A Bach Concert, by Romanian author Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu is translated by Gabi Reigh, a PEN award winner, and illustrated by Olga Rogozenco. The book has been newly translated and published by the Center for Romanian Studies, an independent academic research institute, based in the United States. Their mission is to promote knowledge and understanding of Romanian history and culture worldwide. This translation of A Bach Concert has been published as part of the Center’s Classics of Romanian Literature series and received the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute.
One of the first successful novels written by a female author in Romania, Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu’s A Bach Concert remains a classic work of Romanian literature. The main plot revolves around a Bach concert organized by Elena Hallipa-Drăgănescu for the elite society of Bucharest. It is a captivating tale of high society intrigue, family tragedy, and urban life and culture in Eastern Europe in the aftermath of the First World War. Published for the first time in English, A Bach Concert will delight readers with stories of society in interwar Romania.
Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu was born in 1876 in Galati, Romania. She started publishing stories in literary magazines and, in 1919, she published her first novel. A Bach Concert is considered her greatest work. The translator, Gabi Reigh, won a PEN Translation Award for her previous work. The book is illustrated by Olga Rogozenco, a talented young artist from the Republic of Moldova. ◊
You can buy the book here.
Leave a Reply