Glenn Gould: The Ecstasy and Tragedy of Genius

Glenn Gould was a child prodigy and a musical genius. He was also plagued by lifelong depression, terrified of playing before live audiences and consumed pills by the handful. He died of a stroke at 50. In this biography, the author raises many questions about Gould and his music. It aims to lay bare the energy and contradiction behind Gould's brilliance.

Peter Ostwald, who died shortly after completing this sensitive analysis of the legendary Canadian pianist Glenn Gould (1932-82), is one of those rare biographers equally qualified to assess his subject's artistry and psychology. Founder of the Health Program for Performing Artists, the psychiatrist-author was also Gould's friend for 20 years. Lucid prose captures Gould's formidable, unconventional virtuosity and unmasks a deeply troubled man who was uncomfortable with audiences, fearful of human contact, and able to maintain relationships only when he was in complete control. The eccentricities and the genius, as Ostwald persuasively demonstrates, were inextricably intertwined.