< For the Music Genius - Episode 176 >
Is this how obsessive-compulsive patients are? Their fingertips are sharp like the tip of a gladiator’s sword at a crossroads, as if they won’t tolerate even a single mistake, and their eyes move without rest.
The young conductor’s charisma was incredible. His conducting was as if measured with a ruler, and his innate talent for eyes and ears made the members tense up.
Dozens of members create a melody in unison with just a few short breaths.
Cross Elba (Iron Blood).
The members called him the Iron-Blooded Maestro. He had muscular fingers and a sparkling gaze, just like a general heading to war.
What about his skills? There were even rumors going around that he was the second coming of world-renowned maestro Maxim Ivanov.
The members focused their gaze on the leader’s fingertips, tense as if they were standing in the middle of a battlefield.
The members’ breath was taken away by his bold leadership.
Crunch.
At that moment, the conductor’s left hand crossed the air and clenched a fist.
“We’ll stop here for today.”
The conductor turned and walked away, speaking fluent Russian. Only then did the members breathe a sigh of relief.
If it were a normal situation, he would have searched for the mistakes in each section and practiced them over and over again.
There was no doubt about his skill, as even the members who initially did not acknowledge the young conductor were silenced by his accuracy.
after-!
Baek Jeong-hoon ran his long fingers down his face. Sweat beads and tension dripped down his face.
In my head, I was rehearsing the command dozens of times like a Go player replaying a game.
The mistakes I made in the introduction of the first movement and the scherzo of the third movement kept bothering me.
I’ve always strived for perfection, but it seems like there’s always an invisible stone in the way.
There is a saying that conducting cannot be perfect. However, when he thought of this saying, one person came to mind harshly.
“hyeon.”
A young maestro who conducted directly for the British royal family many years ago. His greatness could not have been known so clearly until he started learning conducting.
However, after learning to conduct, I finally realized why so many maestros from all over the world are crazy about Hyun.
Although he had been on stage as a guest conductor tens and hundreds of times, Baek Jeong-hoon thought that he could not keep up with Kang Hyeon of the past. That was how great his conducting at the British royal court was.
Baek Jeong-hoon took out the score sheet once again. The thick beads of sweat and the calluses on his palms that bloomed like hot flowers were proof of his efforts. Didn’t he stay up late after the rehearsal and wrestle with the score sheet?
Baek Jeong-hoon was facing an invisible opponent beyond himself.
A child who seems to be endlessly loved by the god of music. That is why he has brought both joy and frustration to numerous conductors.
Baek Jeong-hun gripped the baton tightly with his long fingers as if groaning.
* * *
“Student Kang Hyeon, what do you think about this case?”
The old professor’s eyes looking this way are sharp as always. They even look infinitely sharp, like an eagle hunting for prey.
It was a famous precedent covering both commercial law and civil procedure law. It was an issue that even those preparing for the bar exam could not help but know.
Isn’t this a famous problem that appeared in the second round of the 1997 bar exam and caused frustration to many test takers?
“Just speak based on common sense. I’m not asking you, a person who doesn’t even major in law, to give me a legal interpretation. Don’t feel pressured and just speak comfortably.”
Since when have law and liberal arts classes become a place for discussion with old professors? Students looked at me and the old professor in turns with excited faces.
In the end, I was the one who raised the white flag. As common sense interpretations of the case law came out, the old professor’s eyes filled with excitement and satisfaction.
That may be because it is a question that even a fourth-year law student would have difficulty answering in one go.
As class was coming to an end, the old professor stopped me out of habit.
“Student Kang Hyeon, do you still have no intention of changing majors? It would be a waste of your ability to understand legal interpretation and logic to study law only as a hobby. I have never seen a student who has such a good grasp of the subject of law as you.”
“Professor, I want to do music.”
“Okay.”
The old professor was silent when he heard about music. Of course, his abilities as a violinist and conductor were already widely known in South Korea.
Nevertheless, the old professor’s eyes are filled with regret, as if he were looking at a lover who had broken up. Does that mean I will study law again, just like I did in my past life?
“Oh, Kang Hyun. This law class is definitely going to get an A+. I heard that Professor Jeong rarely gives his students higher than a B+, but this time, you’re going to change history. Wow, you really are the top student.”
As I walked with quick steps, the bear-like Kim Dae-woo approached me in a humorous manner.
As the department representative, I’ve been called here and there, and it feels like I’ve grown bigger since I first saw you.
“Hyun-ah, how about having a beer with your friends this evening?”
“No, I have a prior engagement.”
“Again? Dude, you’re a total celebrity among the kids. How can you be so tired of seeing your classmates’ faces? You haven’t even been attending class properly for the past few days. But strangely enough, you always do well on your tests. If I keep doing this, I’ll end up getting shot with two pistols.”
As it turned out, I was living a busier life than I had ever lived before. Because of a single word from Chairman Barbara, not only large companies but even Blue House officials often came to see me.
Fortunately, Director Kim Sang-guk has now taken over that role. I can still hear Director Kim Sang-guk crying and saying that he needs to increase the number of employees. The scale is growing bigger than I thought.
That was when.
‘I think I’ve seen it somewhere.’
