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Pablo Casals and Music MagicA Change of StateIn the book Anatomy of an Illness, the author talks about his meeting with Pablo Casals, one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century, shortly before the cellist's 90th birthday. The author describes that it was almost painful to see the old man as he began his day. His hands were swollen and his fingers were clenched. He suffered from arthritis that was so severe that he needed help even to get dressed. His emphysema was evident in his labored breathing. In short, he was a very, very frail and drained old man.Before sitting down to eat, the old man made way to his piano. With great difficulty he arranged himself on the piano bench. To bring the clenched and swollen fingers on the keyboard seemed impossible. However, things changed when he began to play Bach's Wohltemperierte Klavier. The author states, "The fingers slowly unlocked and reached toward the keys like the buds of a plant toward the sunlight. His back straightened. He seemed to breathe more freely." By the time he left the piano, he was walking straighter, taller and without a trace of a shuffle, as if he had been cured from his illness. The man who sat at the piano was exceedingly frail; a different man walked away from the piano. About Anatomy of IllnessThe author of Anatomy of Illness, Norman Cousins, is famous for his courageous story of how he overcame ankylosing appendicitis. It is rare for the body to recover from this disease. In the book, Cousins draws attention to the healing power of laughter and its role in his recovery.Also Read:
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