Popular media have been running a scare story that a Spanish pianist ‘might’ go to jail for inflicting noise pollution on a neighbour with excessive practising.

At today’s court session in Gerona, the prosecution lowered its sentence demand from 7 1/2 years to 20 months. Since Laia Martin has no previous criminal record, she cannot go to jail under Spanish law if the sentence is less than two years – even if she is convicted of the offence.

The court has retired to consider its verdict. Read an account in El Pais, just in.

End of story.

pianist jail

Mary Ella McKinney of Little Rock, Arkansas, took lessons from the great man in Chicago around 1937, when she was eight years old. She went on to play in the San Antonio Symphony. There can’t be many left who received tips from the mighty bedazzler.

Obituary here.

mary mckinney

He was due to appear with the Orchestra Mozart. Santa Cecilia will substitute. See here.Claudio_Abbado1