The Healing Life of a Music Genius - Chapter 188
Only Noblemtl
188 As an audience member
* * *
Late night time.
The news of Queen Elizabeth passing the first preliminary round was individually notified to the participant’s personal contact information.
From the second round, participants were to be gathered together and the results announced, but the first round of notification was very brief.
Thanks to this, I didn’t have to face a contestant I didn’t want to meet, so it was nice…
‘I can’t see that child. She tried to talk to her at least once.’
Jankowski sat on a street bench and stared into space.
And I put down my phone.
A dark city.
Numerous orange street lights illuminated Brussels.
Jankowski saw the child perform in person today.
This was because he had time to spare since he finished his schedule on the first day.
‘It was a great performance…’
It felt like I could still hear the raindrops in my ears.
It felt like I could see the scenery the child had created.
It’s dark so it’s hard to see, but I looked at the dark sky in Brussels, which was clearly clear.
The stars were hard to see in this bright city.
‘It’s a shame.’
I couldn’t tell right now whether the kid made it to the second round of qualifying or not.
As for Jankowski, I was contacted a little while ago.
But no matter how much I thought about it, it seemed like the kid would have made it to the second preliminary round.
‘Because it was the best first round performance I’ve ever heard. Even better than my playing…’
At that time, a child who came near the bench called Jankowski’s name.
A small boy, probably about 10 years old.
This was a child who might have seen Jankowski’s performance at the Beaux-Arts.
Jankowski looked at him and smiled.
The child told Jankowski several stories.
Mostly stories about music.
After finishing what he had to say, the child smiled brightly and left.
Jankowski stared at the path the child had taken and clenched his fists.
I thought again of the ⌜Raindrop Prelude⌟ that the boy was playing that I saw at Beaux-Arts today.
Fortunately.
My left hand, which was slightly shaking, quickly stopped.
“this time······. “I must win.”
A long time has already passed.
After the Tchaikovsky Competition, I have come back too many ways.
But here too.
There were countless incredible performers.
Jankowski looked again at the path where the child who cheered him had left…
I got up from my seat.
* * *
There were a total of 17 judges for the Queen Elizabeth Competition.
To ensure fair evaluation, people from different countries were selected, and scores for participants from their own countries were not even allowed to be assigned.
In addition, in order to increase the credibility of the judging, mainly famous musicians were invited, so in many cases each of them was a virtuoso performer or a performer who had already made a name for himself as a virtuoso.
They had no problem performing alone at the Beaux-Arts, the largest concert hall in Brussels.
The day after the first preliminary round results were announced.
They met in a small conference room at the Palais des Beaux-Arts.
The American judge opens his mouth cautiously.
“It certainly seems like the level has changed from previous years. There were so many good performers. for example······.”
She mentioned American contestant Turner first.
Although he could not give points to Turner, a participant from his country, in the first preliminary round, it did not mean that he could not speak.
The Russian judge, listening to her story, chuckles.
“Aren’t you trying to push Turner too much? “From what I heard, his performance was inferior to that of Jankowski.”
“In Jankowski’s case, there was a mistake, right? Measure 34, in the legato part. In contrast, Turner finished the performance without a single missed touch. “I think this is a big difference.”
“But Turner’s performance was too obvious. When he thought about his teacher, Payans, he was so calm that he wondered what he had learned during that time. “I think he became complacent as his performance tour became longer.”
“In other words, doesn’t being obvious mean that you are faithful to the basics? In the case of Jankowski’s performance…”
Participants from many countries.
Judges from many countries.
As a result, it was also true that subtle emotions were intertwined between some of them.
Britain’s Samuel Scott, the head of the judging panel in charge of all judging at this year’s Queen Elizabeth Competition, slightly shows his palm.
“If you want to fight, let’s do it separately later. “I don’t want to see the conflict between the U.S. and Russia end here.”
“It’s Russia and America!”
“It’s either that. “Why are you so upset when you can’t even evaluate the participants from your own country anyway?”
“No, I’m not producing a fever….”
This is a situation that can often be seen at ‘international competitions’ even if it is not necessarily a music competition.
Samuel Scott ignored them and continued talking.
“I think both Turner and Jankowski received accurate assessments. So, both of them would have been able to pass the first preliminary round with good scores. However, there was an unexpected person in the first round that we didn’t expect.”
