Apparently Earl Wild lived up to his name. The virtuoso pianist who died on January 22 at age 94 was out for most of his life, and promiscuous with music as well as men, though he is survived by a partner of 38 years Michael Rolland Davis.
Wild’s repertoire was enormous and his performance style grandly romantic. He transcribed all kinds of things for the piano and also composed. And to those taken into confidence and sometimes even to large audiences he could be quite a risque reconteur. Here’s an excerpt from Anthony Tommasini’s 2005 profile for the New York Times:
A proud lover of gossip, Mr. Wild tells spicy stories about himself and others, though these days his narratives tend to ramble. Starting in the 1950’s, when being open about homosexuality posed an enormous risk to artists in any field, Mr. Wild dropped enough hints to become a gay icon among certain classical music lovers.
He dropped some more during his recital this summer in New York, when he was interviewed by David Dubal, the author, who asked about Mr. Wild’s years of playing flute in the United States Navy Band during World War II. He was stationed at a base outside Washington. “Did you see any action?” Mr. Dubal asked. “Only in the cemetery,” Mr. Wild responded, with deadpan delivery.
Allan Kozinn’s obituary is here.
If you were lucky enough to hear Wild in concert or have a favorite recordings (etc.) please share your memories and thoughts in the comments section.
Now enjoy some of Wild’s performances, including, appropriately enough, “The Man I Love.”
