Grand Duchess Xenia looked at Nasrosoltan directly for the first time and thanked him for coming, adding, “May God bless the soul of that dear man, Professor Rimsky-Korsakov.” She seemed visibly calmed by her fond recollection of a beloved national figure; however, she still seemed undecided about a course of action.
The grand duchess added, “Monsieur Minbashian, even though your credentials are praiseworthy and quite impressive, I would still like to discuss the matter with the grand duke before making a final decision. I hope you understand.”
Nasrosoltan sensed the hesitancy in her voice. He was taken aback that the decision was not final upon having met him in person, mostly since the position was just for tutoring a young girl to play the piano. He suddenly became anxious that the arrangement he had so nonchalantly taken for granted just a few moments earlier may not be afforded him.
Nasrosoltan wondered if he should try to say something to further interest the grand duchess in his services. But he worried anything he may say at this point would be interpreted as a sign of desperation. Therefore, he decided to say nothing further except to thank the grand duchess for the audience and await her husband’s decision.
As he and Madame Lazar got up to leave, the Madame was more concerned than Nasrosoltan was about the grand duchess’s noncommittal response. She already knew he was a proud man, and she worried that he may change his mind if he felt disrespected.
Thinking to salvage the situation, she blurted out, “Your Imperial Highness, I forgot to mention in my introduction of Monsieur Minbashian that his given name is really not Nasrosoltan. This is actually a title bestowed upon him by the Persian king for his services to the advancement of music in his homeland!”
Nasrosoltan was surprised by her proclamation. He was embarrassed and disturbed that she would offer this information just to procure the position she so desperately wanted him to receive. He was astonished that she even knew this fact about him since he had never discussed it with her.
Even though Nasrosoltan detested this desperate move by the Madame, he got the impression that this added information had an influence. He noticed a slight shift to a more pleasant demeanor in the grand duchess. It seemed that this incidental detail about his station appeased the grand duchess, and Nasrosoltan became hopeful that there would no longer be a need for her to discuss the issue with her husband.
As fate would have it, Grand Duke Alexander returned to the palace earlier than he usually would have. Seeing them gathered in the sitting room, the grand duke joined them and was first greeted by his wife. She introduced Nasrosoltan and mentioned all that they had discussed, from his heritage to being a graduate of the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
The grand duchess explained, “I have asked for Monsieur Minbashian’s patience so we could have a chance to discuss the possibility of him replacing Madame Lazar until she recovers from her injury.”
Nasrosoltan welcomed the fact that another man was now present. He appreciated the direct way in which men communicated. He felt more comfortable speaking with the grand duke considering the grand duchess’s indecisiveness in offering him the position just moments before.
The grand duke, who had shown up at the most opportune time for Nasrosoltan, did not have the same hesitancy his wife initially had about him. He greeted Nasrosoltan pleasantly and curiously asked, “So, you are Persian, but your surname, Minbashian, sounds Armenian. Are you of Armenian descent?”
Nasrosoltan replied, “No, Your Imperial Highness, my ancestors hail from Georgia. My great-grandfather was born in Tbilisi, in what we Persians call Gorjestan.”
The grand duke replied with a smile, “What a coincidence. I was also born in the capital, Tiflis”—the Russianized form of Tbilisi—“but in what we Russians call Gruziya. But no matter what we call that land, all can agree it is truly the most beautiful!”
Nasrosoltan took advantage of the talk of Georgia to inject some needed levity into their discourse. He retold Rustam’s story about how the Georgians were resourcefully able to have God bestow upon them the most beautiful place in the whole world.
Everyone laughed at the story, and his quick wit convinced the grand duke of the correctness of his first impression of Nasrosoltan. Grand Duke Alexander, unlike his wife, did not think his daughter’s piano lessons were of such importance that any further discussion on the matter was necessary.
So, he said to Nasrosoltan, “Monsieur Minbashian, I would like to welcome you as the princess’s piano tutor until the Madame recovers. I thank you for coming here today, and I also thank you, dear Madame Lazar, for your show of kindness to our daughter and for introducing the Monsieur to us.”
Grand Duchess Xenia, who was delighted that her husband had saved her from the awkward situation, agreed and said, “I am glad that we settled the matter. We can now continue the regular schedule for her lessons, so give me a moment to tell her what has transpired. As you well know, Madame Lazar, the princess is not fond of sudden changes.”
Chapter 16
Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder
Nasrosoltan and Madame Lazar waited while the grand duchess informed Princess Irina that she would temporarily have a new piano tutor. The Madame took this moment to apologize to Nasrosoltan for having divulged his title to gain favor with the grand duchess. With her apologies, she added, “I hope that you will consider this water under the bridge, especially since it resulted in an agreeable outcome for all.”
Nasrosoltan, realizing there was no benefit to be gained by showing his displeasure, responded, “My dear Madame, you did catch me off guard.”
Relieved to see Nasrosoltan was not upset, Madame Lazar replied with a smile, “If you are wondering how I knew about your title, Monsieur Somkhishvili confided in me when he secured the apartment for you.”
Nasrosoltan jokingly cursed his friend under his breath as Nana appeared and escorted them to the music room, where Princess Irina was waiting for her lesson. Upon entering the room, Nasrosoltan could not believe his eyes and was momentarily stunned. The stories he had heard did not do justice to what his eyes were witnessing. How could it be that a simple request from his landlady had now put him in the presence of such magnificence?
After all these years, Nasrosoltan had finally come face-to-face with such beauty, a Tischner. This was a spectacular Beethoven-era pianoforte built by Johann August Tischner in St. Petersburg in 1826, based on the Broadwood model Beethoven owned and wrote for.
At the conservatory, Nasrosoltan learned that there were only twenty-four of these pianos made. The piano gifted to Tsar Nicholas I was the only one with an inlay of the Russian imperial crest, while the others bore an attached plaque instead. When Nasrosoltan inspected the piano further, he noticed the embedded crest. He immediately realized this was the same piano that must have been passed down to the grand duchess from her great-grandfather.
Since Nasrosoltan, in his excitement, was so focused on the piano, he had not yet been introduced to Princess Irina. Attempting to salvage this awkward moment, Madame Lazar nervously interjected, “Your Serene Highness Princess Irina Alexandrovna, I would like to introduce Monsieur Minbashian.”
Nasrosoltan suddenly came to himself, recognizing his blunder in etiquette. He bowed slightly with his hand on his heart. “I pray Your Serene Highness does not mistake my deep admiration for such a wonderful work of art as a sign of my disrespect. On the contrary, I am truly honored to have the opportunity of tutoring Your Highness, especially on such a glorious instrument!”
In return, the princess, tongue-tied and diffident, smiled in silence, avoiding his eye. At the request of Madame Lazar, Princess Irina then sat at the piano bench alongside her. The Madame wanted to show Nasrosoltan what piece she had last worked on with Irina to give him a baseline from which to proceed in his upcoming lessons.
Nasrosoltan sat at an adjacent chair and studied her form for proper posture, for he believed that to play the piano correctly, it was important how the body was placed in front o
f it. He took advantage of his seating position to observe the whole scene instead of just watching the placement of the fingers and hands.
He noted how wonderful the piano itself sounded, with its leather-covered hammers and wool dampers. It was the perfect instrument to play Beethoven’s piano sonata no. 27, which the Madame had been teaching the princess to play. Nasrosoltan was fond of this piece and considered the main melody exquisite, containing both passion and energy.
Beethoven himself had indicated in German regarding the final movement of the work, “Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen.” (“Not too swiftly and conveyed in a singing manner.”) But in the little time Nasrosoltan observed Irina playing it, he noticed that the Madame had unfortunately not communicated this nuance in her tutoring.
