The Healing Life of a Music Genius - Chapter 107



Only Noblemtl

107 my music

* * *

Seoul Arts Center of Korea.

A girl comes up on stage to the applause of the audience.

The girl in the red dress bowed her head slightly to the audience and sat in front of the piano.

The performance continues without hesitation.

The girl’s performance was lovely and surprisingly beautiful.

The audience could not take their eyes off the girl’s performance.

warmth.

The girl’s music came to the audience like a cozy blanket.

Some people quietly closed their eyes in the peace that the piano gave them.

The judges sitting in the back row on the first floor of the concert hall were also enjoying the girl’s performance.

“Lee Ha-eun. “It’s come full circle.”

“I thought he gave up on music because he wasn’t seen for a while.”

“You’re welcome. However, it seems like the playing style has changed a lot since the move.”

“Before?”

“The last time I saw it, it was very dark. Now, like a child, I even love playing.”

“You could say he’s a great prospect for Korea.”

“That’s great. “I think it’s a performance that will work well even if you go abroad right now.”

The judges nodded.

Among them, Park Sang-ho, who holds a professorship at Korea University’s College of Music, was deep in thought while looking at Lee Ha-eun.

‘A performer showing off a lovely piano. Even without considering age, he is outstanding. This is definitely it. but······.’

The boy I had briefly seen last time at the invitation of Professor Yuhan Kang kept appearing in my mind.

The child I saw when filming the Ettlingen preliminary trial video.

According to Professor Yuhan Kang, the child’s growth rate was truly beyond imagination.

‘I would have reached the final stage in Ettlingen by now. Because I received such a call from Professor Kang. If so, how much has the child’s skills improved…’

I thought about how great the results could be.

Professor Sangho Park came to his senses again.

Lee Ha-eun’s performance suddenly changed from loveliness to passion.

In the finale, the child brought happiness to the audience.

Great stage.

Professor Sang-ho Park gave Lee Ha-eun the highest score in the competition.

Meanwhile, Lee Ha-eun, who finished playing, immediately returned to the waiting room.

And then I hurried out to the lobby.

A middle-aged man who looks a little like a child smiles at Lee Ha-eun.

Lee Ha-eun jumped straight at him.

“dad······.”

“okay. “Good job Ha-eun.”

“I······.”

“I’m not very versed in music, but it was the best performance I’ve ever heard. My daughter… has grown so much before I know it. She’s proud. And thank you. “For listening to your heart.”

The man hid his tears while hugging Lee Ha-eun tightly.

Lee Ha-eun also did not move from his embrace for a long time.

The child felt comfortable in his father’s arms for the first time in a long time.

After a while.

All performances of the competition have ended.

As the results of the judging were scheduled to be announced immediately, the participants waited for the judges in the lobby at the entrance to the concert hall.

The door to the concert hall opened and the head of the jury took the microphone.

Reporters waiting in the lobby keep pressing their camera shutters.

The chairman of the judges looked at the paper and slowly opened his mouth.

“I would like to tell you the final results of the Baekwol Youth Piano Competition, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Among a total of 277 participants, the performer who will receive the award is…”

* * *

Morning in Ettlingen, Germany.

I walked through a quiet European city with my family.

Flowers of various colors.

Thank you for the trees that provide shade from the morning.

As I walked along the small stone-paved road, my eyes naturally fell on the Ettlingen Palace in the center of the city.

My mother sits down on the bench first.

Suyeon and I immediately took a seat next to him.

The cool breeze blowing calmed my mind.

Of course, the massage that Sooyeon gave me by massaging my hands with both hands also put my mind at ease.

“how is it? “Isn’t it cool?”

“It’s so cool. “Thanks to Suyeon, I think I’ll be able to play the piano well today.”

“is it? Ahem. Then you only trust me!”

Suyeon is concentrating hard.

How difficult must it be for him?

With that thought in mind, I touched Suyeon’s hand for a moment.

Suyeon’s tiny hand fits comfortably into one of my hands.

However, it immediately makes a cackling sound.

“Hahaha! brother! “It tickles!”

“Can’t you stand this much?”

“You know I’m not good at tickling!”

“Then I guess I’ll have to try a little more.”

