VIRTUOSO:
THE STORY OF JOHN OGDON
by BRENDA LUCAS OGDON and MICHAEL KERR
Hailed
in the 60’s not only as the finest British pianist of his generation
with a glittering international career and record contract with EMI Music,
but as a musical genius of extraordinary ability. In 1973 at the
pinnacle of his fame John Ogdon was struck down inexplicably by the first
in a series of severe mental breakdowns.
In this moving account his wife, concert pianist Brenda Lucas Ogdon, tells both of the happy years of touring, when success piled upon success, and of the distressing years of illness with their long search for effective treatment.
John died tragically and suddenly from undiagnosed Diabetes and Pneumonia in 1989. He was mourned by countless friends and admirers.
REVIEWS of the 2008 RE-PUBLISHED PAPERBACK EDITION
ISBN: 978-1845492915; Arima Publishing
This record... leaves one happier than many biographies
of the normal and the fortunate.
(Dame) Rebecca West in the Sunday Telegraph
Undeniably, the book is compulsively readable.
The Scotsman
This is an honest and moving account of a great man
floundering.
The Daily Mail
The corrosive effect on the nearest and dearest of
a manic-depressive is rarely spoken of, still less publicly acknowledged,
as here.
The Evening Standard
...a book remarkable for its candour... It is a heart-breaking
episode told with an honesty and frankness one can't but admire.
Adrian Edwards, BBC 'Book Talks'
REVIEWS of the 1981 FIRST EDITION HARDBACK
ISBN: 0241103754; Hamish Hamilton
A sad and painful story is told here with determination,
compassion and a deal of frankness.
Alan Blyth, Daily Telegraph
A brave attempt to chart what actually happens when
a remarkable mind goes astray.
Christopher Grier, Evening Standard
This is a fine book, and those who knew Ogdon's first
burst into international fame will feel for the artist's despair and
his triumph over mental illness.
Birmingham Post
An openness that makes very painful reading and yet,
by this very frankness, commanding a total respect for the characters
involved.
Glasgow Herald