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The Tenor
The Tenor is a sweeping tale of historical fiction in the style of Ann Patchett’s “Bel Canto” and De Burniere’s “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.” It swiftly moves from Pino Vaggi’s youth in pre-war Italy, to his coming of age as a soldier in war-torn Greece, before ending in a shattering surprise finale at Maria Callas’ historic final performance ever on the stage of New York’s Metropolitan Opera House in 1965. It is based loosely on the stories and anecdotes that I learned from several of Maria Callas’ personal friends and from nearly a dozen trips to Italy and Greece to research the subject.Pino Vaggi is a child prodigy, an opera singing sensation on the fast track to a superstar international career. At the age of eighteen, he is about to become the youngest tenor in history to sing at Italy’s La Scala, when, on the eve of his debut, WWII breaks out. The theater is closed. The season is cancelled. Pino is drafted. After a horrific basic training, he is stationed in war-torn Athens, where he hears and ultimately falls in love with another child prodigy, the young Maria Callas. There is one major she is the enemy. However, as famine devastates Athens, (a famine created by the diversion of humanitarian aid meant for the Greeks to the Russian front to feed the German Army) the artist in Pino can’t fathom the thought of the greatest singer the world will ever know perishing, especially if he is in a position to prevent it. With a firing squad in the balance, he repeatedly risks his own life to protect and feed the young girl and her family. In the process, his love for her deepens, until something tragic happens – something with devastating consequences that blows the young lovers apart.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2014
55 people want to read
About the author
Peter Danish
8 books7 followersPeter Danish is an award-winning, #1 best-selling Amazon author and playwright. He is the Classical Music Editor for BWW.com Classical, one of the nation’s most popular Broadway and Classical Music websites.
A proud member of the Dramatist Guild of America, his play, “Gods, Guns and Greed,” was chosen by the White Plains Performing Arts Center for its “First Look” series, and the play will be given a reading at the prestigious Actor’s Studio in NY this Summer.
His musical, “The Flying Dutchman,” was chosen by the Riverspace Performing Arts Center for a staged reading as part of its “New Works” series. He has just been selected by J. Quinn Productions to write the book for the upcoming Broadway musical: “The Cotton Club,” based on the famous film of the same name. “Medjugore - the Final Prophecy” - his next full-length work of fiction will be released Jan 1st. 2016.
He is currently putting the finishing touches on two other novels and a collection of non-fiction, short stories co-written with singers from the Metropolitan Opera.
A proud member of the Dramatist Guild of America, his play, “Gods, Guns and Greed,” was chosen by the White Plains Performing Arts Center for its “First Look” series, and the play will be given a reading at the prestigious Actor’s Studio in NY this Summer.
His musical, “The Flying Dutchman,” was chosen by the Riverspace Performing Arts Center for a staged reading as part of its “New Works” series. He has just been selected by J. Quinn Productions to write the book for the upcoming Broadway musical: “The Cotton Club,” based on the famous film of the same name. “Medjugore - the Final Prophecy” - his next full-length work of fiction will be released Jan 1st. 2016.
He is currently putting the finishing touches on two other novels and a collection of non-fiction, short stories co-written with singers from the Metropolitan Opera.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 1, 2014
Find this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....
I love World War II fiction, so it should come as no surprise that I jumped when offered the chance to read Peter Danish's The Tenor. The political content and the fact that story took place in Italy held great appeal for me and I was eager to see how those elements would factor into the larger story.
Ultimately neither played much of a role, but that doesn't mean I was disappointed. Pino, for one, is a fabulous protagonist. He is talented and ambitious despite his humble upbringing, but he has a tendency to be somewhat indecisive, overly sensitive and smug. In short, he's a very believable and well-balanced character, someone the reader can both root for and relate to. I was similarly struck by Maestro Franco Ivaldi, whose supporting role is memorable despite its brevity.
Also of note, the operatic themes that are woven throughout the story. Strictly speaking, Danish doesn't offer a lot of explicit exposition for those unfamiliar with the material, but his obvious affinity for the subject matter and deft manipulation of the content make the patterns and motifs easy to interpret.
Ideally I would have liked closure with characters like Allesandro, Captain Biaggi and Captain Adamo and I personally found the shifting point of views distracting, especially when Danish turned to characters like Mr. Vaggi and Gia. Certain scenes, like the incident with the veal chops and Maria's infatuation with The Beatles seemed out of place and awkward within Pino's story and I think the ending might have been stronger if Maria Callas had enjoyed a more prominent role or served as a second narrator over the course of the book.
All told, The Tenor is an interesting piece that brings to light a fascinating story and though I felt it a bit rough in places, I can honestly say I enjoyed the time I spent with it.
I love World War II fiction, so it should come as no surprise that I jumped when offered the chance to read Peter Danish's The Tenor. The political content and the fact that story took place in Italy held great appeal for me and I was eager to see how those elements would factor into the larger story.
Ultimately neither played much of a role, but that doesn't mean I was disappointed. Pino, for one, is a fabulous protagonist. He is talented and ambitious despite his humble upbringing, but he has a tendency to be somewhat indecisive, overly sensitive and smug. In short, he's a very believable and well-balanced character, someone the reader can both root for and relate to. I was similarly struck by Maestro Franco Ivaldi, whose supporting role is memorable despite its brevity.
Also of note, the operatic themes that are woven throughout the story. Strictly speaking, Danish doesn't offer a lot of explicit exposition for those unfamiliar with the material, but his obvious affinity for the subject matter and deft manipulation of the content make the patterns and motifs easy to interpret.
Ideally I would have liked closure with characters like Allesandro, Captain Biaggi and Captain Adamo and I personally found the shifting point of views distracting, especially when Danish turned to characters like Mr. Vaggi and Gia. Certain scenes, like the incident with the veal chops and Maria's infatuation with The Beatles seemed out of place and awkward within Pino's story and I think the ending might have been stronger if Maria Callas had enjoyed a more prominent role or served as a second narrator over the course of the book.
All told, The Tenor is an interesting piece that brings to light a fascinating story and though I felt it a bit rough in places, I can honestly say I enjoyed the time I spent with it.
April 3, 2014
The Tenor, by Peter Danish, is a book of superb storytelling, with a very real and likeable protagonist and an enthralling theme. I've always been a fan of classic music and the opera, so this book that showcases both history and the art of music, as well as the intrigue of the war and romance, was a wonderful fit for me. Danish's sentences are silky and lush with description.
For instance, to start with, how can you not be drawn in by this copy:
"If he's caught, it will mean a firing squad. If he does nothing, she will surely die - and the world will never know the greatest voice of all time. That's something he simply can't accept - whatever the risk."
In 1941, an Italian soldier, an aspiring opera singer himself, risked his life to ensure that a wonderfully talented young Greek opera singer made it through WWII alive. This is his story.
And it certainly is Pino Vaggi's story told with all the fervor of a trained singer belting out words from his pipes. It's a beautiful piece of storytelling and the best kind, based on a true story. I love books like this from the WWII era, because there was so much rich culture intertwining at the time. This was a time when so many had dreams for them all to ripped away by war, for nothing to be stable, and for all sorts of various love affairs and marriages to take place. Danish's book offered nothing less than a wonderful story of heart and determination, of both love and sacrifice. The selfless nature of people during this time period was really brought out by Danish in his novel.
I enjoyed Danish's details, and the thoughts of his characters were vivid, especially with Pino. I felt at most times I was inside Pino's head and feeling or reacting to what his senses and emotions were taking in. He blended bits of a true story into fiction and presented it in a very real way.
The sentences in the book, many beautiful, made this book more like art than historical reenactment. Most of his sentences rolled off the dainty corners of my mouth, or would have had I been reading aloud. In some cases, however, he may have liked the sentence or phrase so much that he repeated it (such as with aroma at the beginning), which I think an editor should have re-worked into a one time thing for better impact, but it worked out a little better as the story flowed on. But, they were lovely imagery and I enjoyed the journey that they took me on as I read the book.
If you are a fan of books that are as beautiful and as enthralling to read as their covers that catch your eye, then this book of historical drama is most likely for you. I'd especially say that those who are true lovers of the stage, symphony, and opera are going to love how that world fits into this novel. The beauty of the words do a real justice to the basis of the true story and immortalize the journey not only of the people in his novel, but all people of this time period who struggled through similar situations. The stories of so many who came to America on the back of their dreams are all so amazing and The Tenor is a unique read in this sub-genre of historical fiction with musicality of prose and mesmerizing lyrical writing.
*I was given a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
For instance, to start with, how can you not be drawn in by this copy:
"If he's caught, it will mean a firing squad. If he does nothing, she will surely die - and the world will never know the greatest voice of all time. That's something he simply can't accept - whatever the risk."
In 1941, an Italian soldier, an aspiring opera singer himself, risked his life to ensure that a wonderfully talented young Greek opera singer made it through WWII alive. This is his story.
