About the work
Novecento is a stage monologue by the Italian writer Alessandro Baricco, first performed in July 1994 at the Asti festival (directed by Gabriele Vacis, with Eugenio Allegri) and published by Feltrinelli in October 1994. The German publisher Jussenhoven & Fischer lists the play, translated by Karin Krieger, under the title "Novecento – Die Legende vom Ozeanpianisten".
Plot
Trumpeter Tim Tooney tells the story of pianist Danny Boodmann T.D. Lemon Novecento, a foundling who grows up aboard the ocean liner "Virginian" and becomes an extraordinary musician. Novecento never leaves the ship, since the world beyond its railings seems incomprehensible to him – unlike his music.
Cultural significance
The monologue became one of the most widely performed contemporary Italian theatre texts internationally and sold over a million copies as a book within sixteen years. In 1998 Giuseppe Tornatore adapted the material into the film "The Legend of 1900", starring Tim Roth.