The Fifth String

In Short

This novella follows the meteoric, tragic arc of Angelo Diotti, a world-renowned violinist who finds himself unable to stir the heart of a beautiful, skeptical socialite. Desperate to bridge the distance between his mortal skill and her divine standard, he makes a Faustian bargain for a mysterious instrument with a "fifth string." Part gothic morality tale and part romantic drama, the work endures as an atmospheric exploration of the tension between artistic perfection and the vulnerability required for genuine human connection.

The Story

Angelo Diotti arrives in New York at the height of his European fame. An elegant and chivalrous figure, he is immediately captivated by Mildred Wallace, the daughter of a wealthy banker. When he performs his debut, he is devastated to find Mildred unmoved; she views music and art as mechanical contrivances, seeing only the “little cream-colored hammers” of a piano or the awkward mechanics of a singer’s throat. Her indifference destroys Diotti’s confidence, leaving him convinced that he is merely a man, while she requires a god.

Driven by this existential insecurity, Diotti disappears from public life and retreats to a remote island in the Bahamas. There, in a fit of frustration, he shatters his cherished Stradivarius. In his despair, a mysterious visitor—implied to be the Devil—appears, offering him a new violin equipped with a fifth string. This instrument possesses supernatural qualities: one string plays the song of joy, another the song of pity, and so on. Diotti realizes that if he plays this violin, he can finally move Mildred’s soul. He accepts the instrument, despite the dark consequences he senses will follow.

He returns to New York, and his next performance is a triumph that leaves the audience and Mildred spellbound. They soon fall in love, but their happiness is short-lived. Mildred’s father, disapproving of the musician, employs a cynical, elderly advisor named Sanders to drive a wedge between the couple. Sanders, a man of cold, materialistic instincts, becomes obsessed with Diotti’s violin, sensing something unnatural about it. One night, while Diotti is a guest at his home, Sanders sneaks into the room where the violin is kept and attempts to play it. He dies instantly, the exertion and the instrument’s power proving too much for him.

Diotti finds Sanders’ body and recognizes the danger he has unleashed. When he attempts to hide the truth, Mildred—fueled by her own suspicious and jealous nature—begins to interrogate him about the violin. She demands he cut the fifth string, a request he cannot grant without losing his power and, he believes, her love. Their relationship dissolves into a cycle of recrimination and emotional blackmail. Mildred eventually issues an ultimatum: if he does not play the cursed string during his next concert, they will part forever. During the performance, Diotti is forced to choose. He plays the string of Death, a composition of such haunting beauty that it transcends mortal limits. As the string snaps, the music ends, and Diotti falls to the stage, dead, leaving Mildred to weep over his body, finally united with him in a moment of tragic, irreversible revelation.

How It Unfolds

The arrival of the virtuoso Diotti debuts in New York to immense acclaim, meeting the indifferent Mildred Wallace at a high-society reception. Her inability to feel the emotional weight of art leaves the violinist deeply shaken.

The retreat into exile Convinced that only a divine talent can reach Mildred, Diotti abandons his contract and disappears to a Bahamian cay. His struggle to compose perfection leads to the destruction of his own instrument.

The Faustian bargain A mysterious visitor appears and provides a violin featuring an extra string. Diotti discovers that the instrument can evoke emotions so profound they can conquer any heart.

The fatal curiosity Sanders, the suspicious advisor to Mildred’s father, attempts to test the violin himself. The encounter leaves the old man dead, and Diotti burdened with the knowledge of the instrument’s lethal cost.

The ultimatum and the finale Mildred’s jealousy over the violin causes a rift, leading her to demand a performance on the forbidden string. Diotti plays, the string snaps, and the artist collapses, ending his life at the peak of his performance.

The People

Angelo Diotti is the central protagonist, a man defined by a refined, artistic soul that is ultimately corrupted by his own pride and insecurity. He desires Mildred’s love above his own life, yet he fails to see that his pursuit of "god-like" perfection makes him less, not more, human.

Mildred Wallace is a beautiful, intelligent woman whose emotional skepticism acts as a barrier to the world. She is not cruel, but she is exacting; her demand for a love that can touch her soul is what prompts Diotti to seek the dark power of the violin. Ultimately, her capacity for intense, jealous love—inherited from her mother—mirrors the danger she fears in the instrument itself.

Old Sanders serves as the story’s cold, cynical antagonist. A man who views human connection through the lens of money and social station, he represents the "earthly" force that opposes the ethereal, tragic love of the leads. His fatal attempt to master the violin highlights his hubris and his ultimate lack of understanding of the forces he tries to manipulate.

In Its Own Voice

Diotti explains the source of his profound melancholy to his sister, revealing the root of his obsession with the woman he cannot reach.

"I am not great enough for her. I am but a man; her consort should be a god."

Mildred expresses her inner void to the violinist, explaining why the artistic achievements of others have failed to stir her.

"I never hear a pianist, however great and famous, but I see the little cream-colored hammers within the piano bobbing up and down like acrobatic brownies."

After the bargain is struck, the tempter clarifies the specific purpose of the violin to the desperate, aspiring musician.

"Aye, more to you than the world," said the tempter, "a woman's love."

What It's Really About

The book is a meditation on the cost of perfection and the danger of using art as a tool for manipulation. Diotti’s tragedy is not that he lacks skill, but that he believes human emotion can—or should—be forced. By seeking to bypass the natural, messy, and imperfect ways that people connect, he turns his art into a weapon that eventually destroys him. The book questions whether we truly want to be "moved" if that movement is manufactured by forces beyond our control. It argues that love, like art, must be accepted in its limited, mortal form; to demand a "god-like" experience is to invite a devastating, hollow conclusion.

Why Read It Today

This novella is a fascinating artifact of the early 20th century, capturing a specific, slightly melodramatic flair for the gothic. Readers who enjoy the dark, psychological undertones of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray will find a similar vein of moral inquiry here, albeit with a focus on the sonic rather than the visual. It is a quick, atmospheric read that excels at building a sense of impending doom through its elegant, period-appropriate prose.

However, modern readers should be prepared for the book’s inherent theatricality. The characters often speak in grandiose, sweeping declarations that prioritize emotional impact over realistic dialogue, reflecting the stage-influenced style of its author, a world-famous bandmaster. Additionally, the depiction of the "mysterious visitor" and the sudden, fatal consequences of the violin are handled with a swiftness that favors fable-like economy over deep, grounded realism. If you are looking for a complex, slow-burn character study, you may find the brevity of the plot leaves some of the emotional shifts feeling abrupt. Yet, for those interested in the history of the "artist’s bargain" trope or a story that elegantly balances light, music, and the shadow of the supernatural, the book provides a haunting and memorable experience that lingers long after the final string snaps.