A Romance on Three Legs Audiobook By Katie Hafner cover art

A Romance on Three Legs

Glenn Gould's Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Piano

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A Romance on Three Legs

By: Katie Hafner
Narrated by: William Coon
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Hugely talented and famously eccentric, pianist Glenn Gould fought a running battle with a long list of less than perfect pianos. A Romance on Three Legs is the story of a love that changed Gould's life: his partnership with the Steinway CD 318, a piano whose peculiar action and temperament ushered Gould closer than ever to interpretive perfection. Katie Hafner weaves the compelling tale of Gould, his favorite piano, and the men who worked on it, revealing new details and nuances in the work and mind of one of the twentieth century's greatest artists.

©2008 Katie Hafner (P)2013 Katie Hafner Entertainment & Celebrities Music

Critic reviews

"When Gould was paired with the right composer...he could make you wonder if he was altogether human. And reading Hafner on Gould is sometimes as much fun as listening to him play. And that's saying a lot." ( Newsweek)
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This book made me fall in love (upon hearing him play "the Tempest" sonata by Beethoven 08/15) with Glenn Gould.

Love

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Gripping story about amazing, idiosyncratic with incredible details about the art of piano building, restoring, tuning and voicing. Loved it!

Amazing story for pianists and piano geeks

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I have listened to many Audible books and this one by far has been the best. Great narration, great story, well written! I finished in a week, mostly listening in my car. It could only have been better if some actual recordings of Glenn Gould playing would have been included.

Finally! An Audible book lives up to the hype!

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And the three legs are not really the legs of a piano (if that was what the author was thinking), but they are the artist, the piano, and the tuner, all of which the book covered in-depth, making for three stories in one.

As a Pianist (of sorts) I Was Engaged

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I loved this book for many reasons. The story is engaging and even gripping. The narration is not only clear, but read in a way that enhances the message and makes me want to hear more. In a few places there may be a little more detail than required, but I would find it difficult or recommend cutting it. Overall, a highly engaging and informative account of Glenn Gould and be quest for the perfect piano. I highly recommend it.

Delightful, engaging, and instructive.

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Romance is a wonderful book for pianists who stand in awe of the true artist. What is especially fulfilling is the education on the corresponding artistry of the professional technician whose work I have always (shame on me) taken for granted.

Love It

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Gould’s ‘Goldberg’ and other recordings have enriched me for decades and still do. This book provides very interesting background not only about Gould but also about the intricacies of music performance.

Worth listening

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