and I called Callas the Greek soprano renowned for her singing.

In checking in the New Grove’s Dictionary of Music, I found this paragraph about Callas: Callas (Kalogeropoulou), (Cecelia Sophia Anna) Maria, born in New York, Dec. 1923, died in Paris 1977).

The next words were “Greek soprano. She was Greek by parentage and naturalization (1966), American by birth and early upbringing, and Italian by career and by marriage.” In 1937 she left the United States for Greece with her mother and became a pupil at the Athens Conservatory. She made her debut at the Athens Opera in 1941 as Tosca. In 1945 she returned to New York. She was soon in demand in Italian theaters. Many roles she repeated in the major opera houses of the world, where her fame reached a level that recalled the days of Caruso and Chaliapin. Her debut at La Scala was in “Aida” in 1950.

So we know that she was born in the U.S., was a Greek soprano (naturalized in Greece in 1966), and sang frequently in the famous opera houses in Italy.

The Watoto Choir itinerary

I’ve just received a nice note from Jim Cote about the Watoto Children’s Choir from Uganda, East Africa. We had mentioned last week the churches in Portland where they gave concerts in January. Jim has listed their busy schedule while in Maine:

Jan. 19, Woolwich; Jan. 20, Boothbay; Jan. 21, in Boothbay at 10:45 a.m. and in Portland, at 7 p.m.; Jan. 23, Portland, at 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.; Jan. 24, East Millinocket, 7 p.m., and Jan. 26, Lewiston, at 7 p.m.

He said that their only day off is Monday. He also wrote, “Can you imagine being on a bus for six months with all those kids? They are good kids and I’m glad they’re getting the care they need at the Watoto Ministry in Uganda. This choir tours through Maine every two years or so.”

I’ll surely plan to hear them again if possible, two years from now.

Fit for a president

We have been reading about President Gerald Ford’s recent death, and seeing pictures of his sad wife, Betty.

Now, in a November 1988 copy of the Christian Science Monitor, on a page of turkey recipes, I found this favorite of President Ford.

PRESIDENT FORD’S FAVORITE

4 tablespoons butter

2 medium green peppers, cut in strips

6 tablespoons flour

3 cups hot chicken or turkey broth

2 cups cooked turkey, cut in strips

1/4 pound Virginia ham, cut in strips

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup milk

10 ounces thin noodles

6 saltine crackers, crushed

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in 3-quart pan; add pepper strips and sauta 5 minutes. Add flour, stirring constantly. Add turkey, ham, parsley, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Bring to boil, add milk gradually, stirring gently. Simmer 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook noodles in 2 qts. boiling water 7 minutes; drain well.

Spread noodles in buttered baking pan. Spread turkey mixture over noodles. Sprinkle with crumbs and cheese. Bake on middle shelf of preheated oven for 20 minutes, when lightly browned on top. Serve warm or cold.( I doubt if Ford baked this himself, but it was his favorite).