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A review by frances_ab
The Conductor by Sarah Quigley
4.0
This very moving novel is set just before and during the WWII siege of Leningrad and centres on the lives of Karl Eliasberg, a second rate conductor on the periphery of the vibrant music community which revolves around the composer Dmitri Shostakovich, and on Shostakovich himself. Shostakovich is writing his 7th "Leningrad" Symphony, meant to evoke the hardships of the war and to honour the resilience of the people of Leningrad. As the siege drags on and lives are increasingly in danger, not just from the bombs dropping regularly but also from starvation and the cold of winter, Eliasberg is ordered to reassemble his orchestra for a staging of the 7th Symphony, to be broadcast to the citizens of Leningrad and to the troops at the front to boost morale. With many of his musicians dead or dying and his own health severely compromised by starvation, it is a supreme struggle to get his orchestra prepared for their premiere.
Quigley brilliantly portrays her characters, both their musicianship and focus on their art, and also their struggle to maintain their dignity and humanity in this brutal time. Having read[b:The Madonnas of Leningrad|179264|The Madonnas of Leningrad|Debra Dean|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348330330s/179264.jpg|837760] in the last couple of years this was a wonderful companion read with its equally evocative description of the Siege of Leningrad and the lengths some will go to preserve and support the art that has filled their lives. I would highly recommend this book, both to those with an interest in 20th century history and to those fascinated by the process by which music is made.
Quigley brilliantly portrays her characters, both their musicianship and focus on their art, and also their struggle to maintain their dignity and humanity in this brutal time. Having read[b:The Madonnas of Leningrad|179264|The Madonnas of Leningrad|Debra Dean|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348330330s/179264.jpg|837760] in the last couple of years this was a wonderful companion read with its equally evocative description of the Siege of Leningrad and the lengths some will go to preserve and support the art that has filled their lives. I would highly recommend this book, both to those with an interest in 20th century history and to those fascinated by the process by which music is made.