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Anauthor who’s going to make her Regency hero a piano virtuoso had first bestdetermine whether such a thing existed at the time his story takes place.Fortunately for me and for Lord Valentine in The Virtuoso, it did—but only barely.
Mostpeople are familiar with the term “wunderkind,” or wonder child, as it appliedto Mozart (1756-1791) and his sister Nannerl. Their doting if profit-mindedpapa paraded them all over Europe in the years 1762-1773, including two tripsto London (1764 and 1765). The English therefore had at least one precedent fora piano virtuoso. I was surprised to find that the first English piano virtuoso,and the first musician referred to generally as such, was none other than dearold Muzio Clementi (1752-1832).
Clementi’ssonatinas remain in our repertoire as teaching studies. They’re pretty, not toolong, not too complicated, and they make nice party pieces—they also show onlythe confectionary end of Clementi’s abilities. In Lord Valentine’s day,Clementi, who was raised and educated in England from the age of fourteen on,would have been the grand old fellow of concert, composition, and musicpublishing fame. Clementi also built pianos and some of his technologicaladvances are still in use in our modern instruments.
Ihave a degree in music history and my instrument was piano, and yet I did notknow that Clementi was credited with influencing Chopin, Lizst and a host ofother romantic figures. I also did not know enough about the technicalevolution of the piano.
Thefirst pianos probably date from about 1700 and were built in Italy. By Mozart’stime, they were still smallish instruments, with five octave keyboards, andonly a simple sustaining pedal. By Lord Valentine’s day, small pianos forcottage use were being built along the earlier, more modest dimensions, but sotoo were concert versions and salon versions with six octaves and even afew—Beethoven had one—reaching to a seventh octave.
Therewould be something un-heroic about a big, handsome fellow in fancy eveningattire sitting down to impress the ladies by playing at an itty-bitty pianocapable of only itty-bitty sound. I was much relieved to know that grands andimposing square pianos were the norm in better households during the Regency,and that Lord Val would soon have at his disposal pianos with ranges very nearto what we play on today.
Thentoo, for a virtuoso to tour profitably, there had to be large venues for him toplay in (the English frowned on women performing for money, while the Continenttook a more liberal view). During theRegency, the primary concert venue, His Majesty’s Threatre at Haymarket, wasrenovated to increase its capacity from 1200 seats to 2500.
Somuch to my relief, Lord Valentine arrived to his story at a point in musicalevolution when both worthy instruments and worthy venues were on hand toshowcase his talent… My only task was then to provide him a worthy lady toappreciate some of his other attributes—and his music too, of course.
The Virtuoso byGrace Burrowes – In Stores November 2011
A genius with aterrible loss…
Giftedpianist Valentine Windham, youngest son of the Duke of Moreland, has littleinterest in his father’s obsession to see his sons married, and instead pourspassion into his music. But when Val loses his music, he flees to the country,alone and tormented by what has been robbed from him.
A widow with aheartbreaking secret…
GrievingEllen Markham has hidden herself away, looking for safety in solitude. Hercurious new neighbor offers a kindred lonely soul whose desperation is matchedonly by his desire, but Ellen’s devastating secret could be the one thing thatdestroys them both.
Togetherthey’ll find there’s no rescue from the past, but sometimes losing everythingcan help you find what you need most.
Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes – In Stores NOW!
Aluminous holiday tale of romance, passion, and dreams come true from rising starGrace Burrowes, whose award-winning Regency romances are capturing heartsworldwide.
All she wants is peace and anonymity…
LadySophie Windham has maneuvered a few days to herself at the ducal mansion inLondon before she must join her family for Christmas in Kent. Suddenly trappedby a London snowstorm, she finds herself with an abandoned baby and only theassistance of a kind, handsome stranger standing between her and completedisaster.
But Sophie’s holiday is about to heat up…
Withhis estate in ruins, Vim Charpentier sees little to feel festive about thisChristmas. His growing attraction for Sophie Windham is the only thing thatwarms his spirits—but when Sophie’s brothers whisk her away, Vim’s most painfulholiday memories are reawakened.
It seems Sophie’s been keeping secrets,and now it will take much more than a mistletoe kiss to make her deepest wishescome true…
Aboutthe Author
Grace Burrowes is the pen namefor a prolific and award-winning author of historical romances. The Heir,received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist, and was selected as a Publishers Weekly Best Bookof the Year for 2010. Both The Heir and its follow-up, The Solider,are New York Times and USA Today bestsellers. She is a practicingattorney specializing in family law and lives in a restored log cabin inwestern Maryland without a TV, DVD or radio because she's too busy working onher next books. For more information, please visit http://www.graceburrowes.com/.
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