Vivien ShotwellRezensionen

It was interesting to learn about the life of a opera singer in Vienna in the late 18th century. Anna is a sweet character but as the novel progresses I don't feel like we get to know her any better. Her character does not develop and it is hard to really feel for her. I did enjoy learning something of the life and times of Wolfgang Mozart who is a character in the novel.

A a work of historical fiction with Mozart playing a big part in the story as well as Ana Storace, an English soprano for whom the part of Susannah was written by Mozart (in real life). This was the author's first work and while I found the historical of great interest, the chapters were shorty and choppy and it seemed as if the plot was rushed. I would give this author another go-round if she wrote a good story.

This was really a lovely and readable book, even for people like me with very little knowledge of opera. I did some acting as a teen so I could identify with many of the passages outlining Anna's feelings about performing or having a stressful rehearsal. However, by far the best element of this book is it's vivid characterizations, not only of Anna but also of Mozart. Both are shown as real, multi faceted people with relatable flaws along with their astounding musical gifts. Recommended!

I am very, very late in reviewing this book that I received as an Early Reviewer! My apologies!
I was surprised to learn that this story is based on an actual opera singer who was an acquaintance of Mozart. There is no evidence that they were romantically involved but the author makes a convincing case for it. I don't usually read romance novels, but the author included a great deal of information about the era and opera which I enjoyed. The book was enjoyable and an easy read.

Although this book did remind me somewhat of a romance novel, I still did pretty much enjoy it. The music descriptions were elaborate and lyrical. I think people may have to have a bit of knowledge of classical music and perhaps opera to really enjoy it.½

Vienna Nocturne, by Vivien Shotwell, is a beautiful historical love story. In the late eighteenth century Anna Storace, an English soprano, travels first to Italy and then to Vienna to further her career as an opera singer. It is in Vienna that she meets Wolfgang Mozart and, even though they are both married to others, a great love is born. The author eloquently tells their story. Rich detail takes the reader into the world of the fascinating characters. I found Vienna Nocturne to be a thoroughly engrossing and well written novel.

I received this book for free through Library Thing and I give this review of my own free will.

while i like historical fiction and it is usual fun to read made up stories of real historic people. this one fell flat. the writing style just felt too modern and could not capture thr atmosphere that should have the two lovers engulfed in music and harmony.

This was a great story but, unfortunately, not a great book. I hesitate to criticize since I can only wish I could write as well and since there are so many strengths to the book and because it was a debut novel but it has been published and so is as exposed as any other work.
The chapters are very short so the action jolts along rather than flows. The sense of timing is very confusing. Great stretches seem to pass and then you realise Anna is still pregnant, all in the time she has been rejected by her lover, married to protect her virtue, separated because her husband has abused her horribly and has started to fall in love with Mozart. It must be mostly true as these people all existed but somehow it feels very odd. The style shifts from romantic bodice-ripper to quite academic musical history and some language shifts are equally extreme. The use of the word 's..t' at one point quite near the end shocked me as it was not in dialogue but simply a descriptive passage. I am far from being a prude but the word was so out of place and unnecessary that it was jarring. There are incidents described which appear to be there simply because there are historical records of them but it is unclear why they are required by the story in the detail provided. The most striking example is of the execution of the wife murderer. It could have been referred to in passing but to devote a whole chapter, completely out of context, seems very contrived and really was not necessary.
Despite all this, there are parts of the book where the love of music and the sense of passion involved in its creation are beautifully handled. More help from the editorial team might have helped a lot. I hope to read more from this author. There is great potential.½

I enjoyed this book about Anna and Mozart. It was a little slow at times. But, all in all, I loved their interaction and delving into their lives. It was a fun read.

Vienna Nocturne is a novel that traces the career and relationships of the 18th-century soprano Anna Storace as she moves from England to Naples, and then to Vienna. The primary focus of the story is Anna's intimate relationship with Mozart, who would create the role of Susanna in his opera buffa, Le Nozze di Figaro for her to act & sing. Shotwell's knowledge of opera, the basics of Anna's life as well as the rumors that circulated the young star are not to be denied; but the lushness of the settings, the passions of Anna's various love affairs, and the richness of the musical culture are all oddly muted by stilted writing and a naive approach to matters of the heart.

