The Healing Life of a Music Genius - Chapter 64



Only Krnovel

64 work number

* * *

My heart is beating.

I can hear that pounding clearly in my ears.

The lingering feeling that remained within me was once again reminding me of the performance from before.

The piano keys are still fluttering before my eyes.

A fleeting moment of silence.

and.

The faces of the audience look like they could be drawn as paintings.

Something···.

I couldn’t believe it…

At that time, someone placed a hand on my shoulder.

I looked up and saw that it was Conductor Hoffman.

“······ Didn’t you hear what I just said?”

“yes?”

“haha. It seemed like that too. But we can’t keep doing this. The audience is also slowly becoming limited. Can you hear that sound? “If it’s too late, he might get angry.”

“······ ah!”

“You remembered something you had to do, right?”

It was an instant for me to come back to my senses.

I nodded.

I remembered the time when I went to my first piano recital with my mother as a child.

After the performance ended, I remember applauding until the end out of disappointment.

Then, the performer returned to the stage and greeted the audience several times.

At that performance hall, I was very excited and happy just to see the performer again.

So, the audience is talking to me now…

“Shouldn’t there be a curtain call? At least two or three times. “Let’s just go.”

“I guess so…”

I got up immediately. And then he went up on stage again, following conductor Hoffman.

The audience was still standing up and applauding.

When Conductor Hoffman spoke in German, the audience burst into laughter. Then louder cheers erupted.

Conductor Hoffman explained it to me again in English.

“I said I was very lucky to see a new little Beethoven today. “I also said I was lucky because I got a very cheap ticket.”

“······.”

“Oh my. This moment should never be forgotten. Today will be a great foundation for your future path. Because we musicians exist for this moment, for these people. Whenever I feel tired, I always think of this moment. Then there will be nothing you can’t overcome.”

“······.”

I looked at the audience.

I wanted to clearly convey my feelings to them.

So, even if it was a little awkward, I tried speaking to the audience in German.

A little loudly.

“thank you. “Today… I will never… forget…”

Fortunately, the audience seemed to understand what I meant. In fact, they give even louder applause. There were also people shouting ‘Bravo’ in between.

The curtain call was repeated a total of three times.

After interacting with the audience, I came down from the stage.

There was no encore at today’s performance.

There was nothing I couldn’t do, but I didn’t do it on purpose.

Usually, there are times when there is no encore after performing a large piece such as Beethoven’s chorus.

In order to retain even a little more of the emotion that the music brings, there is no need to play other songs.

After all the performances were over, I waited in the waiting room for a while and saw a friendly face.

“Oppaaaaa!”

Dodo ran up to me, holding the dress with both hands, and fell into my arms.

It was Suyeon.

“Did you enjoy today’s performance?”

“huh! I was so moved! Especially the first song was very warm! “I think I know what my brother is trying to say… so… so…”

Suyeon snuggled further into my arms. He stays like that for a while without saying anything.

I gently patted Sooyeon on the back.

“Then I’m glad. “I’ll have to let you hear my brother play a lot more in the future.”

“······ It must be so. ······ It’s an unconditional promise. .····· We have to do that even after 10 years.”

“of course.”

“And today, brother…”

Suyeon looks around and carefully whispers, “It was really cool.” A very serious expression. It was so cute that Sooyeon grabbed the ball for no reason and then let it go. I laugh and wonder how good that is.

My parents also seemed impressed by today’s performance.

Two people who haven’t heard me play in a long time.

During the practical exam, I went in alone, so there was no opportunity to hear the performance.

You’ve probably seen it a few times, but practice is usually divided into parts and repeated endlessly, so you don’t get the feeling of a performance like this.

Maybe that’s why my mother kept touching my face. Uhmmm. This was my mother’s habit when she was in a really good mood.

“I’ve vaguely known since summer that Seojin is good! I didn’t know it would be like this! “I’m going to fall in love!”

My father also adds a word here. How much practice have you been doing? Even though he didn’t know much about music, he felt it and was touched.

“I just did what I normally do. “The professor taught me well, and piano is what I like.”

“Anyway. You are amazing too. “I don’t think I could have done that well when I was your age.”

My father patted my back.

Soon after, Professor Yuhan Kang, Conductor Hoffman, and several others came to the waiting room.

The first person to greet me was an elderly gentleman. He is said to be well over 80 years old. When I finished the choir performance, he was the first person to stand up.

