# Mr. Albert — The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories character guide

> Mr. Albert in The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Albert

**First appearance:** 0009-albert

## Snapshot

A destitute, half-mad violinist scraping by in Lucerne whose transcendent playing briefly pierces the indifference of a wealthy Russian tourist.

## Who they are

Mr. Albert performs for coins outside a Swiss hotel, ragged and trembling, yet when he plays, his music reveals a genius that his audience cannot reconcile with his appearance. A Russian gentleman invites him to the hotel, then watches as the other guests and servants humiliate and dismiss him. Albert's dignity in the face of their contempt forces the narrator to confront the gulf between social respectability and true human worth.

## In the story

### [Albert](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/chapters/albert)

A poor, disheveled, but brilliant musician. His violin playing reveals profound creative genius, but he is physically weak, dependent on alcohol, and lives in a state of social degradation.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/characters/albert
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/characters