A Slice of Italy’s Opera Scene
Perhaps one the things I enjoy most about the books in this series is how the author picks something from Italian culture and follows it through to the end. In this book, we learn not only a lot about how the opera scene operated in Italy in the 1930’s, but also about the operas Pagliacci and Cavalleria Rusticana. What the author does especially well is to introduce this knowledge in a very organic way, primarily via Commissario Ricciardi seeking a deeper understanding so he can determine why and how the murder of the renowned tenor, Il Duce’s favorite, Arnaldo Vezzi happened. The ending of the books in this series I’ve listened to so far feel just a tad too Sherlock Holmes to me, not the screen versions but Sir A.C. Doyle’s originals, in that a big portion of the end of the book is mostly Ricciardi explaining how he pieced together the clues. Having listened first to the most recent book in the series, Viper, I liked to hear the first introductions to recurring characters such as Brigadier Maione, Doctor Modo, the femminiello Bambiniella, and Ricciardi’s two very different love interests, Enrica and Livia. Grover Gardner’s narration shows full engagement with and passion for this series. The passion he evokes for each of the characters and his delivery of some of the lyrically impassioned narrative sections captures the love of life that the Italians are so well known for. Thanks for helping to bring this series to the audiobook world, Grover.