Voices of Summer

The offstage dramas involving the members of a minor Austrian operetta company prove infinitely more engaging than classic librettos in Pearson's ( Czardas ) harmoniously orchestrated novel. Soprano Therese Aschmann seeks to resume a career interrupted by scandal 18 years ago. Now overweight and insecure, she still possesses a golden voice, lyrical and powerful enough to enchant the company's charming, aging director, Franz Busacher. Nevertheless, Busacher fears that Therese is too vulnerable to be paired with Karl Gesner, an arrogant, bullying tenor infamous for malicious onstage tricks. Will Gesner resuscitate the old scandal to destroy Therese? Secondary characters fuel memorable story lines: a young dancer's romance, a brilliant set designer's hiding-out in the provinces. Bruised egos, cracked vocal cords and shrinking budgets serve as counterpoint to well-paced character sketches that reach back to WW II. As satisfying as a slice of Sacher torte. (Feb.)