The Healing Life of a Music Genius - Chapter 105



Only Noblemtl

105 People gathering in Ettlingen

* * *

The day before Participant 1’s orchestra practice.

“So you’re saying that no contestant has answered the question correctly yet?”

“Yes. “It was a difficult problem, so there was nothing we could do about it.”

“What about Anna?”

“He was suspicious, but he didn’t say anything.”

“haha. Is it that much?”

“If you’re curious, come tomorrow and see for yourself. “You will probably be surprised at the difficulty of the questions.”

A musician chatting with Ettlingen conductor Leon Hauser.

He nodded.

“All right. I was already curious about participant number 1. Maestro, thank you for the opportunity to observe.”

“you’re welcome. Actually, I was looking forward to it too. He’s the kid who’s currently attracting the most attention in Ettlingen, right? “I wonder what kind of concerto he will perform.”

* * *

Currently playing ⌜Emperor⌟ with the Ettlingen Orchestra.

I suddenly remembered the time when I played Mozart with Lee Ha-eun.

She followed what I said very well, so we didn’t have a hard time playing together.

‘He played to my music as I intended.’

It was a very grateful experience.

Because I now clearly understand what it means to make music ‘together’ with other people.

Of course, Professor Yu-Han Kang and Teacher Ha-Seon Park also helped me practice this concerto.

What remains strongly in my mind is the memory of having fun playing with a close friend.

It was a time when I was just having fun.

But now it was both fun and difficult.

About 60 musicians with different personalities accompany me on the piano.

Colorful melodies pass by my ears.

Master Richter’s violin had a different tone.

As the leader of the string section, he dominates the entire orchestra.

Seeing his gaze, the strings of the first violin move in unison.

Perfectly, without even the slightest error.

The orchestra seen in the audience and the orchestra seen on stage were fundamentally different.

There was a kind of pressure felt here.

‘If I’m too picky, my piano will be buried by their playing.’

A piano concerto must have a balance between solo piano and orchestra.

However, the orchestra does not consider the pianist.

‘Because this is the only way the level of completion will be high.’

I asked the orchestra to play as grandly and energetically as possible.

Conductor Hauser was simply carrying out ‘my words’.

Now I have to overcome this pressure.

A pianist should not lose to the orchestra.

I struck the piano keys vigorously once again.

Very clearly.

So that this sound can penetrate the orchestra and reach the audience.

The limitations of my playing were revealed without hesitation.

At that time, Conductor Hauser pointed to the exact center of the orchestra.

The chief oboist’s oboe suddenly came in and changed the mood.

Suddenly, it seemed as if I could see the sheet music before my eyes.

Next… the clarinet presents the new theme melody first.

I had to continue playing the piano accordingly.

I turned my head slightly to the left.

As I expected, the clarinet came into play.

I developed a desire to control all the instruments in the orchestra myself.

But I know very well that it is impossible.

So I used a different method.

As the performance continued a little longer, I looked at Conductor Hauser.

Our eyes met for a moment.

1 second.

2 seconds.

Lastly… 3 seconds.

The conductor’s baton stops.

Accordingly, the orchestra’s performance gradually faded away.

“From the 32nd bar a little while ago. More intense with the piano. Pay more attention to legato.”

The instructions were concise, and the orchestra complied.

Thanks to the conductor, I was able to relax.

This is precisely the role of the conductor.

Gather the opinions of members with different opinions into one point.

The trumpet sings at the conductor’s hand gestures, and the dynamics are adjusted depending on the height of the baton.

People who don’t know much about classical music often ask, ‘Actually, don’t you need a conductor?’

What is a conductor in an orchestra?

It’s like a baseball manager or a navy admiral.

Meanwhile, the soloist must communicate with the conductor.

Since I want to play like this, I ask the orchestra to lead it like this and make adjustments.

The feedback was endless, and I continued to talk with the conductor.

There were times when the conversation took place in silence, and there were times when it became an actual conversation.

Beethoven’s ⌜Emperor⌟ began to gradually take shape.

This song is at the extreme end of Schumann’s Fantasy, which was performed in the second round of the finals.

There was no complexity or ambiguity in ⌜Emperor⌟,

It was a song that exuded only extreme clarity and brightness.

