Partita Characters

The narrator and central figure, a gifted pianist from rural Tennessee. The notes refer to her as Livia, the narrator, Planets, Miss Livia, Livia Bohusz, Livia Cable, Livvie, Lee, and once Mercy. She carries grief over her brother Cy's suicide and is haunted by her past with Sigurd.

Arc: She moves from a transformative college music career into a traumatic pregnancy and hand injury, then rebuilds a quiet life as a piano teacher and dairy owner with Charlie. Sigurd's return forces her to confront buried secrets, her mother's hoard, and old losses before she can let go and hold on to what she has.

• Sigurd — former lover; father of the pregnancy she lost
• Charlie Cable — husband and dairy co-owner
• Jon Link — former lover and roommate
• Cyrus (Cy) — brother who died by suicide
• Mickie — sister-in-law and close friend
• Amadeo — friend, employer, and musical mentor
• Gaz (Gaspard/Gazzie) — her dog and companion

A Marxist union organizer and typesetter whom Livia meets on campus when he is selling The Militant. He is charismatic, dedicated to the Party, and becomes Livia's lover before leaving for Arizona and later Los Angeles. He reappears decades later after receiving a diagnosis, seeking to see her.

Arc: He draws Livia into a passionate relationship, then leaves her for Party work, unaware of her pregnancy and hand injury. He returns seeking forgiveness and connection, but Livia's life and losses have made reconciliation complicated.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — former lover; father of her lost pregnancy
• Charlie Cable — meets him at the final recital
• Amadeo — knew him and Livia as a couple
• Betsy — Party branch organizer who read Livia's letter to him

Livia's husband, a farmer and dairy worker who was her childhood neighbor. He is quiet, practical, and good with animals and machinery; his grandmother backed over him with a mower when he was six, leaving him with a prosthesis.

Arc: He helps Livia recover after her accident, becomes her secret lover and then husband, and co-owns the dairy. He supports her while remaining patient with the unresolved grief she carries.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — wife
• Faye Cable — mother
• Mickie — sister
• Teddy — father
• Willard Bohusz — former employer who wanted him to marry Livia

Livia's teaching assistant in music theory, later roommate and lover. A grad student in music and oboist, he is kind, privileged, and headed to Munich; he and Livia share music but their attachment dies.

Arc: He begins as Livia's partner and advocate, encouraging her Liszt, but their relationship fades. He leaves for Munich, and Livia moves out and later learns he dates Stephania.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — former lover and roommate
• Percussion — friend
• Bassoon — friend
• Stephania Schmidt — later girlfriend

Livia's older brother, sensitive and different, who hated sports and secretly learned piano with Livia in an empty church. He died by suicide at seventeen, stepping in front of a train.

Arc: His death shapes Livia's family and grief. Hidden letters later reveal he loved Marshall Stilwell, who was sent away in the Marines, and that he could not face life without him.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — sister
• Livia's mother — mother
• Willard Bohusz — father
• Marshall Stilwell — lover

Livia's sister-in-law and close friend, Charlie's sister. She is talkative, warm, and family-centered, raising Betts and Ethan with James.

Arc: She supports Livia through her mother's hoard and Cyrus's letters while navigating her children's futures. She remains a steady confidante and pushes Livia to read the truth.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — sister-in-law and friend
• Charlie Cable — brother
• James — husband
• Betts — daughter
• Ethan — son
• Faye Cable — mother

A cook and music lover who runs Gorgo's, where Livia works after her breakdown. He is protective, treats Livia as family, and later becomes her boss and musical guardian.

Arc: He hires Livia after Sigurd leaves, comforts her, and later helps her after her hand injury. He retires in Bloomington, loses his wife, and remains a lifelong friend.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — friend, employer, and musical guardian
• Sigurd — knew him and Livia as a couple
• Tosca, Elektra, Minnie, Carmen — daughters

Livia's mother, a farm wife and former Nashville singing hopeful whose own dreams were crushed. She is bitter, secretive, and a hoarder; in the present she is dead.

Arc: She gives up on life after losing Cy, keeps secrets including Cyrus's note and letters, and remains a haunting, unresolved presence for Livia. Livia's discoveries reveal her hidden musical past and pain.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — daughter
• Cyrus (Cy) — son
• Willard Bohusz — husband

Livia's father, a dairy farmer who runs CyLee Dairy. He is proud, hardworking, and eventually dies of cancer after choosing to save the farm rather than pay for an operation.

Arc: He leaves the dairy to Livia and the house to her mother, wanting the farm to stay in the family. His will and deal with Charlie shape Livia's adult life.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — daughter and inheritor
• Cyrus (Cy) — son
• Livia's mother — wife
• Charlie Cable — hired hand and chosen son-in-law

Charlie and Mickie's mother, Teddy's wife, and a practical, compassionate neighbor. She nurses Willard, runs the Bohusz household, and later becomes Livia's mother-in-law.

