Novecento – 1900 – is not just a number indicating the year. This is the name of the brilliant self-taught pianist who was born on board an ocean liner. He has no documents, no citizenship, no relatives, only the name given by the fireman who found the child. 1900 never left the ship, never set foot on solid ground. In storm and calm, he does not look up from the keys. The book is a dramatic monologue, permeated with amazing music and ocean wind. It seems that the Lord God controls the Universe, turning over human destinies like the keys of a huge piano. Translation: Natalia Kolesova