Montagues and Capulets

        I believe in Sergei Prokofiev's "Montagues and Capulets". The first time I heard the composition was at my third piano recital. I have kept all my programs, and here in my hands, seventeen recitals later, is the program from November 16, 2003.
        I don't remember Basil Sharikov-Bass, the performer, well because he only played in one more recital after that. When he quit, like many other people would in the next seven years, he must have only been a year older than I am right now. I have kept playing piano and performing at recitals, but people drop piano lessons all the time. It is disappointing to see how far they have come, only to cease playing. They lose interest, they find another activity, they don't have the time to practice-or they don't want to.
       Last year, I had become increasingly unwilling to continue playing, and I rarely sat down to practice without my parents lecturing me. I desired to play something different than my piano teacher's usual selection for me. After six years of wanting to play "Montagues and Capulets", I decided to give it a try. It took me around 10 months to learn. During that time, there were moments when I reverted to having practically no will to keep learning. If it was taking me this long to learn, was there a point in fumbling across the keys every time I sat down to figure out a few measures?  
      This January, I arrived at my piano recital and received yet another program to add to my collection. Apart from being nervous, I was excited and proud to play a difficult piece not commonly performed by students. The score is beautiful, and every time I play it, it maintains its status as dramatic and emotional. There is music that will make you act out the story in your head and feel everything the composer meant for it to be. For me, that moving, powerful piece is one that I feel I was destined to play. I thought back to the first time I had listened to "Montagues and Capulets", also called "Dance of the Knights".  Eight years of recitals have left only a handful of performances I remember. Sharikov-Bass's performance made me aspire to play this composition. Never have I been so inclined to play something.
      Sitting and waiting, I tried not to think about being third from last, a grand accomplishment considering every piano player there wanted to be at the more advanced end- the finale of the program. I tried to forget about once being first. I blocked out my thoughts of future recitals and getting to be the last to play one day soon. During my performance that day, I truly reenacted the story of Romeo and Juliet through chords and crescendos. It was when the final note finished ringing and I heard the applause that I allowed myself to hope that I had inspired one of my fellow performers, as I had once been inspired, to play this wonderfully emotive piece.
      I may not have played in front of music critics or renowned musicians, merely students and their families, and the residents of the retirement home, a few of whom probably fell asleep once or twice during the recital. However, the experience of learning and then getting to play "Montagues and Capulets" was marvelous. Thank you, Mr. Prokofiev, for composing the piece that made me want to keep playing piano and made me realize the momentous effect music can have on you.