Safely Grazing Again
For the next 35 years, the fourth and fifth fingers of his right hand involuntarily clenched into his palm, Fleisher sought an accurate diagnosis and treatment for his disorder--one that afflicts some 300,000 Americans. Gradually, concentrating on teaching and composing, he mastered the literature of left-handed piano technique. He has been on the faculty at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore since 1959. His worldwide search for a cure ended in the mid-1990s when an injection of Botox, of all things, relaxed his fingers, allowing him to play two-handed piano for the first time in decades. (Botox, a toxin that causes botulism, is better known for its cosmetic use as a muscle relaxant that smoothes the wrinkles of aging celebrities, among others.) Now in the middle of a worldwide tour, Fleisher has just signed with Vanguard Classics to record his first two-handed album in 40 years. He spoke with NEWSWEEK's Brian Braiker on a recital stage at Carnegie Hall recently about his return to two-handed playing and what 35 years in one-handed wilderness taught him about music. Excerpts:
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