No comeback home for piano virtuoso Schiff

BBC News - Andras Schiff: Why I won't perform in Hungary

We heard Andras Schiff's debut concert in Chicago many years ago, when he was a fresh-faced 24-year-old (1978), and soon to make his mark in the keyboard kosmos.  We heard him perform Bartok PC No. 3 with the Chicago Symphony there the next year, and again three years later (Grieg PC) with Ferencsik, and then later with Sir Georg Solti himself (Tchaikovsky PC). 

We heard Maestro Schiff in recital several more times (Bach Goldberg Variations, and WTC), as well as soloist with the New York Philharmonic (Dohnanyi) in Avery Fisher Hall (front row), and we heard him give a stunningly insightful master class in Lutz Hall, Northwestern University, where a student was grappling with a tangle of notes from Herr Schumann and, taking the artist bench himself, Schiff effortlessly spun them into pure gold.

This piece is a report of an appalling shame taking place back home, and his testimony puts a name and face on it.  What an embarrassment to Hungarians everywhere.  What has humanity learned in the 80 years.......?

Amanda Peet's Acting Careers Stalls Out; Her Comeback: Playwriting

Amanda Peet starts over.  Read

Three Comeback Stories That Will Encourage

Three superb comeback stories, each in its own way, from CBS:

Ben Breedlove

Mariel Hemingway

Drew Carey

Resilience

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57608308/the-science-of-survival/


Feature, read.

David Dubal Comes Back to Chicago Classical Radio with THE ROMANTIC PIANIST

I learn more from listening to David Dubal's classical commentaries in the first few minutes than I do elsewhere listening for hours:  his own words, and then the insightful, and sometimes startling quotes from a variety of sources.  Where does he get these?

Mr. Dubal has been on -- and off -- our local WFMT (Chicago) in recent times, and frankly, I got into the habit of listening to him online. 

Now he's back on WFMT, thankfully, with a new program, THE ROMANTIC PIANIST.  The first installment was a superb survey of Franz Schubert, the one who was put on earth to write music, but who died, far, far too young at just 31.

We look forward to the rest of the series.  For more on our favorite classical commentator, go here.

Look for his books, too, Evenings with Horowitz, and The Art of the Piano.  The "inside Horowitz" -- he spent one night a wife with the pianist and wife, Wanda, for several years -- was a revelation, an insider's look at a mercurial, unpredictable, and eccentric genius.

Malaria in July, back problems in August, Chicago Marathon course record in October for Dennis Kimmeto

Read

Oracle Team USA Wins America's Cup In Extraordinary Comeback - Fox Nation

Oracle Team USA Wins America's Cup In Extraordinary Comeback - Fox Nation