Wasn’t there a foreigner standing in front of the college? The cold eyes under his raised eyebrows reminded me of the whole Vladivostok scene at first glance. The way he frowned was very similar to Alexei, the director of the Moscow Conservatory.
At that moment, our eyes met with cold eyes.
uh?
A middle-aged man with cold eyes was walking towards me with brisk strides. His frame was so tall that Kim Dae-woo, who was standing next to him, swallowed his saliva in nervousness.
“Violinist Hyun?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Maxim Ivanov.”
It was when Kim Dae-woo’s eyes lit up at the sight of his fluent Russian. I was even more surprised by the name Maxim Ivanov.
Isn’t he a world-class maestro? He was once so great that he was comparable to the Austrian Empress Caras.
However, he was a person who lived in seclusion in Russia and did not reveal himself, which made many classical music lovers feel sad.
* * *
“A world-class conductor?”
The teacup with floating flower petals shook.
“Adam, it’s so annoying that you ask me such questions. I’m too old to judge that.”
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“Who can judge if not the Maestro?”
“It is not for me to judge music, but for the audience. However, if you were to name a few world-class conductors, as you said, I can confidently name a few.”
The eternal Maestro Gustav held his teacup with his mushroom-covered hands. His wrinkled eyes were reminiscing about the past.
Of course, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Gustav’s life is a textbook for modern classical music.
“I can name only a few: Empress Karas of Austria, Maxim Ivanov of Russia, Christopher of Norway, and Wang Wei of China.”
“They are all maestros who are not currently active.”
“How can I evaluate those who are currently active? Of course, the other maestros are also great. But of all the ones I have met, these four are by far the best.”
It couldn’t have been more than praise. It was praise from none other than the eternal maestro.
“The virtues of a conductor are perseverance and patience. Many musicians struggle with their instruments, but a conductor has to breathe with many members. He has to understand the characteristics of many instruments and even the slightest habits of each individual. It is not easy to embrace all of that. Sometimes, it is necessary to even put yourself down.”
“Put it down?”
“I once visited Professor Auer while walking the path of a conductor. I had already been turned away by him once, but I didn’t care. There is no royal road to learning. Just like the day I was pushed by Yasha, I went to see Professor Auer in the pouring rain. Only then did he accept me. He said, ‘You have finally put everything down.’”
It was a well-known story that the eternal maestro Gustav studied under Professor Leopold Auer together with Jascha Heifetz when he was young. However, I had no idea that there was such a hidden story.
Adam continued with his questions, his eyes shining.
“Maestro, is there a new conductor you are keeping an eye on?”
“Of course, these days, new conductors are growing by leaps and bounds. When I think of those two, I think they are incomparable to those of the past. I think Professor Auer would have applauded if he had seen those two.”
The eternal Maestro Gustav continued with a faint smile.
“The two are intertwined by fate. One genius and another genius who looks up to him.”
* * *
“Two conductors.”
When I got home, I remembered what Maxim Ivanov had said. He had suggested that I conduct with Baek Jeong-hun.
It was already mind-boggling to think that two conductors would perform one symphony on stage, but I never dreamed that the world-renowned maestro Maxim Ivanov would personally come to Korea to perform for his students.
“Baek Jeong-Hoon.”
The more I listened to Maxim Ivanov, the more unbelievable it became. Baek Jeong-hoon said that he felt like he was blocked by an invisible wall. It was natural for him to be nervous, especially since that wall was none other than himself.
Baek Jeong-hoon, whom I had encountered in my past life, was the iron-blooded maestro himself. Just by going up on stage, the tension was relieved, and his charisma went beyond the audience and overwhelmed the concert hall itself.
He feels like a wall is forming between me and him.
“Hyun-ah, are you busy?”
At that moment, Director Im Hye-ra came to the studio. Looking at the documents in her hand, it seemed like there was some problem with work.
“I got a call from Gramophone.”
“Is it a gramophone?”
“Yes, Hyun said he really wanted you to participate in the concert where they were giving out the Album of the Year award. He was so insistent that he not only sent me a letter, but also called me.”
Since I released my album, I have been invited to perform at various famous classical music concerts. However, I have never attended them, making excuses about my schedule.
Of course, sitting around all day making people smile wasn’t all that enjoyable, unlike going up on stage and performing.
Besides, isn’t there something more important than that?
“I’ll think about it.”
“Yes, this time, definitely think about attending. The Austin representative of EMA also said that he would like you to attend the Gramophone concert. I guess you are well-known among European musicians these days.”
What Chairman Im Hye-ra said was not a lie. As a composer, I was receiving love calls from famous European musicians. No wonder there were people coming from Europe to listen to my music.
But I didn’t give them music every time. Well, each and every one of them was like my baby’s song.
Knock knock knock.
As Chairman Im Hye-ra stepped away, raindrops began to fall outside the car window. As the night deepened, the raindrops grew heavier and the melody seemed to become infinitely richer. It was when the notes on the staff were drawn like a painting.
dripping.
At that moment, a knock was heard from beyond the door of the workshop. Except for the security guard, all the employees had left work at that time. Wondering what was going on, I got up from my seat and opened the door.
“brother?”
At that moment, Baek Jeong-Hoon, drenched in the rain and with wet eyes for some reason, came into view.
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