Virtuoso

by Brenda Lucas Ogdon, 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.

304 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 1989

Reviews

[Jood · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Ogden and Brenda Lucas both came from ordinary working-class backgrounds in the North West of England; talent and sheer determination took them from there to the world stage. I confess to having a slight personal interest in reading this as I grew up not far from the Lucas home and clearly remember hearing Brenda practising on her piano as I walked past her house. Although I have lived in many places, I now live, literally, round the corner from that house! My father, who has a life-long passion for classical music, raved about John Ogden and loaned me this book; so that's my tenuous link.

Written by Brenda Lucas Ogden, John's wife, Virtuoso tells the story of how John Ogden grew from being almost a child prodigy into a world famous concert pianist. Along the way, in the 1970' he suffered a major mental breakdown, diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenia, but more likely to have been manic depression - now termed Bipolar illness. He eventually made his way back to his family and his music. This is a fascinating account of how they met at music college in Manchester, their lives together and John’s gradual descent into a nightmarish mental breakdown. Told with unflinching honesty and undeniable compassion, this is a must read for anyone interested in John Ogden and his music, or in mental illness - how it was treated back in the 1970’s, and how it is treated today.

[Philippe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written and rather harrowing story of a gifted but troubled musician's life. A good case study too of the ineptness with which our society deals with mental illness. Recommended.