Forbidden Melody

Chapter 4 - Emma

Bach, Sonata for Piano and Violin in B Minor

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If it hadn't been for the fact that I was meeting with my vocal student pairing that afternoon, I would have gone home after the undergraduate class with Juliet. Instead, I waited in an empty classroom. Every piano graduate student was assigned a graduate student in vocal performance to accompany during their education. While I hadn't met mine yet, there was a person I was hoping for.

While I waited, I stewed. I wasn't a person who angered easily. She had gotten under my skin. Then the words flew out of my mouth. Me, criticizing one of the world's premiere violinists. It would haunt me the entire semester, I was certain of it.

I wasn't sure why she bothered me so much. I barely knew her, and what little I did know should have convinced me to keep my distance. She was arrogant and rarely listened to others. But as soon as she'd played a single note on the violin, I was lost in her.

The small classroom was barren outside of a Steinway upright, a few chairs and a few music stands. I waited at the piano bench, drumming my fingers on the wood drawer that closed over the keys. When I looked up, Lydia Beckham had wandered inside, a broad smile stretched across her face.

"Well look who it is!" Lydia moved between chairs and stands. After I'd gotten to my feet, I hugged her tightly. I requested them to put us together a few weeks ago, but I wasn't sure if they'd do it, Lydia signed.

I had Timothy pull a few strings. My hands flowed in the air, smiling.

I can't believe you're here! Lydia sat her bag on the floor. How did it go this morning?

I shook my head. It's a long story. I'll tell you later.

"You're just ready to go, aren't you?" Lydia smiled, handing me her sheet music.

Did you warm up? I asked, and she nodded. I studied the music, familiarizing myself with the first piece. It was an aria from Don Giovanni, a famous opera, composed by Mozart. While I wasn't familiar with every part of it, I'd known enough about it to play along well enough. It didn't take long before I'd settled at the piano.

Lydia had a beautiful mezzo-soprano voice that was well suited for the opera. Her range had been outstanding in high school, I'd imagined it had only gotten better throughout college. Now that she was at the Bard, studying under Charlotte Tanner, she was bound to be getting offers from just about everywhere by the time she graduated. It was obvious to me where she intended to go, if she had her way. After I'd lifted the lid to the keys, I sat back, letting my fingers dribble over the length of the piano.

Such a show off. I rolled my eyes at Lydia after she'd signed it. My mind drew back to the sheet music and the keys. Two breaths. Relax. Begin. The notes flowed effortlessly. While I played, I kept several measures ahead of myself, preparing the notes ahead of time so I had the opportunity to focus on Lydia as she began to sing.

We spent a few hours working. It was important to take it slow. Understand how we worked with one another. We hadn't worked together in over a year now. She'd been a year ahead of me at NYU and had left for the Bard last year. Surprisingly, even after not having performed with one another in so long, we managed to mesh together well. It became so natural, I found my thoughts wandering, until there was a knock on the top of the piano. Lydia was staring at me. "You drifted off there for a minute. Are you okay?"

Long day, I signed back in reply. Lydia did not seem the least bit satisfied with my answer. "Juliet Hamilton is teaching Harmony and Counterpoint."