THE CONDUCTOR

Sarah Quigley,
Vintage - NZ$39.99

Every now and again a novel comes along that knocks your socks off. The Conductor is one of those.
Sarah Quigley has previously had published a collection of short stories, three novels and a poetry collection as well as a non-fiction title on creative writing, and yet she  largely flies below the radar on the NZ literary scene. This may be because she has lived in Berlin since 2000 so has not been about to attend to publicity activities.
Well all this is going to change with publication of The Conductor. This is her break-through novel. It is a stunner and my pick is that she will  be back here next year collecting awards which the book is certain to attract. For me it is the finest New Zealand novel since Lloyd Jones 2006 title, Mister Pip.

The Conductor is set in Leningrad in 1941-1942 during the siege of that city by the Germans (breaking the non-aggression pact with Russia) and features as protagonists two real people, the famous composer Shostakovich and the little know Eliasberg, the shy and often difficult conductor of the Leningrad Radio Orchestra. Both are stubbon, singleminded and obsessive although they are very different in almost every other aspect of their lives.

Hitler’s plan is of course to shell, bomb, and starve the city into submission. The siege lasted 900 days and almost a million citizens of Leningrad perished.
At the beginning of the seige Shostakovich begins writing his famous Seventh Symphony popularly known as the Leningrad Symphony. Before he finishes it the Communist Government evacuate him (against his wishes because by day he has been digging ditches and fire-watching at night composing a new work) . Many other elite cultural figures, Stalin's favouites, are also evacuated. Leningrad was the cultural capital of the Soviet Union just as St.Petersburgh is today I guess.

Eliasburg is left behind to suffer a winter of incredible hardship during which time almost a million fellow citizens die from starvation or shelling. The authorities have set him the monumental task of conducting a performance of Shostakovich's now completed huge Seventh Symphony with his depeleted orchestra of starving and wounded musicians.The idea is that it will lift the spirits of its remaining emaciated populace.
Against all odds, their historic performance took place in August 1942, relayed by loudspeakers to the front lines as proof that Leningrad would never surrender.
It is vivid and powerful stuff and I can tell you that Quigley's description of that apalling winter had me scrambling for a sweater. It is a harrowing story of course but in the end a riveting and brilliant tale of triumph over evil.. A superb blend of fact and fiction.

There is a great deal about music, musicians and orchestras in the book and when I asked the author how she was able to bring such detail to the story she explained that she started learning and playing music, piano and cello when she was six years of age, playing in orchestras and chamber music groups until she was in her early twenties. At one stage she considered doing a degree in cello but in fact she studied English Literature at Canterbury University where she gained an MA, then lectured in New Zealand Literature at Auckland University before going to Oxford to do a doctorate.

Author pic - Sebastian Schrade.

In the middle of her Oxford degree she came back to Wellington for six months to do Bill Manhire's creative writing course. This proved to be a turning point because it "legitimised" creative writing for her and after returning to Oxford and completing her degree she knew her future was in writing rather than in academia.

Shortly after she completed a collection of short fiction, Having Words with You (Penguin 1998), and then three novels, After Robert (Penguin 1999), Shot (Virago 2003, and Fifty Days (Virago 2004).
In 2000 she won the inaugural Creative New Zealand Berlin Residency and she has lived in that city ever since.
Over the weekend she was a panellist at the hugely successful Auckland Writers & Readers Festival.

I must mention too that there is a huge bonus accompanying this book - inside the back cover is a CD with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra playing - yes, you guessed it - Shostakovich's Symphony No.7 - Leningrad.
I suggest you play it quietly in the background while you read the book. It will set the mood.

Footnote:
I reviewed this title on Nine to Noon this morning with Kathryn Ryan