Arc: She cares for Livia through recovery, advocates for her, and eventually gifts her a Steinway. She moves to a smaller place with Teddy as the younger generation takes over.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — daughter-in-law
• Charlie Cable — son
• Mickie — daughter
• Teddy — husband

Livia's devoted border collie, also called Gaspard and Gazzie. He is alert to her distress, dislikes the mother's hoard, and remains close to her through crises.

Arc: He accompanies Livia from present-day farm life back into memories and through her mother's house, the fire, and the final recital. He is the dog for whom Deronne plays Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — owner and companion
• Dolly — grandmother
• Ondine — mother
• Deronne — plays Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit for him

A music friend of Livia and Jon Link, later revealed to be Percussion's partner. He is earnest and caring, visits Livia in the hospital, and helps her recover.

Arc: He returns from Munich, comes out with Percussion, and becomes Livia's caregiver after her hand injury. He remains a loyal friend.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — friend and caregiver
• Percussion — partner
• Jon Link — friend

A friend of Jon Link and Bassoon who often drops in at Livia's apartment. He is outgoing and fond of drink, and later becomes Bassoon's partner.

Arc: He is part of Livia's college circle, then returns from Munich as Bassoon's partner and visits her after her injury.

• Bassoon — partner
• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — friend
• Jon Link — friend

Livia's demanding piano instructor, who doubts her ability to play Liszt but later praises her. He is exacting and somewhat intimidating.

Arc: He pushes Livia and then recognizes her talent, recommending her for accompanying work. Later Livia resents him but still measures herself against his standards.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — piano teacher and jury judge
• Herr Brockhaus — recommended Livia for Brockhaus's accompanist job

A physician's assistant who becomes Livia's confidante and medical advocate. She is warm, direct, and protective.

Arc: She cares for Livia after the hand injury, reveals her pregnancy, and later challenges the hospital over unlawful bills and records.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — patient and confidante
• Bassoon — later took over from him as Livia's bosom friend of convenience

A clinic patient coordinator who calls Livia back and explains the clinic's closure and legal limits. She is practical and compassionate.

Arc: She helps Livia understand abortion access barriers and refers her to University Hospital. She represents the limited options Livia faces.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — clinic patient coordinator assisting her

Faye's husband and Charlie and Mickie's father. He works tobacco and later helps plan the dairy transition.

Arc: He recovers from a broken hip and moves with Faye to a smaller place. He supports the younger generation's farming plans.

• Faye Cable — wife
• Charlie Cable — son
• Mickie — daughter
• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — daughter-in-law

Mickie's husband, Ethan and Betts's father. He works in construction and holds anti-college views.

Arc: He marries Mickie, raises a family, and plans for Ethan to take over his business. He remains a supporting presence in Livia's rural community.

• Mickie — husband
• Ethan — son
• Betts — daughter
• Charlie Cable — brother-in-law

Mickie and James's son, a hardworking young man who helps with hay and construction. He does not want to go to college.

Arc: He plans to work with James and take over the construction business, resisting the college path his mother values.

• Mickie — mother
• James — father
• Betts — sister
• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — aunt by marriage

Mickie and James's daughter, close friends with Cleo and Theresa. She has a homemade tattoo and confides to Mickie that she wants to be queer.

Arc: She works out her identity and tests it with her mother, growing into a young woman sure of her own path.

• Mickie — mother
• James — father
• Ethan — brother
• Cleo — friend

The Bohusz family dog, who keeps vigil by Willard's bedside. She is thought unable to have pups and goes missing for years.

Arc: She disappears two days before Christmas and is found in April with a single pup, Ondine, a miraculous return for Livia.

• Willard Bohusz — devoted to him
• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — family dog
• Ondine — pup

Dolly's single pup, named by Mickie. She is Gaspard's mother and a good herder.

Arc: She is born after Dolly's long absence and becomes part of Livia's family of dogs. Her pup is Gaspard.

• Dolly — mother
• Gaz (Gaspard/Gazzie) — son
• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — owner

A famous, famously particular Lieder singer for whom Livia accompanies. He is egotistical and particular about his studio and routines.

Arc: He performs his Visiting Master Concert with Livia and then leaves, prompting Dr. Betis to recommend Livia to another visiting artist.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — accompanist
• Stephania Schmidt — calls him His Majesty

A rival pianist in the music department who forms a clique against Livia. She is competitive and mocking.

Arc: She belittles Livia's playing and later dates Jon Link, becoming a recurring antagonist in Livia's college memories.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — rival pianist and enemy
• Jon Link — later girlfriend

Sigurd's grade-school music teacher who brought Holst's The Planets to class and later serves as a cautionary example for Livia.

