1968 Conqueror of American Rock - Chapter 165



Only Noblemtl

165. NAMM Show (2)

Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.3.

I don’t know much about classical music, but I fell in love with this song after watching a movie set in the future. The movie was about a real-life pianist named David Helfgott.

The protagonist, born into a poor Jewish family in Australia, wanted to be a violinist, but was forced to play the piano by his father. His father always pressured him to be number one, and told him to play Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 at the competition.

The main character faces trauma from his father while performing this piece at a competition, and collapses on the spot after finishing the performance. Afterwards, he suffers from schizophrenia and ends up in a mental hospital, a sad story.

In fact, a music professor who appears in the movie said this.

‘Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 is a piece that cannot be played without going crazy!’

I plan to present this piece, which I call the most difficult concerto in the world, on electronic instruments at Namsho.

“Brother James… That song is impossible. There’s a saying that you can’t play it without going crazy.”

Siyoon’s face turned pale.

“I also liked the introduction of that song and practiced it, but Sister Maria told me never to play it, so I only played up to the first movement. I liked it so much.”

“Wow, Sister. It’s amazing that you’ve gotten that far! The first movement alone is over 14 minutes, and if you were to complete the third movement, it would be over 40 minutes long······.”

Compared to Siyoon, Angela had a calm face.

“We will only do the first movement. First of all, if the performance is too long in Namsho, it can easily become boring. Just the most impactful and splendid first movement will be enough to leave a good impression on the audience.”

“But I······ am not even confident in the first movement······.”

Siyoon lowered her head and sighed.

“Siyoon, this isn’t something you’re going to do alone. The three of us will be collaborating and sharing the work. Don’t worry. Angela and I will be doing it together. And this isn’t a performance, it’s just a product demonstration, so don’t feel too pressured.”

Nam Show is a place where anyone can freely show off their experimental spirit. There are countless products that appeared in Nam Show and attracted people’s attention by showing off new functions, but failed commercially. If it were a performance, I would not have tried something so reckless.

* * *

January 27th is Lunar New Year, the first day of the first lunar month, one of the biggest holidays in Korea. Last year, all the members went to Korea. This year, Jungseop and Hyunsang have already booked their flights to Korea.

“I’m a little sad that Annie and Jake can’t go together. I feel bad for no reason.”

“No, Jungseop oppa. I went last year and it was so cold that I told my aunt that I wanted to go when it was warm. We don’t have ancestral rites like other families do. And these days, I’m really into playing the guitar, so I’m working hard on preparing for the Namsho.”

It’s true.

I didn’t know he was this serious about practicing guitar. These days, he’s been practicing with Jake in the garage almost every time he eats or sleeps. Yesterday, he even bragged that he finally got calluses on his fingertips.

“Brothers, when you go back to your hometown this time, you don’t have to go out of your way to make kimchi. The kimchi from Siyoon’s house and Uncle Deokho’s house is really delicious.”

“That’s true, but it’s different from the Korean pickled seafood. Even if I said it was okay, my mother would have already prepared it.”

The mothers of my older brothers who farmed in the countryside had big hands. As for my taste, the kimchi brought from Korea tasted better. Perhaps Annie said that because she was afraid of being a burden to her older brothers.

“I was just going to invite my aunt to the US this time, but she can’t come. Oh my, she won’t let me go on a trip abroad even though I’m paying for it myself.”

As far as I remember, the full liberalization of overseas travel was probably only possible after the 1988 Olympics. Annie and her aunt are not blood relatives, so they cannot invite their families, and if they want to bring them, they will have to get help from the US military or the company will have to take action.

“But why didn’t Stella go with her brothers and buy a separate ticket? I haven’t seen her much lately, so I can’t ask.”

Annie has a special expression she makes when she’s triggered. She squints her eyes, rests her chin on her hand, and thinks deeply about something.

“I haven’t seen Kevin much lately either······. Hey, James. Don’t you know anything?”

“Well, I said I was going to Korea for work this time.”

“Really? I didn’t think so, but this is really suspicious······.”

“What is it, Inma? Kevin is a businessman. He has also purchased real estate in Korea, so he has to watch over the situation and manage it.”

Annie crossed her arms and kicked one foot cheekily, raising her eyebrows.

“Look. You two haven’t been coming to the dorms much lately, using work as an excuse. And on the last day of our festival, you came to the club and Kevin said his last goodbyes as the representative for the year. Have you seen those two?”

“Well, it’s a party so everyone is out of their minds······.”

To be honest, I couldn’t see it.

“If Kevin and Stella’s flight tickets have the same dates this time, I think it’s 100 percent.”

“what······?!”

“The two of them are meeting.”

* * *

The impatient cat barged into Kevin’s office with me in front. I asked him out of curiosity, and he immediately agreed.

“That’s what happened. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you in advance.”

Kevin wasn’t surprised at all and spoke calmly.

“Is it true? With Stella and······?”

My heart started pounding for no reason, even though I wasn’t a party to the matter.

“Brother······ Since when?”

