The Ensemble
A Novel
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The Ensemble
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Narrated by:
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Rebecca Lowman
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Written by:
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Aja Gabel
About this listen
A sweeping debut novel about four young musicians - a story of art, ambition, and love.
Brit is the second violinist, a beautiful and quiet orphan; the viola is Henry, a prodigy who's always had it easy; the cellist is Daniel, the oldest, the angry skeptic who sleeps around; and on first violin is Jana, their flinty, resilient leader. Together, they are the Van Ness String Quartet.
In The Ensemble, each character takes the spotlight and picks up the melody, from the group's youthful rocky start through to middle age, through both devastating failures and wild success. As they navigate heartbreak and marriage, triumph and loss, betrayal and enduring loyalty, they are always tied together - by career, by necessity, by the intensity of their art, by the secrets they carry together, and by choosing each other over and over again.
The Ensemble is a heart-skipping portrait of artistic ambition, friendship, and the tenderness of youth. With heart, clarity, and poignant understanding, Aja Gabel examines the relationships between trust, love, and the magical, messy world of making music.
©2018 Aja Gabel (P)2018 Penguin AudioWhat the critics say
"In Ms. Gabel’s terrifically entertaining debut, the frictions of long-term friendships are woven into the “webbed, collaborative endeavor” of the quartet. Their music doesn’t transcend the mess of living; it testifies to it." (The Wall Street Journal)
"Pitch-perfect." (People)
"Reminded me of Zadie Smith's Swing Time... The language that Gabel uses to describe both the pressures of prestige chamber orchestras and, simply, what it is to be a human in the world, is a work of art in and of itself. I found myself highlighting dozens of passages, marveling at just how impossibly relatable these people are... [I]t's the perfect form of escapism for me." (Entertainment Weekly)
What listeners say about The Ensemble
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Prairiegirl
- 2018-09-14
A Novel for Classical Musicians!
This book, written by the cellist Aja Gabel, is a wonderful novel for anyone who plays classical music or, even better, a string instrument. Gabel presents many insights about our relationship with music and about how it allows us to know fellow musicians in a unique way. Anyone who has played in an ensemble or orchestra will really enjoy reading about the dynamics between the four musician characters! In addition, Gabel was able to articulate things I have felt and experienced playing music but certainly couldn't describe so accurately. But this book is more than just thoughts on music. It is really an exploration into how we come to know ourselves, how relationships evolve over time, the nature of love, and how our lives are intertwined with others. I highly recommend it.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- G Hassan
- 2022-05-10
Very long
Unfortunately I really didn’t enjoy this audio book. There is no story and it’s really long.
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