"Shostakovich was dead to begin with..." For famed conductor Oliver Thorne, there is nothing more magical than Christmas in Vienna—even amidst growing media obsession over his love story with his wife and first violinist, Rose McNeil. When Rose announces her plans to leave the Rainer Chamber Orchestra for a spot in the National Symphony, Oliver's holiday cheer is deflated. A fateful dream on Christmas Eve provides him the opportunity to see his past, present and possible future were his left arm still whole and his dreams of being a renowned cellist with the London Symphony made manifest. But the opportunity to see his life as he always wanted it to be comes at the cost of the person he loves more than anything...including music. A tiny novelette that takes readers back into the Three Quarter Time world of opulent Vienna, A Rainer Carol is a vignette of Vienna at Christmastime and an homage to one of the most classic Christmas tales ever told.