Kevin started talking, seeming a little embarrassed.

At Stella’s father’s funeral, it was not Director Lee Young-chun but Kevin who invited so many wreaths and so many noisy visitors. His brother asked him to keep it a secret, but the director told his sister everything.

That would be the case. The Greatest Show Troupe led by Director Lee Young-chun was not very close to the Big Wave Show Troupe of Hansung Heungup, where his brother worked, or to Mr. Shin Jeong-seok. Also, the fact that the officers and deputy commanders who were judges for the regular auditions of the US Forces in Korea came to the funeral was also a request made by Kevin through Jake.

“Stella is planning to invite her family and have them immigrate to the United States. She doesn’t have any relatives in Korea anyway, and she was planning to send her eldest sibling to study abroad in the United States. So we often meet and discuss various issues······.”

“I feel so touched, this is it.”

“Haha, right. Annie’s intuition is really unbeatable, haha.”

Kevin looked at Annie with her eyes wide open and smiled awkwardly.

“Congratulations, bro. Come to think of it, you two look great together.”

“Okay, thanks, Gon-ah.”

“Inma, why are you looking like that? Open your eyes a little more carefully.”

Annie looked at Kevin with a solemn expression.

“I don’t know about other guys, but I’ll gladly allow Kevin. He really has to be nice to my sister.”

“Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Annie.”

Annie spoke as if she were Stella’s father, and Kevin responded kindly to her absurd comments.

“And can you two keep this fact to yourself for now?”

“Why? Everyone would be happy if they knew······.”

Annie asked with a blank expression.

“Stella is a cautious person. That’s why I’m planning to go to Korea this time and meet my mother and ask for permission.”

“Really? You want to get married?!”

“I’m a businessman. My company is growing bigger and bigger right now, and I want to start a family before it gets any busier. I’ve already made up my mind, so there’s no point in delaying it, haha.”

As expected, it’s Kevin hyung.

I also feel a bit awkward about my sister-in-law Stella becoming my sister-in-law. Still, I am happy that someone I know well is becoming a family member.

* * *

Those who were going to leave for Korea left, and those who were going to stay stayed and prepared for the Nam Show.

I arranged Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in several versions with Angela and Siyoon. It was so much fun that it was almost like playing rather than working on a piece of music.

The mysterious octave melody in the introduction was played by Angela on an electric piano, Siyoon played it on strings, and I played it on the guitar.

The same goes for the explosive fast-paced section after the introduction, with the three of them taking turns comparing whose performance best suited that part.

If I were to play this song alone, it would be incredibly lonely and solitary, but when the three of us split it up, the burden was lessened and it was actually an enjoyable time.

“Sister Angela, you’ve been watching me battle the piano until now, right?”

“Uh······ That, that day, I really wasn’t in good condition.”

“Chee, that’s a lie. Sister, from now on, don’t lose to me on purpose. I’m mentally strong, hehe.”

The two were the only two keyboard players in CW. They are now our company’s treasures. Siyoon learned free-spirited expression from Angela, and Angela learned the restrained form of authentic classical music from Siyoon.

“Ha, this is where the irregular speed section starts. Looking at the score, it really makes you wonder if they just drew the picture in a zigzag pattern.”

Although Siyoon said she liked pop music, she had learned classical music since she was young. She sighed as she looked at the notes that were so densely packed that there was no room to squeeze in.

“Then you can play it like a zigzag drawing. You don’t have to play it exactly like that, because it’s an irregular and uneven section anyway. Like this.”

Angela was originally a cult musician who preferred drawings to sheet music. She explained to Siyoon the parts that he found difficult in an easy-to-understand way.

“Then how do we do this? My sister and I both have short fingers, so when we spread them beyond a major third, we have to jump completely off the keyboard······.”

“Well, there’s no other way than to skip it quickly and without making any mistakes. Like this.”

Angela demonstrated slowly, then showed how to jump quickly, as if her fingers were doing a long jump on the keyboard. The landing had to be so precise and perfect that there were no mistakes in the note.

“Wow······ Sister, you’re truly a genius. To be able to do this with those small hands······.”

“What is this? I think it’s a problem that applies to other instruments as well, but it’s similar to muscle training. It may seem like you can’t do it quickly, but practice by being prepared to make mistakes and then increasing the speed and then slowly coming down.”

Angela explained to Siyoon exactly the same way I practiced guitar speed. This is a speed practice method that has evolved in the future. Angela had learned this method herself.

I remembered when I first visited Father Daniel and Sister Maria in Wisconsin and talked to them about Angela.

‘Our Angela is a talented piano player. I will respect Angela’s choice.’

Father Daniel said this,

‘No! Angela may have natural talent, but she may have inherited her father’s devilish talent!’

Sister Maria had to tell the secret of Angela’s birth that she should not have revealed at that moment. She loved and cherished Angela like her own daughter.

I swore to you both.

‘Father, Sister, I will never reveal this to anyone, and if anything happens to Angela, I will definitely bring her back to the church.’