A Lasting Record

A Lasting Record tells the unique true story of two separate but interconnected lives: New Yorker William Kapell, America's greatest home-grown concert pianist, and Roy Preston, Melbourne-based Myer cosmetics salesman and classical music aficionado.

Kapell and Preston are united by one single acetate, containing a Chopin sonata recorded by Roy from Kapell's last concert in the regional Australian city of Geelong. With a mix of detective work and imagation, from this single acetate, Stephen Downes tells a spellbinding tale of the greatest pianist who almost never was, and his eccentric and passionate fan.

About the Author

Stephen Downes is the author of Adagio for a Simple Clarinet a narrative that involved musicology, biography, memoir, Nazi history and an interview with Mozart. A writer and journalist who wanted to be a concert pianist, he has ‘collected’ for decades live performances by some of the world’s greatest pianists, including Sviatoslav Richter, Daniel Barrenboim, and Julius Katchen. He has a significant collection of piano recordings. He is the author of several books, including Blackie, the story of a pet cat’s treatment for a brain tumour and his unfortunate demise, which was met with considerable sales and now translated into three languages.