“Beethoven… That difficult song… The emotions you felt were different from other children… It’s been a long time since I shed tears. Music is like this…”

Professor Yuhan Kang and Conductor Hoffmann helped with the German interpretation. I said thank you to the old man.

He said that the people next to him were musicians active in Berlin.

They ranged in age from their 20s to their 60s and had a variety of jobs.

A person playing viola in a quartet (string quartet).

vocalist.

Symphony Orchestra guest cellist.

Solo violinist.

etc.

Among them, there were people who gave me business cards.

“Next time you come to Germany, be sure to contact me. “I’ll buy you some food.”

“It would be nice to study in Germany. If you have any thoughts, please contact me. “I’ll write you a letter of recommendation.”

“It’s been a long time since I heard a performance that resonated with me. “I’m sure Schiller and Beethoven would have liked it.”

“Thanks to you, I remembered an old friend. I thought it was a forgotten memory. I guess I should say thank you to you. Music is… yes. This must be music. “It is one of the few blessings given to humans that allows us to look back on time.”

The person who spoke to me last.

The elderly violinist held my hand tightly and handed me a business card.

“If anything is difficult, I’d like to contact you at any time.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“However, even if you feel greedy, don’t practice too much. “For people, the most important thing is health.”

“yes. All right.”

“okay. I’ll just leave now. “It was a really great performance.”

A person who gives off a slightly unusual atmosphere.

For some reason, he was someone who caught my eye more.

‘Umm…’

I ended up staring at his back for a long time. I had to continue the conversation with other people as well.

Church officials.

Major donors.

Local celebrity.

It took quite some time to say hello to the people who came to the waiting room.

After about an hour, I was able to go to the church cafeteria.

Although it wasn’t a meal, there were some light snacks prepared.

Sandwiches, canapés, and biscuits.

I tried a tuna canapé and it tasted pretty good.

People were chatting here and there in the church. The children are busy running around and playing as if they have any energy left.

As I was walking down the church hallway, I noticed a place that particularly caught my eye.

About 4 or 5 little children gathered around yellow clothes.

The main character of Kokkaot was leading the conversation despite not being able to communicate well. He communicates through hand and foot gestures.

The kids seem to be able to communicate with each other.

“I liked that my brother played the piano well. He’s my brother. It’s family. “I am your younger brother.”

“brother? @$@#$ Piano @#$? family?”

“I was usually good, but today was especially cool. “I was heartbroken.”

“%^& There’s a cat around here!”

“What are those cat-like gestures? “Try to express it a little more clearly.”

“#$% Where are you from? #@$?”

“What is your name? “Han Seo-jin.”

“@#$@?”

“Can you say that again?”

“%?!@#”

“······ ha. I don’t think we can communicate. It’s sad. The Earth is round… Do you know how to speak English? Do you know English?”

“What? study! no! paddle!”

“In Korea, this level is basic in kindergarten. “I think you need to work harder.”

“I’m just… becoming close to you… #@$”

“English. please.”

“······.”

I guess it didn’t make sense.

Still, they’re having a good time.

I grabbed Suyeon’s shoulder and answered the boy in German instead.

“My younger brother said he wanted to talk in English?”

“oh! But I #$% don’t speak @#$ English.”

“yes?”

“brother! Playing #@$ was great! Top $#%”

“thank you. You… But… before…”

“that’s right! Practice @#$ me on the piano #@$”

“Oh~”

“Do you remember?”

“huh.”

I found out that this boy was the one who came to play when I was in the church practice room.

“But brother… do you also speak German?”

“very little?”

“and! oh my god! “What can’t you do?”

“No. So, you bring something like this.”

I showed them the biscuits I brought from the restaurant to eat with my family. Children’s eyes light up right away. I guess I couldn’t eat because I was playing.

One for each child. I also gave biscuits to Suyeon’s parents who were watching her from behind.

After that, I was captured by the children.

In the end, I was taken to where the church practice room was. The place where this boy was taught to play the piano.

The boy came here with his grandfather.

It is said that this is a church that always comes at the end of every year.

As I sat down on the piano chair, the kids gathered around me. Sooyeon stayed right next to me during that time.

I decided to play a song that the kids would like. It felt a bit awkward to just send the children away with their eyes sparkling and looking forward to it.

‘The song selection is…’

I chose a song that any child in the world would know.