“Hehehe! stop! surrender! surrender!”

While playing around with Suyeon, I also talked to my mother for a while.

Ettlingen.

A city I will have to leave soon after finishing the final stage today.

During that time, I felt a lot of affection.

The time I spent here was also very precious to me.

‘I’ll come again someday.’

After finishing the walk, I went back to my accommodation and got ready.

And then we headed straight to Ettlingen Palace.

On the way from the palace lobby to the waiting room, I met a participant.

A 17-year-old performer who took the first stage on the second day of the finals.

America’s Lily White smiled at me.

“I didn’t see you in the waiting room before it started so I wondered where you had gone. “I guess you’re here now.”

“I wanted to take a quick look around the city.”

“Was there any meaning?”

“very.”

“Good. Ettlingen. “It’s a wonderful place.”

It seemed that Lily White’s performance had already ended.

She held out her hand to me.

He said my performance in the first and second rounds was impressive.

No matter what the result is, I don’t think I will ever forget this contest.

I held her hand.

“I don’t think I will ever forget this competition. “It meant a lot to me too.”

“okay. So did you… “You too, a 13-year-old genius…”

“I may be 13, but I’m not a genius. “There are true geniuses in the classical music world.”

Lily White chuckled.

“well. I’m sure you’ll get that much attention, right? Just like those ‘real’ geniuses. Then, I will be looking forward to your performance today as well.”

With those last words, Lily White walked out of the lobby with light steps.

At the entrance to the waiting room where I arrived, a pouty-looking blonde girl was waiting for me.

He kept following me around in the waiting room, so I wondered what was going on.

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget this contest.”

“Hmm. I don’t think I’ll ever forget this contest…”

“Really, I don’t think I’ll ever forget this contest…”

“······.”

I think you overheard my conversation with Lily White.

“You have to speak clearly and not turn around so I can understand. “What on earth do you want?”

“that······.”

Anna hesitated and asked to shake my hand.

That seemed envious.

“You really put a lot of effort into it, don’t you?”

“Si, it’s noisy!”

I shook Anna’s hand too, and she said, “Hmph. “She said she was going to do it anyway…” he grumbled a little more.

The stage became noisy as the second performance ended.

Anna, who chose her third turn on the second day, hurries to get ready.

There isn’t much left now.

A contest that made me think a lot…

It was about to end.

* * *

Anna grabbed the hand that shook Han Seo-jin’s hand.

Then, following the instructions of the competition staff, I went up on stage.

You can hear the audience cheering.

Applause pours in.

Although something like this had never happened before, Anna’s heart started pounding.

‘The music I have to show people…’

A 13 year old knows too much about this subject.

Seojin Han was a musician.

He was a pianist.

In the short amount of time I spent with him, I felt a lot.

Anna Becker squeezed the hand that shook Han Seo-jin’s hand once more to calm her pounding heart.

Then, he sat down in front of the piano and lightly brushed his hair back.

Shiny blonde hair flies into the air in front of the piano.

And before the blonde hair even came down.

Anna played ⌜Emperor⌟.

‘Listen carefully. And take a good look. Because this is what I want to show… the real ⌜Emperor⌟.’

* * *

‘The genius of Munich…’

Reporter Choi Seon-young of ⌜Monthly Ensemble⌟ couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

I couldn’t believe the ⌜Emperor⌟ that Louis Wolff showed me yesterday.

The ⌜Emperor⌟ shown by Anna Becker now seemed to show the queen’s procession.

Magnificence.

The elegance hidden within.

Anna’s Beethoven was like a fancy sword, and it felt like she was doing a sword dance with that sword.

A new interpretation.

This······.

‘He’s not a genius for nothing. There is no hesitation from the beginning. It’s also bold.’

Choi Seon-young glanced back at the auditorium where the musicians were gathered, a little away from the press box.

There, the great masters were sitting in a row.

Those who look at the stage with bright eyes.

A huge force was clearly felt from them.

‘These are people who dominated an era. Is it natural to feel this way…’

Feeling a little intimidated, Choi Seon-young turned her gaze towards the stage.

The Ettlingen Orchestra continues its magnificent melody.

On top of that, Anna Becker builds up the melody.

