Book Blurb:
A Love Affair Inspiring the World's Most Unforgettable Operas
Experience the intense, lifelong love affair between Giuseppe Verdi and Giuseppina Strepponi, the brilliant and seductive soprano who shaped his legacy. As his muse, lover, and wife, Strepponi was the inspiration behind Verdi's most iconic works, including La Traviata and Aida. Her influence was pivotal, as she became the architect of his creative triumphs and the heart of his operatic genius.
Set against the backdrop of Italy's Risorgimento, this sweeping novel intertwines their turbulent relationship with the nation's fierce struggle for independence. Through the heartbreak of three brutal wars, Verdi and Strepponi's passion, betrayal, and artistic ambition come alive, mirroring the era's fiery spirit.
Rich with themes of love, power, food, wine, and unrelenting passion, Viva Violetta & Verdi is an unforgettable exploration of art, resilience, and the enduring bond that transformed both an artist and a nation.
**********
"A stunning, significant book...that is rich, lush and drenched in knowledge. It is nothing less than a gift." - Sheila Weller
"Smith's historic drama embraces universal themes of class and religious persecution, and weaves gorgeous language with an intimate knowledge of Italian food, music, and political hypocrisy that contemporary readers will find irresistible." - Jessica Keener
"Viva Violetta & Verdi is a well-researched love letter to Verdi; fans are sure to love." - Leslie Zemeckis
"Perfection. You are right there, inhaling and breathing in the words, the smell, and each piece of music. Bravo. It is both a love song and a love letter to the irrefutable power of Verdi's muse, Violetta." - Amy Ferris
Book Buy Links:
Hardcover: https://geni.us/bYebpBs
Paperback: https://geni.us/FMc1f
Ebook: https://geni.us/LfCuH
Author Bio:
“Howard Jay Smith has written the musical equivalent of The Da Vinci Code. Deftly plotted and richly detailed, the novel spans generations and involves Mozart, mysteries, masquerades, opera, spies, and much more. How Smith managed to pull it all together is a mystery in itself. But he does, and he's written a deeply satisfying ending.” --Patricia Morrisroe, author, The Woman in the Moonlight
"An entertaining tale inspired by Mozart and his operas, aimed especially toward Mozart lovers. Its mingling of fact and fancy includes a memorable portrait of Mozart's raffish and brilliant librettist, Lorenzo Da Ponte." --Jan Swafford, (author, Mozart, The Reign of Love; Beethoven; Anguish & Triumph; Brahms, A Biography)
“Smith writes beautifully and with a wonderful command of language and a deep knowledge of history, music, and opera. This is a fantastic story and an absolute delight to read.” --Nir Kabaretti, music director and conductor of The Israel Sinfonietta Beersheba and the Santa Barbara Symphony
"Meeting Mozart is a journey of transcendence, an exquisitely constructed novel crafted by a compelling storyteller.” --Alan Riche, producer of Duets, The Legend of Tarzan, Bodies at Rest, Family Man, Mod Squad, Starsky & Hutch
“In this tour de force, Smith vividly brings to life not only Da Ponte’s challenges in navigating the challenges of life for Jews but also those of his descendants who must also face the horrors of the Holocaust and eloquently rise above them. A warm and heartfelt novel.”--Gaelle Lehrer Kennedy, author, Night in Jerusalem
For MEETING MOZART IN VENICE, VIENNA & PRAGUE; FROM THE SECRET DIARIES OF LORENZO DA PONTE and for BEETHOVEN IN LOVE; OPUS 139, Howard Jay Smith was awarded the 'Profant Foundation for the Arts,' Excellence in Writing Award. Smith lives in Santa Barbara, California. A former Washington, D.C. Commission for the Arts Fellow, & Bread Loaf Writers Conference Scholar, he taught for many years in the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program and has lectured nationally. His short stories, articles and photographs have appeared in the Washington Post, the Beethoven Journal, Horizon Magazine, the Journal of the Writers Guild of America, the Ojai Quarterly, and numerous literary and trade publications. While an executive at ABC Television, Embassy TV, and Academy Home Entertainment, he worked on numerous film, television, radio, and commercial projects. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Santa Barbara Symphony - "The Best Small City Symphony in America" - and is a member of the American Beethoven Society.
Comments