Benno knew his regulars, and that meant he also knew
which wine to put in front of Giambattista and his son. He
instructed Maretienna to bring them a bottle of the best Cypriot,
and two glasses instead of beakers, then left his guests in peace.
He too, by now, had heard the news concerning the priest.
‘What a cheek,’ grumbles Giambattista. ‘Not even the civility to let
you know in a decent manner. It’s a bloody shame Gasparini is still
away. He would have warned us. That’s for sure.’
‘But would he have been able to do anything, father?’
Giambattista shakes his head. ‘I fear not. It’s the
management committee that takes such decisions. But I’ve seen
things like this happen before, when I was working for the Ospedale
dei Mendicanti. The minute they think their own people can play
better than the teacher, they chuck him out. They’re such arses;
they can never resist economising left right and centre. As long as
it’s not on their own bonus, of course!’
Father and son have agreed there would be no sense in
lodging any objection. The management committee will have to
discover for itself how difficult it was to uphold standards of
musical performance. ‘You’ll see son, one of these fine days they’ll
be back with their tails between their legs. Ah, but then it’ll be our
turn. Then we’ll be the ones calling the tune. We’re going to make
sure your name is known far and wide. You have the talent, and the
day will come when everyone will know that you’re the supreme
Musico di Violino Professore. Not just within the borders of the
Republic but far beyond them!’
Thanks to the efforts of Viennese agents such as Matthias
von Regaznig, some of Antonio’s early works have already found
their way into the hands of a few music enthusiasts north of the
Alps. This, according to Giambattista, is where the future lies: the
royal music ensembles of the Bohemian and German regents,
princes and dukes. Father is soon back on form and it’s business as
usual, planning Antonio’s future for him. Antonio, helped by the
wine on an empty stomach, finds his enthusiasm matching his
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