When Al Pacino thought he was Beethoven reincarnated: “I was doing that for a while”
From an outside perspective, it can seem as though being an actor is an all-consuming lifestyle. From spending hours in hair and makeup to performing, auditioning, appearing on talk shows, and going to events, the busiest actors surely can’t find time for much else in their schedules. Yet, it’s always important to take a step back from work where possible and indulge in a hobby – something that one of cinema’s biggest stars, Al Pacino, is well aware of.
The actor was one of New Hollywood’s most prominent figures, having emerged at just the right time in American cinema. As the medium was rapidly changing and more violent, controversial and taboo themes were making their way into the mainstream, Pacino entered the limelight and found early roles in movies like The Panic In Needle Park, The Godfather trilogy, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon.
For decades, Pacino has ruled Hollywood with his performances, one of which – Scent of a Woman – earned him an Oscar for ‘Best Actor’. He is an acting legend, having appeared in close to 100 movies, many of which have been highly acclaimed, and during this time he has learned the importance of finding a life outside of cinema. Talking to Collider, Pacino revealed that he was once an avid piano player, having always loved classical music from a young age.
However, in doing so, Pacino joked about the time he thought he was so skilled, Beethoven had taken control of him. “I thought for a while that I was a reincarnate of Beethoven. There was a time when I just started playing the piano. I thought, ‘Where’s this coming from?’ In my own way, I was writing music.”
Using a tape recorder, Pacino played the instrument as a way to switch off from work, explaining, “I was doing that for a while, and what was interesting about it is I was finding that through doing that with the music I was able to reflect on my inner life more and connect to it. I was doing that when I wasn’t doing it in my acting at the time. I wasn’t getting that opportunity or whatever it was. So it was really enjoyable. It really was good to do.”
However, as many of us do when we get into a hobby, Pacino eventually stopped one day, and never got back into it. He revealed, “And I never went back to it again. Again, like the phases of my poetry that I wrote, the music that I played, I lost it all. I lost it because I had taped it. I don’t read notes. I wish I had found a way to. You lose these things as you move on. The tape recorder is somewhere. It was a cross between Satie and… It just was derivative. You know what I’m saying? I thought I was doing something more special than it was, but still and all, it would have been nice to hear that again.”
Of course, Pacino didn’t actually think he was possessed by Beethoven, clarifying, “I mean I use it metaphorically as a joke, please. All I thought was, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if I were?’ That’s better put, I think.” Still, for a period of time, Pacino was consumed by his interest in playing the piano, giving him something to focus on besides a hectic acting schedule.
