259 Sold Her Soul to the Devil (1/2)

Jin Liwei and his group led the welcoming applause as Iris reached centre stage to greet Maestro Ludovico De Luca.

Her fiery dress made her stick out like a lone bright flame among the musicians who were all wearing black and white. She looked radiant with just the right combination of modest and fierceness.

She faced the audience after greeting the maestro. Her eyes swept across the more than 2,000 people before zeroing in on Jin Liwei. The corners of her lips lifted into a slow smile, giving her man a deep look. She didn't realize that her expression made her look extremely seductive especially while wearing such an eye-catching red dress.

Right then and there, a number of men and even women fell in love with her.

Maintaining eye contact with her man, she gave the audience an elegant curtsy bow. Then she took a seat in front of the grand piano. Her eyes closed, waiting a few moments for the applause to die down.

Pin-drop silence.

Her eyes opened and she raised her delicate-looking hands over the keys. The modest part of her aura disappeared, completely engulfed by fierceness.

She moved and the first chords of Schumann's ”Toccata in C Major, Op. 7” began playing. Everyone sat up straighter in their seats as they recognized the showpiece famous for its legendary difficulty.

It felt like every note was jumping, skipping and grabbing hold of the audience's full attention, never letting them go until the end. With her fiery red dress smouldering and blazing under the light and her fierce aura to match it, Iris looked like a sorceress spellbinding them with her manic music.

Her fluid movements made the difficult piece look easy and effortless. Her interpretation was energetic and charming, fierce and slightly crazed. The music didn't drag, engaging the audience throughout the entire performance.

It was like she was telling everyone through her playing, ”Look at me! This is what I can do! Remember this, remember me! This is me!”

Perhaps it was a trick of the mind but as the music became more feverish, Iris' red dress seemed to blaze even more brightly under the light.

”She must have sold her soul to the devil. How can someone play like that? This isn't normal,” was the thought of several of the audience members.

Iris threw her head back and her hands up when she finished playing the piece. It was such a perfect and beautiful exclamation of a powerful performance that people wished they had cameras to capture the moment. They already couldn't wait to order the full recording of the concert just so they could watch and relive this moment again.

There was a beat of silence before thunderous applause and whistles reverberated throughout the entire concert hall. Everyone stood up, including Maestro De Luca and the orchestra musicians, to give her a well-deserved standing ovation.

Standing up and facing the audience, Iris smiled and gestured her thanks. She gave a deep curtsy bow.

Schumann's ”Toccata” was a short piece. But in the short period of time playing it, Iris managed to showcase her prowess on the piano, gaining the acknowledgement of the musicians, music critics and the audience.

Maestro De Luca nodded in satisfaction. He intentionally didn't introduce her as his student because he wanted the people to acknowledge her own talents, skills and capabilities and not her connection to him.

It was the correct decision. Now everyone wanted to know more about her.

”Bravo!”

”Genius!”

”Best 'Toccata' I've heard in a long time. It's already on par with Maestro De Luca's 'Toccata', even though their interpretations are different from each other. Now I know why the maestro changed the programme to include her.”

”Her name is Iris Long, right? Why do I think that her name sounds familiar?”

”Wait. I bought this album called 'Rebirth Melodies'. If I remember correctly, the pianist and composer is called Iris Long.”

”Oh, you're right! I think they're the same person! I love that album! Makes me cry every time I listen to it.”

Some people already started recognizing her name from her piano album ”Rebirth Melodies”. It did well on the German music charts, peaking at number 6. Germany was one of the countries who sent a request to JJ's record label to invite Iris to perform.

The applause and chatter died down when Maestro De Luca motioned for the audience to settle down. It was now time for the next performance.

He looked at Iris and then at his musicians, checking to see if they were all ready. He waved his baton and the powerful opening of Schumann's ”Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54” resounded. Then the melodious duet of the clarinet and the piano transported the audience into a romantic fantasy.