Publisher's Synopsis
Beginning with Pachmann's childhood in Odessa, Mitchell follows the process by which the youngest of 13 children evolved into one of the finest -- and most colorful -- artists in the history of the piano, one who was able to fill London's Albert Hall for a recital. Particular emphasis is laid on the two principal relationships of Pachmann's life: with the pianist Marguerite Okey, to whom he was married for a decade, and with Francesco Pallottelli, the waiter-turned-impresario under whose influence he eventually settled in Fascist-era Italy. Tracing an arc from Beethoven -- an acquaintance of Pachmann's father -- to Pierre Boulez -- a pupil of Pachmann's son -- Mitchell's biography urges a reassessment of a musician whose life and legacy have been too long in eclipse.
