I have a great story about Menahem Pressler from the days I lived in Bloomington (Indiana, seat of the Jacobs School of Music and Mr. Pressler's home). We bought the house of a former prof. of music when his widow moved into Meadowood (assisted living). She's still going strong at 91. She knew all the music professors, especially the ones who were active when her husband had taught at IU, so she offered to introduce me.
We were in the noisy entrance hall to the large Musical Arts Center when he came over to speak with her and she introduced me. Norma has always been a mutterer, and no doubt my hearing isn't as good as it once was, but I didn't understand what she said in her introduction. I'm a classical musician and composer and did manage to catch one word of the introduction -- music. So I cheerfully pumped his hand and offered, "So, you're a musician, too!" He looked a little perplexed and then Norma prompted, "This is Menahem Pressler." I coughed up, "Oh, I'll say you ARE a musician." He laughed. He is a tiny man with astonishingly bright eyes that appear to miss nothing, and yes, his playing is a clean and crisp as you could ever desire.
Norma in Meadowood eventually married the former chairman of the piano department, and they continue to live there happily. The retirement home is full of former music department professors. They have their own concert hall and weekly concerts of all types, mostly from the school of music, but some from among the more active of their own community. I was popular as a page turner, since getting up and down on time was a cherished ability. Norma bragged that she was in the advanced exercise group -- those who were able to do their exercise standing, while the rest did theirs sitting.
We left Bloomington with a sorrowful backward look at all the wonderful university experiences we had had, but we had to admit that we just couldn't take the winters, and the summers were worse. We returned to San Diego (La Mesa) where (not to gloat) we have no thought of winterizing, so long as we don't go up into the mountains in the winter.
