THE CELLIST OF VENICE

Thomas Hampson narrates this short piece of historical fiction set in Venice in 1725. A bundle containing a baby and a cello is abandoned in a church orphanage where the famous Antonio Vivaldi teaches music. Adelina grows to be a talented cellist, which earns her a rare copy of Bach's famous CELLO SUITES. Years later, the cello and the music become her son's only possessions. Hampson reads with a rich and clear baritone voice that is enhanced by sounds of the city--church bells, fireworks, and water splashing upon the gondola of Adelina's husband. Narration is only half of this story, however. Cellist Daniel Müller-Schott plays interludes by Bach and adds a haunting background accompaniment. The result is a magical, melancholy, mysterious story that is part legend, part fact--and thoroughly entrancing. L.T © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2017]