“Oh~”
“Of course, that’s true.”
Scott looked at the profile of participant number 47 on the desk.
“It’s this boy. A 14-year-old participant. “He is the only participant in the first preliminary round who received our unanimous approval.”
Queen Elizabeth’s judging is basically based on scores.
The same goes for the first preliminary round.
Here, the meaning of ‘unanimous agreement’ that Judge Scott mentioned was that all judges consistently gave high scores.
The Belgian judge, the oldest here, nods.
“To put it a little exaggeratedly, I thought Chopin had come to life. “The relationship between Sand and Chopin was well expressed through the ⌜Raindrop Prelude⌟.”
Japanese judges also agree with his words.
“The kid didn’t stop there. As her prelude came to a close, she revealed her tone without hesitation. “It had a tone like a rainbow seen after the rain stopped.”
“It seemed like you were particularly good at performing lyrical songs, right?”
“The interpretation was overwhelming. “This is my first time seeing Chopin like that.”
“haha. I was surprised too. A performance like that at the age of 14… “He might actually be the reincarnation of Chopin.”
“Or Mozart?”
“ha ha ha. “Maybe so.”
High praise from the judges.
Scott surveyed the atmosphere and continued speaking.
“However, I don’t know if I can show that kind of performance in the second qualifying round. As you all know, the song for the second round was selected directly by Brussels.”
Some judges who noticed the hidden meaning in Scott’s words let out a long sigh as if they were disappointed.
Second round of the Queen Elizabeth Competition.
In the second preliminary round…
“The focus is on technique. “It would be difficult to rely solely on emotion and interpretation.”
“14 years old. “I have to compete with adult performers with a body that has not yet fully grown.”
“There will be a big difference, especially in strength.”
“haha. “I wonder if we can really solve it…”
In instrumental music competitions, there are two main evaluations.
Technique and musical interpretation.
Technique is a measure of how accurately a piece of music can be played.
No matter how many notes there are in the score, how fast you play, whether there are many or few jumps, or whether you have to hit the interval 13th at a time.
Regardless of the reason, a pianist must be able to play a piece.
Just because I was young, they looked at this, and because my fingers were short, they looked at that, and it wasn’t something I could do.
When a score is given, the presence or absence of whether or not the score can be played.
That was the evaluation of technique.
For your information, when it comes to evaluating such skills, being young often works at a disadvantage.
Just as a child cannot beat an adult in arm wrestling, a young player cannot play the piano stronger than an adult player.
The second preliminary round, where the shortcomings of number 47 will inevitably be revealed.
The judges were a little worried about that.
It seemed like the child who showed a great performance in the first preliminary round would fail in the second round.
After the results of the first preliminary round were announced, the child became a star.
Han Seo-jin caught people’s attention right away with his young age and excellent performance that gave goosebumps.
Thanks to Queen Elizabeth’s policy of making all competition details public, the world got to hear her Chopin.
The UK’s ⌜Gramophone⌟, a world-renowned classical music magazine, was the first to publish a column.
An enormous article titled .
Moreover, the author of the article was the editor-in-chief of ⌜Gramophone⌟.
At a time when attention was already being drawn to a participant named ‘Han Seo-jin’, this was like pouring fuel on the fire.
In this situation, Brussels has to prepare for the second qualifying round…
In a way, it was natural to have various worries.
Brussels did not want the child to fall into vain.
and.
I didn’t have enough skill to say that, but I didn’t want to suddenly advance to the next round.
It looks like this…
Although they praised the child’s first performance and were concerned about evaluating the child’s second performance, it became a situation where no one was particularly willing to push the child.
This is because none of the 17 judges here were from Korea.
Scott, the judge’s chairman, summarized the situation.
“In the end, it’s true that you should be evaluated based on your skills. That’s what Queen Elizabeth has done so far. “I think I need to put aside for a moment the ‘musician’s heart’ that is so excited to see her young prodigy.”
Scott said he would ask Queen Elizabeth to interview the child in some detail. That was the best consideration the judge could give.
There is nothing we can do even if the child fails in the second round.
I have no choice but to come to Brussels next time.
Even if the child ends up competing at the Chopin Competition, which attracts more attention than Queen Elisabeth, there is nothing that can be done.
Current skills.
This is because the contest requires a cool-headed evaluation based on current ability, not future potential.
Putting aside some disappointment, Scott sat down with the judges to look at the songs that the contestants would commonly perform in the second preliminary round.
Looking at this piano piece, which is notorious for its extremely difficult level…
The 17 judges spent another day at the Palais des Beaux-Arts.
* * *
A street in Brussels.
“You are that kid! “The kid who played the ⌜Raindrop Prelude⌟ at the Beaux-Arts!”
“How did you recognize me? “I’m right.”
“It somehow looked familiar. I saw your performance at the Beaux-Arts on the last day. Wait a minute! “The lady will make a special service for you.”
“Service?”
“okay. So, we should continue to provide great music in the future? Understand?”
While I was blinking, another waffle covered in chocolate was completed.
This way, I got 3 Belgian waffles for the money I paid for 2.
“thank you!”
“Hehe. okay. eat well. “Where should I go and spread the word?”
“yes! All right.”
“You’re brave!”
Contrary to my worries, English was widely used in Belgium. Although he had to concentrate because of his unique pronunciation, it didn’t seem to interfere with his ability to spend money and make a living.
My mother, who had already taken a seat at the outdoor table, waves to me. Suyeon was calling me with both hands raised.
“and! looks delicious!”
“But you bought three? “I’m so full that I’m only going to buy two?”
When I told her what happened a little while ago in response to her mother’s question, Suyeon smiled brightly.
“Hi-Hi. My brother is becoming famous in Brussels too. “If this continues, I might need a bodyguard.”
“bodyguard? “It already exists.”
“who?”
When I pointed out two people with my gaze, my mother was the first to laugh.
“Me and Suyeon?”
“yes. He’s a great bodyguard. “It’s just the fact that you keep your seat.”
“Hmm~ Is that so? “Am I actually my son’s guardian?”
“Ahem! You knew it too. Actually, I’ve been paying attention to my surroundings for a long time. “I ended up getting caught.”
Suyeon takes a big bite of a chocolate waffle while talking.
I wiped the chocolate from Sooyeon’s mouth with a wet tissue and took a bite of the plain waffle.
It was a moment when Suyeon’s eyes met mine.
“It’s really delicious!”
“Amazing, Great!”
Even though lunch was over, there seemed to be room left for Belgian waffles.
This was the second waffle place I visited in Brussels, and it was a huge success.
After snacking, we walked through the streets of Brussels.
The results of the first preliminary round were announced last night.
The second qualifying round started a week later.
I had time today because I woke up early in the morning and finished practicing the piano.
Brussels was beautiful.
Numerous Gothic-style buildings designated as World Heritage Sites centered around the central square caught the eye.
A road made of small stones.
Antique cathedral and city hall.
The famous Manneken Pis statue in Brussels.
As I walked down the street, the smell of waffles naturally wafted into the air.
The red flag symbolizing the Queen Elizabeth Competition was also easy to spot.
In some ways, I thought that Brussels might be a more European city than Berlin.
Suyeon was busy holding my hand and showing me around.
I’m afraid I might miss something, so I explain everything that catches my eye.
Mother smiled kindly as she looked at Sooyeon. Then she quietly put her arm around me.
“Mom, it’s like a dream. My son plays the piano better than anyone else and my daughter is the cutest in the world. How can children like you be my children? “You will never know this happiness.”
“well. I think I might be feeling the same way as my mother right now. “Time like this is very precious to me.”
“oh! Oppa, me too! me too! Actually, I am the happiest here! “More than my mom and brother!”
Soo-yeon jumps up and talks.
As my mother and I held both of Suyeon’s hands, Suyeon smiled and walked more cheerfully.
As we walked down the road, we arrived at a large park.
Perhaps because it was during the Queen Elizabeth Competition, the sound of a piano could be heard from inside the park.
In a place where about ten people are gathered, a girl who is probably two or three years older than Suyeon is playing the piano.
An upright piano that looks a little old.
People were sitting on the lawn and benches around the child, watching him play.
‘You’re good at it.’
He uses the pedals well, has a clear sense of humor, and is good at distinguishing beats.
and.
That child’s slightly embarrassed feelings were also conveyed to me.
A refreshing performance.
So it was a better performance.
Suyeon next to me asks.
“brother. What song is that? “I’ve heard him play a few times before, but I’m not sure.”
I smiled and answered.
“Beethoven’s ⌜For Elise⌟.” “Don’t your friends at kindergarten sing with slightly childish lyrics?”
“brother! “How did you know that?”
“I was like that too.”
“okay? then······. “Did you also have a ‘Gorilla Song’?”
I smiled and said yes.
“······ It was a song with tradition.”
“That’s right. “Because it’s a song written by Beethoven.”
“oh! “That too.”
Before we knew it, the girl’s performance was over. The child chattered for a while in the arms of what was believed to be her mother.
It was very nice to see that.
Perhaps caught up in the atmosphere, Suyeon also said she wanted to try playing the piano.
The chopstick march I learned.
That seemed to be his specialty.
The courageous Sooyeon walks alone and sits in front of the piano.
Suyeon looked at me with a small smile and then started playing.
At that time, someone poked my shoulder from behind.
When I looked back, there was my older sister, Lucas, who I had seen during orientation.
“You were here? “Are you here with your family?”
“yes. “What about that older sister?”
“I am alone. I went for a short walk. So is this Seojin’s mother? hello! uh······. But do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Of course~ Nice to meet you. Mr. Luca.”
“and! “You speak English very well.”
“It’s not that big of a deal.”
The two chatted in English for a while.
My sister Luca said she heard about my passing the preliminaries through an article. And it was the same for me.
Fortunately, we were able to give a high five after passing the first preliminary round.
“As expected, you’re good at it, aren’t you? “I’ll have to find your first round performance later and listen to it.”
“me too. “I’ll have to listen to my sister play later.”
After talking like that for a while, older sister Lucas immediately looked at the proud little musician.
“It’s so cute.”
“Yes? What do you think the performance is like?”
“Even the playing is cute. “It’s hard to do that.”
“I think so. “I need to teach it well whenever I have time.”
“uh? “You’re teaching me well?”
“yes. “That child is my younger brother.”
“Him?”
Suyeon euphemized the slightly short Chopstick March three times.
People applauded immediately.
I wonder if I’ve seen her often(?) before. Suyeon skillfully greeted the audience and then ran straight towards me.
“Hi-Hi. brother. how was it?”
“You did so well. “Is it because he is my brother’s younger brother?”
“Hmm! Maybe so. I also sometimes want to play the piano, right? “I guess the blood of the Han family also flows through me.”
“Tsk tsk. “That’s right.”
A happy expression was evident on my younger brother’s face.
I greeted Luca and Suyeon in the middle.
Sister Lucas looked at Suyeon and said, “Kyaa! “What is this soft creature!” she shouted in English with a strong French accent.
Suyeon looked at Luca like that and couldn’t understand what she was saying so she just tilted her head.
A warm wind blew.
The wind was so warm that I forgot that the reason I came to Brussels was because of the competition.
The sun was setting and its color was gradually changing to orange.
I tried to play a song to commemorate today.
“play? Are you in a contest? “Are you okay?”
“yes. “I want to leave this moment as a performance.”
“······ Leaving a moment with a performance? “Is that possible?”
“of course.”
“······.”
After nodding briefly, Sooyeon took my hand and moved to the piano.
I made Suyeon sit right next to the chair I was sitting on.
So that you can clearly see the shape of my hands.
And so that you can hear me play well.
After thinking about it for a moment, I thought of the song I should play in the second round, picked a song that was as flashy as that, and started playing it.
⌜La Campanella⌟ from the list.
This is the song I played when I first went to see Professor Yuhan Kang.
This song, which I had to play awkwardly at the time, has now become a song that fits my hands perfectly.
In an unknown park in Brussels…
I turned this moment into a performance.
.
.
.
The boy began playing Franz Liszt’s breathtakingly complex piece with a smile.
In a small park in Brussels, where the grass dances in the gentle breeze.
With the sunset starting to appear vaguely as a background.
The boy created the bell sound of Europe.
“······.”
People watching around the piano looked at it blankly.
Those who were walking also stopped for a moment.
A very pure and clear sound echoes throughout the park.
The boy started playing for his family and because he wanted to preserve this moment through playing.
After arriving in Brussels, I visited this park every day…
Sylvie Luca had to watch the boy for a moment.
As an audience member.