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Title details for The Spanish Bow by Andromeda Romano-Lax - Available

The Spanish Bow

by Andromeda Romano-Lax
Paul Michael
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
In a dusty, turn-of-the-century Catalan village, the bequest of a cello bow sets young Feliu Delargo on an unlikely path. When a local landowner’s wrath threatens his family, the Spanish bow leads Feliu to anarchist Barcelona, then on to the court in Madrid, where a music master’s daughter gives him his first lessons in the art of love. There he meets up with the charming and eccentric piano prodigy Justo Al-Cerraz and begins the lifelong friendship and rivalry that will orchestrate a tumultuous course for them both. As a war-torn world careens toward catastrophe, they make splendid music together and clash over women, politics, and almost everything else. Then Aviva, an Italian violinist with a haunted past, enters their lives, and Feliu and Justo embark upon their final and most dangerous collaboration.
Inspired by the life of Pablo Casals and with appearances by Pablo Picasso, Bertolt Brecht, and others who wrestled with the competing demands of art and conscience during the Spanish Civil War and World War II, THE SPANISH BOW is a deeply imagined tale of the passions that accident bestows–and the sacrifices history exacts.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    September 11, 2007

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781415946794
      • File size: 516461 KB
      • Duration: 17:55:57

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This story of a boy and his love affair with music is part mystery and part fictional memoir. Paul Michael's rich baritone infuses the narrative with the tinge of an accent, which is appropriate for a novel set in late-twentieth-century Spain. His smooth narration eases the listener into the complex narrative, which traces the revolution in Cuba against a context of shifting adult relationships retold from a child's perspective Michael's smooth, confident tone navigates this family epic with an almost melodic cadence, effectively expressing the novel's focus on a boy's love affair with music. Michael expertly captures the novel's sentimental themes. M.R. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 9, 2007
      In her impressive debut, Romano-Lax creates the epic story of Feliu Delargo, an underprivileged child prodigy whose musical ability brings him into contact with world leaders, first-class artists and a life filled with loss and triumph. Their father killed in Cuba just before the Spanish-American War, Feliu, his three brothers and one sister manage a meager life in Campo Seco, a small Catalan town, while their strong-willed mother fends off suitors. At 14, Feliu and his mother travel to Barcelona, where a cello tutor agrees to take on Feliu as a student. Over the years, as Feliu establishes himself, he crosses path with Justo Al-Cerra, an egotistical, manipulative pianist, and their touring leads to an intertwining of lives that becomes more complicated when they encounter Aviva, a violinist with her own emotional damage. As the trio tour and Europe careens toward WWII, Romano-Lax weaves into the narrative historical figures from Spanish royalty to Franco and Hitler, giving Feliu the opportunity to ponder the roles of morality in art and art in politics. Though the story has much heart and depth, Feliu’s proximity to so many watershed moments of the 20th century can make him feel more like an instructive icon than a person. But for sheer scope and ambition, this is a tough debut to beat.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Paul Michael uses a subtle Spanish accent to embrace a story inspired by the life of cellist Pablo Casals. Michael's energetic narration portrays child prodigy Feliu Delargo's personal and professional evolution into a world-class cellist. The story begins at the turn of the twentieth century when the idealistic Feliu is given a handmade cello bow. He travels from anarchistic Barcelona to the royal court of Madrid, where he meets Justo Al-Cerraz, who will become his lifelong friend and rival. Michael's rolling cadence reflects the rising tension in Spain at the approach of the Civil War. The secondary plot of Feliu's professional rivalry with Al-Cerraz is captured with compelling, textured characterizations. Michael's impeccable delivery makes this story seem real. Not one to miss. G.D.W. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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