Music & Silence

Rating:
Summary: Complex and Interesting, but Not Without Faults
Review: I love most of Rose Tremain's novels, in particular, RESTORATION and THE WAY I FOUND HER, but for me, MUSIC AND SILENCE is one of Tremain's lesser efforts, though at first glance, one would think it would turn out to be one of her best.

MUSIC AND SILENCE is certainly an ambitious and intricately structured work. It centers around the Court of King Christian IV of Denmark and the protagonist is King Christian's English lutenist, the blond, angelic, and sadly, wimpy, Peter Claire. Part of my problem with MUSIC AND SILENCE concerned Peter Claire. He is simply too dull, boring and colorless to make him worthy of any emotional investment.

Peter Claire isn't the only character in MUSIC AND SILENCE by far. The book abounds with characters, some of them well drawn and others, like Peter, not so well drawn. One of the not so well drawn characters is King Christian, himself, although he is rather comical. His treasuries are depleted, his wife, the brazen (and slightly mad), Kirsten Munk has been exiled because of a love affair (now gone wrong) and Christian, despite exiling his wife, is trying very hard to get his wealthy mother-in-law, Queen Sofia, to lend him the money he needs to mine silver in Norway.

And, the cast continues. One of Queen Kirsten's maids is the beautiful Emilia Tilsen, a woman Peter Claire falls hopelessly...and hopefully...in love with. Peter and Emilia are a pretty pair and you know if their romance works out, they will have lots of beautiful children and live happily ever after, but they are so thinly drawn and weak, I just didn't care what happened to them. Tremain even brings Emilia's widowed father into play along with Emilia's demented stepmother. This subplot is more than slightly interesting, but it's so far removed from the Court of King Christian and Peter Claire that I had a difficult time caring about it as well.

Another interesting, almost fascinating, subplot revolves around Peter Claire's former employer, the gorgeous Countess O'Fingal (she was originally from Italy) and her Irish husband who's driven insane by, of all things, a melody. Tremain manages to tie the O'Fingals to the main plot line, but, once again, they are so far removed from Court life, that it was difficult to care about them (though Countess O'Fingal is a very strong character).

By far, the strongest presence in the book belongs to Kirsten Munk, yet Tremain keeps her on the periphery. I think this was the book's biggest mistake. Kirsten demands attention, in more ways than one, and Tremain simply doesn't give her her due. As interesting as Countess O'Fingal and the Tilsen family are, in order for MUSIC AND SILENCE to really work, we needed to see more of Kirsten and more of Court life and less of the periphery. And Peter Claire, the one character who ties everyone to everyone else, definitely needed to be far, far stronger and much more interesting. One definitely gets the feeling that several of these characters are wasted in this book and are demanding a book of their own, e.g., Countess O'Fingal and Emilia Tilsen's wicked stepmother.

The prose in MUSIC AND SILENCE is, of course, first rate. This is Rose Tremain writing and I wouldn't expect her to make a misstep as far as the prose is concerned. And, her transitions from one character's story to the next are seamless. They just aren't as complex and compelling as they needed to be.

As far as historical fiction goes, I think MUSIC AND SILENCE only deserves three stars. I awarded it four, however, simply because of the fact that Tremain has written a very complicated book here, with a complex, braided plot and she's kept everything, and everyone, straight...not an easy task even for a writer as good and as experienced as is Rose Tremain.

Readers who love historical fiction will probably love MUSIC AND SILENCE despite its faults and those who love Tremain's writing, like I do, might give her more leeway than she probably deserves with this book. Although I found some of the characters far too simplistic and I felt the book definitely needed more emphasis on life at the Court of King Christian IV, I still enjoyed reading it and I would recommend it to others...with a few caveats.

Rating:
Summary: Music Real and Imagined
Review: Rose Tremain's gorgeous novel, Music and Silence, is the best book I have read in several years and one of my alltime favorites, by far.

The book's central character is Peter Claire, an English lutenist, who, in 1629, arrives at the palace of King Christian IV of Denmark to join the royal orchestra. Things are not quite what Peter expected, however, and he is more than surprised when he learns the king requires his orchestra to perform in a freezing cellar, among a group of squawking hens, while the orchestra's exquisite music floats up to the Vinterstue via a series of trapdoors and pipes.

Although Peter Claire is the central figure in this novel, there are many others whose stories are no less important. One of these stories belongs to Kirsten Munk, wife of Christian IV and the "almost Queen" of Denmark. Kirsten despises music and chooses to spend her time either dreaming of the Swedish Count Otto or frolicking with him, whichever the case may be.

Kirsten's favorite lady-in-waiting, Emilia Tilsen, also plays a very important role in this magical book, for Emilia Tilsen and Peter Claire fall in love at first sight on the grounds of Rosenborg, the palace that Christian built for his unfaithful wife. But will Peter's and Emilia's love be allowed to blossom or will it wither on the vine? When the adulterous Kirsten is banished from court, she takes Emilia with her, thus jeopardizing the young girl's future happiness with the English lute player.

Music and Silence is also the story of the beautiful Irish countess, Francesca O'Fingal, a Bologna-born Italian beauty whose husband, Johnny, is the subject of a metaphorical subplot. We learn his story from Francesca via her notebook, aptly named, "La Dolorossa." And, if this isn't magic enough, Francesca and Johnny both have a connection to Peter Claire.

And then there is Marcus Tilsen, Emilia's five year old brother, a fey imp of a child whose thoughts are "plucked from the air" and who seems to possess magical powers, powers that will one day be needed to save the life of Peter Claire.

If these fascinating characters are not enough to keep any reader thoroughly engrossed, we also learn the story of Emilia's father, Johann and his second wife, Magdelena, a bewitching woman who has learned to use her wiles well, but never wisely. Another wonderful character is Christian's mother, the miserly Queen Sofie, a woman whose antics lend much comedic lightness to this gorgeous tale.

Tremain is a master storyteller and a master at characterization. We really come to know each character through the author's skillful first-person narration. While each one occupies a special place in our thoughts, it is Peter Claire who stands at the center, the connecting point from which all the other stories radiate.

While some of these characters are more good than bad, and others more bad than good, none are without both virtues and vices, something that only endears them to us. The Dowager Queen Sofie may be a miser, but she is a comic one. Kirsten may be selfish and self-centered, but she, too, has moments when she finds it in her heart to love unselfishly.

Music and Silence is a lavish feast of a novel set against the fascinating historical background of 17th century Denmark. It encompasses characters of tremendous depth and a wide range of emotion. Tremain's writing is absolutely flawless; the smallest detail is given as much love and attention as is the largest set piece. This elegant and stylish book is an unparalleled accomplishment for Rose Tremain and an unparalleled treat for any sophistical reader. No one could ask for more.

Rating:
Summary: Doings in Denmark
Review: Setting a historical novel at the time of King Christian IV offers many ambiguities. For one not only is the fate of the main characters in suspense, but also are the real ones. The paucity of literture on the king and his consort adds to the suspense of the story.
This book is imbued with a strong sense of fantasy and what could be termed a form of magic realism. At times one feels as though one has entered a private world, much like the one that one of the characters a five year old named Marcus periodically inhabits.
But perhaps the most perfectly realized character in the book is not King Christian, his mother Sofia (who finds new ways of hoarding gold as Denmark heads towards bankruptcy), Peter Claire the lutinist, or even Emila, but the kings consort, Kirstin. Kirstin is the uncrowned queen of Denmark and quite the sensualist. No cruelty seems beyond her and the "selections from her private papers" are some of the best parts of the book. She is a creature of pure selfish instincts however she might argue against this view. Rose Tremain says in an interview published at the end of the book that she enjoyed writing these sections most of all. The reading of these sections are just as enjoyable.
Tremain also has a good sense of creating a fantastic world filled with many stimulating details. Her gift for prose makes even a blank piece of paper appear sexy, quite a feat for even the most polished prose stylist.
This is a remarkable book and the author well-deserves all the praise that she has received for this work.