Although the only Mozart music I can conjure mentally are the opening bars of
A Little Night Music, I was drawn to
Mozart's Last Aria, a novel by Matt Rees. Set in 1791, it is speculation on the genius's demise, a different tack than that taken in the Oscar winning film
Amadeus (1984), which was adapted from the play by Peter Shaffer. In it, the jealous composer Salieri plots his hated rival's end at the age of 35, robbing lovers of classical music of who knows how much more. In Rees' narrative, the story encompasses court intrigue, Prussians, and the composer's admiration of Free Masonry, whose ideas are espoused in the master's final opera,
The Magic Flute. It is told almost entirely from the point of view of his estranged sister, affectionately known as Nannerl, who lives in a small village, raising her children, several of whom she adopted upon marriage. Word of the death resurrects her love for her brother, six years her junior, with whom she toured and performed when they were child prodigies. She learns that he may have been poisoned, and sets out for Vienna, where she becomes obsessed with the mystery. The author convincingly incorporates historical figures, all but the emperor Leopold rendered minor by the passage of time. Although the climactic scene when the truth is revealed seems contrived and unrealistic, it is imaginative and engrossing. In reading the About the Book segment, I was disappointed to learn that one of the players was not killed off so spectacularly and actually lived a long life, and that Nannerl did not make such a journey and investigation. Still, it is an entertaining and easy read. Except for the occasional run on sentence, the text is in clear standard English. The 297 pages glide by. The author has an interesting background. Born in Wales, he graduated from Oxford and earned a Masters of Fine Arts at the University of Maryland. Love led him to Israel, and although he divorced, he remained, working as a journalist, attracting death threats. He has written many mysteries set in the Middle East. 45 users at Amazon have rated
Mozart's Last Aria, forging to a consensus of 3.8 on a scale of five. I rate it three. I would have gone higher had I not read about the literary license that had been taken. Curiously, in researching
Amadeus online, I found no mention of his sister in film summaries. According to Rees, she was nearly as gifted as the maestro.
I believe President Trump erred in making a congratulatory call to Putin. Although lines of communication should always remain open, he should have chosen silence in this instance.
In an op-ed piece in today's
NY Post, Jonathan Podhoretz comments on Facebook's latest controversy. Here's a snippet: "...Did you think . . . it was free? Did you really not know that your agreement with Facebook was that Mark Zuckerberg would provide you with hours a day of enjoyment in exchange for your personal information?..." He argues that it is similar to radio and TV stations running ads that pay for programs viewers enjoy. I agree. I don't know what all the fuss is about. I love Facebook despite the annoying political posts of my liberal friends, which I'm getting more and more disciplined about scrolling past. I haven't commented on one in months. I do comment on and occasionally like posts from Trump supporters.
There was mayhem on prime time TV last night. Both
The X-Files and
Seal Team had significant body counts in highly entertaining episodes.
Here's a pic of a strange creature that washed up on a Georgia beach. No one knows what it is:
I decided to wait another day before re-opening the floating book shop. All the parking spots were locked up at my usual nook, and I wasn't sure if the area in front of the Chase bank at an alternate site would be clear of snow. I returned the shovel to the car in case it is needed tomorrow. I'd guess we had six inches in my neighborhood, although there was more on cars. It is now melting briskly in the glorious sunshine and near 50 degrees temperature. With time on my hands, I completed the final task of the winter - the dreaded trip to the dentist. It had been a year and a half since I'd last visited. I am thrilled that I only had one small cavity that was quickly addressed. I also got lucky at one of my survey sites. E-Poll automatically enters members into a drawing every month. $20 was deposited into my Paypal account. That's probably more than I would have made selling books the past two days.
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