Two-Part Inventions
A Novel
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- $23.99
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- $23.99
Publisher Description
Two–Part Inventions begins when Suzanne, a concert pianist, dies suddenly of a stroke in the New York City apartment she shares with her producer husband Philip. Rather than mourn in peace, Philip becomes deeply paranoid: their life is based on a fraud and the acclaimed music the couple created is about to be exposed. Philip had built a career for his wife by altering her recordings, taking a portion of a song here and there, from recordings of other pianists. Syncing the alterations seamlessly, he created a piece of flawless music with Suzanne getting sole credit.
In this urban, psychological novel, author Lynne Sharon Schwartz brilliantly guides the reader through a flawed marriage and calculated career. Beginning with Suzanne's death and moving backwards in time, Schwartz examines their life together, and her remarkable career, while contemplating the nature of truth, marriage and the pursuit of perfection.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Schwartz (Ruined by Reading) ushers readers into the competitive world of classical music and vividly illustrates the temptations wrought by its pressure. When they first meet, Suzanne and Philip are promising young pianists. Suzanne possesses both the talent and the motivation to make it as a professional musician; Philip does not, and, realizing this himself, becomes a sound engineer and producer. When Suzanne's desire to be seen comes up against a paralyzing stage fright, her career falters. Years later, however, now married to Philip, Suzanne records for his label; what she may or may not realize is that he alters her imperfect playing, splicing in bits of other pianists' superior recordings. Based on a true story, Schwartz's novel raises questions about the thin line dividing the drive to achieve from the willingness to deceive. Although the narrative initially places equal weight on Suzanne's and Philip's stories, it eventually shifts almost entirely to Suzanne's point of view, resulting in an uneven perspective. Still, the novel offers an intriguing window into the closeted, incestuous world of classical music, where enforced camaraderie and intense competition reside in uncomfortable proximity.
