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Zaide
Following tragedy and failure, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart began work on an opera…Abducted by pirates and sold into slavery, Zaide, Sultan Soliman’s favorite possession, gains the power of a queen. Yet, she surrenders all joy. Until, she falls in love with the common field slave, Gomatz. Desperate, she schemes and plots. Just to get close… Just to keep him alive… Just to taste one moment of real joy...
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 13, 2018
Not being an opera fan, or a lover of classical literature, I was unsure of what I would find when I cracked open Rollan Wengert's new book Zaide: Mozart's Lost Opera. Intrigued by the story line, but mostly wishing to support a local author, I agreed to read it with no promise of how long it would take (having little ones tends to limit the reading time). However, I finished the book in record time due to it's engaging story.
The book fleshes out the missing details from Mozart's unfinished opera around 1780. It follows the story of Zaide, a slave in the Sultan's harem, as she meets and grows to love Gomatz, a new slave of Puritan background. Desperate for happiness, and for someone to really care for her as a real person, she schemes to be near him which endangers her position of safety in the Sultan's harem. She must then decide between comfortable safety and knowing real love.
The author went to great pains to develop the story around the pieced together details we have of this incomplete opera. Woven throughout the story are musical references that both set the tone for the current events and remind the reader that this was originally intended to be a musical masterpiece. The story was well developed and contained detailed descriptions of the characters and setting to help the reader experience the story. The ending will leave you wanting another act to be written.
The book fleshes out the missing details from Mozart's unfinished opera around 1780. It follows the story of Zaide, a slave in the Sultan's harem, as she meets and grows to love Gomatz, a new slave of Puritan background. Desperate for happiness, and for someone to really care for her as a real person, she schemes to be near him which endangers her position of safety in the Sultan's harem. She must then decide between comfortable safety and knowing real love.
The author went to great pains to develop the story around the pieced together details we have of this incomplete opera. Woven throughout the story are musical references that both set the tone for the current events and remind the reader that this was originally intended to be a musical masterpiece. The story was well developed and contained detailed descriptions of the characters and setting to help the reader experience the story. The ending will leave you wanting another act to be written.
February 8, 2018
With sensitivity and great care given to the original tale imagined by Mozart himself in his unfinished opera, Zaide, Wengert presents a lyrical and fascinating view of the unconventional love story between Zaide, the Sultan's favorite, and Gomatz, a poor slave boy. With a great tug of war between tension and tenderness, Wengert weaves a story that leaves you captivated and questioning what's coming. His obvious passion for all things Mozart shines through, and anyone looking for a glimpse of the brilliant composer will not be disappointed.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews