An Equal Music

Among the many works of fiction inspired by classical music, that include Tolstoy’s Kreutzer Sonata, Mann’s Doctor Faustus, and Tremain’s Music and Silence, I have opted for Vikram Seth’s, exquisitely written and highly personal novel of unrequited love, loss, and longing, because his intimate knowledge of the world of classical music, the music and the characters is unsurpassed. 

The novel’s protagonist is a member of a successful string quartet, haunted by memories of a relationship he had had ten years previously. An unlikely reunion with the object of his infatuation, a pianist now happily married with a son,… show more.

An Equal Music is the lyrical, unforgettable story of a violinist’s determination to reclaim not only his music, but the pianist he loved and lost years ago. Suspenseful, atmospheric, and deeply romantic, it sweeps the reader on a journey through Venice and Vienna, offering a unique view of how a musical quartet works together. There is a secret disease that threatens the very heart of the music—and a poignant, courageous depiction of how that is faced. Written in 2000, An Equal Music is a one-of-a-kind book that will be read for decades to come.