Twenty Minutes - Barcarolle

Polly Samson's new short story about a frustrated piano tuner captures in exquisite detail the pressures of growing up as a child prodigy. Richard's career as a concert pianist was cut short when he suffered a terrible case of stage fright. He now tunes pianos for a living but still dreams of performing Chopin's Barcarolle in front of an audience. Polly Samson is one of Britain's finest contemporary short story writers. Her new collection, Perfect Lives, comes out in November. Reader: Rory Kinnear is currently playing Hamlet at the National Theatre. Abridger: Viv Beeby Producer: Gemma Jenkins.