# Touch: Chapter 2



## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

On Saturday morning, Nadia put on her most formal dress, and having practiced a little solfege went out to find a carriage who could find the address she was looking for.

It was not at all where she expected. The carriage came to a stunning semi-mansion apartment in one of the richest areas of the city. Getting out, she approached the large door apprehensively, and knocked.

A tall, elderly servant came to the door, and bid her come in. It was the same one who was on the phone.

"May I meet the composer now?" Nadia asked.

"Um, well, he's in the living room now, but wait!" the servant tried to stop Nadia who was already going down the hall.

"What's wrong?" she turned her head, but kept walking.

"I need to tell you something," he suddenly started whispering, rather desperately to Nadia's surprise. They were by the entrance to the living room.

"What?"

"I need to tell you something about a certain condition he has. You wouldn't have known because I didn't tell you, and you need to be careful when addressing him. He-"

"Ilya, I know very well what you're talking about." A rather cold voice came from the living room.

Nadia stepped into the room, and involuntarily gasped.

A man was sitting in a chair facing the door with a white blindfold over his eyes. His head was down cast, and he was frowning mightily.

"So, you've come to volunteer your services to me, have you?" he remained motionless, but spoke with much authority.

Nadia was frozen.

"I... I... yes," she finally managed to say.

The man laughed bitterly.

"Not what you expected, I presume?" he lifted his head, but obviously to no improvement of his vision.

"...No, to tell you the truth."

The man sighed. "Yes. I'm blind. I had an illness over a month ago that struck me blind because of fever. I will never get it back. But I've decided to compose again."

Suddenly, Nadia recognized him.

"I've seen you before! You premiered a symphony almost 2 months ago! But I forgot your name."

"My name is Andrei Gavrilov. What is yours?"

"My name is Nadia Nikolova."

Gavrilov nodded his head in approval. Thus began his interview with Nadia.

Nadia was bade to sit down, and was immediately asked a series of questions she had expected already: what was her copyist experience, her musical experience, etc. Gavrilov eventually picked up a cane by him, and led himself to a grande piano a few yards away.

"Here, get a score sheet from a table near you, and copy down what I'm about to play," once Nadia was ready, he immediately began to play a single-voice melody.

Nadia froze. The melody went entirely over her head. She had never done musical dictation in all her life.

"Did you get that?" he asked gently.

"Uh..." she stared at her paper.

The man sighed frustratedly and put his face in his hands.

"Have you ever tried this before?"

"No, I must confess."

"Then you would need me to tell you how?"

"....Yes."

There was a pause. At that moment, Nadia's heart fell. She knew she wasn't qualified for the job, and he would send her out immediately.

And yet, the man didn't turn her down.

"Alright. Follow what I say."

Gavrilov then began to teach Nadia how to copy music by ear. He told her all the steps, and encouraged her to look at his hands as he played. Nadia tried really hard to grasp what he was saying, but it was difficult.

"I'll try my best sir. Please, may I try again?"

"Very well," and Gavrilov played it again.

This time, Nadia was able to write down first the rhythm, then the tones, then both together after analysis.

"Now, play what you have in front of you," he said, and stood, beckoning her to sit down.

Nadia hadn't played piano in a very long time, and she didn't have a piano of her own. Yet with her best effort she played the notes she had just copied down.

"That was good," he said quietly, but not very enthusiastically.

3 hours more, until noon, Nadia was tested and trained in everything. She set up the score for the symphonic work Gavrilov had in mind, including all the instruments in their voices.

When Gavrilov was quiet for some moments, lost in thought, Nadia looked around the room. It was lavishly furnished with all sorts of furniture and paintings. Unfortunately it wouldn't do him more good being on those walls. There were several candles lit in the room, and several windows. The piano itself was intricately designed, and it had a candle stick on the mantle.

"It's sad that he can't appreciate this anymore. I pity him," she thought to himself. She could clearly tell that he was very irritable, and frustrated at his condition, and it made her feel guilty when she couldn't do exactly what he wanted.

"You're good enough, I'll say for now," Gavrilov drew Nadia back to her own train of thought. "But you really need to get this down. I've been... waiting a long time to get help. And I won't let you slow me down."

Nadia frowned and dropped her head. "Yes, sir."

"Come tomorrow at 9 in the morning."

"Tomorrow? But it's... it's Sunday."

"Oh? You wish to go to a service?"

"Well, yes if you let me."

Gavrilov laughed. "As if I would stop you," he muttered to himself, and said more loudly, "Go ahead. Come Monday instead. 7 in the evening. I like to compose in the evenings, and I'm sure you have your own work."

"Thank you, sir," Nadia got up, but wanted to add one point further.

"I... I'm sorry I can't do exactly what you want. I expected this position to be a bit more.... more..."

"Standard? Copying manuscripts and all?"

Nadia nodded.

"Don't nod."

"I mean," Nadia sighed exasperatedly, "Yes."

"You will work like that eventually, but not for a while."

Gavrilov smiled. It was more like a sneer, and this irritated Nadia. She finally took her leave of his home.

She couldn't believe what had happen. Surely he could have found better scribes to copy down his thoughts! Why was she picked? She was astounded at her new fortune.

"In this case, I might just be able to quit my other job," she thought as she sat in a carriage taking her back to her apartment. "But it's too risky at the moment. I just better not slip up any moment with him."

Immediately the rest of the day, she practiced her new aural skills until she felt comfortable to start Gavrilov's new work: his Symphony No. 2.


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## Klavierspieler (Jul 16, 2011)

Is Anton an alternate version of Andrei? You switched between them in the middle.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

WHAT? NO!!!

Shoot that's a mistake from "left-over" drafts.... must fix again. 

Yes, pardon me, I can have a LOT of typos in this stuff, and do notify me for these inconsistencies.

Yes, the Main Character is to be known as Andrei. I switched the names because I decided to use the name Anton for a different story altogether, one I'm working on currently. This story is already finished.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Loving the story. If Gavrilov's music was anything like Ferneyhough's music then Nadia would have been in trouble, haha!


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