Ivan said, ‘Let’s reconsider. Anthony may have a point. If I take it with more energy, like so … ‘ He played the first bars again. ‘What do you think?’
‘Still sexless,’ Anthony said.
Cat’s mouth lifted at the edges, but she said nothing.
‘Show us, then,’ Ivan said, irritated.
‘Your part?’ Anthony tucked the violin under his chin and played, and he was right. The section needed a stronger pulse. ‘Shall we take it in segments?’
Ivan scowled. ‘That won’t be necessary.’
They went from the start and the improvement was obvious. Nobody said, ‘I told you so.’ Rehearsals were like this, with music the only winner.
After the session ended, Ivan said, ‘At some stage soon we must decide which piece to record.’
‘Who’s talking about recording?’ Cat said. ‘We’re still finding our way as a quartet.’
‘If you remember, it’s part of the deal. A recording for their funds. With downloads and sales of the disc it helps to pay for our residency,’ he said and added in a casual tone while fitting his violin into its case, ‘I’d like to offer the “Grosse Fuge”.’
‘That’s insane,’ Cat said. ‘We’ve only been together six weeks and he wants us to play the most difficult piece in the repertoire. Even with Harry on board, that was always a killer.’
‘We made a passable recording,’ Ivan said.
‘I’m up for it,’ Anthony said.
‘We all know about you. What about Mel?’ Cat said. ‘Are you familiar with it? All those fortissimos?’
‘I’ve heard it played and studied the score.’
‘With the best will in the world, sunshine, that isn’t the same as cutting a disc.’
Ivan said, ‘I have confidence in Mel. If we start work immediately, we can be ready in a month or so.’
Cat said, ‘We could make life a lot easier for ourselves with a more familiar piece like “Death and the Maiden”.’
‘We can record that as well,’ Ivan said. ‘We’ll need to offer something else.’ He finished fastening the case. ‘What’s your opinion, Mel?’
Ivan’s unqualified support had been unexpected. Mel felt as if he ought to be worthy of it. ‘How soon do we have to commit?’
‘They want to know soon.’
‘They want to know?’ Cat said. ‘How about the players? You just said we must start immediately and for once I couldn’t agree more – but only if every one of us opts to go for it.’
Anthony raised his hand.
‘He’s more than willing,’ Ivan said, ‘and the second violin part is unbelievably demanding on the fingers. You sound reluctant, Cat.’
‘For Mel’s sake. What Beethoven asks the violist to do isn’t shelling peas, you know. The lad’s risen admirably to the challenge, but he’s not a regular quartet player.’
‘Then we increase the rehearsal sessions.’
‘Slave-driver.’
‘I wouldn’t suggest it if I thought we’d fail.’
‘We’ve come a long way already.’ She sighed and shook her head. ‘If Mel is willing, then so am I.’
The three original members looked at Mel.
‘Let’s give it a go,’ he said, trying to sound cool.
He shared a taxi with Cat and her cello. There wasn’t room for the others.
‘I hope you know what you let yourself in for, new boy.’
‘I have some idea. I must get a copy of the recording you three made with Harry.’
‘It’s not bad.’
He tried obliquely to get more on Harry’s disappearance. ‘He must have been with you some years.’
‘Harry? From the beginning. We’re not careless. We don’t keep losing violists like beads off a string.’
‘Did he have family?’
‘None he ever mentioned. It’s hard on partners, this wandering existence. Like the rest of us, he was self-reliant. Well, I’m saying that and it’s not entirely true. Anthony needs mothering, but he’s a special case. Sometimes I feel like smothering him. Harry was all man.’
‘In what sense?’
She smiled. ‘He took his chances when they came.’
‘How do you mean?’
‘Groupies. We’re not much different to pop groups when it comes to fans. In our peak years we had a huge following. Invitations of all sorts flooded in, from billionaires wanting us to play on their Strads to schoolgirls asking us to autograph their bras. Asking the guys, that is. Even they got bored with it after a time.’
‘And you think Harry took advantage?’