Review: A Ravishing Historical Tale
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 4, 2013
Juliet Waldron's historical novel, My Mozart, is a romantic tale that focuses primarily on the last year of Mozart's life, during the period when he was composing The Magic Flute. The story is told through the eyes of Anna Gottlieb, the young soprano who first performed the role of Pamina. In Waldron's novel she was also Mozart's lover, but whether that was actually the case is unknown. The story, though fictional, reads as if it were true--a passionate account of life fully lived and joys fully tasted during the late 18th century in and around Vienna.Nanina, as Anna is called among her friends, falls in deeply love with her brilliant, though much older, mentor. Her passion for him is finally expressed during the idyllic period when she is marooned with Mozart in a woodland cottage. She plays the roles of muse, assistant, and lover while he is composing The Magic Flute.The historical research that must have gone into this book is impressive, all the more so because it does not call attention to itself. Rather it slips gracefully into the story through the voice of Nanina as she breathes life into the era, the setting, the people, and the customs of the musicians and performers who populate the novel. This ardent and lyrical narrative always sounds authentic, even when Nanina grows older and more than a little peculiar. If you've ever wondered how the skull reputed to be Mozart's was located and preserved long after his burial in a common grave, this book imagines a way...All in all, a delightful read for lovers of historical novels in general, and also for anyone interested in a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the sensual and sophisticated lives of musical performers in Mozart's Vienna.