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Murray Perahia had been deeply impressed by Britten in recital with Peter Pears in New York before he was introduced to the composer by Marion Thorpe in 1972, the year he won the Leeds Piano Competition. A stroke during a heart operation in 1973 left Britten unable to play the piano and Pears invited Perahia to be his recital partner. Preparing for recitals with Pears at the 1974 Aldeburgh Festival, Perahia was coached by Britten himself. In this wide ranging interview, Suzy Klein hears the insights Perahia gained from Britten, a phenomenal pianist who could conjure an extraordinary range of colours from the keyboard and who ‘knew the secrets of music’.

Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears with Murray Perahia at Horham, Suffolk, August 1974. Photographer, Rita Thomson, courtesy of the Britten–Pears Foundation Ref: PH/05/0327