Abstract
Clara Haskil (January 7, 1895–December 7, 1960) was one of the most famous female
pianists of the 20th century. In her life and work she set new standards in piano
playing. However, her career was beset by poor health and the adversities of two world
wars. In her lifetime Haskil had three major disorders: juvenile scoliosis requiring
treatment in her adolescence, a tumor of the sellar region requiring surgery at age
47 years, and a traumatic brain injury causing her death at the age of 65. Her medical
history illustrates the development of surgical methods and rehabilitation in medicine
before and after World War II. At an early age, she spent a year in a nursing home
for orthopedic diseases due to scoliosis. In 1942, when she was 47 years old, she
displayed the first symptoms of a suprasellar brain tumor: headache and hemianopsia.
The famous surgeon Marcel David performed surgery on her without general anesthesia
while Haskil mentally played a Mozart piano concerto as a neuronal representation
to control her memory and mental abilities. Only 3 months after that operation she
played a Mozart piano concerto at a concert that began her career as a great interpreter
of Mozart. Her neurologic rehabilitation was remarkable and highlighted new methods
in the field. In 1960, she traveled to Brussels for a concert. In the train station
she stumbled on the stairs and hit her head on one of the steps. Skull fracture and
intracranial hematoma were diagnosed. Doctors tried to operate on her but she lost
consciousness and died. Haskil created new styles in piano playing, and her medical
history offers indications of new concepts in neurosurgery.
Keywords
pianist - history of neurosurgery - awake craniotomy - suprasellar meningioma - traumatic
brain injury
