It was an arcane language that was beyond Lara’s comprehension. And then she saw Philip, surrounded by an admiring coterie. Lara pushed her way through the crowd. An attractive young woman was saying, “When you played the B flat Minor Sonata, I felt that Rachmaninoff was smiling. Your tone and voicing, and the soft-grained readings…Wonderful!”
Philip smiled. “Thank you.”
A middle-aged dowager was gushing, “I keep listening to your recording of the Hammerklavier over and over. My God! The vitality is irresistible! I think you must be the only pianist left in this world who really understands that Beethoven sonata…”
Philip saw Lara. “Ah. Excuse me,” he said.
He made his way over to where she was standing and took her hand. His touch aroused her. “Hello. I’m glad you could come, Miss Cameron.”
“Thank you.” She looked around. “This is quite a crowd.”
He nodded. “Yes. I assume that you’re a lover of classical music?”
Lara thought of the music she had grown up with: “Annie Laurie,” “Comin’ through the Rye,” “The Hills of Home”…”
Oh, yes,” Lara said. “My father brought me up on classical music.”
“I want to thank you again for your contribution. That was really very generous.”
“Your foundation sounds so interesting. I would love to hear more about it. If…”
“Philip, darling! There are no words! Magnificent!” He was surrounded again.
Lara managed to make herself heard. “If you’re free one evening next week…”
Philip shook his head. “I’m sorry, I leave for Rome tomorrow.”
Lara felt a sudden sense of loss. “Oh.”
“But I’ll be back in three weeks. Perhaps then we could…”
“Wonderful!” Lara said.
“…spend an evening discussing music.”
Lara smiled. “Yes. I’ll look forward to that.”
At that moment they were interrupted by two middle-aged men. One wore his hair in a ponytail; the other had on a single earring.
“Philip! You must settle an argument for us. When you’re playing Liszt, which do you think is more important—a piano with heavy action that gives you a colorful sound or light action where you can do a colorful manipulation?”
Lara had no idea what they were talking about. They went off into a discussion about neutral sonority and long sounds and transparency. Lara watched the animation in Philip’s face as he talked, and she thought, This is his world. I’ve got to find a way to get into it.
The following morning Lara appeared at the Manhattan School of Music. She said to the woman at the reception desk, “I’d like to see one of the music professors, please.”
“Anyone in particular?”
“No.”
“Just a moment, please.” She disappeared into another room.
A few minutes later a small gray-haired man appeared at Lara’s side.
“Good morning. I’m Leonard Meyers. How may I help you?”
“I’m interested in classical music.”
“Ah, you wish to enroll here. What instrument do you play?”
“I don’t play any instrument. I just want to learn about classical music.”
“I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong place. This school is not for beginners.”
“I’ll pay you five thousand dollars for two weeks of your time.”
Professor Meyers blinked. “I’m sorry, Miss…I didn’t get your name.”
“Cameron. Lara Cameron.”
“You wish to pay me five thousand dollars for a two-week discussion of classical music?” He had trouble getting the words out.
“That’s right. You can use the money for a scholarship fund if you wish.”
Professor Meyers lowered his voice. “That will not be necessary. This can just be between you and me.”
“That’s fine.”
“When…er…would you like to begin?”
“Now.”
“I have a class at the moment, but give me five minutes…”
Lara and Professor Meyers were seated in a classroom alone.
“Let us start at the beginning. Do you know anything about classical music?”
“Very little.”
“I see. Well, there are two ways to understand music,” the professor began. “Intellectually and emotionally. Someone once said that music reveals to man his hidden soul. Every great composer was able to accomplish that.”
Lara was listening intently.
“Are you familiar with any composers, Miss Cameron?”
She smiled. “Not too many.”
The professor frowned. “I don’t really understand your interest in…”
“I want to get enough of a background so that I can talk intelligently to a professional musician about the classics. I’m…particularly interested in piano music.”