Appassionata

by JillyCooper (Author), JillyCooper (Author), Jilly Cooper (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  1997

  $3.29

  They called her l'Appassionata, though her real name was Abigail Rosen. She was the sexiest, most flamboyant violinist on the music scene, adored by her fans and lusted after by every man who heard her play. She was also the loneliest most exploited girl in the world, and when a dramatic suicide attempt destroyed her career as a fiddle player she set her sights on the male-dominated heights of the conductor's rostrum. Taking a conducting course in London, Abby finds friends for the first time in her life- Flora Seymour, a brilliant young viola player, who has never recovered from a school girl affaire with the sexually destructive, international Maestro, Rannaldini; and Marcus Campbell-Black, desperately trying to overcome both asthma and the contempt of his famous father Rupert, and make it as a concert pianist. When Abby gets the chance to take over the Rutminster Symphony Orchestra, the three friends set up house together. Abby is was ecstatic, not realising the RSO is in hock up to its neck and composed of the wildest bunch of musicians every to blow a horn or caress a fiddle. Abby finds it increasingly difficult to control her undisciplined rabble and pretend she is not

• Used

  Hardcover
  1996

  $3.29

  Abigail Rosen, nicknamed Appassionata, was the sexiest, most flamboyant violinist in classical music, but she was also the loneliest -- although madly attracted to the fatally glamorous horn player, Viking O' Neill.

  From the Paperback edition.

• New

  Paperback
  2007

  $15.78

  Abigail Rosen, nicknamed Appassionata, was the sexiest, most flamboyant violinist in classical music, but she was also the loneliest and the most exploited girl in the world. When a dramatic suicide attempt destroyed her violin career, she set her sights on the male-dominated heights of the conductor's rostrum. Given the chance to take over the Rutminster Symphony Orchestra, Abby is ecstatic, not realising the RSO is in hock up to its neck and is composed of the wildest bunch of musicians ever to blow a horn or caress a fiddle. Abby finds it increasingly difficult to control her undisciplined rabble and pretend she is not madly attracted to the fatally glamorous horn player, Viking O'Neill, who claims droit de seigneur over every pretty woman joining the orchestra. And then Rannaldini, arch-fiend and international maestro, rolls up with Machiavellian plans of his own to sabotage the RSO. Effervescent as champagne, Jilly Cooper's novel brings back old favourites like Rupert and Taggie Campbell-Black, but also ends triumphantly with a rampageous orchestral tour of Spain and the high drama of an international piano competition.