from Nechest’s A Musical History

A bard born in 892 AF in northern Calatini, Juliet Lantos enjoyed fleeting fame but is little-known today. A musical prodigy, she burst onto the court at Ormas in the spring of 903 AF with her popular ballad, Sylviana and the Fae Queen. Although Lantos remained fashionable for the next decade, none of her other pieces are recognized by any but music connoisseurs.

Able to master nearly any instrument, Lantos most often played and wrote music for lute, violin, keyharp, and voice. She combined elements of gypsy airs, ancient songs, and contemporary tunes to create a unique style. Enthusiasts consider her music beautiful and intricate, but many find her music too haunting or risqué to enjoy.

Lantos was known for performing her music without accompaniment—some claim she was too pompous for other musicians to play with her. Attempting to cope with fame at such a young age, she became addicted to faesmoke before she turned fifteen. As the years progressed, her music became more eerie, chaotic, and indecorous.

Considered vastly unappreciated by music connoisseurs, Lantos is popular at their musical evenings. A selection of her music is also performed at least once a year at the Nightingale in Ormas. Her musical scores are available at some shops, but her rarer pieces only exist in the hands of private collectors. Her music was published as volumes of verse in the late tenth century; however, their success was marginal because ladies banded together to suppress the risqué volumes.

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was the real-world inspiration behind Lantos.