WA Mozart – 12 Variations in französisches Lied “Ah, vous dirai-je, maman”

12 variations on a theme of Mozart’s ‘Ah, let me tell you, mother’.

Rather, the title of this song that people commonly know is…

“and! “It’s a twinkle, twinkle little star!”

As Suyeon said, it was ⌜Little Star Variation⌟.

The children made eye contact with each other and suddenly started singing.

In German, Korean, and English.

Even though the languages ​​were different, the meaning was common.

I played the presentation part to the end while listening to the children’s lyrics.

The part called a children’s song usually ends here.

but.

The highlight of ⌜Little Star Variation⌟ was when the variation began.

Among them, the first variation.

A part that exudes beauty with sixteenth notes and elaborate chromatic scales.

As soon as the performance started, the children started talking excitedly.

“and!”

“stylish!”

“^&&% pianist #@$”

“It’s like Mozart!”

It was also the first song I played properly at piano lessons.

The children’s eyes lit up as if they had truly become little stars. Suyeon also smiles brightly.

The children really liked my playing.

Shake your body to the beat.

Every child became an audience member of my performance.

Of course, a formal recital is good, but small performances like this also brought me great joy.

After ⌜Little Star Variation⌟ was over and Sooyeon and Chopstick March were played together, the children returned to their parents one by one.

A boy named Ben Richter shook my hand.

Then he spoke very slowly, choosing words that were easy for me to understand.

“Like my brother. I am. please. pianist. It will be. today. many. moved. i did it. thank you.”

Ben Richter.

A child who asks you not to forget his name.

I remembered the child’s name and held his small hand.

The child soon disappeared into the distance.

Listening to my performance and seeing the child who wanted to become a pianist, I was lost in thought for a long time.

Today in many ways…

It was a meaningful day for me.

* * *

Professor Yuhan Kang’s recital has ended.

I went to see both performances with my family and they were truly impressive.

A performance that immediately captivates over 1,000 audiences.

He creates a story with just a piano, burning all his energy during the performance that lasts over an hour and a half.

Professor Kang Yu-han’s nickname here in Germany was ‘The Lion of the East.’

A heart-pounding performance.

The pianist’s performance, which rushed towards the end without stopping, made the audience very nervous.

There are not many people who can relax in front of lions.

The brief moment of relaxation that occurred at the end of the breathtaking performance was truly thrilling.

After finishing everything in Berlin, we left for Dresden.

About two hours by car.

It was the location of the first performance by Conductor Hoffman and Professor Yuhan Kang.

Dresden was completely different from Berlin.

There were many luxurious buildings that made you feel like you were in real Europe, and the long Elbe River that runs through Dresden created a calm atmosphere.

I was able to spend my time more leisurely thanks to finishing ‘what I had to do’.

When I woke up in the morning, I went for a light jog along the riverside with my father.

Afterwards, I had breakfast with my family and followed Professor Yuhan Kang to watch the orchestra practice.

Even during this time, I did not stop practicing the piano.

Thanks to Conductor Hoffman’s consideration, we were able to rent a practice room and practice for 4 to 5 hours a day.

Inside a European-style building, in a room with windows that open up and down.

I played the piano while looking at the Elbe River.

There were new things I felt when I came to Europe this time.

I learned a lot and got to think a lot.

As a result, a lot of inspiration actually came to me.

This melody that kept ringing in my head wanted to pass through my fingertips and go out into the world.

It wasn’t a melody I came up with with much effort.

A melody created naturally while staying here.

That was very surprising.

The song that I had been thinking about for a long time and racking my brain every time I got stuck was released so easily, like a knot unraveling on its own.

In classical music, the word opus is used when ordering composers’ pieces.

In Korean, it is the work number.

Abbreviated as Op.

You can think of it as arranging the songs published by the composer in chronological order.

In short, Op.1 is the composer’s first published song.

Beethoven’s first work was ⌜Op. 1 – 1, Piano Trio in E Flat Major⌟, just as Chopin’s first work was ⌜Rondo in c minor, Op.1.⌟.

I made a song called ⌜TEST⌟ last year.

However, in popular music, there is no need to consider the number of the work. So I thought it would be okay to make an exception.

then···.

This piano song will be used in the last scene of director Cheon Hee-tae’s movie.

It was opus number 1 of my classical music.

I completed the score in an hour, recorded it, and immediately sent an email.