Accordingly, the methods of persuading the audience were also different.

A melody adorned with beauty must be packaged with sophistication.

The piano keys move constantly, and the orchestra’s performance participates in the march accordingly.

The direction is slowly gaining ground.

Conductor Hauser’s baton moves, maintaining the tension between the piano and the orchestra.

For one person, all five strings play the same note in unison.

Timpani (percussion instrument) makes a proud appearance.

The melody rushes towards the ultimate.

Classical music is music that builds up.

Unlike popular music that enjoys the moment, all instruments build up for the coda of the last movement.

Beethoven was a person who was very good at composing that type of music.

The theme and all phrases presented in the first movement returned as a conclusion in the third movement.

I tried to express the clear tone of the piano with a clear touch.

For this last point I gave it my all.

Although it was just practice, it was my first piano concerto performance.

I had no intention of going through this awkwardly.

Hot fingertips.

Conductor Hauser’s baton, which had been moving with moderation, stopped for an instant.

The orchestra stops as well.

All bows in the five strings spend some time in the air.

My performance ended accordingly.

In this empty palace, with no audience or applause.

The maestro on the podium asks me through the strange silence.

What was this concert like?

Was it really a satisfactory performance?

Did the performance go in the direction you wanted?

I thought long and hard.

I had to spend quite a long time trying to restore the performance from before.

‘I have no choice but to be greedy when it comes to music. I guess I have no choice but to be honest about what I think.’

I got up from my seat.

And then he walked towards the podium.

To answer the Maestro’s question…

* * *

The child came up to the stage.

And he continues his explanation calmly.

The child’s eyes were very bright as he endlessly explained the instructions.

‘Amazing.’

This was Leon Hauser’s assessment.

The child’s instructions were not simple.

The answer presented to find the point of contact between the piano and the orchestra was very detailed.

So much so that Hauser had to pick up a pen.

Hauser took careful notes on participant 1’s score.

Hauser then quietly nodded.

‘This kid can be a conductor. ‘You mean he heard it all now?’

Otherwise it didn’t make sense.

Opinions are even given on the tempo of the woodwinds and brass and the bowing of the strings.

My knowledge of Boeing was not perfect, as I had never worked with string instruments.

However, the conductor continues the explanation so that it can be fully understood and applied.

The orchestra members watched this in silence.

Even if it ends like this, it can be said to be good enough.

A 13-year-old child gives his opinion in front of 60 professional musicians.

Leon Hauser is even the chief conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra.

An orchestra boasting a long tradition in Germany.

There were also participants who were unable to speak properly due to the pressure of the conductor.

On the other hand, this child had no hesitation about music.

How great this is.

‘However, it would be a little disappointing if this was the end.’

The last page of the score sheet has been covered.

However, the child did not go down to the podium.

He looks at the orchestra for a moment, as if he is thinking about something.

Hauser’s eyes lit up.

‘ruler. Is there anything left to tell me? ‘You seem to know.’

A hesitant child.

The child took a step closer to Hauser and whispered in a very low voice.

“excuse me······.”

“Is there anything else left to say?”

The child seemed to have finally made up his mind.

“The clarinet playing was wrong in the 50th bar. “I think that part needs to be fixed.”

It seemed as if a goosebump appeared on Hauser’s back.

50th.

The child pinpointed every word accurately.

“Which one was wrong? “Does this mean that the tempo wasn’t right?”

“no. The sound was the problem. “You didn’t go out of harmony, but you definitely played different notes.”

“Would you like me to fix that?”

“yes. “I think the performer was probably mistaken.”

“······ I see. “Let me tell you my story.”

In fact, this was a hidden problem to lightly test Ettlingen’s finalists.

After secretly deciding which part to play incorrectly with the members, we started the first practice.

It can be said to be a light joke and a kind of entertainment.

Helping with a competition is harder than you think.

Having to play the same song over and over again was quite tiring.

It can be seen as a practical joke played by professional musicians who came to help Ettlingen to have a little fun.

Doing this did not have any effect on the competition itself.

I wasn’t going to make this an issue, and I was planning on playing properly from the second practice.

When a performer wins in the future, won’t there be a story that will make them laugh?

