Set mostly in New York with a dense background of European culture, this enlightening story of musical passion documents the coming-of-age of pianist Dmitri Esterhaats as he develops from precocious adolescent to professional virtuoso. Esterhaats' gradual mastery of each new piece, from Bach to Bartok, draws upon the cultural and anecdotal history of the music itself. Meanwhile, Esterhaats finds his creative muse amongst the female musicians he accompanies, entangling the eroticism of making music and making love to the point that physical passion and ethereal passion become indistinguishable.