… A unique violin made by Stradivari was stolen from the famous musician, People’s Artist of the USSR Polyakov. This is the beginning of the novel A Visit to the Minotaur (1972), which was inspired by the real story of the robbery of the apartment of the outstanding Soviet violinist David Oistrakh.
Classic detective? Not really. The novel captures and keeps in suspense, as befits a detective, but at the same time it is multi-layered and combines two temporal layers. In parallel with the story about the investigation conducted by the senior inspector of the Moscow Criminal Investigation Department, Tikhonov, we learn about the great master Stradivari and his teacher Amati, who worked in Cremona in the 17th and 18th centuries. The story of solving a high-profile crime becomes a reason for thinking about «Salierianism», the nature of talent, human vices and passions, about the Minotaur living in each of us.
A skillfully constructed composition, vivid genre sketches, lively dialogues, a dynamic change of episodes and general cinematography … No wonder the novel formed the basis of a popular television film (1987).
«© A. A. Weiner, G. A. Weiner
(heirs), 1971
© Design.
LLC «Publishing Group
«Azbuka-Atticus» «, 2021
Publishing house AZBUKA® «
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