Conductor, The
Quigley, SarahIn June 1941, Nazi troops march on Leningrad and surround it. Hitler's plan is to shell, bomb and starve the city into submission. Most of the cultural elite are evacuated early in the siege, but Dmitri Shostakovich, the most famous composer in Russia, stays on to defend his city, digging ditches and fire-watching. At night he composes a new work. But after Shostakovich and his family are foced to evacuate, only Karl Eliasberg - a shy and difficult man, conductor of the second-rate radio orchestra - and an assortment of musicians are left behind in Leningrad to face an unendurable winter and start rehearsing the finished score of Shostakovich's Leningrad symphony. What's Hot - July 2013
Comments from Groups
This was our 'top choice' for 2013...We felt the book was well researched and conveyed the atmosphere of time and place. Christchurch 277 The writers skills and links to historical fact, the writing of the symphony and the intense characterization were all applauded. Timaru 007 Very positive comments from the group, in particular the way the main characters were depicted...It brought up comparisons with 'The Cellist of Sarajevo'. Napier 016This book was the highlight of our year. Discussion was dynamic and forthcoming. Lower Hutt 011
Pages
300
300
Year
2011
2011
Reviews
02-10-2023
All the group enjoyed this book. Most found the book slow to start but like a lot of good music, things built to a great crescendo.
13-05-2022
The majority of the group enjoyed reading this well-written novel, and learning about this period in Russian history.
13-05-2022
We all enjoyed this book very much. Vivid pictures of the deprivation and deaths; and endearing insights into the work of genius. The CD was good to listen to while reading about about the stress and effort and fear of war.
13-05-2022
All were moved by the book, and gradually became engrossed. "A very Russian style".
13-05-2022
Group enjoyed this book. Gave an insight into a part of Russian history, and also the creative forces at play to both create and produce a symphony in harsh conditions.
13-05-2022
A beautiful story - no need to know about classical music in order to appreciate it.
13-05-2022
We loved the book (95% of us anyway!). Descriptive writing enabled us to visualize the atmosphere and characters. Our favourite characters were Nicolai and his daughter.
13-05-2022
Most members researched the tragic events of Leningrad, which made discussion so much deeper. Because of this background knowledge we all felt that the story became more "alive". Listening to Shostakovich's symphony added another dimension to the story.
19-11-2018
There was a mixed reaction to the book. Some of us felt that it was too slow and there wasn't much of a story. One member loved it, and highlighted individual sentences that stood out for her! We all warmed to Elias by the end of the book. We also appreciated how Sarah Quigley had written the book in four parts, the same as the symphony.
19-11-2018
Pretty neatly divided between those of us who loved the writing, the history and the characterisations - and those who found it dense and unbearably cold!
19-11-2018
Great book, enjoyed by all. Impressive writing by Sarah Quigley with excellent character development and just enough understated references to the political realities of the regime to convey its repressive nature...
19-11-2018
An outstanding novel. Much discussion about the siege of Leningrad and the terrible life of the population. Amazing how Shostakovich was able to compose his works under such conditions.
19-11-2018
We all loved this book.
19-11-2018
Most of us enjoyed the book despite the gruesome aspects. We thought it was well-written.
19-11-2018
Generally enjoyed by the group. We felt the horrors of the siege were almost worse to imagine given that the descriptions were relatively low key. Some engaging passages and a pleasure to read a book whose author uses language to good effect.
19-11-2018
Everyone really appreciated this book. We felt the author interwove fact and fiction very well. Excellent dialogue and characterisation. Introduced us to Shostakovich's 7th Symphony. Recommended.
19-11-2018
Good discussion and several members took the opportunity to listen to the symphony.
23-08-2018
Most of the group loved this book but we have read several books on the war this year so they found it a bit hard going. Generally though most of us enjoyed it.