Playing the Human Game Collected Poems of Alfred Brendel

by Brendel, Alfred; Park, Edward; Stokes, Richard

• ISBN13: 9780714859866
• ISBN10: 0714859869
• Edition: Bilingual
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-02-16
• Publisher: Phaidon Press

Summary

Music lovers will be familiar with Alfred Brendel as a world-renowned pianist and recording artist. They may also be familiar with his essays and lectures on musical subjects, but this outstanding musician has since turned to writing poetry. As the only bilingual edition (German and English) of Alfred Brendel's poems, this book includes the majority of his poetry and will feature previously unpublished poems by the musician. Renowned for his interpretations of Beethoven, Schubert, Mozart and Liszt, many of Brendel's poems evoke the world of classical music. In one poem, Beethoven, disguised as Salieri, poisons a sleeping Mozart and skulks away clutching, forever, Mozart's greatest possession: The key of C minor. Elsewhere, The conceptual artist Christo wraps the Three Tenors on the balcony of La Scala. In another, The supernumerary index finger of the pianist takes centre stage and becomes an obstinate cougher in the hall beckoning a lady in the third row. Together with 34 artworks that have inspired the author, these are surprising and enchanting poems, revealing the light (and dark) side of Alfred Brendel, one of the world's greatest musicians. His followers will have to have this book, but so will anyone who enjoys readable poetry written by a most curious and playful mind.

Author Biography

Alfred Brendel (b. 1931) was born in Moravia (now part of the Czech Republic), and has lived in London since 1971. He is best known as one of the world's most widely respected pianists and classical recording artists. Writing has long been a violon d'Ingres for Brendel and he has published a number of volumes including One Finger Too Many and Cursing Bagels.