"That went pretty well," Nadia Weber exclaimed, as she leaned back on the piano bench and grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat from her face and neck.
"Yeah, the tempo was much better that time," Adrienne Sokol declared as she set her bow aside and started wiping off the strings of her cello. "I think, Herr Ludwig would have approved."
"Speaking of which, I need to get those Ashkenazy recordings back to you," Nadia noted as she slipped her music into her backpack.
"No rush. As long as I get them back before you leave," Adrienne replied, referring to the Beethoven cello sonatas Adrienne had loaned Nadia in advance of playing together.
The two musicians had just run through the final movement of Beethoven's Cello Sonata in F, which they would perform in its entirety at Adrienne's upcoming graduate recital. It was the last step on the road to attaining her college music degree. To Adrienne's relief, Nadia had agreed to play piano for her concert. Though only two years ahead of Adrienne, Nadia was an accomplished pianist who was greatly in demand as a performer and teacher in and around the town. Story was, when Nadia heard Adrienne was looking for someone to play piano on the Beethoven sonata, she offered to work on the project. They had so much fun playing together, that they decided to work up all three movements.
Adrienne had offered to pay her, but she refused payment. "No way, girl! I'm doing this purely out of love."
"Aw, for me?" Adrienne teased.
"Sorry babe, you're cute, but not that cute. If you can get me a good recording of our performance, we'll call it even."
"Easily arranged," Adrienne assured her, thrilled that she had Nadia on board.
"I've always wanted to play these sonatas," Nadia mused, almost to herself. "Maybe when I return, we could record the whole set?"
"I'd be so up for that," Adrienne replied enthusiastically. "Once you get back from Germany with all that newfound knowledge and expertise."
"And maybe a boyfriend thrown in for good measure."
Adrienne had to smile, for it was just like Nadia to play the field while over there. She had met Nadia at a couple of parties, and knew her to be quite popular with the guys. But other than the parties, and now performing together, they didn't move within the same circles.
A part of Adrienne entertained the idea of a boyfriend, though she never seemed to put much effort into getting them interested in her. One of her teachers had made a move on her, but he was this side of forty, and Adrienne was barely twenty. In the end, she determined that a boyfriend would demand too much of her time, and take her away from her musical pursuits.
"Now is the time for focusing on my career. Relationships come later," she kept telling herself.
For Adrienne Sokol, life revolved around her music, and the hope of becoming a professional cellist, either in an orchestra, chamber group, or as a session player. Not overly tall, at five-foot-six, and a bit introverted, Adrienne tended to shun the spotlight. Not optimal for someone pursuing a musical career. However, what she did know about herself is that she was most passionate and at her best when she was performing.
Adrienne never garnered much attention from the guys, but she also didn't put herself 'out there.' She derived her looks, which weren't overly feminine, from her Eastern European ancestry. She had dark brown eyes beneath full eyebrows, a strong jawline, slightly aquiline nose and a small, full-lipped mouth. Her face was framed by thick, dark hair that fell to her mid-back. She liked to curl her hair with a curling iron to give it some wave, and sometimes, when she practiced, she would let it swing loose and free. But for performances, she'd pull it back and secure the tresses neatly with a band or tie atop her head.
As a way of saving money, Adrienne avoided gyms, choosing to run in the nearby parks to keep in shape. And like many musicians, she had strong hands and well-defined, muscled arms from years of playing and hauling her cello about. As for Adrienne's body, it wasn't soft or curvaceous. Even at five-foot-six, her body appeared lanky. She wasn't that endowed in the chest either, which used to bother her quite a bit. But not so much anymore.
When it came to her appearance, Adrienne was a trifle lazy. Other than curling her hair, makeup was usually shunned, and classy dresses and hairstyling were reserved for concerts.
Though her recital was still a month away, Adrienne didn't want to waste a day preparing for it. She planned to be at her very best, partly because Allana Hewitt, her current cello instructor, had arranged for one of the symphony's board members to attend her recital. And so, she decided to take on a fairly complex program to impress, which meant continual practice right up to the May performance date.
After the school year ended, Adrienne hoped to form a string quartet to play various events, and maybe even tour. And then there was always the possibility of getting into an orchestra. Such a goal was not beyond her reach. Adrienne was an exceptionally fine player. She had been playing cello since she was ten years old, which she switched to after several years of playing the violin. After having watched Jacqueline du Pré perform on television, she decided that was the instrument for her, and mercilessly begged her parents for a cello. Eventually, her parents relented. They rented their daughter a cello and paid for lessons. Her earliest teachers assured her parents that Adrienne was especially gifted, and worth supporting. And Adrienne never had to be coerced to practice, for she loved the cello with all her heart.
The main issue for her parents were the cost of lessons, as well as the purchase of a cello. They eventually were able to buy Adrienne a cello at an affordable price thanks to Adrienne's teacher who procured one for them.
Sadly, Adrienne's father passed away a year ago from a heart attack, leaving Adrienne and her mother with only each other, and a significant drop in income. There were investments and his life insurance, but to help with expenses, Adrienne lived at home with her mom and attended the nearby private arts college, considered to be one of the region's better schools for music and drama. It also helped that, thanks to her audition and several key references, she was awarded a full music scholarship. It was a tremendous relief, as the family savings would hardly have covered the costs.
"Adrienne, do you have a minute?" Adrienne stopped packing up her gear as Mr. Drexel entered the rehearsal room.
"Sure, what's up, Mr. Drexel?" Adrienne asked the school's music director, while setting her bag down. She had to smile when he put his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels. It was a trademark gesture of his that many students loved to parody.
"I wish to ask a favor of you. I'd like you to play cello for the Spring musical."
Adrienne scrunched her face into a grimace. "I don't think I can Mr. Drexel. I've got tests coming up in both Environmental Science and American History, a paper to write, and, I'm in the middle of preparing for my Senior recital, which is taking up pretty much all my spare time." At the sight of Mr. Drexel's crestfallen expression, she added out of courtesy, "When's the musical set to run?"
He perked up instantly. "The show runs last two weekends of April, so we'd be done well before your May 17 recital. It is May 17, correct?"
"Yes, Sir..." Adrienne confirmed, cautiously aware that she was being reeled in.
"The commitment would be minimal, I promise. There are two orchestral rehearsals this coming week, then we're into dress rehearsals. I'll use Ryan to cover the bulk of the show. What I mainly want you for is a duet for cello and soprano that occurs near the end of the show."
It was quite the sell, but Adrienne still wasn't convinced. Musical scores were usually pretty easy, and yet rehearsals were often plentiful due to having to coordinate with the actors and tech. "Do you really need me sawing away in an orchestra pit? Surely, Ryan can play the duet. Those parts usually aren't that difficult."
"True, they usually aren't," Mr. Drexel agreed. "However, this one's a bit tricky. It's a new work, and along with being unfamiliar, it does contain some difficult passages, particularly in the duet. And your cello tone would make a huge difference. Honestly, I don't think Ryan can handle it. Now I can't speak for the story line—that's Miss Fenton's area—but she assures me that the duet is critical to the dramatic action. Adrienne, it's an exciting piece, and if done correctly, it could really bring the house down. And the soprano is being played by Juliet Langford. She's a senior. Do you know her?"
"Juliet Langford...Oh yeah," Adrienne replied, perking up as memories of the actress appeared in her mind's eye. "I've seen her on stage a few times. She's a good actress."
Adrienne was a fan of Juliet's work, having seen her a couple of years ago as Cecily in Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest." She was so captivated by the girl's performance that she'd made a point to see her in every role since. Another one of her favorites was seeing Juliet play Viola in Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night.' She did sing in that show, but Adrienne didn't remember it being particularly difficult.
"Is she a good singer?"
"She's excellent," Mr. Drexel replied with a smile. "Sings like a bird. Wait 'til you hear her. Would you promise to at least have a look at the part, and then let me know?"
As he spoke, he reached into his satchel and extracted the score. He held it out for Adrienne to take. She took the score and began leafing through it, as Mr. Drexel continued with his spiel.
"Not that I'm putting any pressure on you, but I think you could make quite the impression with this duet. It's a spectacular piece. Not too shabby a credit for your resume. You'll even get your own bow come curtain call."
Adrienne had to admit that the cello part looked interesting. It wasn't too long, and its difficulties weren't beyond her abilities. The main challenge would be playing in consort with the soprano, which might require some extra rehearsals. That might not be too bad seeing as she'd get to work with Juliet Langford.
When she again made eye contact with Mr. Drexel, his pleading, boyish expression made her shake her head. He was making it hard for her to refuse. But she was no stranger to musicals and operas, and knew very well how they could swallow up one's life. But the offer to work with Juliet Langford was tempting.
She sighed dramatically, and through a clenched smile, agreed. "Okay...I'll do it."
~*~*~*~*
