Josef

“Yes, it is painful, but I returned for two reasons. First, I’ve been homesick for my birthplace but, more importantly, I want

to see if there is something I can do to help restore Porec to its former greatness.”

“That’s quite a noble statement coming from someone so young,” replied Professor Milosevic.

“I have a lot of money set aside in a trust fund that was paid to me for my concert appearances. I can’t think of a better

way of using it than helping to restore Porec.”

“Josef, you are so like your father in that respect. He was such a talented man that he received many offers to go to other

universities to teach and to conduct orchestras but he chose to stay here. He felt the city had given him so much he wanted to

repay it.”

This brought tears to Josef’s eyes. He then picked up the conversation. “I have a current project in mind that I would like

your help with if you are able.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“I would like to present a concert here with local musicians involved, an orchestra if possible. Are there still members of

the university music department who can provide help in securing local musicians, or participate themselves? Is there a park,

or other large outdoor area, where the concert can be held?

“Most important of all, can things be arranged to have the concert free? I would like to see residents who can’t afford a

concert get the chance to attend. Perhaps we can have tickets printed and distributed in poorer neighborhoods.”

Professor Milosevic considered all these ideas for a few minutes before he responded. “You sound more and more like

your father: that is the kind of concert he would wish to present. Let me make a few inquiries and I’ll get back to you. I have

someone in mind who has many contacts in the city and at the university. He knows how to make arrangements of the type

you have in mind. He’s also an expert at cutting red tape.”

Josef provided the professor with the name of the hotel where he and Francesca were staying. They departed following

fond embraces and the professor’s assurance he would contact Josef soon.

V: October-September, Year One

Two days later Josef received a message from Professor Milosevic asking Josef to come to his home. With the aid of

another taxi Josef and Francesca returned that afternoon. Seated in the parlor when they arrived was a tall, slender man in

his forties. He rose when they entered.

Professor Milosevic introduced him. “Josef Rankovic and Signora Cella, this is Professor Milos Kravitz. Milos has been

appointed Dean of the school of music at the university and has been preparing for the reopening of the university in the

Spring.”

Josef reached out his hand, “You have the same first name as one of my brothers, Professor. I guess that makes you

someone special.”

Professor Milosevic added, “I have discussed your project with Milos and he is very interested in what you plan to do. I’ll

let him tell you what he thinks can be done.”

“I think your proposal is wonderful, Josef. It is something that will help revitalize an interest in music in Porec. Now, here

is what I think I can help happen. First, there is a large area near the new university which I’m certain can be used for that

purpose. I will speak to a friend of mine at city hall about it. There should be no problem there. Second, another friend is a

printer who will be delighted to print as many tickets as you will need. He also will print posters that can be displayed

throughout the city. I’ll give you his address so you can talk to him.

“Third, it will take a little longer but I think I can put together the semblance of an orchestra. When do you wish to have this

program?”

“Within the next few weeks, before the weather turns too cold,” Josef replied.

“Okay, let me talk to my city hall friend about an early date. How about two weeks from this coming Sunday? That should

give me time enough to recruit musicians and have a few practice sessions.”

“That sounds wonderful to me,” said Josef. “There is one other concern I’ve had. Can we get some help in putting up the

posters and distributing tickets?”

“That shouldn’t be a problem; I’ll ask my own students to do that. We can set up a map of the city and assign each of

them an area to cover. How does that sound?”

“Perfect. One other question; how can we coordinate all this?”

“I have a temporary office near the university. We can use that office for working out the details. And, I have an

automobile at my disposal which you can use, as needed. What if I send the car for you tomorrow, Friday, and we begin

working on everything? Signora Cella is invited to, of course.”

‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” replied Francesca. “I’m sure there are ways I can help.”

“Now,” continued Professor Kravitz, “I must return to my office. I can drop you off at your hotel if you’d like.”

Josef thanked professor Milosevic and promised to keep him informed of developments.

On Friday Josef and Francesca were picked up at their hotel and transported to Milo Kravitz’s office where they were

introduced to his secretary and a volunteer assistant, an elderly woman who said she remembered Josef’s papa from the

university. Josef sat down with Milos and together they outlined a tentative program for the concert. While they were doing

this his secretary contacted Milos’ private students and arranged for each of them to come to the office during the next few

days.

Before Josef arrived at the office Milos had already talked to his contact at city hall and to his printer friend. The city hall

contact was certain he could arrange for the use of the field. The printer promised, as soon as he was given a definite date,

to put his crew to work immediately on Josef’s needs.

