All By Myself 

In indefinite social isolation and separated from each other by nearly 3,000 miles … we couldn’t have said (or sung) it better! So goes the chorus of the 1975 hit song by Eric Carmen (b. 1949), then famously covered by powerhouse pop diva Céline Dion two decades later.

Greg initially undertook an arrangement of this song as a fun way of musically collaborating with his husband Carl, an emergency physician, pandemic frontline responder, and gifted singer. During the early days of quarantine, Greg (at the piano) and Carl (on vocals) would read through the music of Bach, Vivaldi, Gershwin, and others. When they came upon “All By Myself,” Greg started accompanying Carl as if it were the piece upon which the song is based (the second movement, Adagio sostenuto, from Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2 in C minor). The arrangement organically expanded into a two-piano work, which receives its world premiere tonight. 

This two-piano mashup/arrangement remains mostly loyal to Rachmaninoff’s original. Carmen, a fan of Rachmaninoff’s lush music, stated: “I was listening to my favorite music which was Rachmaninoff. ‘All By Myself’ incorporated a melody from his 2nd piano concerto as the verse…” The Adagio sostenuto is timeless in its appeal and has struck an emotional chord with generation after generation; most memorably it was prominently featured decades earlier in David Lean’s 1945 film Brief Encounter (incidentally one of Elizabeth’s favorite movies).

We hope this mash-up resonates with you during this age of anxiety. Beyond the obvious relevancy of the title and lyrics, the recognizable nature of this song coupled with the sweeping romanticism of Rachmaninoff’s textures may nourish our shared craving for familiarity and comfort. Please feel free to sing along with our performance; singing together is not only one of the most joyful acts of community, but music like this invites a much-needed collective catharsis. (Also, we all need to tap into our inner diva once in a while!)