I don't know how nice it was; it was just part of the wonder of his abilities -- as you said, transcending everything. I agree, I did find many of his riffs more or less fugue-like (I'm also a great fan of Bach and baroque keyboards -- harpsichords and guitars are "family"). I think it was Thomas Cahill (How the Irish Saved Civilization) who said that the Irish are the only people on earth who are impervious to psychotherapy. Truly, his music soothed my soul; let's hope it was his balm as well. It's tragic how he ended up.
Many thanks to you for this reminder of a stunning and unique artist who meant a great deal to me in my 20s. I am lately revisiting some of the pieces of music and films that have really stood out during my lifetime (such as Black Orpheus), and it will certainly be worthwhile to invest in DVD versions of his work, as well as discovering the Christmas music.
Cheers for the Thomas Cahill reference - I love this so: knowledgeable people giving each other good hints how to proceed further on the path of knowledge. Will surely seek that book out.