Holler knows that he will soon die. Instead of withdrawing into the arms of his family, he withdraws from them. His only remaining aim in life is to persuade Alfred Brendel to play the definitive interpretation of Franz Schubert's Wanderer Fantasy, just for him. Both in his life and dream he is no longer prepared to accept compromises, and he can only muster disgust for his wife's shameless pursuit of high society thrills and his son's materialist aspirations. To their shocked consternation, Holler sells his profitable business and decamps to rural Tuscany. In the sleepy Tuscan village of Castelnuovo he's seen as a decidedly odd stranger; he walks about town with a towel wrapped around his head to prevent it from splitting, inspects the community hall to check its suitability as a concert venue and hires the inhabitants of Castelnuovo's old people's home as stewards for the performance. But will Holler's humanity be revealed before it is too late?

Translated by: Eugene H. Hayworth