• Passages are composed of short, simple sentences that offer nothing in the way of lyricism or poignancy.
• There is a lack of transitional grace. At some points, years lapse between chapters, in others only days - which creates an arhythmic pace as well as a vacuum in which the texture of the story could have been enriched.
• The application of artistic license (e.g. fudging the time lines) was used to advance the less credible aspects of Anna's life, while the known facts of her life were left in the background. As extraordinary as Anna's life was, and as rich fodder that could have been for Shotwell's narrative, the author chose to feed into the rumors instead.
• At the same time, there are many opportunities for the imagination to take flight, but such chances seem to be tethered by overly conscious nods to historicity via exposition. It was if the author was saying that we couldn't take the fictional aspects too far as, after all, these were real people.
• Finally, the novel lacks inherent tension: Villainy and adversity, as well Anna's triumphs, run second to the melodrama each extreme creates, and as a result neither functions as the whetstone by which the other can be sharpened.

At the most basic level, the story provides some interesting color for the era; but fails to elicit sympathy for any of the characters, or engage in the fulsomeness of either Vienna or Anna's life.½

A nice easy read with a story set in an interesting time and place. I always enjoy novels about famous historical people that give you a sense of what their life was like and how they lived. This book also gave an inside glimpse at the world of opera, although it assumed a little bit of existing knowledge. For example, it was primarily about 'opera buffa' but it never really clearly explained what that term meant and I wasn't familiar with it. The novel was primarily plot driven with a small cast of characters; there were few subplots (and the ones that were there, such as the romance between the brother and the servant girl, were really thin and predictable, so the overall story was not very complex. The writing was not especially graceful, but overall it was an enjoyable book.½

I really enjoyed this book about Anna Storace, her career and her affairs. Some people are saying it was slow, i didn't find that at all. I thought it was a great, relaxing read. I loved picking it up and reading a few chapters before bed. Very easy to follow and get involved in the lives of the characters.

A well-written and descriptive period piece following a young opera star and her romances. A wonderful read that is clear even to a reader that is totally unfamiliar with the opera.

Whenever I read novels like this, those based on real people and real events, it always piques my curiousity to know how much is true and how much is fictionalized. As a pianist, I have played many of Mozart's works, yet I know very little about his personal life. Before reading this novel, I had never heard of Anna Storace, so it was interesting to learn abut her story.

However, overall I found this novel to be a bit slow and tedious to read. It took me a long to read it. While the subject matter was interesting, it took a lot of perseverance and patience for me to finish to the end.

I was fortunate enough to win a copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway.

A historical fiction novel based on Mozart and his muse Anna Storace; two real individuals who may or may not have had an affair.

I did not particularly like this novel. I found the plot to be slow and uninteresting and the prose to be convoluted with details of arias and buffa's.

If you are an opera aficionado then this novel is definitely up your alley. The author gives intricate detail on opera, often writing paragraph after paragraph on singing style and delivery. Alas, as I am totally clueless as to the art of opera this was all Greek to me.

Putting my ignorance aside on the subject matter, the author does earn kudos for the very reason that I did not like the book. She is extremely knowledgeable on the subject matter and displays her knowledge through the very prose that had me skipping lines. As I said, if you are an opera lover then you will be able to relate and appreciate this novel more than I did.

There aren't many books that I have read that made me immediately want to flip to the beginning and start the book again, but Vienna Nocturne by Vivien Shotwell is one. I received a copy of this book through the Early Reviewer program, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was lucky to have a mother who educated me with classical music and opera, and so I felt right at home in this novel. A beautiful work centered around more beautiful work!!! Lovely book all around.

Anna Storace was an English soprano who became a leading diva in Vienna from about 1782 - 1787. This book is a fictionalized biography that focuses on her life in Italy and Vienna. She was friends with Mozart and the author gives them a romantic relationship as well. Shotwell does a good job of describing the music and what it meant to Storace. Since this was fiction, I wish she had created a deeper character for Anna. She seemed to make so many bad decisions for inexplicable reasons. Overall, an enjoyable book.

I received a free ARC from a Goodreads giveaway. My review is based on the ARC, so some elements of the book may change between the ARC and the final published copy.

