< For the Music Genius - Episode 212 >
“It seems like there is a lack of direction.”
A look of puzzlement appeared on Tommy’s face. Professor Albert, on the other hand, nodded briefly as if in agreement.
Tommy was looking at me with his freckles gleaming as if they were falling off.
I guess I need to give some more explanation.
“The piece Tommy just played was Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata. It was originally written for the arpeggione, a stringed instrument similar to the cello, but that’s not the point now. Schubert suffered from severe depression and mental illness in his later years. He said that he wished he would not wake up from his dreams every morning. And that extreme trauma is vividly expressed in the Arpeggione Sonata.”
Studying composition helped me understand it better.
Just looking at the notes on the staff is enough to tell what kind of mindset Schubert had in composing this song.
Frustration, sadness, and confusion mixed together to create a sonata of despair.
The melody is grand and beautiful, but when you look inside, you can hear a desperate cry.
It is such a strange melody that some have described it as a woman’s only scream.
“Tommy is a performer with a high level of understanding of the piece. His bowing and string melody try to understand and express Schubert’s mind better than anyone else. However, I think that understanding the composer’s mind and improving the performer’s skills are two separate issues.”
“Hyeon, is that a separate issue?”
“Tommy, if there were a Schubert competition, your performance of the Arpeggione Sonata would have been enough to immediately captivate the judges. However, I think it would be different if it were a matter of evaluating the skill of a performer. The practice room is not a competition hall, and you don’t need to play a composer who is already dead.”
It must be a problem of type and route.
As I spent time with Mr. Deoksu, I became interested in the philosophy of fortune telling and destiny.
I think it was called Manryuguijong. Although the trajectories may be different, I thought that music and philosophy also resonate in the same vein.
It may be a bit of a leap, but if things continue this way, Tommy may win the competition, but he will not progress as a musician.
“From a composer’s perspective, do I really want a performer hundreds of years from now to play the piece I wrote exactly the same way? I don’t think so. In music, a composer is just a craftsman who creates a mold. It’s up to the performer to decide how to fill it. Tommy, you must have tried very hard to understand Schubert’s mind.”
He must have practiced it a hundred times. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to play the arpeggione sonata so perfectly.
“That’s why you can play the perfect Arpeggione Sonata, but you can’t perfect your own performance, Tommy. Let me ask you one thing. Tommy, do you want to be a great performer, or do you want to be Schubert?”
That was when.
Clap clap clap clap!
Professor Albert clapped his hands and nodded.
“As expected, you’re amazing, just like Emmanuel said. You can figure out what the other person’s problem is right away.”
“Professor, when you say Emanuel, are you talking about the principal cellist of the London Symphony?”
“Yes, you’re my old friend. When I heard that you were going to the Royal Academy of Music, I was really curious because you praised me so much.”
At that moment, Professor Albert took a closer look and asked.
“Hyeon, have you ever thought about learning cello?”
* * *
A week has passed.
“Now, how is life at the Royal Academy of Music?”
I put down my teacup at President Samuel’s question.
“The inside of the school was already familiar, but the students’ gazes were still sharp. It was like looking at a stranger.”
“I am a foreigner… … .”
“I especially wanted to meet the violin students, but as you know, it is the Queen Elizabeth season, so we didn’t have time to exchange musical knowledge. The professors also seemed quite busy. Thanks to that, I had the opportunity to study other orchestral instruments, not just the violin.”
“Since Hyun suddenly came as an exchange student in the middle of the semester, neither the students nor the professors had time to worry about it. As you know, Queen Elizabeth symbolizes something irreplaceable to them.”
In a way, it was a natural story. With the competition of a lifetime right in front of me, how could an exchange student catch my eye?
But there was something unexpected: I was the youngest winner of the Queen Elizabeth.
You would think that someone would come to ask questions about Queen Elizabeth, but there wasn’t a single person.
Of course, I don’t really have anything to tell you.
‘talent.’
At that time, I won the championship not with flashy techniques or skilled practice, but with my musical talent.
Unlike other contestants who entered the contest with their own grand dreams, I initially entered the contest to be exempted from military service.
“The Royal Academy of Music’s curriculum is designed to give students as much autonomy as possible. During the competition period, there are lessons from professors, but no group classes. Therefore, students majoring in violin today will not be confined to the practice room.”
“Do most violin majors compete for Queen Elizabeth?”
“Of course. Hyun is the youngest winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, but he doesn’t seem to know the status that the Queen’s Competition gives. For musicians, today’s era is more difficult than the Middle Ages. There are many opportunities to make a name for yourself, but geniuses from all over the world gather in one place. In the classical world, it’s important to have a place to show your skills. That’s why most unknown musicians try so hard to enter the competition. Furthermore, the competition has an age limit, so if you don’t enter now, when you’re in your 20s, you’ll never have another chance. Older undergraduates are basically making their last attempt.”
