It is a long polished blade. I had to cut through the curtains of the stage without losing sight of it.
Rowoon grabbed the Walkman. Mother’s last gift. mother’s legacy. Maybe my mother, who couldn’t say the last word, gave this blessing instead of a will?
Thinking like that, Rowoon couldn’t be more negligent.
I want to go on stage as soon as possible.
#
Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 attracted more applicants than expected. It is a concerto that many listeners do not hesitate to praise as the best piano concerto in history, so it was only natural that pianists would love him as well.
“I didn’t expect there to be 9 people.”
“I know. It’s more than you think.”
A total of five piano concerto auditions are open to those excluding graduates. Chopin’s No. 1, Beethoven’s No. 5, Rachmaninov’s No. 2, Mozart’s No. 24, and Mendelssohn’s No. 1.
On the other hand, 2nd and 3rd year students, excluding first-year students, were approximately thirty. If that’s the case, originally this Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto should have had about 6 people gathered…
“You guys came and that’s how it happened. You can’t grumble because there are a lot of people.”
“Oh, Mario!”
A man speaking English with an Italian accent looked at them with a grin. Heather smiled wide at him and spread her arms. Mario hugged Heather tightly, and then looked at Rowoon, stroking his wavy hair.
“Is this the friend you talked about?”
“huh! You came to apply on me today.”
At Heather’s words, Rowoon made a puzzled expression.
“Aside from coming here to volley… do you usually talk about me?”
“don’t worry. Because I don’t say such bad things. . . . Can it be a bit bad sometimes?”
“her······.”
“Huh, look at you grumbling. cute.”
The last words came out of Mario’s mouth. The nuance was strange, so Rowoon looked at Mario in surprise. Then I looked at his tight white shirt with three buttons undone and thought. ‘huh······?’
Mario said without taking his eyes off Rowoon.
“Anyway, considering that first-year students don’t usually apply for concertos, this amount of people is normal. Without you guys, it would be like seven people. Rachmaninov No. 2 deserves that much crowding.”
“······What grade are you in?”
“Junior (Junior: 3rd year). Quite a lot of experience as well. Are your hand movements amazing?”
“ah······. okay.”
“Since you’ve come this far, you should do well. Everyone is looking forward to how great our new students will perform? Me too.”
“Well, I think I can live up to your expectations.”
Rowoon shrugged. Heather crossed her arms and raised her chin with a arrogant expression.
“Mario. I’m sorry for you, but I’m going to win today and win the concerto. So don’t resent me for going back to wasting the time I practiced.”
“Oh, anyway, Heather, how do you talk so cutely?”
“No, if you look cute, your nose hurts? Why do people see my weight so lightly these days? Has Heather Hong’s brand value already died like this?”
Heather quacked. Rowoon laughed.
“Once you lost to me, it wouldn’t be strange if you died a bit.”
“No, even if you don’t describe it as a loss!”
“I can’t say I won. It’s not even a draw.”
“No, uh, huh? and! really!”
Heather couldn’t refute anything and just vomited her anger. And that was when A teaching assistant came in and gave them a stinging glance.
“Be quiet there. Everyone has to focus now.”
“······yes. sorry.”
Heather quickly became sullen. Even so, he glared at Rowoon with burning eyes for a little while, as if he was determined to chew you very carefully.
‘Is that why I’m going to be able to properly immerse myself later?’
Although he was concerned, Rowoon soon turned his nerves off. Rather than Heather, it was necessary to control his heart first. Because he was faster than Heather.
Normally, Rowoon would have had a Walkman in his hand by now. And he must have been controlling his mind by playing back his composition log or performance log.
However, Rowoon did not bring a Walkman today. When you need to use the Walkman, you should use it, but it was not desirable to rely on the Walkman until this moment.
He also had to face the pressure that all pianists endure. I had to be here as a good person. And that’s why, what he has to reflect on now is also the life of Lee Roon rather than Rachmaninoff’s life.
‘mom.’
Drawing her is always heartbreaking no matter what time it is. Tension and pressure are pushed away by long-overdue sadness.
The atmosphere surrounding Rowoon started to change little by little. Eyes, facial expressions, posture. Every little thing became more and more beneficial, more like Rachmaninoff. Heather, who would normally have been whispering something, didn’t dare to say anything, perhaps because she felt that Rowoon was properly focusing on his own world.
