In the late 19th Century, in the small Catalan town of Campo Seco a boy is born to a small family. He is given the name Feliz, which in spanish means happiness, but a sloppy bureaucrat misread the last letter and turned the loopy Z into a u, and so the boy becomes Feliu Delargo. And, so this epic story of a virtuoso cellist and his life in turbulent times begins.
When Feliu's father dies he bequeathed his children a gift, to be chose by each child. As if by fate, Feliu chose a cellist bow. Although Feliu first started playing the violin, it is the cello that will become his passion. Here is an excerpt of his first attendance at a concert where he hears the cello.
“Duarte's cello was a glossy caramel color, and the sound it produced was as warm and rich as the instrument looked. It sounded like a human voice. Not the high warble of an opera singer or anyone else singing for the stage, but rather the soothing voice of a fisherman singing as he mended his nets, or of a mother singing lullabies to her sleepy children.”
Despite their financial circumstances, Feliu's mom will take the young boy to Barcelona to train with Alberto Mendizabal, a man Feliu's mom thinks of as an anarchist and an intellectual but at least affordable. The tutor does more than teach Feliu about cello playing, he wills the boy to open his eyes and heart to the city.
Along the way Feliu will also run into Justo Al-Cerraz, a flamboyant pianist who will come to play a major role in Feliu's life. The two will form a trio with a violinist, Aviva, which will take them all over Europe. This novel grand in scope not only features characters who are passionate about their music but the volatile course of events of the Spanish Civil War, World War II and even brings historical figures into the narrative.
There is much that I liked about this book, from the description of the Spanish cities to the backdrop of the historical events, but perhaps what was the most poignant for me was how above all Feliu, the idealistic cellist, valued music. No matter what was going on in the world his life was devoted to the beauty of music. The novel is lengthy but nowhere did I feel like it became a chore to read. As a matter of fact, I was surprised at how quickly I finished this grand tale of music, love, and friendship.
Added 10/07