It seemed to Nasrosoltan that the princess had talent at playing and was also good at taking instruction, even though she appeared nervous. He attributed this to her being uncomfortable with a stranger looking over her shoulder. Having taught music to many students in Tehran and Shiraz, he understood that with practice and familiarity, this nervousness would pass.
Every so often, Irina tried to steal a glance at Nasrosoltan to see if she could detect whether he approved of her playing. However, her effort was to no avail, for he showed no sign, at least none that she could decipher.
Nasrosoltan was quite enamored by the piano and eagerly awaited a moment when he could sit and play. Still, he did not want to seem overly enthusiastic, especially on this first visit to the palace.
The princess, who was having trouble playing a section of the piece, asked Madame Lazar to show her how to correctly perform the part. The Madame, due to her injury, and as if reading Nasrosoltan’s mind, turned to him and asked, “Monsieur Minbashian, would you do us the honor?” She got up and offered him her place on the piano bench.
Princess Irina became flustered at the suggestion, for she did not expect that he would sit in such proximity to her, and she proceeded to get up in a gesture of presenting the whole bench to him. However, Madame Lazar motioned for her to remain seated, which she did with some hesitation.
Nasrosoltan first asked Irina’s permission to sit beside her, and once again, with a shy nod, she gave her approval and he sat down. He pointed to the sheet music and said, “Your Highness, as you can see, Beethoven himself has notated on this composition that it should be played not too swiftly and conveyed in a singing manner.” Then he proceeded to play the part as intended by the composer.
Nasrosoltan could not believe how beautiful this instrument sounded as he played. He felt a unique bond between each finger and the ivory keys they were placed on. In what seemed an effortless manner, Beethoven’s music filled the room with an elegance that left Madame Lazar and Irina awestruck. He performed as if he were on a concert stage, oblivious to his surroundings. Nasrosoltan found it surprising that in the span of a few hours, what at first seemed to him a tedious weekly chore had suddenly transformed into a time he would look forward to, just to sit at this noble piano.
He played with such passion that, unbeknownst to him, both the grand duke and duchess had entered the music room, standing in silence at the doorway, not wanting to disturb his performance.
When he finished, the grand duchess began to applaud, and Nasrosoltan felt a hint of embarrassment as he had completely lost himself in his playing, almost forgetting where he was.
Nasrosoltan attempted to get up from the piano to stand in respect for the grand duke and duchess, but the grand duchess signaled for him to stay seated to continue with his lesson.
As Irina’s parents left the room, Nasrosoltan sat back on the bench and turned to address the princess. “This piece is one of only a few of Beethoven’s compositions that carry such instruction of playing in a singing manner, in place of the traditional Italian tempo markings. That is why I admire it so much; when performed properly, it is as if the piano itself has come to life and is singing the maestro’s creation!”
His playing moved Irina. She had never had a tutor with such charisma and confidence. She found something charming about his self-assuredness, which reminded her of her own father, yet his sense of confidence also unsettled her.
Nana, who heard the applause emanating from the music room, rushed in, not wanting to be left out of the happenings. With a smile, she winked at Madame Lazar, signaling her approval of the man she had proposed to become Irina’s tutor.
Madame Lazar hinted that it was time to conclude the day’s lesson. When they got up from the piano bench, Nasrosoltan told Irina, “Your Serene Highness should continue practicing this piece so that we can work on it next week.”
As they were leaving the palace, the grand duchess thanked Madame Lazar again for having introduced Nasrosoltan, which made the Madame think that it was good he would be going back to Persia by the end of the year. For if not, she supposed, she would not have the opportunity to reclaim her position, considering the surprisingly pleasant reception Nasrosoltan had received at the palace this day.
Chapter 17
Sowing the Seeds of Doubt
The winter months passed swiftly as Nasrosoltan kept busy with his music coursework and accompanying auditions, in addition to tutoring the princess every week. He found it gratifying that the sessions were proceeding better than he initially expected. In fact, for the first time in a long while, Nasrosoltan felt everything was going his way.