The essence of Beethoven’s piano music.

Anna’s ⌜Emperor⌟ lived up to its name.

Choi Seon-young shifted his gaze towards the audience.

The audience was also showing similar reactions to Choi Seon-young.

These people are transfixed by Anna’s piano.

The walls of Europe seemed huge.

‘The level is far too high. This is why Korean children have a hard time when they come to study in Europe.’

Europe can be said to be the home of classical music.

Youngjae at the top here seemed to be on a different level.

Anna Becker’s ⌜Emperor⌟ has already reached its end.

The end of Beethoven shown by a genius.

The audience cheered immediately.

“Waaaaaa!!!”

‘The response has been amazing.’

Now there are only two performers left.

It naturally occurred to me that if there were no surprises, Anna Becker might win.

‘Han Seo-jin. The results will vary depending on the child’s performance.’

Choi Seon-young diligently recorded the emotions of this moment in a notebook.

After a while, you will finally be able to hear the child play.

A child who is praised by all the great masters.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to the kid’s performance.

Choi Seon-young was not the only one waiting for Han Seo-jin to play.

Intermission time following the end of the third stage.

An elderly gentleman appeared in the lobby.

Officials who recognized him hurriedly greeted him.

“Maestro! “Couldn’t you have contacted us in advance?”

“haha. I did it because I thought it would be too obvious. I was also a judge here until last year. “It was obvious you guys would care.”

“No matter how much it is…”

And an Asian pianist appeared among them.

“friend. “Has it finally arrived?”

“That’s right. “I was scolded because I was curious.”

Kai Hoffman did not come to see the first and second stages of the finals.

I deliberately avoided the place because I was afraid of harming the child who had been recommended to me.

Today all the results come out.

It seemed like it didn’t matter anymore, so he showed up here in time for intermission.

A competition official caught between two masters.

however.

One more master intervened here.

“teacher!”

Chloe Laurent is called France’s young master.

She greeted Hoffman warmly.

“Aren’t you here too late?”

“Still, this seemed right.”

“If you were at the level of a teacher, you could go around comfortably without worrying about others. “You can just ignore what other people think?”

“haha. “You haven’t changed anything from before.”

The three masters moved to the second floor of the hall.

Those who took their seats in the first row on the second floor.

Hoffman opened his mouth as he watched the orchestra preparing.

“Not as a judge, but it’s the first time in a long time that I can comfortably listen to a performance.”

“I’m sure you’ll be satisfied. That kid is a great performer. “I also have good chemistry with conductor Hauser and concertmaster Richter.”

“It’s a good thing that I get along well with my junior.”

“ah! “Mr. Hoffman, you have a relationship with Conductor Hauser, right?”

“Because we used to go to the same gifted center. That child became the owner of Gewandhaus… You and Hauser too. “When I look at it, I feel the power of time is truly amazing.”

Chloe Laurent, who heard his words, scratched her cheek as if she felt awkward.

Leon Hauser.

Max Richter, known as the Melody of Dresden.

and.

The boy who needs to show his own performance at the center of them all.

Kai Hoffman quietly looked at the stage.

What kind of ⌜emperor⌟ will the boy show?

Will I be able to overcome the momentum of those famous masters?

Hoffman’s eyes showed a strange mixture of anticipation and worry.

* * *

When I closed my eyes, I felt like I could hear the melody of an orchestra.

The rhythm of timpani heard from far away.

Oboe’s cheerful melody.

A sound resembling a stream sung by a flute.

Behind me, the violin was encompassing all the sounds.

Mr. Richter’s playing made me feel peaceful.

The current 5th division led by him is like…

‘It’s been a while since I met him… I felt reassured, like a father.’

It was a very strange feeling.

What is clear is that Mr. Richter understood my music.

I also understood his music.

It was Conductor Hauser who played the role of coordinator in the middle.

After three practices, we created one ⌜Emperor⌟.

‘You are a great conductor. Because he can figure out what the problem is just by looking at my eyes.’

Thanks to this, I became closer to the Ettlingen Orchestra.

I now know where the first violin’s bow is headed.

They were caring for me from a high place.

Suddenly, I remembered the fake piano made of wood on a deserted island.

Until I built that piano, I had no idea it would be so useful.

