Book Review
Oct. 25th, 2005 05:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariThe Lyre of Orpheus
by Robertson Davies
This is the final volume of the Cornish trilogy, and it beautifully wraps up the threads introduced in the previous two books, while carrying its own delicious plot and themes. The story focuses on the reconstruction and debut of Arthur of Britain, the opera E. T. A. Hoffmann left unfinished at his death in 1822. The Cornish Foundation (headed by Arthur and Maria (Theotoky) Cornish) is funding the effort, brilliant graduate student composer Hulda Schnakenburg is doing the reconstruction and composition of the music, Simon Darcourt is creating the libretto, and a cast of other characters are involved in the other aspects of writing and producing and opera. Along the way, Arthurian myth somehow intrudes into the real lives of the characters, but with a much happier ending for everyone concerned.
Woven into all of this is a wonderful examination of the role of myth and allegory in real life; and the issues of imitation, fakery, originality, and genuineness in art.
I also have to say that Davies does a really good job with his examination of the opera world. And I deeply appreciate the fact that he makes his brilliant composer a woman - since composition is still a very male-dominated area, it would have been all too easy for that character to be male.
by Robertson Davies
This is the final volume of the Cornish trilogy, and it beautifully wraps up the threads introduced in the previous two books, while carrying its own delicious plot and themes. The story focuses on the reconstruction and debut of Arthur of Britain, the opera E. T. A. Hoffmann left unfinished at his death in 1822. The Cornish Foundation (headed by Arthur and Maria (Theotoky) Cornish) is funding the effort, brilliant graduate student composer Hulda Schnakenburg is doing the reconstruction and composition of the music, Simon Darcourt is creating the libretto, and a cast of other characters are involved in the other aspects of writing and producing and opera. Along the way, Arthurian myth somehow intrudes into the real lives of the characters, but with a much happier ending for everyone concerned.
Woven into all of this is a wonderful examination of the role of myth and allegory in real life; and the issues of imitation, fakery, originality, and genuineness in art.
I also have to say that Davies does a really good job with his examination of the opera world. And I deeply appreciate the fact that he makes his brilliant composer a woman - since composition is still a very male-dominated area, it would have been all too easy for that character to be male.
