Appassionata

Abigail Rosen, nicknamed Appassionata, was the sexiest, most flamboyant violinist in classical music, but she was also the loneliest and the most exploited girl in the world. When a dramatic suicide attempt destroyed her violin career, she set her sights on the male-dominated heights of the conductor’s rostrum. Given the chance to take over the Rutminster Symphony Orchestra, Abby is ecstatic, not realising the RSO is in hock up to its neck and is composed of the wildest bunch of musicians ever to blow a horn or caress a fiddle. She also finds it increasingly difficult to control her undisciplined rabble and pretend she is not madly attracted to the fatally glamorous horn player, Viking O’Neill, who claims droit de seigneur over every pretty woman joining the orchestra. And the, arch-fiend and international maestro, rolls up with Machiavellian plans of his own to sabotage the RSO.Effervescent as champagne, Jilly Cooper’s new novel not only brings back old favourites Rupert and Taggie Campbell-Black, but also ends triumphantly with a rampageous orchestral tour of Spain and the high drama of an international piano competition. They called her Appassionata, though her real name was Abigail Rosen. She was the sexiest, most flamboyant violinist on the music scene, adored by her fans and lusted after by men. She was also lonely and exploited. When a dramatic suicide attempt destroys her violin career, she sets out to conquer the conductors rostrum. Abigail is given the chance to take over the Rutminster Symphony Orchestra. Abby is ecstatic, not knowing that the RSO is up to its ears in debt, and is composed of the randiest group of musicians ever to bow a violin. Doing her best to pull this rabble into something resembling a real orchestra is going to take all she's got, as is resisting the encroachments of Viking, the fatally glamorous French horn player Known as L'Appassionata, her real name was Abigail Rosen and she was the sexiest, most flamboyant violinist on the music scene. She was also the loneliest girl in the world. When a suicide attempt destroyed her career as a violinist, Abby was determined to conquer the conductor's rostrum.