Why a Booktrail?
1800s: Alessandro Stradella, once a charismatic composer is down on his luck, but three women take him in and his life begins to change
A House near Luccoli
What you need to know before your trail
Alessandro Stradella, composer, violinist, and singer sought refuge over three years ago in the palaces and twisted alleys of Genoa. Despite the crimes and scandals against him his was royally welcomed. But now his life has started to unravel once again on every level.
A man who he is said to have wronged offers his shelter. In the house are three women who at first pay him little attention. Donatella, still unmarried in her mid-thirties cares more for her bedridden grandmother and cats than anyone else, keeping house and tending to a small terraced garden. Slowly, however Stradella will involve her in an inspired and insidious world, forging a friendship that challenges how far she will go.
Travel Guide
The house near Luccoli effortlessly transports you into the world of music, composers and the world of the very real Stradella.
Stradella
Alessandro Stradella was born April 3, 1639, near Viterbo Italy and died February 25, 1682, Genoa. He was an Italian composer, singer, and violinist known primarily for his cantatas. As in the book, he did apparently live and work in Modena, Venice, Rome, and Florence. He lead a legendary life, and was even threatened with death when he ran off with someone else’s fiancee! and was the subject himself of many 19th-century operas.
Donatella is all fiction however.
Carnevale
Like a piece of music itself, the novel reads like a music opera, with ups and downs, interludes of tension and floating scenes of utter delight. The crescendo comes during Carnevale – one of Italy’s most famous musical events.
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Booktrail Boarding Pass Information: A House near Luccoli
Author/Guide: D M Denton Destination: Genoa Departure Time: 1800s
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