The Nightingale's Sonata: The Musical Odyssey of Lea Luboshutz

by Thomas Wolf

Spanning generations, from the shores of the Black Sea to the glittering concert halls of New York, The Nightingale's Sonata is a richly woven tapestry centered around violin virtuoso Lea Luboshutz.  Like many poor Jews, music offered an escape from the prejudices that dominated society in the last years of the Russian Empire. But Lea’s dramatic rise as an artist was further accentuated by her scandalous relationship with the revolutionary Onissim Goldovsky.


As the world around them descends in to chaos, between revolution and war, we follow Lea and her family from Russia to Europe and eventually, America. We cross paths with Pablo Casals, Isadora Duncan, Emile Zola and even Leo Tolstoy.  The little girl from Odessa will eventually end up as one of the founding faculty of the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, but along the way she will lose her true love, her father, and watch a son die young.  The Iron Curtain would rise, but through it all, she plays on. 


Woven throughout this luminous odyssey is the story is César Franck’s “Sonata for Violin and Piano," a work championed by Lea, one of the first-ever internationally recognized female violinists.  It became a touchstone for her, for her multi-generational family of musicians, and for scores of her students who played this masterwork throughout the world. 

Genres: Biography, Music, Memoir, War, History

336 pages, Hardcover

First published June 4, 2019

Reviews

[Henry C Clapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look into the life of a violin superstar. One of the observations that struck me most is how in classical music, while composers are often unknown during their lifetimes and rise to prominence following their deaths, the opposite is true of performers. Lea Luboshutz, and many other virtuoso soloists of the pre-recording era, have been forgotten by many, at least until a book like this comes along!

The book also is a journey through family history, as Wolf looks behind the curtain of the stories he was told growing, making many shocking discoveries along the way. If you enjoyed the Hare with Amber Eyes, I think you will like this as well.

[Beatrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s beyond me why Wolf chose this fascinating woman and her fascinating life as the frame for a book that hardly seems fascinated by her at all, instead preferring to focus on absolutely anyone else available.

[Seneca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful look at the challenges that this musician faced at various points in her career, from the hardships of growing up Jewish in Odessa, being one of only a few women admitted into the Moscow Conservatory, escaping the Russian Revolution, and eventually settling in America where she was a sought after performer and a leading pedagogue at one of the premiere music Conservatories in the world.

The connection with Franck's Violin Sonata is a nice thread that ties the family together, a piece of music that was played during the good times and sometimes the bad. Definitely makes you want to listen to that in conjunction with the book.

The only complaint I had was that with so many stories of family, it felt like the chronology of Lea's life and her "husband's" prior to their meeting was a little hard to know if things were happening simultaneously, or if it was a general overview of a window of time. A small issue that seemed to work itself out as one moved deeper into the book.

Overall, a fascinating comparison of remembered family history compared to historical research touching on where those stories overlap and where they diverged. Recommended for anyone that loves chamber music in particular, Jewish studies, immigration stories, or family histories.

[RUSA CODES · Rating 5 out of 5]

This meticulously researched and highly readable biography/family memoir spans continents and generations in telling the story of a once-celebrated violinist whose life was a microcosm for the experiences of many Jewish immigrants from the Pale of Settlement to America. Written by the subject’s grandson, it illuminates the life of a remarkable Jewish woman while weaving together such disparate elements as the Russian Revolution, fear of pogroms, immigrant life, and twentieth-century women’s issues, with lovely music as the backdrop.

THOMAS WOLF named winner of 2020 Sophie Brody Medal for achievement in Jewish literature

[Polly · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 2nd cousin once removed. I finished the book just in time for a concert with the Montana Chamber Music Society in Bozeman

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read for classical music fans and/or people interested in stories about uncovering family history.

I was intrigued to learn about a very famous woman violinist of the 20th century that I'd never heard of before. Her family's story is engrossing, and this book is well-written. The author is her grandson, but he uncovered a lot of his family's history after the death of his grandmother. I enjoyed that the author would indicate when people had different memories about events he recounts - you can't ever be 100% certain when relying on memories!

[Siri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book tracing a family's history, with the focus on the author's grandmother - a famous violinist - against Russian and musical history.