It felt like cold water was being poured on my head. I had been thinking so vaguely and beautifully about the Queen Elisabeth Competition.
This is the truth that no one has ever told me. Of course, the masters around me. They are no longer the ones who are obsessed with competitions.
‘It’s a chance to make a name for yourself.’
President Samuel’s words showed how many musicians wanted to make a name for themselves.
No wonder there are musicians who continue to run around the competition venue even after achieving success in the competition.
In the classical world, rather than in the world of popular music, the need for fame was even greater.
In a way, it was natural for them to chase after Kongku. Music was their life, and on the other hand, it was their livelihood.
That was when.
“Oh, by the way, why don’t you go meet Sabrina?”
“Sabrina?”
“He is a violin genius recognized by the Royal Academy of Music, but he is a musician who is famous for not showing off. If he were to challenge for a competition, he would win just like Hyun, and he is a great talent. However, for some reason, he is extremely reluctant to stand in front of the public, let alone compete.”
It was the first time I heard that name. I searched through my memories of my past life, but I had never heard of a violinist named Sabrina.
However, seeing President Samuel speak so confidently, it is clear that he is not an ordinary person.
“Obviously, if Hyun and Sabrina meet, it will be of great help to each other.”
* * *
dripping.
I opened the door at the sound of a knock before dawn had even passed.
“Tommy?”
It was Tommy who hadn’t been seen for the past week.
Since then, it seemed like he avoided me even during mealtimes. Because of that, I had to tour the school alone, with the pamphlet as my companion.
Tommy blinked with his freckled face, then lowered his head.
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“I’m sorry, Hyun. I’ve been wanting to find you for so long, but my pride has prevented me from doing so.”
“No, Tommy. Don’t be sorry, but just know this. I didn’t mean to put you down. But why are you here so early in the morning? Are you going to show me around the school?”
“No, the president asked me to help you find Sabrina.”
“Sabrina?”
“Yeah, she’s someone you don’t see often even at school. She’d never reveal herself to someone she’s never met before. She’s not called the White-Haired Witch for nothing.”
Are you saying he’s a reclusive genius?
By the way, what does the white-haired witch mean?
“Tommy, can you tell me about the Sabrina you know?”
“Actually, I don’t know either. I’ve only met him a few times. He’s my senior, after all. But he’s younger than me. Did you say he’s fifteen?”
“Fifteen?”
“Yes, Sabrina was the youngest student to enter the Royal Academy of Music. I understand that the former headmaster, the Queen, personally admitted Sabrina when she was seven years old. She was so talented. The professors even said that a genius who would rule the violin world had appeared. But for some reason, after she entered, she never played the violin in front of people.”
Does that make sense? He entered the Royal Academy of Music at the age of seven. For example, a genius of that level should have made his name known to future generations.
But even when I looked back through my memories of my past life, I couldn’t find any trace of the violinist named Sabrina.
“Sabrina will be playing the violin by now.”
“I heard you don’t play the violin in front of people?”
“I know a place where she practices alone. I just happened to find out.”
Tommy grabbed my hand and walked me out of the dorm building.
It must have been a long walk. It must have been thirty minutes, at best, before I reached the forest path that connected the large gardens of the Royal Academy of Music.
Square, square.
The leaves covered in morning dew were dancing and shaking their heads in the autumn breeze. How far had we walked?
fizzle!
Tommy raised his index finger and pointed to his lips. It was a sign that he was telling him to be quiet. He even walked very carefully.
It was when the sound of a stream flowing through the forest could be heard like accompaniment.
Jiying.
A clear sound penetrated my ears. Then, as the wind blew, a series of breathtaking tremors and sorrow flowed through the bow.
Chaconne from Bach’s Partita No. 2.
A series of melodies that will enchant your five senses just by listening to them.
Inyoung appeared playing a musical instrument in the middle of the forest, among the thick bushes.
The fingers that touched the strings that were swaying at the edge of dawn were long and transparent, like pure white.
The performance changed into a poignant melody, as if telling a cry in sorrow.
Jiing―!
Even the forest birds were quietly enjoying the girl’s performance.
Starting with a high note that seems to reach the sky, isn’t the relentless Boeing shaking the forest?
Square, square, square.
The leaves covered in dew were leaning their heads together as if they were enjoying themselves.
Her silver hair was revealed in the blazing dawn. It was as if the forest itself was moved and moved by her playing.
Nature played the accompaniment, and her melody penetrated through it all, just like an orchestra playing.
The ridges of the bridge swayed on their own. Only then did I realize that the thick bushes were dancing once again in an illusion where time seemed to have stopped.
Square, square, square.
Why she is called the White-Haired Witch.
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