An Equal Music by Vikram SethMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
A tour de force. Enthralling. Unequalled by anything I have read before that has music as a central theme. And such music; the music I love. J.S.Bach, The Art of Fugue, Schubert, String Quartets, the ‘Trout’ Quintet, Haydn String Quartets - all played by the renowned Maggiore Quartet of which the protagonist Michael plays second violin (occasionally the first). Michael, who walked out on love ten years ago in Vienna. Julia, a highly accomplished pianist was devastated by his desertion. A pianist with a secret…. Why did he disappear? So many years later a chance sighting on a bus. Julia is in London where Michael has been for the past decade, playing second fiddle, travelling the world with the Maggiore. He still loves her. Why did he walk away? Will love be rekindled? Lost again?
This is a beautiful story, a symphony of a novel with a passion for music that runs like a fugue throughout, a learned opus that reveals a comprehensive knowledge of musicianship such as variant tuning, the value of playing scales before rehearsals, a world populated by wonderful characters that resonates long after reading the last page.
A love story for the music lover about the power of music. If you love classical music you must read An Equal Music. My finest read of 2016.
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