It was because I had such fun that I came up with this problem.

It can be seen as a kind of custom that has been carried out every year since 7 years ago when Leon Hauser started helping Ettlingen.

but.

‘Until now, no participant has answered this question correctly…’

Before the final stage of the competition, contestant number 1 was the first person to point out Hauser’s mistakes so boldly.

Moreover, it was the correct answer.

But this was not the end for the child.

“And in the 71st measure, the senior double bass played exactly the notes of the cello.”

“The pitch of the timpani was also wrong before the end of the second movement.”

“ah! And in measure 85, one of the horn players didn’t play a single note at all.”

The child not only got all three questions correct, but also caught the part where the performer made a mistake.

“And which horn player missed a note?”

“The second player.”

“Did you hear that? “While playing the piano?”

“The tones of the two horn players were slightly different from each other. So I was able to tell them apart.”

“······.”

Leon Hauser could not contain his surprise.

Is this actually possible?

If this child is not a genius, who should we call a genius?

That’s what I thought.

But the child seemed to be reading Hauser’s thoughts as well.

“But… I think you did this on purpose. To test the participants. “It’s impossible for one instrument to play the melody of another part.”

“······.”

“But I could be wrong. I thought that even I could make mistakes if I played ⌜Emperor⌟ over and over again like the members of the Ettlingen Orchestra. “I told you this separately because that could happen.”

A child who is cautious even when speaking.

It will be difficult for members to hear a child speaking in a low whisper.

In short, this child was even considerate of the orchestra members who came to help with the competition.

‘This is truly amazing.’

Lastly, the child said that he just wanted to make music great.

His eyes were deep and seemed immaculate.

‘Hehehe. ‘I never thought I would suffer this much!’

So Hauser had to declare surrender.

Leon Hauser shouts out to the orchestra members.

“Bar 50, clarinet!”

The child opens his eyes wide when he hears that sound.

And it was the same for the members.

The chief clarinet stood up following the conductor’s comment.

With a faint smile.

“Measure 71, double bass!”

The senior double bassist also stood up.

I shrug my shoulders once.

Finally, the percussionist was also called.

Hauser did not mention the horn player who “really made a mistake” following Ai’s advice.

Contrary to the child who was embarrassed because he didn’t know the English language, the orchestra members cheered loudly.

“ha ha ha. How can you guess this! “Are you amazing?”

“And the youngest participant in Ettlingen.”

“I was already impressed by the second performance. “That’s cool.”

“It’s amazing. “Isn’t this the first time Conductor Hauser has come to Ettlingen?”

Hauser nodded after hearing the last member’s voice.

“That’s right. “This is my 7th year conducting Ettlingen, and this is the first time this has happened.”

Hauser explained the situation to the child.

This was some kind of problem.

And that’s exactly what I said.

“My first thought was right.”

“That’s right. “You’re a smart kid.”

The orchestra members applauded the child.

Meanwhile, Hauser slightly lowered his head to ask the child one more question.

“So did you memorize the score? “Otherwise, I don’t think I’ll be able to match every word.”

The child nods.

“yes. that’s right.”

“This is truly amazing! “It’s a large piece that lasts over 40 minutes.”

“I wanted to do it perfectly because it was my first concerto.”

“Wasn’t it difficult?”

“it was fun. “It’s my first time memorizing such a long score.”

Out of curiosity, Hauser opened a random page of the score and asked the child a question.

The child’s answer was surprising.

“This is where the viola’s melody begins. In pianissimo. Immediately the horn repeats the second melody. I think the descending violin and cello are also impressive.”

“It’s amazing… amazing···.”

This problem was not solved by listening alone.

The child actually memorized the score perfectly.

This is a score that must be played by the entire orchestra.

It takes a huge amount of time to memorize the score.

Conductor Leon Hauser knew that best.

A child who has everything: hard work and talent.

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration.

As if they had heard this conversation, favorable comments from the members immediately followed.

“Hey. “You memorized the entire report?”

“He’s a genius I’ve never seen in my musical life. “That’s amazing!”

“Besides, how was playing the piano? “Your expressive power is amazing.”

“That kid was desperate not to lose to the orchestra. Thanks to this, we were able to show off our skills to the fullest.”

