This is a wonderful novel about the musicians on the last voyage of the Titanic. It is actually a collection of short stories, describing the lives of each of the musicians and what led them to be on this voyage. Thus, it is more of a story about European musicians in each area of Europe than it is a story about the Titanic. ( )

A fictional account of musicians aboard the Titanic, taking in not only the events of the fateful voyage, but their back stories in some depth. These stories range across Europe and are utterly absorbing in themselves, and parallel each other in their depiction of lives swerving from what those living them had planned. Skilled writing combined with great stories, highly recommended. ( )

We are all on Titanic. Hansen puts us there if we had not understood as much beforehand. We are all heading towards death. The question is not about survival. The essential question in life is your style of dying. Musicians, whatever else they are or come from, are capable of playing together - of making beautiful harmonies - and do so - to the very end - saluting the creation, and consoling their co-passengers. Music rises, as this story, above individual death, and let the partakers face death standing.... ( )