Arc: She appears in memories as a teacher associated with musical exposure and limited teaching paths.

• Sigurd — former grade-school music teacher
• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — discussed as a cautionary example

An eighteen-year-old named in clippings and in Cyrus's letter as Cyrus's lover. He was sent away in the Marines because of their relationship.

Arc: His forced departure is revealed as the reason Cyrus could not go on living. Livia wonders if he might be found and told that Cy was perfect.

• Cyrus (Cy) — lover
• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — wonders about him and asks if Charlie knows any Stilwells

A dairy worker hired by Livia and Charlie, also called Manuel. He calls Livia 'Fingers' and is earnest and family-oriented.

Arc: He works at the dairy, finds Dolly behind the milk room, and celebrates Livia's first calf pull.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — employer
• Eddie — son
• Cookie — niece

Livia's piano teacher after Miss Edna, in a town forty minutes away. She gave weekly 'scorching' and corrected pedaling and hand position.

Arc: She trained Livia's discipline and focus, and later Livia seeks her out but does not get out of the car.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — piano teacher

Livia's later piano teacher, who arranged competition fee waivers and pushed her toward a college music scholarship.

Arc: He supports Livia's transition to serious music study and college.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — piano teacher and mentor

A substitute chorus teacher who told Livia she had to get to a good instructor before being ruined and drove her there herself.

Arc: She intervenes in Livia's musical training, setting her on a better path.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — substitute chorus teacher who intervened in her training

The one piano teacher in Livia's town, who taught her to read notes and rapped rhythms with a ruler. Her recitals appear in the programs Livia finds.

Arc: She gives Livia her first formal piano instruction, part of her musical foundation.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — first piano teacher

The family doctor who checks on both Livia and Willard, adjusting their medications. He is a practical presence in the illness and death scenes.

Arc: He attends Willard's decline and Livia's recovery, part of the rural caregiving network.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — doctor
• Willard Bohusz — patient

Livia's favorite piano student, a boy who devours assignments and finds his own sheet music. He plays Duke Ellington and later Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit.

Arc: He surprises Livia by playing Gaspard de la nuit for her dog, Gaspard, and earns a standing ovation.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — piano teacher
• Gaz (Gaspard/Gazzie) — plays Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit for him

An adult piano student who wants to play Elgar's 'Salut d'Amour' as a surprise for her new husband at their wedding reception.

Arc: She breaks down while practicing, then plays it through with Livia's help, facing her wedding nerves.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — piano teacher
• her unnamed husband — she plans the Elgar as a surprise for him

One of Livia's piano students and a member of The Furies. She is grieving her late pappaw and wanted to play 'Go Rest High on That Mountain' at the recital.

Arc: She suffers a wardrobe malfunction, then finally performs the song for her grandfather at the impromptu recital, moving Livia.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — piano teacher
• Rose — fellow Fury
• Cleo — fellow Fury
• Mammaw — grandmother and caretaker

One of Livia's piano students, a member of The Furies, and the shy one. She gave Betts a homemade tattoo and is loyal to her friends.

Arc: She plays Satie's Gnossienne No. 3 while Rose and Bella act out the directions, possibly as a stage-fright strategy.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — piano teacher
• Rose — fellow Fury
• Bella — fellow Fury
• Betts — friend

One of Livia's piano students and a member of The Furies. She is outspoken and impressed by Livia's past with the Knoxville Symphony.

Arc: She performs with The Furies and acts out Satie's performance directions, part of the final recital's chaotic warmth.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — piano teacher
• Bella — fellow Fury
• Cleo — fellow Fury

Bella's grandmother and caretaker, who has put by fifteen dollars a week for piano lessons. She has a son in prison and is raising a wild child.

Arc: She attends the recital, feels a spell coming on, and is cared for by Bella. She represents the community's endurance.

• Bella — granddaughter and caretaker
• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — longtime piano-lesson patron

A flautist who befriended Livia in college and visits her in the hospital. She is enthusiastic and worried.

Arc: She bonds with Livia over a Fauré piece, is gone for the summer, and returns to visit after Livia's injury.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — flautist friend and acquaintance
• Bassoon — visits Livia with him

The second-shift manager at Gorgo's who takes over the kitchen after the chef walks off. He drinks on the job and screams at Livia.

Arc: His abuse leads to Livia cleaning the dough roller and injuring her hand, a turning point in her life.

• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — manager at Gorgo's

The writer of cruel letters to Livia's mother, condemning her singing and her Nashville dreams. She appears through letters Livia finds in the hoarded house.

Arc: Her letters reveal the source of Livia's mother's crushed ambitions and the family pattern of punishment and secrecy.

• Livia's mother — daughter she condemned in letters
• Livia (Bohusz/Cable) — granddaughter who reads her letters