The Healing Life of a Music Genius - Chapter 62



Only Krnovel

62 Grateful People

* * *

Two elderly gentlemen standing at the entrance to the church.

They burst into laughter as they listened to the faint music.

“Looks like I’m late. I missed the start. But… the performance is quite good.”

“It can’t be helped since I entrusted the piano to the pianist.”

“Pianist… “But is Schumann your choice?”

“No. “It’s a song that Seojin personally chose.”

“A love song? “A child?”

“Because there are many forms of love.”

Kai Hoffman nodded at the words of the strong pianist.

As I carefully opened the door and entered the church, the faint sound of the piano immediately began to be heard clearly.

The two people settled down in a suitable place. Seat on the left with a clear view of the piano and the child’s hands. Due to the structure, it was difficult for a child to see this side.

Hoffman, who was sitting on the edge of a long chair and watching the child play, couldn’t help but be amazed.

That kid’s performance looked very special.

Simply following the notes? It’s not like that. Just like a skilled musician who had spent a long time playing the piano, the child was doing his best to express the music.

The song the child played was Schumann’s Arabesque.

Schumann – Arabesque in C major, Op. 18

Composer Schumann fell in love with his teacher’s daughter Clara. However, due to his teacher’s opposition, he is unable to achieve his goal.

Schumann wanders endlessly in frustration and despair.

He wastes three years without composing, performing, or doing anything.

Almost before becoming a wreck.

In the end, it was Clara who saved Schumann.

Despite her father’s opposition, she eventually accepts Schumann’s marriage proposal.

The song Schumann composed for her after a three-year gap was Arabesque.

This song was a love song.

A song about struggling to escape the frustration and despair of the past.

Sad yet beautiful.

This elegant yet lyrical melody.

How on earth does that child understand?

Hoffman’s thoughts continued to deepen as he listened to the sorrowful emotions emanating from the sound of the piano.

Arabesque’s performance is not long, about 7 minutes.

I even got to hear the child play from the second part, so it was a very disappointing situation.

After the fourth part, which fully revealed Schumann’s inner self.

In the final coda (the part added to the end of the piece to emphasize the ending effect), a long melody flows slowly.

As if not wanting to end the love song, the sound of C major slowly flows out, creating a fantastic atmosphere.

Schumann dedicated this song to Clara.

So who does that child want to sing this song to?

Thinking like that…

Kai Hoffman stood up with a strong pianist.

* * *

“······.”

I thought there was no audience.

When I turned my head in the direction where I could feel the presence of people, I saw Professor Yuhan Kang and an older gentleman talking.

Today, Professor Yuhan Kang said he would introduce me to someone.

Who gave me the opportunity to give a recital in this church.

It must be him.

I hurried down to where they were. Professor Kang Yu-han, who saw me, spoke first.

“In the meantime, your playing has increased. This is my old friend and colleague, conductor Kai Hoffman. And this one…”

At that time, the professor was about to continue his explanation in German.

I introduced myself, even if it was a bit clumsy. And I said thank you first.

“hello. My name is Seojin Han from Korea. “Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.”

Basic German learned from Uncle Miller.

Since German itself is so difficult, all I had to do was say a few words.

But Conductor Hoffmann widened his eyes as if he was surprised when he heard what I said. It was the same for Professor Yuhan Kang.

“haha. Seojin, have you studied German too?”

“It’s really just a little bit.”

Conductor Hoffman asks me happily.

In German.

“@#$ smart $^&! Kid ^$! Playing &$%$^ great @*#”

“······.”

German that sounds loud and clear.

Still, I roughly understand the meaning.

“thank you. And… the church here is so nice…”

“ha ha ha! %$^ difficult #$% piano is #$%#”

“Uh… the piano was good too.”

“@#$ German is @#$@#$ who @#$”

“That’s it… from the guy I know…”

“#$% @#$#@ @#$~! ^$#&&”

“······.”

It was now the limit.

Excuse me, I asked if I could speak in English, and fortunately, Conductor Hoffmann skillfully continued my questions in English.

“You speak German and English? “That’s amazing.”

“German is at a completely basic level. I barely understood. “Actually, it was just a guess.”

“ha ha ha! Didn’t you just look at it? I just need to study hard for one year. And it was such a wonderful performance. Arabesque… It’s truly a perfect song selection for the end of the year.”

“I thought so too.”

Professor Yuhan Kang also offers a word of advice.

“I saw you at the airport, Seojin, you’re definitely good at English. “He’s well prepared.”

“······ thank you.”

“so. Hoffman. “Didn’t you say you had something to ask Seojin?”

“ah! “It’s just a personal curiosity of mine, but…”

Conductor Hoffmann smiled slightly.

“Who did you think of when you played this arabesque? “No matter how much I think about it, it seems like there is a target.”

“Oh, that’s it…”

This was something I had already told Professor Yuhan Kang when I had just finished interpreting the song. But Professor Kang Yu-han kept his mouth firmly shut.

So I had no choice but to explain.

“I played while thinking of my family.”

“family?”

“yes. There was a little bit of time away from me. Also, this is my first concert there. So I chose a song that I wanted to share with my family.”

“hmm···.”

Conductor Hoffmann nodded his head quietly. Then he taps my shoulder.

“Then I guess it can be seen as a really cool interpretation. There are definitely not many pianists who play like that. I was impressed that he was already building his own musical world. “It was great.”

The praise ended here.

Professor Yuhan Kang was talking in German with Conductor Hoffman and told me one thing.

“Today, this was actually your test spot.”

“yes?”

“If your performance wasn’t that good, this recital would have been nothing. But I thought that would never happen. “Because I was the one who listened to your playing the most recently.”

A charity recital held here at the end of every year.

It is said to be a place where promising talents can perform for free and help the local community.

It was a recital that Berlin musicians often came to see, so in a way, it was a stage that could be a great opportunity.

Conductor Kai Hoffman said he also serves as music director of this church. So, it was necessary to check the minimum level of skill.

What if my skills were terrible?

It is said that a pinch hitter was scheduled to come in right away.

‘I’ve never heard a story like this from Professor Yuhan Kang in Korea…’

Did you refrain from saying anything for fear that I would feel intimidated or nervous?

It seemed like that.

Fortunately, it seemed like I passed the test safely, and we all went out for lunch together.

That too.

“······ Korean?”

“Oh, I heard that Hoffman is obsessed with Korean food these days. Are you fine?”

“Uh… I like it.”

Conductor Hoffman expertly ordered seasoned chicken and soft tofu stew, I ordered bulgogi, and the professor ordered bibimbap.

Most of the stories that followed were related to upcoming performances.

Two people who will soon be performing together.

Professor Yuhan Kang had two recital performances scheduled for the end of this year.

On the New Year’s stage immediately following, there were two piano concerto performances scheduled with conductor Hoffman.

‘There will be rehearsals as well… Meanwhile, you also pay attention to my lessons every day…’

I apologized and tried to tell him, but he said that this kind of schedule was nothing.

He said that in the case of a concerto, there are many cases where he only spends two hours with the orchestra on the same day and then goes straight to the actual performance.

They say that in the professional world, this kind of schedule is really generous.

It is said that the most popular pianists currently perform around 200 times a year.

It makes absolutely no sense to compare, but the path I had to take certainly seemed like a long one.

‘Right now… I’ll have to worry about my performance first.’

I just asked Conductor Hoffmann for feedback on the performance, without being rude.

Conductor Hoffman smiled brightly and told me various stories.

After talking for quite some time, we returned to the church.

Since we couldn’t continue practicing in the chapel like before, they rented a separate church practice room with a grand piano.

There was also a boy around Suyeon’s age who came by after hearing my performance. His eyes were shining so brightly outside the window that he brought him into the practice room and played him a few songs.

“and! “Hyung, you’re cool!”

“It’s nothing.”

“Brother $# playing this year #@@#$?”

“I guess so?”

“I must be with my family &$*#”

“okay. thank you.”

Fortunately, I was able to communicate well in German with my child who was about 5 years old.

‘There’s definitely a lot to study.’

Thinking like that.

I started focusing on the piano again.

* * *

That evening.

“”Thank you for your effort!””

“It was a really great performance.”

Professor Yuhan Kang greeted numerous orchestra members one by one.

He watched the members leave the stage and talked to conductor Hoffman.

“How was my performance today?”

“It was similar to last year.”

“It sounds like you’re not old yet.”

“You got it right.”

They were joking around.

Kang Yu-han suddenly remembered the events of the morning and asked Hoffman a question.

“so. “What do you think, Seojin?”

“That kid?”

“okay.”

“hmm. There’s still a long way to go. Oh, of course, what I said sets the bar a little high. “I don’t think I can take him on a world tour right now.”

Kang Yu-han let out a chuckle.

“That’s natural. There’s no need to rush. That child will enter an arts middle school in Korea next year. “I think it would be good to gain a variety of experiences there.”

“Art middle school?”

“A dozen years ago, there was a winner of the Chopin Competition in Korea, right? “The winner is from that school.”

“Ah, I see. So did you say that studying abroad might not be a good idea? In fact, a child of that age could probably receive a scholarship in Germany.”

Kang Yu-han nodded to Hoffman’s question.

“I know. But that child’s music is a weapon of emotion. There is no need for him to come to a distant place and learn difficult words to build his technique. There is no need to waste a child like that.”

“Like you?”

“······ okay.”

Kang Yu-han came to Germany to study when he was very young. Next is Italy. Next is Russia.

Because there was that time, I know very well that there is now. However, Kang Yu-han could not easily recommend it to Han Seo-jin.

“So the story about the competition came up. Do you want to continue learning in Korea until your child grows up and continue to challenge him/her in competitions abroad? In the meantime…”

“Because I can tell you.”

“That’s great. “You finally have an interesting student.”

“It’s just that I have a pastime in my old age.”

Kang Yu-han asked Hoffman a few favors.

Among them, it is about the recommendation letter for the competition to be held next summer.

The recommendation letter required the recommendation of at least one German musician.

“It’s not difficult. “It would have been easier if I had seen the child first instead of asking you to do it.”

“Thank you.”

“But you’ll have to take a tape and send it to me. And since I am participating in the judging of that contest, the score given to Seojin will also be excluded. “There will be some downsides.”

“It’s the same with all overseas competitions. If you can’t overcome that, you won’t be able to stand on the world stage anyway. Seojin will overcome it well.”

The conversation between the two continued for quite a long time.

Mostly stories about children.

Then, there was also talk about song selection.

The first song that Seojin Han will play in church is Schumann’s Arabesque.

The second song is…

“List?”

“It’s a piano piece that Liszt arranged from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. “Tomorrow we will play the fourth movement from them.”

“······ Isn’t the level of difficulty too high for the child?”

“I did it that way on purpose. He is a child who makes no mistakes and does his homework diligently. “I wanted to see the limits.”

“haha. “It’s the limit…”

“But do you know what’s fun?”

Hoffman shook his head, and Professor Kang Yu-han smiled kindly.

“I mean, that kid could play that. perfectly.”

“······ That chorus arranged by Liszt?”

“okay. That ode to joy.”

* * *

The morning dawned.

It’s been a long time since I wore a tailcoat.

This is the first time I tried it on at the beginning of this year, not 4 years ago.

Feels a little tight.

‘It was a bit generous back then.’

It certainly seemed like my body was big.

I undid one button on the sleeve of my dress shirt.

And I lengthened the bow tie slightly.

After a while.

I went on stage following Conductor Hoffman’s instructions.

When the door leading from the waiting room to the stage opened, a lot of applause came out.

You see all kinds of people.

The German boy I saw briefly the other day is waving at me.

Suyeon, dressed in a yellow crochet outfit, is also clapping excitedly.

Parents too.

Professor Yuhan Kang, too.

Even countless people whose names I don’t know.

I sit in the audience and wait for my performance.

I greeted them.

For the people who came here to see me play.

He expressed his sincere gratitude.

The applause grew louder.

In that slightly thrilling atmosphere.

I put one hand on the piano…

I took a moment to remember this scene.