“It was an overwhelming performance. Dealing with 60 people.”

The child said, a little awkwardly, that he was grateful for the praise from the members, and the members who saw that laughed even louder.

Ettlingen’s concertmaster Max Richter quietly looked at Han Seo-jin among the members.

‘After this contest is over… I have a lot of questions I want to ask you.’

Seojin Han came down to the podium and came to where Max Richter was.

This time, the child shakes hands first.

“It was a great performance. “Master Richter.”

Richter held the child’s hand and smiled.

“okay. It was a good performance. Seojin.”

* * *

Reporter Choi Seon-young of ⌜Monthly Ensemble⌟.

She took a deep breath as she set foot in Ettlingen, Germany.

“We barely arrived. “I don’t think it’s too late.”

Choi Seon-young barely succeeded in persuading the manager.

The email directly sent by Chloe Laurent played a big part in that.

‘It was a good thing I received your contact information when you visited Korea before.’

Ettlingen was a beautiful city.

There was a sparkling river flowing in the middle of the city, and cute buildings like those seen in European fairy tales caught the eye.

The competition finals are just around the corner.

There seemed to be quite a few people who looked like tourists.

While watching the competition, these people even came for sightseeing.

The atmosphere in the village was extremely excited.

However, Choi Seon-young did not have time to enjoy the atmosphere.

There were a lot of things to do from now on.

The final stage in Ettlingen, which will begin shortly thereafter, will take place over a total of two days.

5 people on the first day.

5 people on the second day.

This was not out of consideration for the participants, but out of consideration for the orchestra.

Choi Seon-young arrived at Ettlingen Palace and presented his ID card to the competition officials.

After listening to a few precautions and submitting my camera and cell phone, I was able to enter the palace.

‘Observing practice is tricky.’

Because I decided to come here at the last minute of the competition, it was difficult for me to get the opportunity.

Just today, Choi Seon-young was unable to observe Han Seo-jin’s practice as she had wanted.

‘I never thought that kid would be so popular here… What on earth is going on…’

Since famous musicians had already applied to observe the child, there was nothing to be done.

So, I decided to do the next best thing and observe other participants practicing.

I finally got this opportunity thanks to a contest official I knew.

However, that didn’t mean I came to watch the sloppy finalists practice.

Louis Wolff.

The youngest member of the Wolf family, one of Germany’s most famous musical families.

Even before Anna received attention, she was a gifted child who was sweeping Europe.

After entering the hall within the palace and waiting for a while, orchestra members began to appear on stage one by one.

Among them, the most notable figure was definitely Max Richter.

‘The melody of Dresden. That person is constantly helping Ettlingen. He said he’s been coming every year for almost 10 years.’

Is there any special reason?

If I had the chance, there were many things I wanted to ask.

After a while.

Louis Wolff and conductor Leon Hauser appeared on stage at the same time.

I heard that today is already the last practice.

Maybe that’s why they started playing right away without any further conversation.

Choi Seon-young took out a ballpoint pen and notebook and began to write down his impressions.

This was the only equipment allowed here today.

Louis Wolff’s performance was excellent.

Similar to any other performer, he creates music by focusing on the clarity of the ⌜Emperor⌟.

While never being in a hurry.

Focused on beauty and splendor.

but.

It was after less than five minutes that such a dull review took a 180-degree turn.

‘Louis Wolff… Did you say you’re 15 years old this year?’

In Korea, 3rd grade in middle school.

An age where it is safe to call one a child.

Nevertheless, Wolff’s performance of ⌜Emperor⌟ was overwhelming.

I was out of breath.

Goosebumps appeared on my arms.

Choi Seon-young was completely immersed in his performance, which was so eloquent yet almost brought to tears.

‘Is this… the level of Ettlingen this time?’

Normally, I would have believed that he was the winner.

Louis Wolff’s performance was that great.

then.

What if the performance of the child who took third place in the second round of the finals was of this level?

What are the skills of 2nd place and 1st place?

Choi Seon-young didn’t quite understand that.

Listening to Louis Wolff’s almost perfect ⌜Emperor⌟…

Choi Seon-young quietly imagined the performances of Anna Becker and Han Seo-jin.