György Ligeti, who to me was the greatest living classical composer, died today at the age of 83. Although perhaps best known to the general public for the wonderful vocal pieces that Staley Kubrick used (and, if I remember correctly, illegally) in 2001: A Space Odyssey, it was Ligeti’s work on the piano that I have always found especially brilliant. It is certainly sad to see a talent of his magnitude leave.

Before I am lynched by the Chopin enthusiasts, let me explain. A few months ago I saw that Vladimir Ashkenazy, my favourite classical pianist, has recorded Chopin’s whole oeuvre, and I immediately wanted a copy for myself. However, being a poor penniless student, I could not afford the high street prices, so I went to eBay. And I thought I had made a bargain. Instead, I made a fool of myself. I was naive enough to think that the Chinese box set that I saw for sale almost half the normal price would be an authentic one. When I got the CDs, it instantly turned out that this wasn’t the case — in fact, the CDs didn’t even play correctly! Fortunately, the seller was understanding and refunded the money. Still, it took time and energy. Next time I’ll just pay the normal price and get it without all the hassle.