Lost Genius
The Curious and Tragic Story of an Extraordinary Musical Prodigy
August 2008
Trade Paperback · 400 Pages
$18.00 U.S. · €12.99 E.U.
ISBN 9780306817489
Da Capo Press
Trade Paperback · 400 Pages
$18.00 U.S. · €12.99 E.U.
ISBN 9780306817489
Da Capo Press
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Description
Born in 1903, pianist Ervin Nyiregyházi was the subject of the first book devoted to the scientific study of a single prodigy. By twenty-five he had all but disappeared. Mismanaged, exploited, and unfashionably romantic, his career floundered in adulthood. He drank heavily, married ten times, and was reduced to penury, sometimes living on the subway. He settled in Los Angeles where he performed sporadically, counting many of Holly-wood's elite among his friends, including Gloria Swanson, a likely lover. Rediscovered in the 1970s, he enjoyed a sensational and controversial renaissance, before slipping back into obscurity.
About the Author
Kevin Bazzana is the author of Wondrous Strange, a biography of Glenn Gould, winner of the Toronto Book Award and an ASCAP Deems Taylor Award. He lives in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia.