Sieglinde did indeed accept the invitation to come to Cleveland to witness Ingrid's first professional concert appearance. After her afternoon rehearsal with the Cleveland Orchestra, Ingrid took her parents to meet her 'special friend'. They met Sieglinde at the Sheraton hotel where she had reserved a room when booking her flight from Austria, and the four of them had time for dinner before setting out for the concert. Ingrid had forewarned her parents that her friend was a woman, and that she would stay overnight with her at the hotel ostensibly to reminisce and catch up with their mutual Austrian friends and acquaintances. Ingrid also did not identify her friend by name.
If the presumed friend had been of equivalent age to Ingrid, her parents might well have taken at face value their daughter's bland assertion that the overnight stay would truly be just a friendly nonsexual visit. Certainly, their perception was that their daughter was straight as a ruler, as they had never discerned any lesbian tendency whatsoever as she was growing up. However, since Sieglinde was visibly much older than Ingrid, they could only jump to the correct conclusions. They realized then that the assumed patron of arts who had gifted the BMW that Ingrid now drove, was none other than this 'special friend'.
The four of them were cordial enough at the dinner before the concert. The senior Losnedahls were polite, and Sieglinde had a natural flair to induce people to like her on casual first acquaintance. Still, there were heavy discordant vibes very evident throughout the dinner conversation. It did not help matters, that Sieglinde spoke English, although accurately and fluently, but with a heavily pronounced German accent.
Ingrid inwardly sighed heavily, contemplating her parents' reaction to this dinner compared to that of Sieglinde's parents' reaction at the Christmas dinner. The difference between them was like night and day. To be fair Sieglinde's parents were older, and their daughter would be considered of middle age. It is axiomatic that consideration of the future of a forty-four year old child would not be as a crucial concern as it would be for parents of a twenty year old. In the former case radical change would be virtually impossible to hope for, whereas in the latter case there would still be hope to exert some influence. In any case, Ingrid sensed that Sieglinde's parents did not perceive their affair as serious considering all the negative factors involved, whereas her parents must be alarmed by someone coming such a long way for a mere one day visit. Ingrid sighed again, as she realized a tense situation, possibly nasty, would have to be confronted when she returned to Toledo the next day.
On a happier note, she concentrated on preparing her mind for her concert performance and meeting Natasha Starikovich. The latter had acquired unbelievably serious clout in the international classical music world. Maestro Franz Welser-Möst did not insist that Natasha rehearse with the orchestra prior to the concert performance. Given her position as concertmaster of the Russian orchestra, plus her guest conductor stints and her own compositions, not to mention the chamber music festival she directed in Estonia every August, Welser-Möst knew he would have no need to worry about ironing out any kinks in Natasha's performance. All he had to worry about is to ensure that the orchestra was prepared.
As it was, Natasha's schedule was very tight for just a one week stay in the United States. Her month of August started with the festival in Estonia, and after the festival concluded she flew directly to Dallas, Texas for a weekend, where unbeknownst to everyone in general, was to indulge in a sex orgy at the Texas Love Ranch (TLR). Thereafter, she flew to Chicago to stay with her mother and her family for the week, before departing for Cleveland. After the concert she had to catch a midnight flight that would take her to Moscow to fulfill her contractual obligations for the fall concert season with the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia.
Her flight from Chicago arrived at such time that she just barely got to dressing room of the concert's amphitheater, before she had to go on stage. She just had enough time to be introduced to Ingrid, and said, "Glad to meet you, Ingrid. I've heard so many good things about you! Sorry I arrived here so late, but I'll have time to see you perform and we'll have time for a chat afterwards. Good luck to you!"
The Cuyahoga Valley National Park was the sylvan setting for the Festival's Music's amphitheater's striking pyramid shape. Natasha's choice of music just seemed truly in sync for the outdoor ambiance. Her first piece was the love theme for the movie El Cid composed by Miklós Rózsa. The lush melody performed magnificently by Natasha was just the right tonic of light music to contrast with the seriousness mood of Beethoven's Symphony. Natasha followed this with the third movement of Paganini's 6th violin concerto and concluded with Max Bruch's violin concerto.
The applause for Natasha was deafening, and Ingrid was in awe of her musical prowess. She now believed that the hype, which overwhelmingly lauded Natasha's musical genius, was if anything understated. Ingrid's own musicianship was acute enough to detect that Natasha's skill and talents was unparalleled to any current concert violinist whom she was aware of. She believed that Natasha's skill was on par with the reputation of Paganini and Sarasate. Since it has been impossible for anyone ever to have compared those two legendary violinists with Natasha, her notion had to be pure speculation, but she believed it was more realistic than the speculation comparing herself with Clara Schumann.
In any case Ingrid was now even more sensitive to the possible opportunity that Natasha might ask her to accompany her at the White House recital. It struck her as it hadn't really before, that if she did indeed perform before the President of the United States, and before she had even finished her formal academic education, her future as a successful concert music performer was already realized before she really had started. Her only thought then was, 'I better not fuck this up'! So she drew a deep breath before taking the stage.
Ingrid started off with a delightfully light breezy melody of the second movement of Mozart's 4th Piano Concerto. She followed it with an equally light and familiar music of the second movement of Mozart's 21st Piano Concerto. She concluded her performance with Greig's Piano Concerto. Ingrid opened Greig's piece with some truly emphatic and bombastic striking of the keys on the piano. This removed any doubt in the minds of the audience that she was in passionate control of the music, notwithstanding the orchestral contribution. The tickling sensation produced in her striking of the keys for the second movement was simply sublime. And she ended the third movement with a confident flourish. When she was done the audience broke into a hearty applause equal to the reception Natasha received for her performance.
When Ingrid got back to the dressing room, Natasha greeted her with a huge smile and a hug. She said, "That was fantastic, Ingrid, a magnificent performance! If you're willing, I want to you to be my accompanist at the White House recital in January. My mother will get in touch with you to work out the details. I'm sorry I can't chat some more. I got to run and catch my plane. Bye for now."
And that was it! Natasha scampered off, before Ingrid could even get a word out! Nevertheless, the euphoria emanating from such a positive response dispelled the disappointment in not being able to talk at length with the violin virtuoso. 'At least,' thought Ingrid, 'I have Siggy to talk to and to do more than just that!' Indeed, after saying goodbye to her parents who were effusive in their praise of their daughter's first professional public concert performance, Ingrid and Sieglinde repaired back to the Sheraton.
They entered the room, they embraced and casually shed their clothes. They got a glass of wine and clinked glasses, as Sieglinde said, "Congratulations, Ingrid my love! Here's to a truly magnificent performance!"
After the impromptu toast and sip of the wine, they took their wine glasses and got on the bed to sit upright on the bed with their backs resting against the headboard. After a second glass of wine, Ingrid said. "I'm truly geeked! Without any long deliberation whatsoever, Natasha Starikovich has agreed to have me as her accompanist to the White House recital, next January. I daresay she has the luxury to ask any celebrated pianist in the world, and anyone of them would have been happy to have accepted. And instead, she has chosen little old me."
Sieglinde responded, "It just proves what a great perceptive violinist, Natasha Starikovich is. She was in a position to ask for the best pianist in the world to accompany her, and so wisely enough she did just that; she did ask the best pianist in the world."
