A FINAL DISCORD
by Tessa Barclay
Nothing but sour notes when classical-music entrepreneur Gregory Crowne (A Handful of Dust, 2004, etc.) agrees to help a spoiled rich kid jazz it up.
Since King Anton was deposed from his kingdom of Hirtenstein, Crown Prince Gregory (aka Mr. Crowne, M. Couronne and Herr Krone) has become the mainstay of their household in Bredoux, where his father and grandmother supplement what he earns representing classical musicians by horse-training and interior decorating, respectively. Still, Grossmutti has hopes of a return to the throne and objects vociferously to Greg’s romance with a commoner, British fashion designer Liz Blair. Too bad she doesn’t object to banker Auguste Guidon’s offer of beaucoup bucks for Greg to help his son Gilles recruit a jazz combo for a tour of Europe, starting with the famed Montreux Festival. First their sax man, Wally Clifford, is killed by a train at the Gare du Nord, then his replacement, Lou Ferigiano, brings along his knockout sister Morena, who is trouble on a stick. Auguste’s old nurse Nounou, who lives in the chateau along with Gilles, Papa Auguste, Mama Roseanne and Aunt Marie, gets hinky about Morena and the jazzmen’s dissolute habits. Nounou disappears, Gilles elopes with Morena and pretty soon Gregory gets some serious jet lag flying from Geneva to London and New York trying to round up all the missing.
Catnip for fans of dimwitted aristos who can’t get out of their own way.