Bookworm
Rita Dove
Sonata Mulattica (Norton) Beethoven once dedicated a sonata to a half-African musician—then revoked the dedication. Why? In her book-length poem, Rita Dove attempts an imaginative historical reconstruction of what happened.
By Michael Silverblatt • • 29m ListenSonata Mulattica (Norton)
Rita Dove attempts an imaginative historical reconstruction of what happened. We hypothesize about the what-ifs of music history as we explore the poetic forms and devices used by Dove to create the past.