SCENE 3: THE CONSERVATORIUM
1957
A young girl is practising her scales. Her singing teacher is a sophisticated Hungarian.
ALEXANDRA
ah ah ah ah ah
ah ah ah ah ah
MAGDA
Again
ALEXANDRA
ah ah ah ah ah
MAGDA
And breathe
ALEXANDRA
ah ah ah ah ah
MAGDA
Again
ALEXANDRA
ah ah ah ah ah
MAGDA
What's wrong with you today....and...
ALEXANDRA
Ah ah ah ah aggghh it's no good,
I can't breathe.
It's too high
MAGDA
It's not too high
You can do it
If you relax....and...
ALEXANDRA
ah ah ah ah ah
MAGDA
Now think high and come
Down on the note
Alexandra sings a superb cadenza.
MAGDA
Well at least we know you can hit the note...
ALEXANDRA
Why do you bother with me?
It's hopeless.
MAGDA
If you're so hopeless
Why stay at the conservatorium?
ALEXANDRA
I didn't say I was hopeless
It's just,
It's just...
MAGDA
"It's just"
If I hear one more of my students say
"It's just" I'll go back home.
What is it with you Australians?,
is it too hard for you or too easy?
ALEXANDRA
It's just...
MAGDA
Ahhhhggghhh
Another student enters
STEPHEN
Sorry,
Sorry to,
Sorry to interrupt, madame
But...but the
But the Maestro
Would like to have a word with Alex
In his office
MAGDA
And I,
Would like to,
Continue,
Continue my lesson.
What's more important, Stephen?
The Maestro's word
Or Alexandra's song
Tell me that!
STEPHEN
Alex...
Alexandra's song
Is more important
Than the Maestro's word...
But the Maestro
Is more important
Than A... Alexandra.
MAGDA
Thank you Stephen
She'll be there in a minute
He leaves.
MAGDA
Alexandra, what's wrong?
ALEXANDRA
Nothing, Madame.
MAGDA
Nothing is what you tell no-one.
I am not no-one.
Tell me
What's wrong
Alexandra.
ALEXANDRA
I can't explain it
But I feel....
I'm waiting for something
Out of reach,
Out of my sight,
But I can feel it
I can feel it.
MAGDA
You're young, yet
ALEXANDRA
I want....
Is everything...?
I don't expect choices to be easy
But I don't see why I should have to sacrifice
Everything......
Stephen doesn't say so ....
MAGDA
Stephen.....
ALEXANDRA
But I know he thinks
my dreams are...
I imagine the future
Sometimes,
And it frightens me.
MAGDA
You’re so young.
Young enough to have a future...
ALEXANDRA
There's nothing special
About my family,
We’re an ordinary family.
But I know there's something special in me
In here. (indicating her heart)
MAGDA
Young enough to still have a future
And for you the future
Is possible
For you
The steps you take
Could lead you on
To heights others only dream of.
ALEXANDRA
So many steps
But I want to climb them all
I can feel the power of my will
But it's buried in my heart.
And sometimes I feel
I'll be buried alive before
I even know how to let it out,
Before I even know how to set it free.
MAGDA
There are so many steps,
Too many for me.
I stopped here.
I stopped here.
There were too many,
Too many for me.
You,perhaps,
Perhaps you will climb
Higher than I did.
ALEXANDRA
I imagine the future:
To sing with the best.
MAGDA
You have a future
To be the best.
Don't look back.
I looked back and fell.
You have to climb very high
Before you can look back without falling,
Falling.
Apply for the scholarship,
Go to Zurich.
You have a future.
ALEXANDRA
Stephen wants me to stay here with him.
MAGDA
You're out of your head.
Go to Zurich.
You can if you want.
ALEXANDRA
But I also want Stephen!
I want it all,
I want it all.
MAGDA
You want too much,
But not enough of what matters.
ALEXANDRA
It's just...
Magda has gone very cold. Alex realises she has said "it's just" once too often.
MAGDA
Don't keep the Maestro waiting
Alex leaves.
Aaarghh!
Alex joins the waiting Stephen.
STEPHEN
About time.
I don't know why,
But the Maestro wants to see us both.
ALEXANDRA
You're always so nervous
With Madame Magda...
STEPHEN
Strangers always make me nervous;
They want me to be different
And I don't want to be .
ALEXANDRA
And what do you want?
STEPHEN
You... and my bassoon.
And I'm not sure in that order.
She laughs. Stephen playfully takes her in his arms and kisses her. She kisses him back and he becomes serious.
STEPHEN
I want you
To be careful.
ALEXANDRA
Careful of what?
STEPHEN
That old Hungarian battleaxe.
She's using you.
She's trying to have the career she never had, through you.
ALEXANDRA
Stephen
Don’t be silly
She's a brilliant teacher
If anyone's using anyone
I'm using her
I've learnt more from her in.....
STEPHEN
She's jealous of us, Alex
You know that
She thinks I'm bad for you
For your career
ALEXANDRA
What makes you say that
You're imagining it
STEPHEN
I'm not imagining anything.
I can see she thinks I'm a ...worthless distraction!
I start with the orchestra in another month,
And we'll be able to get married!
We'll build a life together here.
You know how I feel about you...
ALEXANDRA
And I love you, Stephen, but....
STEPHEN
She'd destroy us if she could
And I don't want to lose you,
I never want to lose you.
ALEXANDRA
You won't lose me
STEPHEN
Don't leave me Alex,
Don't go to Zurich!
Stay here with me.
Here you can sing and be noticed,
There you'll be one of many.
In a few years
We'll have an opera house of our own
To rival the world,
And you and I will be there
Together.
He takes her in his arms.
The Maestro enters. He is urbane and charming.
MAESTRO
I don’t wish to spoil this touching scene...
They spring apart.
ALEXANDRA, STEPHEN
Maestro.
MAESTRO
But I’ve a proposition for you both.
Don't look so worried.
If you've a brain between your ears,
You'll know the winner of the competition
To design our new opera house
Is being announced today.
I was wondering if you'd be
Interested in
Accompanying me
To the Art Gallery for the announcement?
STEPHEN
Oh Maestro, yes, yes
ALEXANDRA
Yes sir
MAESTRO
It's a great day for music in this country
And as your generation
That will reap the rewards
From all our sweat and tears
I trust the memory of this day
Is one you’ll carry with you
Through your lives.
STEPHEN
Thank you,Maestro!
ALEXANDRA
We will, Maestro, we will.
Thank you!
Oh, I’m so excited!
MAESTRO
An exciting time
We live in Alex,
No doubt about it
An exciting time.