Witches’ Dance

Hilda Greer love affair with the violin began at the age of seven, when she attended a performance by the virtuoso Phillip Manns. She believed him with a child's faith when he declared himself the reincarnation of NiccolÃ2 Paganini and then dashed from the stage, his mind in ruins. Nearly a decade after his breakdown, Phillip Manns is a recluse, insulated against the temptations of music until a former colleague begs him to teach at a nearby conservatory. Itâ (TM)s there that he meets Hilda Greer, whoâ (TM)s come to audition and plays the piece that started it all: Paganiniâ (TM)s Le Streghe, or Witchesâ (TM) Dance. Entranced by the character of Hilda's playing and unable to resist the siren call of music, Phillip takes Hilda under his wing. The two start a witchesâ (TM) dance of their own, a whirlwind that sweeps them toward the International Paganini Competition. When their curtain falls, one will bask in the music worldâ (TM)s acclaim and the otherâ (TM)s world will be shattered completely.