Andante con Brio

XLV

Oh my God, but Todd had not exaggerated about the opulence, had he? The foyer alone was a marvel and he craned his neck left and right, trying to take it all in. Another giant set of stairs and the wooden panels above them cast lights and shadows everywhere. He didn't say a word as he followed the rest of the group into the concert hall. 
Whoa.
Once again he had not been able to appreciate the scale of it all on photos he had seen. Row after row of wooden seats leading down to a massive stage filled with chairs, with elevated banks of seats with light red cushions behind and all around it. The massive organ behind the stage, drawing his eyes up towards more arches, this time made of wood. Contemporary gothic, he had heard it described. 
Whatever it was called, it was beautiful, and it tugged at his heart. Would he ever stand on that stage? As a soloist? Or even just as one of the violinists, walking up there and taking a seat as if he belonged here? 
He didn't even care right now if he had to play second violin, he just wanted to be up there, he just wanted one of those chairs to be his, one of those stands to hold his sheet music. 
He wanted that more than almost anything in the whole world. 
People were piling in all around them and he couldn't just stand here like a lemon so he looked down at the ticket Todd had passed him earlier. 
"Let's find our seats?" 
"Yeah, I think we're in that bay over there." 

He felt like he was in a trance by the time they were settled into the bay. Four bright-eyed boys, right on the edge of the bay so they would be able to see everything. He would be looking right into the concert master's face, would be able to see what he did, how he lead. 
Oh Todd. 
Before he could say or do anything else the lights dimmed a bit and the orchestra started coming onto the stage. Violinist after violinist walked on and sat down, and in his mind's eye it was him, walking on with his violin and taking one of the first seats. With Brett beside him, of course. Who  else? 
He had to remind himself to blink as the oboe gave its A=440 and the orchestra tuned. 

Mahler symphonies were long, very long, but see if he cared. He could have sat there forever with his hand against Brett's under the arm rest, roused by the first movement, almost in tears at the beauty of the slow movement, then slayed with the agony of the last. For ever, he wouldn't have cared, he could have turned to stone and listened for all eternity, done nothing more than listen to the haunted tones for the rest of his life. 
But of course time doesn't work like that and he unfroze automatically and clapped, clapped harder than he ever had before when the conductor bowed and walked off the stage, only to come back on again ten seconds later. Before he knew it everyone around them was getting up. 
"Todd." He was surprised his voice actually worked, albeit breathily. "Thanks." 
Todd grinned, his own eyes shiny, his own cheeks pink. 
"Don't thank me yet, you can do that after we go backstage and meet some of the musicians."
Wait, what? 
He knew he was staring, his jaw dropped, his eyes wide, but he couldn't quite stop himself. 
"Yeah, my teacher is friends with one of the first violinists, and when I told him we were coming here he gave me their number. I need the bog, and then we can go?"