"Music... it followed me everywhere although I could not sing or play a note. Persistent melodies rang in my head. Gesualdo's ghastly madrigals, Gaetano's light-hearted gondolier songs, the chanting of the mass, even the tune the peddler whistled in Sicily".
The Devil's Tune by Fran Kempton is a fabulously engaging, dark historical novel set in the late 16c - early 17C. The story moves from Sicily to Naples, Venice and many other Italian locations in between.
This rich historical tapestry shimmers with darkness.
The novel is based on the true story of Carlo Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa and Count of Conza, who is famous for his madrigals, sacred music and for murdering his first wife and her lover. His life has been an inspiration for several operas and Werner Herzog movie.
We first encounter Laura Scala at Carlo Gesualdo's palace in Naples in 1585. Years earlier Laura, then a 13-years-old girl, a rape victim on the run, was rescued by Gesualdo's wife in Sicily and taken into their household.
The Princess, Donna Maria d'Avalos, has to endure the fate of the aristocratic woman of her times, being valued for her title, dowry and family connections only. She herself is a pawn, who has no freedom of choice. She's been married off three times by her unscrupulous vultures of parents.
Laura watches "Donna Maria growing more bored and dissatisfied with her life. Perhaps she was tired of being passed from husband to husband, finally reaching the Prince of Venosa, the man with the dead eyes, who loved only music and horses".
Donna Maria confides her secrets to Laura. "I believe my attachment to Donna Maria and her fondness for me lay in the fact that we kept each other's secrets". Outwardly she appears a demure, angelic noblewoman, but she is passionate and fiery, and totally unappreciated by her husband.
And like many aristocratic wives in her position, Donna Maria seeks relief from her dull, unremarkable husband with a young passionate lover. Only she is quite indiscreet about it. She openly discusses her lover with her maid. "I was not exactly her confidante - she was too grand for that, but I was her accomplice and therefore kept close".
When the Prince finds out about the affair, his revenge is savage. Laura Scala witnesses the events and vowes to avenge her mistress's brutal murder.
Fuelled by her mission of revenge, Laura travels from Naples to Venice, where she meets a kind-hearted gondolier and becomes a lady's maid in the Venetian ghetto.
More tragic events follow. Laura is convinced she's the bringer of misfortune to everyone who she cares about. When Donna Maria was alive, she has gifted three pearls to Laura as her future dowry. These beautiful gems will play an important part in her life.
Is Laura truly cursed? Or is it her connection with the ignoble Prince who dabbles in the occult?
The Prince is a mesmerising character. "He could have been a monk - or a criminal. The most extraordinary thing about him was his hands with their long fingers, like a spider. They were a musician's fingers, it was said". A talented musician, his compositions were experimental and ahead of his time. There is evidence that the Prince has been tortured by guilt until his dying day, which may have influenced the style of his music.
Alex Ross wrote in The New Yorker, "If Gesualdo had not committed such shocking acts, we might not pay such close attention to his music. But if he had not written such shocking music we would not care so much about his deeds. Many bloodier crimes have been forgotten; it's the nexus of high art and foul play that catches our fancy".
The author tells her story in rich, vivid detail. It is an intoxicating novel of art, love and revenge. Deeply researched, The Devil's Tune vividly captures the volatile historical period, and the unenviable fate of women, whatever class and status they belonged to.
Potential triggers: rape, murder including infanticide.
Purchase Links
UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Devils-Tune-Italian-trilogy-ebook/dp/B07CQ8FDP3
US - https://www.amazon.com/Devils-Tune-Italian-trilogy-ebook/dp/B07CQ8FDP3
Author Bio – Frances Kempton is a reclusive writer fleeing from the clutches of Jane Austen.
She has an obsession with Italy. This is the first book in an Italian trilogy.
This post is part of the blog tour for The Devil's Tune.
Many thanks to Fran Kempton and Rachel's Random Resources for my e-copy of the book!
I wrote a comment and it disappeared, that's strange. I was saying that the plot is quite dark but it sounds very interesting at the same time.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anca, for trying again. Happens to me sometimes too on some blogs. The plot is dark, the scene of the murder is quite gruesome, but it's based on real facts. I listened to some of his music on Youtube, it's very melancholic. He clearly had mental problems.
Delete