He then learns the hard way that the American public is much more hidebound than the European. He struggles and goes unheard and even hungry for decades. Then, just as he reaches retirement age, he’s rediscovered, and showered with foundation grants, performances and profiles on television. After his death, in a nice twist, the Europeans fall in love with the American maverick. Thanks to their state-subsidised arts sector, they can lavish even more attention on him than he gets at home.