The Violist

Part I Daughter of the Violinist

Part I Daughter of the Violinist

After much begging done by the managers, they had finally convinced Jacques Chevalier to accept the position of concertmaster at the Opéra Populaire. The violinist was sought after by many to play his instrument, for when he touched his bow to the taut strings a majestic sound radiated from the wooden object. The Opéra was a prestigious institute, perhaps the most in all of Europe, but the musician was troubled by the necessary move to Paris. He did not wish to uproot his daughter from their quaint town in the center of France solely for his career. He knew Juliette was not fond of change, and Paris was certainly different from Loches.

The only condition that Jacques asked of the managers was that they give Juliette a position in the chorus. She was a decent enough vocalist and dancer, although he knew she was not a prodigy in either area. With their combined salaries, he was confident they could build a stable life in the rather expensive city.

"Father, why didn't you get me a chair in the orchestra? You know I would excel in the pit far more than I will on stage," she said after her father explained the deal he made with the managers, Monsieur André and Monsieur Firmin.

"Juliette, you know I would have if I could." He looked at his beloved daughter regretfully. "Women are not allowed to play in the orchestra and you know that."

The girl sighed, knowing that her father was right but also annoyed at the ways of the world. She was taught at a young age how to play the violin, but she much preferred the viola. Her father had bought one for her when she was merely seven years of age after catching her playing one of his friend's viola's. He had scolded her for touching someone else's instrument, just as he did when she laid a finger on his while he was not present, but he could not bear to have a child that was not musically trained in some fashion. He used his skills and adjusted his teachings to educate her on how to properly play the viola, since she was previously beginning to learn violin.

Juliette and her father were to stay in the Opéra Populaire's dormitories until he could find a suitable apartment for the two of them. They were assigned two single bedrooms, one across the hall from the other. The managers were willing to do everything in their power to make Jacques comfortable. He was not a high maintenance man. In fact, he and his daughter hardly owned anything at all for the amount of money that he made. Both were minimalistic people, content as long as they had their music.

Juliette had just moved everything into her room and was unpacking some things when she heard a soft tap on the door. "Come in," she called.

A short, blonde girl who seemed to be about the same age as Juliette entered the room with a wide smile on her visage. "Bonjour, my name is Meg. My mother is the ballet instructor here and she said that the managers wanted me to show you around."

Juliette knew that this was part of the ploy to keep her father pleased, as he was only happy if she was as well. This Meg girl was simply sent to make her feel as if she was making friends. However, her harsh judgement was allayed by the blonde's enthusiasm.

"Of course, I would love that," Juliette said politely, stopping what she was doing to follow the other girl. "So, what do you do here?"

Meg led the new chorus girl down the candlelit halls. "I'm a ballerina, hopefully prima ballerina someday. Mother says I have to work for the position as all the others must. I don't mind though, it wouldn't feel right to be given a position simply because my mother is the instructor."