Sir András Schiff is one of today's greatest pianists. Born in Hungary, he now lives in London and Italy and is celebrated the world over for his interpretations of the Austro/German heartlands of the piano repertoire, the music of his fellow countryman Bartók, and much more besides - though perhaps he has always been most associated with Bach. As a Hungarian emigré in London and someone who reveres the so-called "golden age" of the musicians who lived around Jelly's time, he seemed the perfect person to whom to send a sneak peak of Ghost Variations. And he read it and here is his endorsement. It will be going straight onto the cover. Above, hear him play some Schumann: the fifth variation from, of course, the Geistervariationen - after which the novel is named.

"Schumann's wonderful violin concerto has a tragic history unlike any other piece of music. In this splendid new novel Jessica Duchen manages to find the fine balance between facts and fiction. Her book reads like a thriller, yet it's also a tribute to great music and musicians." -- Sir András Schiff