Tigana - Chapter 2

Again, set in Astibar at the time of the Festival and the funeral of Duke
Sandre, who had been in exile and was now set home for burial.

(1) Named characters:

• Devin, a singer with a travelling musical troupe, aged 19, from a farm in Asoli
  
• Povar and Nico, his twin brothers (seen in flashback/memory)
  
• Garin of Lower Corte, his father (flashback/memory)
  
• Menico de Ferraut, the leader and manager of the musical troupe
  
• Catriana d'Astibar, another singer in the troupe
  
• Rovigo d'Astibar, mariner, master of the Sea Main
  
• Marius, King of Quileia
  
• Goro the Tavern-Keeper at The Bird
  
• Marra, one of the singers in Menico's troupe, now dead - had been Devin's friend
  and lover
  
• Alessan, musician in the troupe; plays pipes and comes from Tregea (south of
  Astibar)
  
• Nieri and Aldine, dancers with the troupe
  
• Eghano, a drummer with the troupe
  
• Tomasso d'Astibar, son of the late Duke Sandre d'Astibar

(2) This chapter introduces the personalities of Astibar and, particularly, of
Menico's musical troupe which has been called in for the funeral of the Duke.
Devin is attracted to Catriana and isn't sure how to handle it.

(3) They get the contract, mainly because of Devin's talent.

(4) Devin's dream confuses the myth of the gods and their sacrifices with the
people he knows, with Alessan in the place of the god.

(5) There are several passages in this chapter that make me think of Dunnett.
"..a piece Devin has been singing for nearly six years, a song he could manage
in stupor" reminds me of the description of Lymond playing "L'Homme Armee" for
Philippa, knowing she must have known it for years. Or the cadence of "Cartiana
quite simply ignored this," and Alessan saying something "mildly". It feels
like the Dunnett vocabulary.

(6) Devin reminds me of Will Scott, though I'm not sure I can define how.

(7) I like Alessan's line, "Old songs and memories of fathers are important."

Tigana - Chapter 3

Tigana - Chapter 3

My comments seem arid, in view of the material. As I reread I am mesmerized by Guy Kay's words: and not the words themselves, but their cadences, their beauty, the sense that they mean more than they say but the different levels are dancing around elusively, like music in counterpoint that you can only partly hear.

Devin is nervous about his performance at the Duke's funeral.  He follows Catriana through the palace, where she hides him in a secret closet and has (quiet) sex with him, presumably to distract him from the conversation in the outer room, between three men.  Afterwards, he successfully sings the death lament.

Named Characters:

• Devin, the singer with Menico's troupe (and our viewpoint)
  
• Aldine and Nieri, the dancers
  
• Eghano, the drummer
  
• Catriana, the other singer
  
• Taeri, one of the conspirators, who mentions someone named Gianno

(1) Interesting that Albertico is decribed in the first line as 'cautious'.

(2) I like the irony/humour that Astibar is known for asceticism but most of what we have seen of it involves drinking.

(3) I liked Edhano's philosophy: "We do what we always do. We make music.  We move on."

(4) I like the use of dance to impose gravity.  I also like the sense that this troupe is good - not just going through motions or in training, but really superbly expert.  You'd have to be first-class to be part of it.

(5) Catriana seems to change character three or four times in this chapter:   by turns practical, sexual, standoffish and shy. We re reminded that she is from Astibar, so may have political or familial interests in Astibaran politics.

Come to think of it, she reminds me of the description of Astibar we had above: ascetic, despite giving the impression of being otherwise.  A facade that is one thing and a reality which is another, though we can't tell which is which.

(6) I don't think Alessan is even mentioned in this chapter.  We are reminded of Alberico, but not Brandin.

(7) I had the sense of the Palace of Astibar as dwarfing the people within - many corridors, staircased, arched chambers, massive fireplaces, and so on. (Like the Medici palaces?)  Perhaps a metaphor for the way the politics  are bigger than the individuals?

(8) The sense of peformer's anxiety before a show seemed very real.