An Equal Music: A novel by Vikram Seth - Through my eyes

The prelude

Music, the divine blessing, the language, for all those who can hear and also who cannot hear because ‘Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent’ – Victor Hugo. Music is Universal, has many forms across the globe but having startling resemblance. The music that being played in Asia or Europe or elsewhere in the globe all are having 7 intonations. If it is from Sa Re Ga …… to Ni in Indian subcontinent then in European Classical Music this has transfigured to most ubiquitous English alphabets A, B, C to G.

Western Classical Music or hereinafter referred as European Classical Music has a long history of evolution. After the Ancient and Medieval era came the Renaissance which characterized by greater use of Instrumentation. Then came the Baroque replacing modal form of music with complex tonal also known as ‘Counterpoint’ – defined as relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm, and interdependent in harmony. Among the other noted Musicians J S Bach (1685-1750) was the prominent and his ‘Art of Fugue’ remained incomplete at his death. Followed by Classical Era this witnessed one of the greatest musicians W A Mozart (1756-1791). The Romantic era of this prevailed somewhere during 1820 to 1901 AD. This is the period which encouraged codified practice, the role of the music got expanded beyond the cultural boundaries to creating a mechanism to preserve and deliver them to society for benefit of future generations. The music of this era has focussed on melody and rhythm. This period bore the footprints of some of the great Musical legends like, L V Beethoven, F Schubert, J Brahms and many more.

This would not be out of context to mention here that L V Beethoven when riding towards pinnacle of success had developed hearing problems and it is said that once after completion of his performance he had to look around the audience to realize the applaud showered on him.

The Story

‘An Equal Music’ is story of two estranged lovers Michel and Julia who of course other than sharing a common interest in each other had a common passion ‘the Music’. The story begins in London and it is 10 long years passed since their parting of ways from the city where they first met each other Vienna. They met each other as strangers and what brought them closer is being belonging to the same country England and love for Music. From friend they became lovers and it is she who taught him lessons of life, music and admiration for Art. After their year long association, the bad terms of Michael with Carl Kull, the teacher, culminated in his decision to leave the school. Julia’s persuasion failed to yield the result. Michael left Vienna to take refuge in London. But within months he could realize the gravity of the mistake committed by him and left no stone unturned to find Julia or at least to hear few words from her through phone or letter. His all efforts go in vain and he surrendered himself to the destiny.

Meanwhile in London he joined a quartet called as Maggiore Quartet after Alex Foley left it as 1^st/2^nd Violinist. The Quartet has four members Piers, 1^st Violinist, Helen, Viola player, Billy the Cellist and Michael 2^nd Violinist. The Quartet bore its name from San Giorgio Maggiore, one of the islands of Venice. The Quartet performs in several places and earn name for them but still pursuing the greater dream of becoming a world renowned classical music group.

The time passes on but never as desired by us and it always strikes when one never expected it to be. One day in a busy London route Michael suddenly discovers Julia across the windows of two buses in which two of them travelling. He makes all effort to catch her but fails to do and in the process loosing a rare music piece of Beethoven in the Taxi.

It is a strange evening in London in the Wigmore Hall the Quartet performs from Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven’s immortal pieces in their own way and after the concert is over there comes a message for Michael that some one has expressed her desires to meet him and she is no other than Julia, the long lost love of Michael.

The meeting was short one but many such followed after. In such a meeting Julia disclosed that she is no more McNicholl but Hansen after her Boston born Husband James and has a boy named Luke. Meanwhile after the great performance in Wigmore Hall the Quartet got an offer from a reputed Level for recording ‘Art of Fugue’ the incomplete and enigmatic music piece by Bach. But the Quartet accepts the offer after a lot of disagreement and against the wishes of Piers.

The life goes on for them Julia comes in a while to Michael and the Quartet goes on with their rehearsals for the concerts scheduled in Vienna and Venice. But once again the music binds them into one string which goes beyond chastity.

Suddenly one day having a chart with young Luke Michael discovers a hard fact about Julia, she is loosing her ability to listen and now can only listen others through their lips. A fact known to few and unknown to musicians’ fraternity. But encouraged by her husband she did not desert her musical career and still she plays solo.

In connection with the Quartet’s concert at Vienna and Venice the Quartet chooses Julia to accompany them as a Pianist to play Schubert’s Trout Quintet. But in the rehearsals she missed the way to judge other co-players movements on their respective instruments and it is Michael who comes to support her as he is not a primary player in the said Quintet. This makes Piers doubtful about Julia and he grills him to know the details and in due course Michael concedes his demand and discloses that Julia has hearing problem but assures the Quartet that it will not cause any problem in the performance. But to this Julia considers as a deceit and starts to avoid him. After this disclosure Piers replaces himself with Michael and he is the 1^st Violinist for the Trout. The rehearsals go well and the Quartet is ready to take off to Vienna. But meanwhile Julia invites Michael to her place for Launch in presence of James to which he considers as a reply to his disclosing the fact about Julia.

The Quartet lands in Vienna where Julia chooses to stay with her Mother and friends in spite of several requests by Michael to stay with them in their Hotel. The rehearsals go well in Vienna except the fact that the request of Michael to Julia to accompany him to Venice goes unheeded and she refuses.

The concert goes as it was planned but the thought that Julia will not be playing in any ensemble anymore rushes jittery into Michael and he was about to spoil the party. But with moral support from others in Quartet and Julia, he recovers himself and the show goes well without any further hitch. Rather Julia consents Michael to accompany him to Venice.

The trip to Venice is like a dream come true for both Michael and Julia they go well beyond the social limits to explore each other and remained their not like friends but like a husband and a wife. Of course this did not go well with other Quartet members and they expressed their feelings to Michael in untrammelled feeling. But for Michael those few days going to be as the best part of life and mere thought of parting can send him to end of his life. Julia announces her intentions to going back to London because somewhere her inner self is chastising her about this relationship and she is finding it difficult to assimilate. She loves James and Luke and cannot betray them for her passion for Michael. She faxes a letter to her husband informing her intention to join them the next day but unfortunately Michael read that and her mad love to Julia forces him to hurt her mentally, one more mistake which even though Julia understands she does not make any concession to Michael and parts her way to be with her husband. But before she leaves she handed over a gift to Michael a hand written diary where Part I of fugue was written from Art of Fugue. On request of Michael, Julia plays a part of it and an unarticulated promise to play the rest of it as the final part of the gift.

The story takes its final turn from here onwards. Now it is introspection and a feeling of loss at both the ends. In this short encounter Michael has developed a habit of Julia and she is at a crossroads where both the roads lead to deprivation. Her family is primary to her and she decides that way and parts her way from the lane that travelling to Michael’s. This decision is more obvious perhaps because she has an instinctive feeling that James knows about both of them and she does not want to loss the person who stood behind her in the days of her dire need. This is a painful loss for Michael and that to after getting her back after 10 years of wait and despair.

Meanwhile the pet Cat of Michael’s father dies and that came as a shock to Michael as well. He visits his home town to assuage his father’s feelings and in turn come to the brink of one more loss. The Violin, he was only custodian because it belongs to Mrs. Formby, his mentor and first teacher. She tells him that after her death all her belongings would be transferred to a Trust and his Son-in-law also wants Tonin - the Violin, to be a part of that Trust, more so because it can fetch a handsome amount on being auctioned.

Julia wants to erase his memoirs so that she can carry on with her life. She is happy with her life. The loss of Julia is too much for Michael he parts his way from the Quartet. Mrs Formby dies. His life changes the colour from everything to an absolute emptiness. Now he survives by teaching music and creating jingles for ad companies. His teacher Carl loathes his present profession. Now Michael lost, everyone to whom he loved and everyone who loved him.

But life once again thought to give a chance to Michael. On her death bed Mrs Formby has bequeathed the Violin to Michael and at least he got back his soul mate. The Quartet invites him to be a part of it and fortunately the recording contract is still warm.

After celebrating his lonely Christmas in Rochdale with his father he returns back to London and on the same day Julia has a concert in Wigmore Hall and Michael decides to witness the same. She plays the unending ‘Art of Fugue’ the other part of promise made by her to him in Venice. It is definitely an equal music. Rain came crashing and Michael after 11^th Note in the note of chaos he left the Hall to the rain which washes away his earlier tears showing him a ray of hope to live for Music and Julia, his first and last love.

Love is like a violin. The music may stop now and then, but the strings remain forever: June Masters Bacher

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My views

‘An Equal Music’ is a memoir of Michael a Violinist. But the Author has laboured hard to make it an honest account. If the Music is soul of the book then heart is love. Both of them goes hand in hand sometime embracing each other and sometime playing hide and seek.

Michael is a character who is confused about himself. His heart knows what he wants but his brain is aimless. It’s his neighbourhood family friend Mrs Formby who makes him realize about the role of music in his life and she is the Mentor, Teacher and a benevolent friend. It is she who gave him Tononi, the violin and Michael found an inseparable friend in it.

After he grew up the realities of life at some crossroad he meets Julia, his first and last love, teacher, inspiration and partner.

He looses her in Vienna to find her again as a wife of a Boston born banker and mother of a seven year old kid, Luke, in London, in a new world and roles and again looses her. Michael and Julia are incomplete without each other and breaking the social customs they live a life of their own for a small span of time, which is absolutely incompatible for Julia as she has a family to look after and she cannot desert them for her old love. It is all about faith and honesty. She is faithful to her love but also honest for her husband.

In the process Michael earns few moments and on remnants of which he has to build his rest of life. It is difficult for him but he manages to do that of course on that way he parts his way from his Quartet, sacrifices his career stops worshiping his other side of life, the Music.

However, why author wanted Julia to be a deaf is as enigmatic as the ‘Art of Fugue’ the incomplete note by Bach. May be he was trying to justify the duty of Julia towards her husband who stood behind her in the days of her dire needs and encouraged her not to desert Music or he wanted to say that music can be heard through heart and can be created from soul.

Julia is a beautiful character. A person of substance, courage, love and empathy. She did not disappoint anyone rather to the extent possible she spread the fragrance of love be like a lover, wife or a mother. She loved Michael from deep of her heart but could not withstand his depart. However, at least a brief account of how she met James, her would be husband and how they bonded together in nuptial ties would have added few more dimensions to her character. Anyway, she never neglected her duties towards her family but rather suppressing the voice of her inner conscience she gave few beautiful moments of love to Michael to cherish for his rest of life.

The other characters who kept the story moving are Piers, Helen and Billy all the members of the Quartet. The Quartet was not a musical group it was a family sharing concern and love for each other. They have their own set problems in their life but those never came in their way of affection and care.

Whatever, the book is mesmerizing and the knowledge of Author about the Western Classical Music is awesome. He provided sharp twists to negotiate when the story seems to be slowing down on its pace. The characters are well articulated having their desired place and importance. The human feelings are expressed in words and cannot be shared but can only be felt through the book and its pages.

In final words the whole story can be summarized into these lovely words of D H Lawrence, a British Author.

Love is the flower of life, and blossoms unexpectedly and without law, and must be plucked where it is found, and enjoyed for the brief hour of its duration.

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