The Healing Life of a Music Genius - Chapter 219



Only Noblemtl

* * *

Vienna, Austria.

A man who was quietly watching the TV in the conference room muttered softly.

“A truly incredible pianist has emerged. To be able to perform at that level at that age… I can only say that Brussels was very lucky this year.”

“That’s right. It was so frustrating that I couldn’t go and see the final stage of the competition in person because of my performance schedule. Fortunately, I was able to ease that regret a little bit since I got to perform with them.”

A symphony orchestra that is not only Austria’s number one orchestra, but is also considered one of the world’s number one orchestras.

The Vienna Philharmonic’s principal conductor and concertmaster, who use the empty Musikverein concert hall as their base, continued their conversation calmly.

About the boy.

About the boy’s performance.

The empty field performs more than 100 performances every year.

They usually perform about 50 times in their home country of Austria, and another 50 times at overseas invitations.

That means I’ll be on stage once every three days.

If we include travel time, rehearsal time, and practice time here······.

Bin Phil’s schedule was nothing short of murderous.

But no one in the empty field complained about this.

Even if I have to play a new piece from the repertoire two days later.

Even if the schedule suddenly changes and we have to perform for 2 or 3 days in a row.

The empty field always presented the best performance to the audience.

For the Vienna Philharmonic, where each and every member is a world-class musician, performing was like breathing and a duty that had to be fulfilled.

Even if they brought in a new repertoire, the Vienna Philharmonic was confident that it could turn it into music if given just one or two days of practice time.

A group of the world’s best performers.

An orchestra with a higher sense of pride than any other orchestra, thanks to its numerous performance experiences.

The conductor and conductor of the empty ensemble were practically praising the boy’s performance.

“At the age of 14······. You have already achieved a certain level of accomplishment. You also have a unique tone that can be compared to other great masters.”

“Especially, the depth of his inner self is more surprising than his technical skills. He is a child who knows how to build a narrative through his performance.”

“Have you had any unique experiences?”

“I heard there was a plane crash. Fortunately, no one was killed.”

“Ah, I think I’ve seen it on the news.”

“That experience may have had a big impact on that child.”

“You’ve experienced life and death… It must not be an ordinary experience. I’ve often seen performers perform amazingly after such experiences.”

Paul Askin, principal conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic.

He began to watch the finale of the piano concerto that the boy on TV was playing.

The Brussels gala concert marks the end of ⌜Queen Elizabeth⌟.

With the birth of a new pianist, the concert that marked the beginning of a musical journey came to a splendid conclusion.

The audience responded to the boy’s performance with loud cheers, and the boy stood up and greeted the audience along with the conductor.

The screen quickly changed.

Russian master Bashanov and Taiwanese master Lang Yu share lighthearted thoughts with the host of ⌜Queen Elizabeth⌟ and offer their blessings for the boy’s journey.

André Joven, the conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, rose from his seat.

“I think I know a little bit about how that kid plays Tchaikovsky. I’ll have him practice the fifth string early tomorrow morning. He’ll probably have some harmony by 1 p.m. when the conductor comes.”

“Thank you always.”

“No problem. By the way. And, Conductor, will you be attending the after-party today?”

“It’s our member’s farewell party, so of course I have to go. But I won’t be able to drink for long because I need time to look at the music score at night.”

“Haha. That’s the same for us too. We’ll just have a light beer or two.”

Two people stand up and clean up their place.

Conductor Askin and the conductor Hoven moved to a pub in Vienna.

The pub we arrived at was already bustling.

As this was a farewell party for the second principal cellist who had been with the Vienna Philharmonic for 10 years, most of the members of the Vienna Philharmonic were filling up the pub.

The second principal cello player was a great person.

He boldly quit the American orchestra where he had been active and, at the age of over 50, confidently passed the audition for the position of second principal conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic.

The competition ratio at that time was 52:1.

Beating out all the young and energetic performers, a female performer in her 50s confidently entered the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

Over the past 10 years, she has been working with the principal cellist to bring out the best in the Vienna Philharmonic’s cello section.

