John Ogdon - Living with Genius

[ardcarp]

This is a new film about J.O. It is being shown on BBC4 this Friday at 7.30. It is followed by A Musical Tribute, a piano recital by Peter Donohoe.

[Barbirollians]

Is it based on Beauclerk's recent biography which received a good review in Gramophone this month ?

[ardcarp]

Pass!

[pastoralguy]

Is it based on Beauclerk's recent biography which received a good review in Gramophone this month ?

Also not sure but it's a very good read, if, at times, a bit harrowing.

[ahinton]

Is it based on Beauclerk's recent biography which received a good review in Gramophone this month ?

No; it was made and in the can before Piano Man was published.

I can certainly recommend Piano Man; my only gripe (if so it is) is that I wish that such a book had been written and published sooner (it's now almost a quarter century since John Ogdon's untimely death at the age of 52)...

[ardcarp]

A point that will no doubt be mentioned (and I will certainly buy Piano Man) is JO's phenomenal ability to learn extremely difficult modern scores very quickly.

[johnb]

A point that will no doubt be mentioned (and I will certainly buy Piano Man) is JO's phenomenal ability to learn extremely difficult modern scores very quickly.

Not to mention being able to sight read them.

[ahinton]

Not to mention being able to sight read them.

Indeed. But it wasn't mere "sight reading" as that term is generally understood - i.e. the ability to play the score on first reading at the piano - but a facility to "perform" works at first sight in the sense of his seemingly being able to make almost instant interpretative decisions about them whereas even most good "sight readers" would not expect to be capable of that. I can attest to this having worked with him in the 1980s. He had a photographic memory of the kind that I've never encountered elsewhere.

[Stillhomewardbound]

Indeed. But it wasn't mere "sight reading" as that term is generally understood - i.e. the ability to play the score on first reading at the piano - but a facility to "perform" works at first sight in the sense of his seemingly being able to make almost instant interpretative decisions about them whereas even most good "sight readers" would not expect to be capable of that. I can attest to this having worked with him in the 1980s. He had a photographic memory of the kind that I've never encountered elsewhere.

Of course, no one of today's production stuff are aware that a very credible tv drama was made out of John Ogdon's triumphant/tragic life story in 1989 with Alfred Molina.

[ardcarp]

I remember it:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096395/

Are you sure the producers of Friday's forthcoming programme don't know about it
though?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The earlier programme portrayed Brenda Lucas as money-grabbing and selfish, which was said by many to be inaccurate.

[johnb]

The earlier programme portrayed Brenda Lucas as money-grabbing and selfish, which was said by many to be inaccurate.

Outsiders will never know the truth. Even the concept of "truth" in such things is somewhat dubious. However, I do get the impression that Brenda Lucas was much more driven by social standing and wealth than John Ogdon ever was. There were news reports around the time of the Molina film of how John Paul Getty Jnr bought John Ogdon a Steinway grand which them Brenda Lucas commandeered for her laviously decorated flat, leaving JO with an upright to practise on in his basement. Perhaps Brenda Lucas was a very bad fit for JO, perhaps not, we will never know.

I thought that the Molina portrayal was quite remarkable, especially when they showed a short film of the real JO and BL in BL's flat after the Molina film. BL was interviewed on TV after the broadcast and she didn't come over very well (IMO).

I've just noticed a Daily Mail article about JO and the recent biography of him. The article is fairly excoriating about BL. (Yes, I know - Daily Mail isn't exactly the paper of record and the headline is appalling.)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2591256/John-Ogdon-Mad-maestro-attacked-wife-Queen.html

[ardcarp]

Outsiders will never know the truth. Even the concept of "truth" in such things is somewhat dubious.

Maybe we were in the same uncertain territory with the Joyce Hatto drama-doc. But we do have living family members to consider here. It is easy to be judgemental, but JO was clearly suffering from a severe psychosis. This mental condition causes huge problems for family and friends...not to mention the sufferer. It is also easy to attribute such mental conditions to family backgrounds (and JO clearly had a tough one) but there is, regrettably, an inborn susceptibility to such illnesses...so probably more nature than nurture.

I'm fascinated to know what Friday's programme will make of it all.

[ahinton]

Of course, no one of today's production stuff are aware that a very credible tv drama was made out of John Ogdon's triumphant/tragic life story in 1989 with Alfred Molina.

...and Alison Steadman; Virtuoso, it was, made in 1988. Ah yes, I remember it well (as the saying goes)...

[ahinton]

There were news reports around the time of the Molina film of how John Paul Getty Jnr bought John Ogdon a Steinway grand which then Brenda Lucas commandeered for her lavishly decorated flat, leaving JO with an upright to practise on in his basement

Those reports were true. I saw both pianos in their respective apartments, although the grand was in the basement and the upright (which was rented) was on the ground floor.