Charles Auchester, Volume 1 (of 2)

A first-person narrator recounts a series of musical scenes centered on an idealized, saintly composer called Seraphael, blending memoir, fiction, and admiring portraiture. The narrative follows friendships, performances, pedagogical moments, and the emotional responses of a close circle of music-lovers, often presenting real-life musical figures in stylized form. Recurring themes include intense hero-worship, the spiritual power of music, and the interplay of rivalry and devotion within artistic life. The episodic structure moves from intimate domestic encounters to public concerts and ends in sorrowful commemoration of the composer's final days.