Tomi Ungerer
Tremolo

What are notes of music really like, apart from the fact that they sit motionless on the lines of the stave? Do they taste sweet or hot? What happens if you mix Debussy and Schubert together in a pan? In his latest children’s book, Tomi Ungerer tells the adventurous story of Mr Tremolo who triggers a catastrophe with his music. His nocturnal music-making shatters the crystal ball belonging to his neighbour, a fortune-teller who finally loses her patience and casts a spell on him. From then on, everything happens in a rush, but all evil has its good side as well, thinks Tremolo, and he manages to find a way out of all his difficulties. The story of Mr Tremolo is a very imaginative and amusing description of the small, exciting world that can emerge when things are snatched out of their usual context. Gently and unsentimentally, we are reminded of what we have long since forgotten in our technical age: the ability to listen to one another.