In the beginning, Madame Lazar’s tagging along each week had irritated him, but he now saw the benefit of her attendance. She spent the time chatting over tea with Nana in the kitchen, and this allowed him to be more at ease in teaching the princess without the Madame’s ever-curious eyes looking over his shoulder.
The visits to the palace had become an enjoyable pastime for him. He began looking forward to the weekly appointment, especially when he had the opportunity to play the Tischner. Nasrosoltan was also pleased that on some occasions, after the conclusion of the lesson, the grand duke would invite him into his study to enjoy a brandy.
Grand Duke Alexander had a curious nature. Initially, he mostly inquired about the conservatory students' views on the political situation in the country. As an advisor to the tsar, the grand duke knew he must have his ear to the ground for any rumblings amongst the students, believing that radical ideas and protests usually first took root among them.
In their first couple of meetings, Nasrosoltan was unsure if this was the real reason for the grand duke’s interest in him. But as the weeks went by, and they spent more time together discussing many topics of mutual interest, a feeling of respect developed between the two men. Most of the time, there was light conversation centering around music, history, or archaeology, a topic the grand duke had a fascination with. He was curious to learn more about the ancient Persian capital of Persepolis once he became aware that Nasrosoltan had visited the historical ruins when he lived in nearby Shiraz.
But during their last meeting, the grand duke seemed distracted, and their conversation turned heavy. When Nasrosoltan asked him the reason, a gloom fell over the grand duke as he unexpectedly shared his personal feelings about an impending European war. “Unfortunately, very few agree with my prediction, but I believe such a war will happen within a few years, and I worry that Russia is ill-prepared for such an event.” He confided in Nasrosoltan that he was preoccupied with how to militarily make his country ready for what was to come.
Even though Nasrosoltan appreciated the grand duke’s feeling close enough to divulge his private concerns, this comment surprised and worried him. Russia had now mostly recovered from the upheavals of several years ago: the humiliating Russo-Japanese War, the massacre of Bloody Sunday, and the continuous strikes and unrest. The grim view the grand duke had offered did not correspond to the spirit of optimism and the unprecedented prosperity the country was experiencing in 1913.
***
Meanwhile, Rustam had returned to St. Petersburg from his long trip to Siberia. As usual, he was staying at the A
storia, where Nasrosoltan had come to meet him one evening. Over dinner, as they discussed the political situation and the rumbling social unrest, Rustam mentioned, “Russia is now in its prime, and the next few years will probably be the best years for the country and consequently for my business.” Nasrosoltan understood the implication that Rustam’s already impressive fortune would rise along with the country’s projected growth.
Rustam confessed, “The only concern I have is with the pesky Balkan States. What really worries me is that they will not be able to settle their differences on the share of the spoils of their victory over the Ottoman Empire.” After a few more sips of his drink, with flushed cheeks, he said to Nasrosoltan, “If they are not careful, they could even lead Russia into a broader war with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and that, my friend, would be a major catastrophe.”
Nasrosoltan replied, “But I thought war is always good for business, isn’t it?”
Rustam nodded in agreement. “I meant catastrophic in terms of the destruction that would be unleashed, but of course, we businessmen always make money during times of conflict. I just have a sense we could make even more with just a few extra years of peace and prosperity.” Nasrosoltan found it interesting that Rustam echoed the grand duke’s speculation of an impending regional conflict.
In return, Nasrosoltan shared what he had been up to while his friend had been away but made no mention of the gaming house fiasco. Then he casually added, “And in addition to all my work at the conservatory, I am now tutoring Princess Irina.”
Nasrosoltan displayed an air of fulfillment, especially when he mentioned in a subtle but bragging manner, “The grand duke sometimes even invites me to drink brandy with him after the conclusion of his daughter’s lessons.”
A Hundred Sweet Promises Page 13