And it certainly is Pino Vaggi's story told with all the fervor of a trained singer belting out words from his pipes. It's a beautiful piece of storytelling and the best kind, based on a true story. I love books like this from the WWII era, because there was so much rich culture intertwining at the time. This was a time when so many had dreams for them all to ripped away by war, for nothing to be stable, and for all sorts of various love affairs and marriages to take place. Danish's book offered nothing less than a wonderful story of heart and determination, of both love and sacrifice. The selfless nature of people during this time period was really brought out by Danish in his novel.
I enjoyed Danish's details, and the thoughts of his characters were vivid, especially with Pino. I felt at most times I was inside Pino's head and feeling or reacting to what his senses and emotions were taking in. He blended bits of a true story into fiction and presented it in a very real way.
The sentences in the book, many beautiful, made this book more like art than historical reenactment. Most of his sentences rolled off the dainty corners of my mouth, or would have had I been reading aloud. In some cases, however, he may have liked the sentence or phrase so much that he repeated it (such as with aroma at the beginning), which I think an editor should have re-worked into a one time thing for better impact, but it worked out a little better as the story flowed on. But, they were lovely imagery and I enjoyed the journey that they took me on as I read the book.
If you are a fan of books that are as beautiful and as enthralling to read as their covers that catch your eye, then this book of historical drama is most likely for you. I'd especially say that those who are true lovers of the stage, symphony, and opera are going to love how that world fits into this novel. The beauty of the words do a real justice to the basis of the true story and immortalize the journey not only of the people in his novel, but all people of this time period who struggled through similar situations. The stories of so many who came to America on the back of their dreams are all so amazing and The Tenor is a unique read in this sub-genre of historical fiction with musicality of prose and mesmerizing lyrical writing.
*I was given a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
April 6, 2014
Peter Danish sends his readers on an epic journey from pre-war Italy to war ravaged Athens. Through Pino Vaggi we are introduced to the hopes of a young child yearning for a life in the opera world. When his chance is finally within his reach, WWII breaks out and he is ripped from his home and placed in Athens where he meets the love of his life who is also his enemy. In his heart he knows he can’t let her die and will do anything to protect her.
Without giving away too much I will just say that Danish’s writing is art in itself. His words at time are poetic and you feel yourself being carried away on his gently rolling waves. His accuracy for historical details is flawless.
I am the first one to say I love a good historical book. I will also admit I know absolutely nothing about the opera or that I am very knowledgeable in the fine arts. I did enjoy this sweeping tale of Pino and his determination to save the lovely Maria Callas. Beautifully written and easily enjoyed by fans of historical drama.
Without giving away too much I will just say that Danish’s writing is art in itself. His words at time are poetic and you feel yourself being carried away on his gently rolling waves. His accuracy for historical details is flawless.
I am the first one to say I love a good historical book. I will also admit I know absolutely nothing about the opera or that I am very knowledgeable in the fine arts. I did enjoy this sweeping tale of Pino and his determination to save the lovely Maria Callas. Beautifully written and easily enjoyed by fans of historical drama.
May 7, 2014
A riveting story that transports the reader to a historical place in time. As I turned the pages, I didn't want to place this book down!
Pivotal scenes enticed me to want to discuss this book with others. Pino, a primary character is heartfelt and one feels in union with journey.
Author Peter Danish should win a book award for this literary read that has huge movie potential. Book clubs, a must read!
Pivotal scenes enticed me to want to discuss this book with others. Pino, a primary character is heartfelt and one feels in union with journey.
Author Peter Danish should win a book award for this literary read that has huge movie potential. Book clubs, a must read!
November 4, 2014
A true page-turning novel. Historical fiction that kept me entertained and lost in the deep exploration of characters and their lives.
May 23, 2014
The only thing I enjoyed more than reading THE TENOR was writing THE TENOR! I hope you enjoy it too! And please feel free to contact me with thoughts and comments!
-Peter
-Peter
November 5, 2014
While I was reading Mr. Danish's novel, The Tenor, my mind was dancing in the alpine meadows of a long forgotten memory. The music of the murmuring mountain springs, an even more distant memory, got recalled in flashes of light and laughter of the innocence we don't even recognize until the old age takes over and we start turning to our past for comfort and peace. I have never been to Italy, but I have visited the Swiss Alps. Page after page, I was smiling, captivated by the clarity of my own recognition, enveloped by the warmth of a shared experience. Only those who have lived in such a place can truly understand!
The second part of the book took me to a less popular part of my memory palace. Once again, I could relate to Pino because I, too, have lived through a war. I, too, have dealt with more death than I care to admit. Or remember. On this universally human level, it was interesting to discover Mr. Danish's sensibilities toward the good in people, and an especially rare kind of individuals who set higher standards for themselves, and are capable of intellectually bypassing the madness, hatred and confusion of the war machine; people who are capable of thinking more globally and taking all the possible consequences into consideration before making a decision. I've met people like that and they have taught me an important lesson - the future history is a powerful judge of our past actions. If you survive, you will have to live through the time of peace, too.
I can't say that my life centers around the opera. I like it, but I don't live for it. However, it was fascinating to follow Pino's passion, determination and sacrifices. They are human, to a certain point, and rare at the same time because, let's face it, not all of us can admit we follow our dreams, let alone live them. I would love, for once in my life, to feel so passionate about something.
The relationship between Pino and Gia, and Pino and Maria was another reason for introspection. For a moment, I felt as if Mr. Danish was in my head. Did he know specific details of my life that I have never disclosed, not even to my Gias and Marias? How on earth did he understand that gray area of physical, emotional, intellectual attraction and a consequent "perfect" partner composed in our minds, out of bits and pieces of the people we love a lot, but never fully, unconditionally? Well, Mr. Danish, hats off to you. You understand human psychology and you weave it into your characters masterfully. Bravo.
After many, many years of reading literary works as a critic, I turned into, what my American literature professor used to call, a "naïve reader" and I cried, analyzing the text with my emotions, not my reason or logic. If I had been a writer, this is exactly how I would have ended my book! It is realistic, life-like, familiar, seamlessly transcending from paper (and Kindle) into my heart and my life.
The Tenor is on my shelf of book-friends. The second coffee date has already been scheduled, and is approaching.
The second part of the book took me to a less popular part of my memory palace. Once again, I could relate to Pino because I, too, have lived through a war. I, too, have dealt with more death than I care to admit. Or remember. On this universally human level, it was interesting to discover Mr. Danish's sensibilities toward the good in people, and an especially rare kind of individuals who set higher standards for themselves, and are capable of intellectually bypassing the madness, hatred and confusion of the war machine; people who are capable of thinking more globally and taking all the possible consequences into consideration before making a decision. I've met people like that and they have taught me an important lesson - the future history is a powerful judge of our past actions. If you survive, you will have to live through the time of peace, too.
I can't say that my life centers around the opera. I like it, but I don't live for it. However, it was fascinating to follow Pino's passion, determination and sacrifices. They are human, to a certain point, and rare at the same time because, let's face it, not all of us can admit we follow our dreams, let alone live them. I would love, for once in my life, to feel so passionate about something.
The relationship between Pino and Gia, and Pino and Maria was another reason for introspection. For a moment, I felt as if Mr. Danish was in my head. Did he know specific details of my life that I have never disclosed, not even to my Gias and Marias? How on earth did he understand that gray area of physical, emotional, intellectual attraction and a consequent "perfect" partner composed in our minds, out of bits and pieces of the people we love a lot, but never fully, unconditionally? Well, Mr. Danish, hats off to you. You understand human psychology and you weave it into your characters masterfully. Bravo.
After many, many years of reading literary works as a critic, I turned into, what my American literature professor used to call, a "naïve reader" and I cried, analyzing the text with my emotions, not my reason or logic. If I had been a writer, this is exactly how I would have ended my book! It is realistic, life-like, familiar, seamlessly transcending from paper (and Kindle) into my heart and my life.
The Tenor is on my shelf of book-friends. The second coffee date has already been scheduled, and is approaching.
July 9, 2014
This was a truly enjoyable read and surprised me with its fresh storytelling. I'm a big fan of a good historical novel, especially one set in and around World War II but I know next to nothing about opera so I wasn't sure how much of the story would be lost on me. But I found it was easy to get caught in the sweeping story of Pino from the mountains of Italy to war torn Athens and ultimately in NYC. His passion for music is so infectious that even though I don't have an insider's knowledge of the arias that are sewn into his soul, I still felt the resounding pulse of how those pieces of music colored his life. Mr. Danish paints a picture of Athens that was entirely new and fresh for me and made me want to go out and read more about that moment in time. The Tenor is one of those books that stays with you long after you've read the last page.
July 1, 2014
Reading a book about a fictional opera singer in fascist Italy was definitely different for me. Being around opera singers all day and including singers among my closest friends, I'm definitely familiar with the art. The book read, to me, like an article, and one that would be specifically good for people who don't necessarily know much about opera. I had trouble connecting with it, but thought it was an interesting read at least.
June 17, 2014
I really enjoyed this debut novel. It was an interesting and quick read and so engrossing, that I really didn't want to put it down. Highly recommended!
July 7, 2014
Wonderful evocations of time and place.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews