went to see a reading of willy holtzman’s play in progress, “the morini strad” at geva theatre yesterday.
based on a true story, the play recounts the meeting and gradual friendship that forms between erica morini, one of the most talented violinists in the world (famous for her muscular technique), and brian skarstad, a gifted violin maker/repairman.
they meet for the first time at erica’s fifth avenue apartment. luxuriously furnished yet showing signs of wear and tear, it’s obvious that the apartment has seen better days. erica morini is now in her nineties. a child prodigy who made her new york debut at carnegie hall when she was but 14 and who was able to transition into a successful music career as an adult, erica’s fingers are now arthritic. she can no longer play but she retains much of her diva disposition. she is brusque, standoffish and relentlessly sarcastic. initially, it’s hard to discern some of her dialogue – mostly staccato repartees to brian’s every question and comment.
after much ado she brings out her 1727 stradivarius, a legend more than a violin. brian recognizes it instantly. he is blown away. he also sees that it’s damaged – too much solvent ate right through the wood. he is confident that he can repair it: “it will be invisible” he says.
as he begins to work on the strad with erica hovering over him in his workshop, they start to discover each other. she learns about brian’s wife (a music composer who is on a different diet every week) and his sons (who like to play the electric guitar much more than the violin – erica is frequently appalled by the noise they make). she recognizes brian’s genius at what he does and they have discussions about the artistic life vs family life. she tells him she chose not to have children. she wanted to focus on her art, her career. she asks him if he ever questions his choices. he is overwhelmed by bills and does repair work most of the time but he is happy. he doesn’t have any highfalutin ideas about art and life. she needles him, makes him admit that sometimes he has doubts. we begin to see her in a different light. gone are the short cutting replies. she reveals warmth and a rather raunchy sense of humor. she begins to acquire dimension as a character, as a human being.
erica is impressed by brian’s work, by how he holds the strad. to her he is an artist. one of the best articulated ideas in the play is morini’s belief that life, like a symphony, has 4 distinct movements:
1) opening sonata or allegro: defines the tempo of a musical piece – is crucial as it can affect the mood and difficulty of an entire composition, or an entire life.
2) a slow movement such as adagio: to be performed slowly and gracefully.
3) a minuet or scherzo: written in the same time and rhythm as a minuet (a social dance of french origin for two), to be executed in a lively, playful manner.
4) an allegro, rondo, or sonata: indicates a return to the original theme or motif – it’s music that is fast and vivacious, normally allegro.
she reminds brian repeatedly to make the most of the third movement – to live it to the full and not compromise – before the overwhelming, frantic, harried onset of the fourth and final movement.
having developed trust in brian, both at a personal and professional level, erica asks him to sell the perfectly restored strad. he is elated and grateful. he starts to dream about all the things he can do with his commission. they begin to show the instrument to interested buyers but erica is too exacting. to her the process is as delicate and torturous as an adoption. the sale begins to fall apart. erica changes her mind. brian is disappointed – he feels used. they say some nasty things to each other. but when erica has a heart attack and ends up on her deathbed in a hospital, it’s brian who turns up to comfort her. she asks him to make sure the strad is safe in her apartment – she feels nervous about its whereabouts. by the time brian gets there with the keys, the police are all over the place. the strad has been stolen.
brian returns to erica’s side and doesn’t have the heart to tell her the truth. she passes into the blinding glare of bright lights, much as she did when the curtains opened at carnegie hall and she made her new york debut.
the two actors who read brian and erica (james waterston and lynn cohen) were amazing. i cannot imagine how lovely the final production will be as the play is filled with music and discussions about life and art. terrific.
Erica Morini, 91, Subtle Violinist Who Explored Concerto Range, New York Times, November 3, 1995
Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 3rd mvt (Erica Morini)1963: