Verdi is at the height of his career but also at a critical time in his life – he has achieved phenomenal success with “Aida”, now he wants to try something new. With his “String Quartet in E Minor” and “Requiem”, Verdi surprises himself, his audience and Peppina, his second wife and closest confidante. Alongside his music, he preoccupies himself with other matters: his country house Sant’Agata, near which he sets up a hospital, and the Casa di Riposi dei Musici, a retirement home for former musicians in Milan. This is followed by world-famous compositions, specifically “Otello” and “Falstaff”, in collaboration with librettist Arrigo Boito.
Härtling describes a man who is always in pursuit of something – his own identity, love, fulfilment, artistic expression. A man with experience, but one who repeatedly starts anew while remaining deeply attached to the familiar, especially to his Peppina.
An uplifting novel, light-heartedly narrated, with a musical feel for dissonances, nuances and the grand finale.
"Very few authors can write autobiographical novels like Härtling." Brigitte
