Reviews for Jacqueline du Pre

The average rating for Jacqueline du Pre based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-07-14 00:00:00 Andrew James There are two major biographies of Jacqueline du Pre, the cello genius whose performing career essentially ended at age 28, and I wanted to compare what a biographer had to offer with what Jackie's sister and brother wrote in "A Genius in the Family". This book provided a comprehensive record of all the concerts and music Jackie played over the course of her short career, and it quoted heavily from some of the people in her life - virtually all of it in an adulating manner - but it did not mention a peep about Jackie's sojourn with her sister Hilary's family and the relationship she had with her sister's husband. Jackie's husband, sister and brother declined to be interviewed for this book. Nonetheless, I was surprised that almost no mention at all was given to Hilary or Piers and their relationship with Jackie, while the book written by them details considerable off-and-on again communications. It was a strange disconnect. Nor does this book explain why Jackie turned against her parents later in her life in a very unpleasant manner. It seems to me that her parents did all they could to accommodate her genius talent. Perhaps that book would have to come from her analyst whom she saw several days a week for years until the very end of her life and he's not talking! What is certain is that Jackie was massively conflicted about her family. There were those who felt there was a connection to Jackie's converting to the Jewish faith and her illness- and they actually told her so. Late in life, Jackie's brother, Piers, and his wife, and then her parents, became "born again" Christians and this author suggests that they held this opinion (although her parents flew to Israel on a moment's notice for her marriage to Barenboim immediately following the 1967 Six Day War). During the final years of her life, Jackie did not see a lot of her parents and they maintained a very thin relationship. She actually turned against them - I speculate that the difference between her low-key, 'proper' English parents and the almost hedonistic Jewish world of the Barenboim's was just so vast that she had to decide on one or the other- there was just no way to make them fit well together. I personally think that she embraced Judaism because the love of her life, Daniel Barenboim, was Jewish and most of his friends in the music world were fellow Jews, and they comprised one big happy, outgoing, action-packed, music-loving, globe-trotting bunch. Barenboim's world was a huge, fun-filled arena where the party never stopped and everything in Jackie's large, emotional, wild personality wanted to be a part of that circle of excitement. A friend said that Barenboim had "the energy of ten men" and all he needed was 2-3 hours of sleep a night. (At age 69, he is still going strong and continues conducting around the world) And if her illness had not set in, I think Jackie would have rollicked along and continued the high life, making astounding cello music all the while. The fact of the matter is that Barenboim, late in her illness when she was totally confined to a wheel chair, actually began a relationship and established a family with another woman in Paris while still married to Jackie. His friends 'understood'. This book was helpful in providing a full portrait of Jackie's activities and personality. It provides a large window into her unusual story. But questions still remain....

Review # 2 was written on 2011-02-24 00:00:00 Shawn Hicks It was a well-written biography, but some parts were sort of confusing because there were many different people in Jacqueline's life, and sometimes I forgot who was who. The end was abrupt. Reading this book helped me realize that although Jacqueline DuPre was amazing at cello, she was only human. Being a child prodigy made her feel isolated and different from everybody else, and she wanted to be loved for who she was and not just for being famous. Even though I often wish I was really amazing at cello, I realize that being an ordinary person is probably a good thing.