She was such an important figure in the Vienna Philharmonic that when she first mentioned leaving late last year, conductor Askin, concertmaster Hoven and principal cellist all tried to dissuade her from her decision.

However, she said that she wanted to return to her hometown to take care of her aged parents, and that she wanted to do some small work teaching children in her hometown, so she eventually decided to leave Binpil.

Conductor Askin, who was watching her from a distance, took a sip of beer with a regretful expression.

“It would have been nice if you could at least collaborate with that kid.”

“But that performance was suddenly scheduled. She probably didn’t know that there was such a wonderful collaboration left. It was a decision made before, so there’s nothing she can do.”

“Can I possibly persuade you now?”

“Well, I guess I could try to bring it up, but wouldn’t it be difficult? As you know, Commander, this matter is······.”

Conductor Askin continues the speech in place of the conductor.

“Because there’s a clear reason why she wants to go home. And as the conductor said, it’s a decision that’s already been made.”

Humans live through pain.

The pain may feel small to some, and big to others.

The second principal cello player has also suffered pain, and has suffered the pain that comes with it, and is now at an age where he may need a break.

61 years old.

The story that she had left her home country, the United States, after losing her younger brother in an accident was a story known to some in Bin Phil.

‘Still, I can’t not try.’

Conductor Askin finished his beer, waved his hand lightly at the conductor, and walked over to where she was.

The most secluded corner of the pub.

The members of the cello section bowed their heads slightly to the conductor, and the second principal cellist also bowed his head slightly.

“I appreciate you coming even though you must be busy.”

“Of course I had to be here. Ten years. The long years have passed so quickly.”

“Conductor, you also came to Vienna around the same time as me, right?”

“Yes. It’s been 11 years now. It’s no exaggeration to say that I’ve been creating empty spaces with the Second Chief.”

She had impressive blue eyes close to the color of the sky and answered with a sly smile.

“The compliments are still there. Thanks to the conductor’s choice, I was able to work with the Vienna Philharmonic. I was able to play the cello in the center of Europe without any regrets or regrets. I am always grateful.”

“The second chief was a capable person. Even if I look back on the past from this point in time, it was a choice I have no regrets about.”

“Thank you for your words.”

The second principal cellist bowed his head slightly toward the conductor and drank his beer.

Conductor Askin continued to talk, recalling the performances he had created with her and the members present here.

Collaboration with performers of incredible talent.

Occasionally, unique incidents with audience members that will make you laugh or cry.

and.

About the direction of music that Bin Phil is moving towards.

Conductor Askin very cautiously made a suggestion to the second principal cellist.

“Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1. This is a piece of repertoire that the Vienna Philharmonic has performed dozens of times. With the skills of the Second Principal, I would say that it is a piece that can be easily played in one’s sleep.”

“······.”

“A genius pianist has appeared in Europe. A boy who may be the genius of the century. And that boy has chosen the Vienna Philharmonic as his first collaborator. Are you going to miss this opportunity? You could just postpone your retirement for a little while?”

The second principal cello looked at Conductor Askin for a moment and smiled even more deeply.

“That’s right. That kid······. He really is a great player.”

“Yes. That’s why I also want to play with that child at the Vienna Philharmonic where the second principal is. I want to make the best performance of the Vienna Philharmonic. It can be done in one performance. Is it difficult?”

“······.”

The second principal cello player closed his eyes and spent some time.

She took a deep breath as if an idea had occurred to her and then let it out.

She answered with her eyes closed.

“I watched all of that child’s competitions. He has a healing tone inside him. His performance was truly amazing.”

“so······.”

“So it seems difficult. I miss my younger brother more than anything else. I suddenly miss my hometown. I am truly sorry to the conductor, but I would like to return to the United States as I had decided before.”

“Is that so······?”

“Yes. No matter what happens, the regret of parting will always remain. So now······. I think it’s time for me to leave this place.”

The second principal cellist extended her hand to conductor Askin, and Paul Askin took her hand with a forced smile.

“Thank you so much for everything, Conductor Askin.”

“Thank you for creating such a wonderful performance with me······.”

and.

The conductor called her name with respect.

“Second Principal Miller. You were the best cellist in the Vienna Philharmonic. I am serious about this.”

After losing her younger brother in an unexpected plane accident 12 years ago, she left the United States and continued her performing career in Vienna.

Sophia Miller smiled faintly.

* * *

“Eat well.”

“yes.”

“Dress well and take good care of yourself.”

“yes.”

“If you want to see me······.”

“I will call you often.”

“okay······.”

Sister Lucas was adjusting my collar for no reason and making a sad expression.

I’ve been living in Brussels for over a month and I’ve become very attached to my sister Lucas.

We cried, laughed, chatted, and talked a lot together.

That moment, when we were sitting in the Music Chapel, looking out at the garden and discussing music, was still vivid.

After a while, I had to go to the airport to fly to Vienna, Austria.

Sister Lucas said she’s taking a flight to New York, USA tomorrow.

Now that we are on the verge of breaking up.

Sister Lucas eventually shed tears.

“······ I won’t be able to see you for a year. Maybe even longer.”

“That might be the case. My sister and I both have performance schedules.”

“I think the life of a performer is a bit sad. It’s hard to settle down somewhere.”

“Instead, you get to meet different people, like my sister and I did in Brussels.”

“······.”

“Right? That’s definitely an advantage.”

“······.”

Sister Lucas hugged me tightly and then smiled brightly.

“Yes. You, Sooyeon, and even my friend······. It was all thanks to music that I was able to meet all of these people.”

“So, I’m grateful. And the moments when I played the instrument will be remembered forever. I’m grateful for that too.”

“That’s right. I can still picture the time when I was leaning against the wall at the Beaux-Arts concert hall and listening to your performance. When I sit like this, it feels like Seojin can hear your performance in her ears.”

“I do too. I can quickly recall the songs my older sister played. Even after a long time has passed, this memory will remain the same.”

Sister Lucas brought both hands to my face for no reason, then removed them and continued talking.

“Is it because we’re musicians? I think we communicated through music in a slightly different way?”

A remark mixed with a bit of a joke.

But I nodded seriously.

“Because musicians are supposed to tell their stories through music. I think I actually had a lot of conversations with my older sister. As a musician.”

“Yeah······. Musicians······. We are all musicians.”

After chatting with Sister Lucas for a while, Jankowski, Sister Hyunju, Turner, and the Queen Elizabeth participants stopped by the cafe.

To say goodbye to me.

I smiled and chatted with them.

The time has come.

We loaded all our luggage from Airbnb into the vehicle prepared by ⌜Schmid⌟, and our family members also finished preparing to leave for Austria.

Sister Lucas waved vigorously at me as I got into the car.

I also waved vigorously to the people who came out to see me off.

Suyeon, who was sitting next to me, also clung close to me and copied my actions.

“bye!”

“Have a great time playing in Vienna!”

“See you next time!”

“I’ll be going now. Thank you all.”

“Bye! Bye!”

It seems a little disappointing.

The car quickly took off, seemingly in vain.

It seemed like I wasn’t adjusting well at this moment of separation from my loved ones.

It was a short journey from downtown Brussels to the airport.

As the Queen Elisabeth Concours team had expected, the airport was packed with people.

First of all, there were a lot of reporters and people who had heard my performance in Brussels filled the airport.

Among them, there were many memorable ones.

I definitely recognized some faces, as I spent plenty of time memorizing the faces of the audience on stage at the preliminaries, finals and gala concerts.

People who send me support.

I entered the departure hall with their cheers in my heart.

The departure hall was much quieter than the airport entrance.

And there, as promised, I was able to meet Professor Kang Yu-han and Mr. Richter.

“There were a ton of people outside.”

“You’ve worked hard, Seo Jin.”

Professor Kang Yu-han, who decided to return to Korea after seeing the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra performance, which can be said to be the practical starting point of my performance journey.

Mr. Richter, you have an appointment in Vienna.

I headed with them to Vienna, Austria, which can be called the mecca of classical music.

As many musicians have done.

To let many people hear my unique music······.

I also went on a trip.