By Monday morning all arrangements and permits were cleared and Josef began practicing on his violin for the several

selections he would play. During that week tickets were printed and Professor Kravitz’s students distributed them to people

living in poor neighborhoods. They also posted the posters in conspicuous places throughout the area.

Milos Kravitz, in the meantime, recruited a dozen musicians, including some of his better students, to become the

orchestra backing up Josef. The program was finalized and two lengthy rehearsals were held. Milos also contacted the

mayor and invited him and his staff to be certain there were no political slightings.

On the day of the concert, the first Sunday in October, people began arriving early, many of them coming directly from

church. As it was a warm, sunny day some brought picnic baskets and blankets which they spread out on the grass, ready to

stay the entire day. By the time the concert started, at 2 in the after noon, an estimated 5000 people, many of them children,

had gathered.

A temporary stage had been built, with the orchestra assembled at the rear of it. The mayor made a short speech,

mentioning Josef as a native of Porec then turned the program over to Milos Kravitz. The orchestra opened with a Croatian

march that had been proposed as a national anthem. This was followed by three other short selections before Josef was

introduced.

Josef played superbly, with no interruptions for almost an hour. His select- ions included two of his own compositions but

consisted mainly of music by well known composers. The audience rose as one to provide a standing ovation. To complete

the program Josef made a short speech declaring his love for Croatia and for his birthplace, Porec. He concluded with, ”I

might not be here in person very often but my heart will always be here.”

VI: October - December, Year One

Josef and Francesca stayed in Porec three more days before returning to

San Reino. They paid another visit to Professor Milosevic and his wife, and to Milo Kravitz, with Josef assuring them he

would return to Porec.

“Next time it won’t be 7 years,” he promised.

The last evening in Porec they again were guests at Anton’s restaurant, for a farewell dinner. Many of the patrons had

attended Josef’s concert and gave him a standing ovation when he was introduced. Josef sat at the piano and put on an

impromptu concert, incorporating several jazz variations into classical numbers. After their return to San Reino Josef

informed Francesca and Pietro that he wished to go back to Florence for a short time and then pay a return visit to the United

States. He had been invited some time ago to visit the family of the young woman, Christina Panelli, who had been his tutor

during his first United

States concert tour. He had not as yet made the visit.

At the end of October a gala 17th birthday party was held for Josef at the San Reino town hall where he had given a

concert years earlier. Many of the towns-people attended the party, to congratulate him on his success. As a thank you Josef

insisted on playing a short program for them.

The next day he returned to Florence and to Signor Marchetti’s home. He immediately communicated with Christina,

informing her he wished to belatedly accept her invitation to visit her family. Christina, who was now teaching at Columbia,

replied she would have no classes from December 12th through January 14th and asked him to come during that time period

and stay as long as he could.

Josef accepted her offer and asked if he could arrive two days after Christ mas as he wished to spend Christmas day

with Francesca and Pietro.

During the next two months, in Florence, Josef worked at fine tuning his most recent composition, an etude for violin. He

had hopes of completing this work and presenting it at a concert during the next year. His friend and advisor from the

conservatory, Professor Vicenzia, acting as his agent, had him booked for a concert in Vienna in May.

VII: December, Year One - February, Year Two

Josef returned to Florence on December 26th after spending Christmas Eve and Christmas day with Francesca and

Pietro and their two children. From Florence, on the 27th, he flew to New York and was met at the airport by Christina Panelli.

With Christina was her younger sister, Elena, an attractive younger version of Christina, who had come along to keep

Christina company. At 26 Christina had matured to become a beautiful young woman yet still had the youthful presence to

feel on equal footing with Josef.

Christina greeted Josef with a hug and then introduced Elena. With a shy smile Elena extended her hand. Josef, not

accustomed to girls his own age, blushed deeply.

Christina drove to the Long Island suburb where the Panelli home was located. On the way she and Josef talked about

what had happened in each of their lives since they had seen each other last, ignoring Elena who sat quietly in the back seat

throughout the conversation but not missing a word.

Christina discovered that Josef, in addition to his music, had completed the equivalent of a United States high school

education and was thinking of applying to a college in the United States. He needed to discuss that with Christina during his

visit. Christina told Josef that she was engaged to be married and that he would meet her fiancé that evening.

