On a dark and gloomy evening, the heirs of the deceased millionaire Jensen-Bosch gather at his old castle to hear his last wishes. The darkness lies close around the old castle, everything portends evil. As long as the family has existed, it has never been able to agree. When the will is read, seriousness spreads across their faces, and defiance and anger can be read in the expectant eyes.

In 1801, the composer Weyse's cousin, the cheerful Henriette Frisch, advised her cousin to take in some student boarders in the house, so that he would not have to provide so much musical information, but could have more time to compose. The result, however, was that Weyse had to take on even more students to feed the boarders, and it was particularly bad with the gifted student Kramer, whose wealthy uncle would not send any more money.