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

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.

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.

Scene 4