The Healing Life of a Music Genius - Chapter 198



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198 handwriting

* * *

“For the next two weeks, my name is Celine Devé and I will be your housekeeper at Music Chapelle. You will be creating music on your own at the Chapelle without any help from anyone…”

The lobby of a huge mansion.

In this impressive lobby with marble columns and ornate chandeliers, Professor Debbe continued his explanation.

It was said that only the 12 finalists of the Queen Elisabeth Competition will use the Chapelle Mansion.

The sole caretaker here, Ms. Celine Debye, will be staying in an annex attached to the Chapelle mansion.

It goes on to explain that you can come anytime if you are sick or have any problems.

Participants would be assigned private rooms.

And each room has a grand piano, so you can practice comfortably whenever you want.

He said that you can wander anywhere within the Chapelle Palace (within the walls), not just the Chapelle Mansion, as long as you don’t go outside.

“What if we go beyond the Chapelle Palace?”

“You will be disqualified immediately. If you want to give up halfway, just tell me. I will call a car and take you outside right away.”

“······.”

To be honest, which performer would want to come all the way to Chapel and give up?

The twelve participants, including me, kept their mouths shut.

The mansion was equipped with everything necessary for living.

The shared kitchen was equipped with basic ingredients and cooking utensils, so you could cook whenever you wanted.

They give you a packed lunch at every meal and even do your laundry for you.

Participants were told that the only thing they had to worry about was cleaning their rooms.

The headmaster distributed room keys to the participants.

The rooms were assigned based on the semi-final rankings, and thanks to that I was in room 1.

Room 1 was on the second floor.

End of the second floor hallway.

My luggage arrived before me.

I opened the door and went into the room with my luggage.

A very spacious room.

The sunset was streaming in through the large window in the room.

It was a room that gave off a sinking feeling.

Maybe it’s because it’s dinner time.

In the center of the room was a Steinway piano, and in the corner was a desk, a bed, and a bathroom with a bathtub.

I turned on the hot water briefly and warm water came out well.

‘It’s a little bit… like staying at a hotel.’

A place where you can truly focus solely on music.

It finally felt real that I had come to Music Chapel.

Before unpacking, I decided to check the most important thing.

I opened the grand piano keyboard lid and pressed the A note.

Next, I tried the most basic scale.

A chord that starts from the low notes and then rises in an instant.

A refreshing sound resonates throughout the room.

The gloomy atmosphere in the room suddenly brightens.

‘The piano is well tuned.’

There was no problem in the room.

Just then, I thought I heard a knock and the door opened wide.

He showed his face even though I didn’t ask him to come in.

The contestant from the United States was Brian Turner.

“As expected, you check the piano first.”

“Because it’s the most important thing.”

“We finally made it to the finals.”

“That’s what happened.”

“That’s amazing. At your age.”

As I looked at him, Turner continued speaking calmly.

“You’re only 14. I can’t imagine how much time you must have poured into playing at that age······. Your life must have been all about music. No, it must have been nothing but music.”

“Anyone who makes music is like that.”

“Well, I personally saw your semifinal performance, but you didn’t play in the ‘everyone’s’ category. ‘Everyone’s’ practice won’t produce a performance like yours.”

“Well, I don’t know about that.”

“I know because I tried it myself. But is that okay for you? Don’t you think it’s a waste to spend your childhood on ‘music’? Wouldn’t it be okay to be more passionate when you grow up a little more? At your age, you can do it at a level where you enjoy it. Wouldn’t you be able to approach music a little more enjoyably?”

I received his last words.

“What if I’m already doing that?”

“what?”

“Even now, I am making music in the way I want to.”

Turner questions my words.

“······ A performance that is so sorrowful? Such a sad performance······. Was it a performance that could be enjoyed at a level of enjoyment?”

“I have music that I have to make. That’s what I’m working towards. And if you’ve heard my performances in person, don’t you know that my performances don’t end in sadness?”

“······.”

“I don’t think anything like what Mr. Turner is worried about will happen to me. So······.”

Just then, there was a knock again.

This time, I wondered who it was, and it was Yankovsky, who had been assigned to room number 2.

“Turner, what are you talking about with a guy who is already being mentioned as a candidate to win?”

“I······! I’m just telling you about my experience!”

“What experience?”

Turner briefly talked about the friends and colleagues he had as a child who were considered geniuses by those around them.

Children who started learning the piano at a young age of 3 or 4 and ran far ahead of others.

But most of them gave up long ago.

Because I felt limited or tired early on.

Because I can no longer see music as music.

Or maybe you’ll just get sick of it eventually.

I’ve seen many geniuses fall over trying to run fast when they could have just walked slowly and steadily.

Yankovsky points to me and asks Turner.

“So this guy will be like that too?”

“You’re that young!”

“Well, I don’t think Seojin is young. At least I think she’s more mature than you, Turner.”

“······ what?”

“Anyway, stop harassing the kid. Your thoughts don’t apply to everyone. You’re not planning on continuing to tell him ‘your story’ during the two weeks you’re at Chapel, are you?”

“No, that’s not true······. I think that the more talented a child is, the more relaxed he or she should be.”

“Is that what you say to the person who is going to premiere a Beethoven piece?”

“I was just talking about attitude. Hey! But Yankovsky! Where the hell are you looking at?”

“Just stay still for a moment.”