This book starts out in 1776, when young Anna Storace is just starting her singing career. It soon jumps ahead to her career in Vienna. She meets many of the composers of the day. One of the first she meets is Salieri. I immediately flashed back to Amadeus, and figured that when Salieri was mentioned, Mozart would be appearing soon enough. And, shortly after this, there he was. The book details Anna's romantic life, especially with Mozart, who was already married at the time. Anna herself marries the abusive John Fisher, and gives birth to a child who dies shortly after birth. It continues through the closing concert in Vienna in 1787, then jumps ahead to 1801. (These are not spoiler alerts. These are historical facts. Here is the link to the Wikipedia article on Anna: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Storace )

Obviously, anytime you blend fact and fiction, some elements are going to be changed. The relationship between Mozart and Anna was probably fiction. Also, *Spoiler Alert* the novel has Anna's baby dying within a week of birth, when in reality the baby lived for 6 months. The music descriptions are excellent, but given that the author is a singer herself, this should be expected.

The one flaw I found in the book was the ending. It seemed a bit too abrupt. *Spoiler alert* After her farewell concert in Vienna in 1787, the book quotes 3 letters, then jumps ahead to her return concert in Vienna in 1801. It stops right before the concert starts. It reminded me of the title cards at the end of a movie telling what happened to the characters. I would have liked a little more description of the years between 1787 and 1801, as well as some of the years after 1801 (she died in 1817.) Otherwise, a very good book.

I won this book from library thing. Enjoyable read of historical fiction from the opera world. It Was a little slow for me but loved the history and the characters.½

This historical fiction was a delight to read. This is the author's debut novel and a superb one. It's a love story of an 18th century opera singer whose life has many twists and turns including an affair with Mozart among others. If you are a singer, especially an opera singer, you will enjoy the tours to the music capitals of Europe - Venice.and Vienna.

Anna Storace was an English operatic soprano in the late eighteenth century. This is a story of her life and her supposed affair with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In this debut novel, author Vivien Shotwell has written an engaging story of a life many of us don’t think about. The book transports us into the world of classical music and opera houses. The book is romantic, but not gushingly so, and describes a passion for music that makes you want to put on a classical record and lose yourself in the beauty of it. I might not have purchased this book on my own knowing it was about the opera world, but I really enjoyed it a lot and the author did a wonderful job with the writing. Thanks to Library Thing for providing me an early reviewers copy of this book. I would rate it 3.5 stars.½

Admittedly, this book was not my usual read. I got a different vibe from the book than I thought I would after reading the synopsis. Even still, Vienna Nocturne is a beautiful story that weaves a poetic prose into an intriguing tale of love. I found the historical aspects to be riveting, and I enjoyed those parts of this book immensely. The author injects her passion into this work, and it was very apparent while reading this book. I'd highly recommend it to historical romance fans!

I truly enjoyed this fictionalized story of the life of the Opera singer Anna Storace. This author
exhibits a true talent for historical fiction, with an ability to stick closely to facts that are known about Storace, and about Wolfgang Amadeas Mozart, even while making the characters come alive, and without the stilted “reporting” sense that historical fiction sometimes includes. The author blends what is known fact with imagined dialog and intimate relationships that may or may not have developed.
Luckily Anna's Londoner parents recognized her remarkable singing voice, and as a preteen she begins singing lessons; thus begins a journey through the land of opera, and takes Anna through the major cities of Europe. At the same time that she is widely popular and her singing acclaimed, the still very young Anna is hardly equipped with the life skills to handle all that this success brings her way, most of all the men who seek her. This was a wonderful story, not only of Anna's rise to fame, but also of her personal challenges and growing maturity. Her growing love for Mozart, and his for her, while not documented fact, adds to the richness of this story.
It is easy to see this author's love for music; both the vocal and instrumental accomplishments of her characters are given lush descriptions and become almost characters in and of themselves.
I received this book from LibraryThing, and am really glad I had this opportunity to read and review.

An enjoyable and engaging read with a balance of history and story.The focus is much more on Anna Storace, an up and coming opera singer, than it is about Mozart, though he does play a role. While it was not exactly what I expected, I did enjoy it.

My Review

Vienna Nocturne is a well written historical fiction novel by first time author Vivien Shotwell, a classically trained singer. It tells the story of real life English soprano Anna Storace, and imagines a very complex and loving relationship between the singer and the composer Wolfgang Mozart. This is a wonderful story of live, passion, and music. The love between Anna and Mozart was so beautifully written,even though no actual evidence exists that Mozart and Storace had an affair, he did write some of his most beautiful arias for her, including the role of Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro. I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you enjoy opera and/or historical fiction.