I said, “It’s a very original and unusual composition, composed by a wonderfully promising young woman, a student here at Berkeley. I’m just the orchestrator. It’s going to be performed at Treasure Island in a few days by an Asian ensemble, but I assume they know all the Italian terminology for dynamics.”

He took a rudimentary glance at the first page, making a series of light popping sounds with his lips as he appraised the chart.

I added, “Swing band instrumentation, but not a swing arrangement by any means. As you can see, I’ve written all the instruments in their own keys, so there’s no transposition for you to do.”

Haffner flipped the pages. “Ah, what a fabulous investment you are making to have me copy this!” he murmured. “Years from now the composition may be worth nothing, but the copying, Ah, they will say, this was in the hand of a master.” He flipped back to the first page. I knew he was capable of looking down a bar line and hearing what was written, but in the case of Swing, even his gifted mind would be tested.

He gave a small scowl. “Hm. A strange composition.”

I nodded my agreement. “A very new composer.”

“Hm.” He made a few more of those little popping noises and looked up at me. “Why don’t you have yourself some lunch? When you come back, I will tell you what I think and if I can do it.”

I looked at the satchel he carried with him and pictured the sandwich it contained. “No, Professor, please, at least have lunch with me, as my guest, no matter what you decide about the copying. It would be a wonderful honor after all these years. I’ll meet you in an hour, wherever you like. You can give me your appraisal then.”

“Very well. You can meet me at two o’clock at the First and Last Chance Saloon, and I will accept your hospitality. They serve a very good German beer there. As opposed to Berlin these days.”

Chapter 34

34

The First and Last Chance

I had snagged a table for us in the First and Last Chance Saloon, which was an accomplishment, as there were only four tables to go around. The entire bar was permanently tipsy, skewed at a downhill angle courtesy of the Great Earthquake of 1906.

Haffner entered, bringing Gail’s score with him. Standing over me, he asked, “You said this piece you have so excellently orchestrated was composed by a young woman?”

I was really pleased that he liked my orchestration. It meant so much to me. “Thank you, Professor. Yes, a young student, a wonderful girl, just twenty-one.”

“She is attractive?”

“I think most people would say that readily.”