Two people debating with me in the middle.

They say there are no ordinary people among musicians, and it seemed that I got to see a truly diverse range of musicians when I came to Belgium.

Fortunately, the situation was resolved after one more knock and the appearance of Sister Lucas.

Only then could I go down to the restaurant to have dinner.

“We have to stay together for the next two weeks, and it might be noisy. If Turner really does that, should I tell my sister?”

“Then what are you going to do?”

Sister Lucas touched her chin and then gave the clear answer, “Let’s go to the headmaster.”

I laughed out loud and then asked.

“Will that work?”

“At least give them a warning. Then it would be meaningful.”

Well, I didn’t find it too bothersome since I knew what Turner was trying to tell me, but it seemed like a method worth considering.

There were two prepared lunch boxes per person, and when I opened them, one contained a salad, and the other contained steak and potatoes.

They said that if there was a menu item I wanted to eat, I just had to leave a note two days in advance, so I thought it might be a good idea to try ordering Korean food once in a while.

After finishing the meal, it was already night time.

Tomorrow we will see Beethoven’s unpublished scores.

Today was a kind of orientation, so we were planning to start practicing in earnest tomorrow.

After greeting all 11 participants, I returned to the room.

The room that had been bathed in the sunset was now gradually being filled with only starlight.

I opened the window wide.

The cool summer night breeze enters the room.

Perhaps because the mansion was surrounded by a forest, the stars in the sky were quite clearly visible.

Although not as much as on the uninhabited island, the white rays of light were creating their own galaxy.

“You said that each and every one of them is a sun.”

It seemed as if Mr. Miller’s words were still ringing in my ears.

I smiled faintly, closed the window, and sat down in front of the piano.

There are a total of two songs to be performed on the Queen Elisabeth Competition final stage.

An unpublished piano piece by Beethoven, a Brussels treatise.

And the piano concerto, which is a free piece.

I slowly began to compose the melody of the concerto.

In a dark room.

Using the starlight coming through the window as lighting.

Using a wooden metronome that produces a steady sound on the piano as a teacher.

and.

I took the old man’s plane ticket out of my wallet and used it as an audience······.

I spent my first day at Chapel safely.

* * *

The next day.

After eating the delivered boxed breakfast, I followed Headmaster Debbe into the depths of the Chapel Mansion.

I heard that an outsider was coming to the Chapel Mansion today, and Judge Scott and pianist Bashanov were already waiting for us there.

The two of them shook hands with me first.

“Once again, congratulations on taking first place in the semi-finals.”

“It was the best ⌜Strict Variations⌟ of my life.”

“thank you.”

As we entered the room, the first thing we saw was a huge safe.

Yesterday, Professor Debbe said that the 12 participants would take turns reading Beethoven’s unpublished original score for 15 minutes each.

Brussels has decided that although copies will be distributed today, participants should first encounter the music in the “original score”.

“It may be a small thing, but we thought it was a courtesy to Beethoven.”

Mr. Debbe opened the safe while explaining the precautions.

A safe that opens with three keys.

It was like watching a scene from a movie.

I sat at my desk and stared at the sight.

Mr. Debbe took a wooden tray out of the safe and brought it to me.

What immediately caught my eye was the pile of old papers, each individually wrapped in plastic.

While I was looking at the music score, I ended up saying the title of the piece out loud.

“Piano Sonata······. F major No. 33······.”

Beethoven published a total of 32 piano sonatas.

Although he wrote three more sonatas (WoO.47) as exercises during his childhood, they are not considered as formal works.

But even after reading just a few bars of this score, I could immediately tell that it was of a high standard.

‘······ A new sonata by Beethoven? And an unpublished one······?’

One of the most important collections of works in the history of classical music.

A work that is no different from a textbook for pianists.

That was Beethoven’s piano sonata.

Even people who don’t know much about classical music have heard of Beethoven’s piano sonatas, many of which are both popular and beautiful, such as ⌜Moonlight⌟, ⌜Pathetique⌟, or ⌜Appassionata⌟.

Even if you find a few unpublished piano pieces by Beethoven, it will attract public attention, but if it is a piano sonata, it will be on a different level.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the words ’33rd Sonata’ written in German at the very top of the score.

Judge Scott looked at me and smiled faintly.

“This is a score that could be called the most amazing discovery in classical history.”

“This is truly······. a tremendous honor.”

“I hope the performer can show us a wonderful performance. First, please wear this.”

He handed me a pair of white gloves.

Although the score was already well sealed in plastic, it was a situation that was completely understandable.

Because this score was no different from a product of history.

As I put on my gloves, pianist Bashanov checked his wristwatch.

Then he looks at me and taps his watch with his index finger.

“I’ll have to give out copies of the score to all participants this afternoon, but I don’t have time to look at the original score.”

It meant 15 minutes from now.

I nodded slightly and began to quickly scan the score.

A total of 10 sheets of sheet music.

When I read the first chapter’s score, which featured a surprising melody as its theme, and just checked the second chapter, I felt a little bit of a sense of urgency.

“······.”

There was one thing I had forgotten about Beethoven for a while.

that······.

Beethoven, he had terrible handwriting.

A hastily written note.

Numerous correction marks that show traces of thought.

Even the instructions are very difficult to understand.

First of all, it is important to read Beethoven’s scores properly······.

This might be the first hurdle in playing this song.