Signs on a Page by Erik D. Weiss

Author:Erik D. Weiss
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Koehler Books
Published: 2023-12-05T00:00:00+00:00

23

Molly dragged her tired body up into her house, shut the door, quickly freed herself from her tights and skirt and blouse, and sat on the couch in a loose T-shirt and sweatpants, a hot drink heating up on the burner. This was her favorite part of the day, and she just sat back and stared at the ceiling. Without looking, she turned on the stereo by remote and played her CD of Dvořák’s piano quintets.

In the morning, as she sipped her coffee before heading off on a few errands and then back to the library, Molly sauntered through her house, half expecting to find new hidden treasures—or even better, notes!—awaiting her. Not too long ago, she would have been terrified at the thought of anyone being in her house or watching her. But now, she almost relished the idea of a new clue, a new avenue for discovery, even though she knew not what she was discovering.

After a few days working on her favorite Rosicrucians and talking to potential clients who had little or nothing of interest to offer her, she met up with Roger at the grad school dining hall.

“Molly, I was thinking the other day about that German composer you were talking about.”

“Austrian,” Molly corrected with a smile.

“You know what I mean. There’s this music prof. I asked one of my friends about him. Perhaps he could have some info for you. I hear he’s into Brahms and stuff.”

“‘Brahms and stuff’?” she scoffed, then shrugged. “You’re right: doesn’t hurt to ask.”

“Exactly, so I invited him over here for dinner tonight.”

“Oh. Wow. You are becoming my little assistant, Rog!”

The professor failed to arrive until the two were enjoying their dessert, Molly eating ice cream and Roger crunching through a dry bowl of cereal.

Professor Munroe was a short, portly older man in tight suspenders.

“Sorry I’m so late. I was just dawdling in my office. So, Ms. McMurphy, Roger here tells me you’re a consulting researcher.” He chuckled. “Guess that’s what we are around here, but you’re getting paid to do it!”

Molly shared some academia quips with the older gentleman, who seemed nice, albeit eccentric. Perfect for a music professor. She then gave him a rundown of her Sussmayr research and question.

“I’m sure you know the Sussmayr quandary is one of the oldest in music history. Did he finish the Requiem? All we really can be sure of is that someone did, and most think he’s likely the one. In 1825, a fellow named Weber challenged the authenticity of the work, which Mozart’s wife, Constance Nissen—she remarried after Mozart died—argued was really Mozart’s work since she relied on the continued payments of Count Walsegg-Stuppach, who had commissioned the piece.

“She also had the trouble of convincing people that Mozart had indeed begun and written most of the piece. Constance had become annoyed with Sussmayr—for some reason I can’t find in my reading—and had thus asked other composers, like Joseph Eybler, Franz Jacob Freystadtler, Abbe Maximillian Stadler, to finish the work,”19 she summarized, then shared what she’d learned from the booklet written by Sussmayr’s student.

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