THE WELL-TEMPERED VIOLINIST

In Carlton’s historical novel, a young German violinist hones her skills and takes on the sexist attitudes of the period.

Following the death of her father, 18-year-old Marthe Adler continues her violin studies in the hope of playing music professionally. She teaches violin to a young girl named Katerina, whose father becomes Marthe’s benefactor once she is awarded a scholarship to study at the Köln Conservatory. From 1906 to 1910, Marthe is a student at the conservatory. It is clear from her first day that Marthe is exceedingly talented as she unintentionally shows up most of her fellow students. Many take this in stride, but not Reinhold von Marburg, a wealthy, entitled violinist who harasses Marthe at every opportunity. Marthe wants to play in the orchestra, despite the long-held belief that women do not have a place there. She defies convention by obtaining an orchestra seat and consistently impressing her teachers, but she still contends with discrimination on the basis of her sex. In her final year, while auditioning for first chair, her conductor informs her that the men will not play with a woman leading them: “I hope you will realize two things…The first is, you absolutely deserve to be first chair…And the second is that there is no possibility of you becoming first chair.” Despite the struggles Marthe faces as a Jewish woman in a male-dominated field, she forms close bonds with her peers and finds some time for a sweet romance. The author does an admirable job of blending an obvious appreciation for music with Marthe’s coming-of-age narrative in prewar Europe, highlighting the struggles women have historically faced in the arts (“how many women before us have wanted this opportunity and been prevented from having it?”). While the plot feels a bit thin to warrant the novel’s length, Carlton produces charming, often lyrical prose, weaving a tale that feels hopeful despite the historical horrors on the horizon.

An engaging, though perhaps excessively lengthy, tale.