Josef had been introduced to Christina’s family at the time of his New York concert almost five years previously but hadn’t

had the chance to get to know them. He was overwhelmed by the greeting he received. Christina’s parents, Angelo and

Lucia Panelli, met them at the door and led them to a spacious living room. Here, they introduced their two sons, Michael,

who was 18, and Anthony, 21. Both sons were at home on a Christmas break from college. Anthony was a senior pre-law

student at Columbia and Michael a freshman at Yale, planning to make medicine his career.

“They are both with us for a few more days and then they have to return to school. They had to meet you before they

returned; they had heard so much about you.”

As they sat talking Josef repeated what he had told Christina about his college aspirations and also told them about his

visit to Porec. Following this, Christina’s mother showed Josef to the room he would be using. It was a large, sunny room

with its own bathroom and a large, empty chest of drawers that Mrs. Panelli suggested he could use if he wished to unpack all

his clothes.

“Make yourself comfortable, rest if you need to; we know you’ve already had a long day. Take a shower if you wish and

please, make yourself at home. This can be your home for as long as you wish to stay. We’ll have dinner at 7; the adults will

have cocktails first at 6:30.”

As it was after 4 PM New York time and after 11 PM Florence time, Josef followed her suggestion and took a short nap

then a shower before unpacking his clothes and placing them in the chest of drawers. At 6:30 he returned to the living room

where he was introduced to Christina’s fiancé.

Peter Geroni was a tall, dark-haired man in his late twenties. He grasped Josef’s hand and told Josef how pleased he

was to meet him. “I haven’t had the good fortune of hearing you play in person but Christina has much of your work on tape

so I hear it frequently.”

After the introduction Mr. Panelli approached Josef and said, “We are allowing Elena to have her first glass of wine this

evening. Would you also like a glass?”

“Yes, thank you, I would,” Josef answered.

Dinner was a noisy affair, dominated by the younger of the two brothers, Michael. He seemed to have a continuous line

of humorous patter that brought forth constant laughter from all the other members of the family. Many of the jokes were about

individual situations Michael had found himself in; at times they were inside jokes that the family understood but Josef did not.

Josef sat through the meal taking it all in but not involved in any of the banter.

Finally Michael realized they were leaving Josef out and apologized profusely. Josef told him to think nothing of it. “After

all, I’m European and need to learn about American humor, among the many other things I need to learn.”

As Josef would discover Michael also had his serious side but most of the time he was an ebullient, outgoing person who

found humor everywhere.

By 9:30 the dinner talk was still going on but Josef was feeling the effects of his long day and asked to be excused.

Before retiring he mentioned he had seen a piano in one of the rooms. “May I use it in the morning to practice a piece I’m

trying to learn?”

“Of course,” Mrs. Panelli replied. “We want you to make yourself at home so use the piano all you want. But not before 8

o’clock.”

When Josef realized she was joking with him he replied, “I’ll put it on mute.”

Mrs. Panelli, not aware that he was also joking, asked, “Can you do that?” She then noticed the grin on Josef’s face and

knew she had been taken.

In the morning when Josef arose at 7 he heard the clatter of dishes in the kitchen. He wandered that way and found Mrs.

Panelli there, already dressed, preparing breakfast.

“Good morning, Josef. Did you sleep well.”

“I think your American expression is, ‘Like a log.’ I don’t understand what it means but yes, I slept well. I thought all of you

would still be in bed. Is every- body else already up?”

“Only Elena, she gets up early to go running. She should be back soon. Would you like breakfast before you tackle the

piano?”

“Tackle?”

“I’m sorry, that’s another American expression. It means something like ‘go to work.’”

“Another American expression I’ll have to learn. And yes, I would love some breakfast, if it’s not too much trouble.”

Mrs. Panelli set a place for him at the kitchen table and served him a plate of bacon and eggs, with toast and orange

juice on the side. “Would you like coffee?” she asked.

“I haven’t learned to drink coffee as yet, but I’ll have a cup of tea if you have any.”

“No problem.”

As Josef was eating Elena returned from her run, said good morning to Josef and went to take a shower. By the time

she was out of the shower the rest of the family arrived and joined Josef at the table. Again, with good-natured banter from

Michael. While the family members were still eating Josef excused himself and made his way to the piano.

He had begun to learn a difficult excerpt from one of Chopin’s concerts while still in Florence; this was the number he had

mentioned the evening before that he wished to practice. As he was working on a particularly difficult section Elena, without

making her presence known, came into the room and sat quietly, listening.

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