Over the course of his long and eventful career, Vladimir Horowitz periodically withdrew from the concert stage. The longest of his retirements lasted twelve years, from 1953 to 1965. Although he did not play any concerts, he remained in the public eye; he made recordings and gave interviews, and from time to time the press was abuzz with rumors of his imminent return. After many false alarms, this finally took place on May 9, 1965 at Carnegie Hall, before a capacity crowd that included most of New York’s leading musicians. The recital was an enormous success, and the live recording made from it won two Grammy Awards: for “Album of the Year—Classical” and for “Best Classical Instrumental Soloist.”