The film is about an elderly violinist (Ettore Rossetti) who had retired to live in solitude in the outskirts of Lugano. Before an accident suddenly put an end to this career, he played a Stradivarius. When the city of Lugano awards him a prize for his career, he says in his acceptance speech that music has actually destroyed his life. At the same event, a prize is awarded to the best débutant musician, Lea Melini, a 19 year old violinist. Fascinated by the eccentric personality of Rossetti, the young girl decides to pay him a visit. Then, after a falling out with both her parents and her boyfriend, she talks Rossetti into renting her an attic room for a few days. When Lea vanishes, her parents become worried and hire a private investigator (Beccuti). One night Rossetti hears Lea playing and it is like listening to the chant of mermaids. After that, the old musician decides to “liberate” the Stradivarius, which is locked up in a safety deposit box at the bank, and give it to Lea. Doing this was not an easy accomplishment as Rossetti’s divorce settlement unfairly assigned the instrument to his former wife. Rossetti is thus compelled to “steal” the violin without leaving a trace. His ex-wife becomes suspicious when she notices his renewed interest in the Stradivarius and she coincidentally ends up hiring the same detective as Lea’s parents. A series of misunderstandings and mix-ups further complicate the plot. Rossetti asks his cleaning lady, Michelle, to help him take possession of the Stradivarius. Having put aside her initial scruples, Michelle is excited by the request. She rents a safety deposit box, looks carefully into the bank’s safety policies and dreams up the perfect plan for Rossetti. As preparations for the theft progress, Rossetti and Michelle become romantically involved. When things come to a head, the plan seems destined to fail, but in the end it is successful. Both the violin and Rossetti are “set free”. The musician’s vital energies are reawakened and, in spite of his age, Rossetti is now ready to face new and exciting challenges.