It's dinnertime at the Benoit house, and we're introduced to the narrator. He's a student at the conservatory, and he's about to play a piece by the famous French composer, Alphonse Moholy-Nagy. The narrator complains that the music critics have told him to play the piece in a certain way, or to play it the way they want it to be played. He also complains about the fact that the piece he'll be playing tomorrow isn't as well received as the one he played earlier in the day. The music critic, Clop, tells the narrator that the composer, who died in 1895, was a traveling musician who traveled from one part of the world to another. Clop says that musicians who don't travel are sad, but musicians who do travel are happy. The professor's wife, Madame Emmanuelle, interrupts the conversation to tell the narrator to chill out. She's worried that the dinner party is going to be a big success, and she's also worried that nodame is nervous. Monsieur Bovary, the butler, comes in and tells the young musician that the host is worried about his daughter's nerves. He suggests that the young man listen to the music critic's advice. The young musician says that he'd like to send the music to the young woman's recital, which is to be held the next day.