Unit 5 Handouts
The Piano Man
The “piano man” was found wandering along a road next to the sea on the south coast last month. He was dripping wet and wearing a smart black jacket and trousers and a tie. The labels had been cut from his clothes and although there was nothing in his pockets he was carrying a leather briefcase containing nothing but blank music sheets and a photograph of a young woman signed “Maria”. He appeared to have come from the sea, but police officers could not discover if he had fallen into the sea, been pushed or even swum ashore from a boat because the man ignored all their questions. There was no sign of a struggle apart from a small blood stain on the right sleeve of his white shirt. After drying him off they took him to the Medway hospital accident and emergency department.
Doctors found nothing wrong with the man, who appeared to be in his 20s or 30s. He seemed to be generally in good health though rather thin and pale. He was transferred to the Psychiatric Unit where he still refused to answer any questions. He seemed frightened of noises and new faces and would frequently attempt to hide away in a corner.
When they had spent hours without getting the man to offer any information about himself the doctors were about to give up when someone had the idea of leaving him with some paper and pencils. An hour later they found he had made a drawing of a grand piano so they took him to the hospital chapel where there was a piano. The man immediately went to the instrument and began to play Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky. There was an immediate change in his mood. Suddenly he seemed calm and relaxed.
Over the next weeks he continued to remain silent, but he returned to play the piano as often as he could. Some said he was an exceptional player while others were of the opinion that he was a gifted amateur rather than a professional musician.
Three weeks after he was found by the sea there is still no clue as to the identity of “the piano man”