When I was practicing on the fake piano, I heard a sound.

Even when I pressed the keys that didn’t move, I heard the chords in my ears.

It was an amazing experience.

‘Uncle Miller told me. How to listen to that sound.’

It was still the same now.

Even though I wasn’t actually listening to the performance, Ettlingen’s sound flowed from within me.

Professor Richter and Conductor Hauser turned the half-length ⌜Emperor⌟, created with my opinions and interpretations, into one piece of music.

He taught me how to harmonize the piano and orchestra.

They are to me.

‘He taught me how to hear sounds. The sound of the orchestra.’

I felt like I could understand Beethoven.

How was Beethoven, who was already suffering from weakened hearing when he wrote The Emperor⌟, able to write such a song?

He, too, would have focused on the music that resided within him.

I thought so.

That’s how I understood it.

At that time, a contest official called me.

I opened my eyes.

I returned to Ettlingen from the world of music.

I followed the official up onto the stage.

The auditorium was full.

Their hands move slowly to clap.

My steps were also slow.

My heartbeat was also slow.

Even the way the orchestra looked at me and nodded slowly changed.

I know.

Right here and now.

No one could disturb me.

The premiere of ⌜Emperor⌟ took place at the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra on November 28, 1811.

Gewandhaus Orchestra.

The orchestra’s current chief conductor was Leon Hauser.

coincidence.

and.

What is the Dresden melody that perfectly understands my music, my interpretation of the ⌜Emperor⌟, in just three practices?

This too is a coincidence.

The piano I have been learning since childhood.

With that, I took third place in the domestic competition.

The first and second place winners went to Europe to receive a master class.

I, who came in third place, went to Singapore.

I had an accident there and met Uncle Miller.

This too is a coincidence.

then.

Have I come to believe in fate now?

‘well.’

I took a seat in front of the piano.

I looked at the wonderful decorations of the palace.

And I looked at the piano keys.

Time, which had been passing slowly within me, is gradually adjusting to reality.

The nickname ⌜Emperor⌟ was created by Beethoven’s friend and publisher Kramer.

This song came to be called ⌜Emperor⌟ because it was said that the work’s concept was large and the sublimity of the impression was like that of ‘Emperor’.

A name created by chance.

The music of ⌜Emperor⌟ begins with a piano solo.

It was an unusual attempt in classical music at the time.

Usually, the cadenza (solo part in a concerto) is placed at the end of the movement.

Because it works well.

Because that’s the most flashy.

However, Beethoven put the cadenza first.

At the time of composing ⌜Emperor⌟, Vienna, where Beethoven lives, was experiencing war.

Napoleon led his army into Vienna, and the wealthy were the first to leave the city.

The citizens remained in the city and fought against the French army, but it was not going to be easy.

Beethoven also remained in Vienna.

He composed ⌜The Emperor⌟ in Vienna.

What on earth did he want to show through ⌜Emperor⌟?

⌜Emperor⌟ is not music to be dragged around.

It was the leading music.

The piano leads the orchestra from the vanguard.

Beethoven…

Wouldn’t the Emperor of the Austrian Empire have hoped to overcome the cruel battlefield and stand proudly on the front lines?

Isn’t that why sublimity can be seen in the music of ⌜Emperor⌟?

That’s what I thought.

Beethoven did not accept fate.

Beethoven was a person who pioneered his destiny.

To protect his already weakened hearing, he would have composed this ⌜Emperor⌟ behind a desk, under a blanket, or in bed.

The sound of drums, the sound of cannons, and all forms of inhuman cruelty were nothing to Beethoven.

Beethoven moved on.

I also agreed with that.

There was nothing fateful that came to me.

I made that path.

The road was made by Uncle Miller.

People around me made it.

Therefore, I will show the ⌜Emperor⌟ moving forward.

On the front lines.

Sublimely.

You create your own destiny.

I looked at Conductor Hauser.

The conductor, who had waited patiently for my long silence, nodded once.

The baton moves slowly.

Our silence quickly disappeared.

Ettlingen’s orchestra presented the major third fanfare that announced the beginning of the first movement.

and.

I played the prepared melody on the piano.

My ⌜Emperor⌟…