“······That friend has a very attractive face with a concentrated face?”
Mario leaned against the wall and whispered to Heather. Heather smiled bitterly and shook her head.
“I’m sorry, but Rowoon is completely straight as far as I know.”
“Who is doing what? I’m already holding you back for nothing.”
“Wait, check? Isn’t it like that?”
“Or not, why are you so frightened? suspiciously.”
“Did you say no?”
While the two were talking, the first player’s performance was playing. The climax of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 was the part that showed Rachmaninov’s color the most, to the extent that it was said to be at the beginning. And it was such an important part.
From noble mtl dot com
But soon, Heather couldn’t help but put on a somewhat regretful expression.
‘······Lack of strength.’
Originally, it was a part where the sound had to hit the audience’s chest as if a hammer was struck down. But I couldn’t help it. The performer on stage now is a woman, and no matter how hard a woman trains, she inevitably cannot match that of a male pianist.
It was a story that also applied to Heather. So Heather had no choice but to widen her eyes more, clutching at the hem of her dress. she is different It does not lose to the innate physical differences. don’t want to lose
And when she had that thought, Rowoon was also listening to the first performer’s stage. No, precisely to the sound of the orchestra.
‘······ Hmm, that’s how it feels.’
The tempo and accent were subtly different from the orchestra in the performance log. It was natural. If the conductor is different, the direction of the performance will also be different. I had to be prepared enough to adapt to it.
The sounds of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, timpani and trombones are slowly etched into your ears. Originally, he wouldn’t have thought of solving all these complex tonal intersections with his ears. However, Bach’s blessing, ‘the eye of music’, is upon him.
It seems that the sounds and scales of numerous musical instruments are drawn as if they were visible. That meant that Rowoon’s adaptation to the performance of this new orchestra could be unusually fast.
first performer. second performer. And until he reached the third player, Rowoon’s ears analyzed and analyzed the orchestra’s performance.
And, when the fourth performer’s turn was approaching…
“Four times. Rowley Lee. I’m waiting for you backstage.”
The time has come to stop listening and to be heard.
Rowoon got up. I thought I wouldn’t be nervous, but my heart was still beating more wildly than usual. Rowoon stretched out his feet in line with the sound of the heartbeat. and whispered to himself
‘are you okay. Rowoon.’
‘You can do well.’
‘When this stage is over, everyone will applaud from the bottom of my heart.’
‘The members of the orchestra will have an intuition that I am the soloist they will be collaborating with in the future.’
‘The results were already decided during practice. So there’s no need to overdo it today, just do what you normally do.’
‘I just need to hear my performance.’
‘That’ll be enough.’
‘That’s enough.’
My heart was still beating. But it was no longer caused by tension, but rather by excitement. I have no intention of being evaluated. I have no intention of proving anything. I should just enjoy it. this moment. stage.
not a single student
as a pianist.
＜ California Music Festival (4) ＞ End
＜ California Music Festival (5) ＞
There are many reasons why freshmen are reluctant to attend concerto auditions. First, there was a trend of thinking that it was natural that they would not be able to reap results with their skills, and secondly, there was a composition of the jury to watch their performance.
Even if it is a piano concerto, it is not only the piano professor who judges the audition. In fact, almost all the professors in the orchestra have their breath and eyes on them to some extent, and as such, there were more than 10 professors huddled together here.
And Rowan Lee was a name enough to intrigue some of them.
“Is this kid his friend? The freshman who won the LA Concours this time.”
“that’s right.”
“Who is the professor in charge of that child?”
“I know you’re Korean…?”
“……Huh, is that so?”
The professors’ eyes turned to Han. Han didn’t react in any way and kept his mouth shut. Of course, there was no way the professors would leave Han alone. They tilted their heads to one side.
“one. What do you think? Is it okay to look forward to this performance?”
“Every student’s performance should be watched with anticipation.”
“is it so. That’s right. But Han won’t be able to see some results already.”
“Well, I understand what you mean… but please don’t induce an answer. I think all the students coming out today have potential and I am listening.”
“Ugh, you’re sober.”
The professors quickly turned their heads away from Han, as if they thought there would be no answer even if they prod. Instead, they looked at the stage and muttered.
“By the way, our orchestra kids are already showing a good performance.”
“Iknow, right. Well, those guys have been practicing for months now, so it makes sense.”