Discord

Jeremy Cooper, the author ofBrian, returns withDiscord, a subjective journey through the world of classical music. On a night in August, an audience at the Royal Albert Hall attends the first ever concert ofDistant Voices. The Proms performance is the culmination of a year's work between the middle-aged composer Rebekah Rosen and the young star-saxophonist Evie Bennet. Alternating between both perspectives,Discordcharts the course of their intense and at times fractious relationship, the resonances and dissonances both women find within one another, as well as the struggles and satisfactions that accompany an artistic life. At the heart of the novel is an inquiry into the generative force behind creative collaboration. In what ways does the inexpressible - that amorphous space of friction and unity between musicians - become indelible? And by what process do flawed individuals create works of transcendence? Deeply insightful, at turns poignant and wry,Discordaffirms Jeremy Cooper's status as one of the most interesting fiction writers at work today.