# Anton: Chapter 18, Part II



## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

When May came, Sergei Vasilievich was undoubtedly the composer with the best work. Anton and all those who represented the Conservatory voted on giving him an honor, and the Great Gold Medal was selected. Sergei Vasillievich was so stunned that he could hardly say a word when it was announced to him. News of his triumph spread everywhere, and soon he was hailed as the greatest new composer of Moscow.
And that was when Anton knew it was time to put his plan to action.
"Do you know how I can get in contact with your older piano professor?" Anton asked Sergei Vasilievich the very day of his award ceremony.
"Yes, he lives where he always has, but I'm no longer close with him. You want to meet him for something?"
"I do. Could you give me the address?"
Sergei Vasilievich did, and Anton with soaring hopes and expectations came to the home of Zverev the day after.
"Hello, who are you?" Anton was gruffly addressed by an old, stern man who let him in.
"My name is Anton Stepanovich," Anton bowed. "And I am the composition teacher of one of your former pupils, Sergei Vasilievich. Do you remember him?"
"Remember him?" Zverev squinted. "Of course I do. But what do you want with me?"
"I wish to give you some excellent news."
"What's that?"
"He's been awarded the Great Gold Medal of the Moscow Conservatory, in composition."
Zverev was stunned and said nothing for a moment.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes. He made an astounding opera, Aleko by name, and he was unanimously awarded the highest honor for it."
Zverev didn't respond, but was in deep thought.
"I didn't know..."
"I didn't expect you to know so soon, unless he told you yourself yesterday," Anton smiled. He misinterpreted what Zverev meant.
"Ah well... thank you for telling me," he said gravely, but not without a twinge of sorrow. "I now feel rather... sorry for what I said to him the last time I met him."
"What had you said?"
"Oh... nevermind. But yes thank you for telling me."
"There is... something else I want to speak to you of. A... request."
"Request? To help him?"
"Well, in short, yes, but in a very specific way. I know that you have these... Sunday gatherings at your home, where you invite illustrious visitors."
"Yes."
"Well... for once would you invite him to come, to play his opera for your gathering. But I would ask you to invite one other see him, and that is the publisher Karl Gutheil."
Anton sat in his chair with folded hands and a very grave expression. But Zverev laughed out loud in his face.
"Hahaha! Is that all you ask! That is nothing! Of course I will do it!"
Anton sighed in relief.
"And believe me, Anton Stepanovich, I'm not doing it just for your favor. You've simply suggested to me an excellent opportunity to promote my once fine student to what he was meant to be... if only I saw it when I had..." Zverev frowned again, but tossed that thought aside. "Well! This is an excellent plan! I will tell Gutheil about our next gathering, and invite him. And I warmly invite you to come too!"
"Ah, well, I must decline that I am sorry," Anton fidgeted in his chair. "I do not want to meet him."
Zverev furrowed his brow. "Why is that?"
"Personal reasons."
"Alright."
"But one thing I must add... Sergei Vasilievich knows nothing about this. He had no idea what publisher to turn to, Jurgenson, Gutheil, or anyone else. I didn't tell him so that I wouldn't really manipulate him. But Gutheil was always my... dream for him," Anton smiled, very much gratified by that idea.
"Very well. I'm glad I met you Anton Stepanovich. I hope we can be friends in the future."
"I assure you of it." They shook hands, and Anton left.
Anton was in such good spirits as he hadn't been in so long. It was always in this mood that he composed the quickest and most inspired, so he went straight to working on his 2nd suite for 2 Pianos when he arrived home.
A few weeks later, Zverev gave a message to Anton about the whole event. He said that only 2 days after their meeting, Gutheil came to him himself to ask to find a way to convince Sergei Vasilievich to take up a contract with him! This astounded and irritated Anton, at the thought that Gutheil had lied to him about any interest in Sergei Vasilievich. But this irritation was temporary as he learned of how Gutheil and Zverev set up to have none other than Piotr Ilyich work out the whole scheme! Not that Piotr Ilyich knew anything, to be fair, but when Sergei Vasilievich played through the opera, Piotr Ilyich strongly recommended Gutheil as his publisher, and gave him further advice. Gutheil, for the sake of not affecting anything Piotr Ilyich said, did not come to that gathering after all, but stayed away, and instead only had to wait for Sergei Vasilievich to come to his door. Zverev then concluded describing how his former pupil was astounded to know Gutheil was not only not going to make him pay a fee, but give him 500 roubles outright for the opera, and 2 other short works he had done in Conservatory. Zverev and Sergei Vasilievich had come to a reasonable reconciliation at this point.
Anton could not help laughing out loud at this whole message.
"And it never would have happened without _me!_" he laughed to himself. His own self-importance was never more magnified in his opinion. A success for Sergei Vasilievich was a success for him. Of course, Anton completely missed the fact that Gutheil was still in control of the situation, and would have benefited regardless if Anton showed up 2 days before at Zverev's. But none of it mattered to him, and Anton was immensely pleased.
In fact, Anton finished his Suite no. 2 for 2 Pianos in a blaze, and sent it to Jurgenson who accepted it immediately. It was as if Anton became possessed, because he stopped drinking for fear of dampening this perpetually excited mood, and almost felt an impulse to go straight to Katerina's door and tell her everything. How pleased she would be!!
That was all he really cared about.
But he waited, and because he had even a better plan.


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