The Other Side of Magic
by Lisa McDivitt
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After their first rehearsal of the Dukas, Liz had to start focusing on her solo performance of Britten’s Piano Concerto with the Juilliard Orchestra. In order to receive the distinction as the soloist for the Britten Concerto, Liz had to audition a month before. Each pianist has to bring his or her own accompanist, who plays the notes on another piano that will eventually be played by the orchestra. Liz asked Greg to accompany her, and Greg said he was more nervous playing as her accompanist than when they play as a duo. He was terrified of messing up her chances of winning the competition. But she did not lose.
Two weeks later, on November 14, Greg took his seat in the center of Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, with a perfect view of the stage. He placed a bag between his legs, under his seat, that held the purple flowered plant Liz had noticed two days before when they had been shopping in Whole Foods. After the first piece of the concert, the black concert grand piano was rolled out on stage. Greg had no idea what Liz had picked to wear for the performance, so he was eager to see her. Soon, she emerged from the side of the stage, and Greg clapped furiously. “Oh, she wore that one!” Greg said, excitedly. Liz was draped in a sleek turquoise dress. Liz bowed and took her place at the piano. All eyes were on her, including the conductors’, and when she was ready, she nodded.
As she played, she showed another side to her personality. On stage, she became a seductress, and without the confines of another person with her at the keys, she took complete charge of each element of the piano and won over the entire auditorium. On each enormous phrase, her arm launched off the piano with flourish. The piece finished with a strong, dramatic climax, and Greg jumped to his feet, screaming for her. And he was not the only one standing.
Backstage, a huge crowd gathered in order to congratulate Liz. Juilliard’s dean, the chairman of the board, and the president all waited near the doorway, so when Liz finally emerged, the room broke into a round of applause. Liz, still flushed from her performance, smiled and bowed slightly to the crowd. “Thank you!” she said, laughing, back to the easy, light demeanor of her everyday personality. After almost 20 minutes, after almost every person in the room had had their chance to kiss her cheeks and congratulate her, only a few people remained in the room. Her mother was one, and Greg was the other. Greg rushed over to Liz and swept her up off her feet, turning her around. “That was so much better than the last time!” Greg said, and Liz beamed, “Really?” He gave her the bag he had been carrying and she looked inside, then laughed, and looked up at him, “It’s the plant!”
Once Liz had played her solo, she was able to concentrate more on the duo music. One of the ways students at Juilliard get practice performing is by playing for evening division classes, led by members of the Juilliard faculty. These evening classes are taken by people from outside of the school, mostly working professionals, or older women and men trying to expand their musical knowledge. One particular professor, Mr. Dubal, often asks Liz and Greg to play for his class. That evening, he would have them perform the Dukas. It would be a good chance for the two of them to get practice playing the piece in front of people.
By way of introduction, Dubal said, “They are the most delightful, most virtuosic team I’ve ever heard.”
Liz and Greg played the piece, then after answered some questions from the students. Greg explained that they try to take advantage of their bodies at the piano, so for the part of the Dukas that feels like waves crashing, they move that way.
Dubal loved the transcription and then requested them to continue playing. They performed the first movement of the Mozart sonata and then their Piazzolla. After the tango, one student asked in amazement, “After that, what do you play for an encore?”
Once the class ended, Liz and Greg left to go back upstairs to practice some more. Their recital was only a few days away.