Mozart's Melody

A chapter from my book,  In Duet with God: The Story of a Lifelong Friendship coming 2014. 

One evening, watching a movie called “Elvira Madigan,” I became enchanted by the most beautiful melody. I was thirteen at the time. The movie was poignant and sad, its soundtrack gentle. When I heard Mozart’s music, it was like hearing a song from heaven. I had to play it. This is the beautiful theme that captivated me...

 

At first, my teacher discouraged me from learning the piece. Not because she didn’t believe I could do it. The entire composition—Mozart’s Piano Concerto #21—was fifty pages long. Besides the slow, lilting melody I’d fallen in love with, other parts were fast and challenging. But I was doubtless. I knew that my inspiration would make it possible. It never occurred to me that I couldn’t learn the music, or that it was far more difficult than anything I’d played before.

In my concerto, the piano carries the theme as the orchestra creates a panorama of sound around it. My teacher had two pianos placed side-by-side in her living room. As I learned the music, we’d practice the concerto together in duet. On one piano, I played the solo part. On the other, my teacher played the orchestral accompaniment. Three years went by and with my teacher’s help I mastered the music.

Every year, a well-known conservatory in our area hosted a competition. My teacher encouraged me to audition. If I won, I’d have the privilege of performing my concerto with their orchestra. The competition was especially challenging. As well as pianists, many accomplished brass, string, and wind players were vying for the prize.

I practiced and practiced, preparing more for that competition than I had for anything else in my life. To sustain my inspiration, I listened to famous pianists. The experience of hearing their performances fueled my confidence. I decided to bring a favorite recording to the audition. I’d listen to it as part of my warm-up.

The day of the competition arrived. As we entered the stately conservatory, a woman greeted us. She showed me to a practice room. My teacher went to the auditorium to hear the other contestants. The practice room was on the second floor, far from the auditions. The room was peaceful and filled with light. A grand piano sat near a large window.

Alone in the room, I began to warm up. For fifteen or twenty minutes, I focused on the challenging sections of my piece. But, I couldn’t calm myself. Anxiety coursed through my body. I stopped playing and put on the recording. I began to listen quietly. Slowly, the music flooded my mind. My fear dissolved. I was brought back to the feeling I had when I first heard the music years earlier.

Suddenly, the practice room door opened. The woman from the conservatory looked in. My audition would start in five minutes. She paused for a moment and added, “You know, the competition is very steep.” What happened next was unexpected. I looked directly at her, imbued with the splendor of the music, the words erupting from my lips before I could think, “I am the competition."

My teacher was waiting in the auditorium. We took our places, each at a nine-foot, grand piano. The two pianos were positioned so that we faced one another. We began to play. The concerto rose from our hands in all its magnificence, the phrases weaving in and out, fresh and alive. Finally, we reached the slow movement with its sublime beauty. As I played, the melody came forth, one note to the next, exquisite and delicate. I lost track of time. The judges faded into the background. Mozart’s melody was all I could hear. It was the only sound on earth.

With much deliberation, the judges awarded me second place. First prize went to a violinist. The decision was controversial—the boy was already a professional. He had just returned from concertizing in South America. I was disappointed that I didn’t win. But I imagined what it might be like to perform in such an exotic place. After all, the dearest person in my life - Flora - was from there.

(c)2014 Jessica Roemischer, all rights reserved/In Duet with God (R)

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