When Rose Tremain visited Denmark in 1991 her imagination was fired at the sight of Frederiksborg, the 'fairy-tale' castle of the seventeenth-century King Christian IV.

She learned that his Royal Orchestra had been obliged to perform in a freezing wine cellar, whilst their sublime music rose up to soothe the troubled monarch.

The novel is set in 1629, at a particularly low point in the King’s fortunes. An English lutenist, Peter Claire, joins the Orchestra. Tremain creates a host of memorable characters, the most notable being Christian’s vain and avaricious consort Kirsten Munk - the author’s personal favourite, although mine is actually poor Bror Brorson!

Music and Silence is an example of 'faction', i.e. it blends fact and fiction. Tremain has described it as an orchestral work, regarding herself as the conductor of a symphony, and she evokes a magical atmosphere.

There are numerous striking oppositions, for example between music and silence; light and darkness; order and chaos; hope and despair; beauty and ugliness; loyalty and betrayal; love and loss.

My original impression was that the text was meticulously planned in minute detail, and structured with intricate care; however, in a radio interview Tremain revealed that this was not the case. Apparently the writing swept her along, and she did not have a specific denouement in mind. She has said that there is 'a plateau of sanity' at the end, but the story seems to have left itself open to either a happy or a sad conclusion.

Content last updated: 15/02/2007

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