“Let’s try to win first place in the raccoon voting!”
“Ah, the raccoon vote…”
Rowoon let out a blank laugh as if he had forgotten those words for a moment.
Vote for raccoons. It was one of the hallmarks of the California Music Festival. The correct name is Pick Your Raccoons. pluck your raccoon A culture derived from the California Conservatory’s mascot being a raccoon.
To put it simply, it was a popular vote. Which stage left the most impression on you, did you like this stage or dislike it? At the end of the stage, the audience receives such a survey, and the main characters who show good results in the survey go on stage again in the last week of the music festival.
So, if you look at the buildings of the conservatory right away, there are raccoon posters pointing at them like Uncle Sam. From Rowoon’s point of view, it was just a cute poster, but from the perspective of a senior student, it looked different.
“Do you know how difficult it is to be selected as a raccoon? You can’t ignore it just because it’s cute.”
“……Well, don’t worry. It could be.”
“Yes, I believe only you. This time, let’s go up on the stage of Raccoon as well.”
Jace grinned. It was not a lie to say that I believed them. Until now, Jace had to postpone the honor of decorating the last week of the music festival until next year due to the raccoon vote, but this time I felt really good.
‘These bastards are monsters.’
When Rowoon and Heather were gone, the orchestra members had a brief conversation about this and that. And the conclusion they came to was this. At least, it seems that the charm of this song will not be lost due to the lack of a pianist.
It was ambiguous to say which of Rowoon and Heather was better. Of course, in some ways Rowoon was better and in some ways Heather was better.
For example, the intro part of the first movement was like that.
Muscular strength was an important part, and at the same time sense of rhythm was an important part. It was true that even though he was a man, Rowoon, who used professional level rubato due to Chopin’s mirage rubato, had an overwhelming presence than Heather in this part.
But again, in the parts where she can run wild alone, like the cadenza and solo part, Heather flutters like a fish out of water, showing why she is called a genius. As such, each of them had different shining moments, but it was clear that both had enough star qualities.
“First of all, everyone do a good job today. Rowoon, you are doing well too. Tomorrow I will kill them all.”
Heather grinned and cut her throat with her finger. Rowoon let out a laugh.
“Your fans need to know you’re doing this behind the scenes.”
“I think you’ll like it though? Isn’t it lovely?”
“Can I curse?”
“No, no! Oh, don’t swear with your face? Is that against the rules?”
“Let’s not talk.”
Rowoon laughed and shook his head. They were the ones who had to go on stage twice. Of course, it was impossible to have both stages in one day, so they were scheduled to do one row and one header over two days.
And today it’s Rowoon’s turn.
‘······It’s better to do it first.’
After seeing Heather go on stage and ‘kill’ the audience as she puts it, you’re bound to feel more pressured in many ways. It would be much more comfortable to play today, even if it means not to be influenced.
Right now, messages were already piling up in Starbook. ‘I’ll definitely go see the music festival stage!’ ‘I’m looking forward!’ ‘I wonder what your Rachmaninoff would be like.’ same. They were words of pure cheer, and although they were actually happy, Rowoon’s heart couldn’t help but feel heavier as much as the weight of that joy.
‘I’m fully prepared.’
Rachmaninov told me that he was already enjoying his playing. What more could you ask for? All that was left was to show him without mistakes what he had prepared.
dinner. Before the stage, they had a rehearsal. After the rehearsal was completed without any special mistakes, the members became more and more quiet. Everyone was preparing for the stage in their own way. Some shook their hands, some wiped sweat, and some meditated with their eyes closed.
And Rowoon was holding onto the Walkman.
‘Rachmaninoff. Thank you for teaching me all this time. I will make it a stage with no regrets. Not for me, not for you.’
I didn’t bother to listen to his composing journal. Rather than the mindset of a counterfeit Rachmaninov, I will face it with a wholeheartedly beneficial mindset. It has been a while since I made that determination.
“Roun. See you soon.”
“Oh yeah. Jace.”
Jace, Melvin, and all the orchestra members left the stage. Besides the piano concerto, they had a few concertos to play first.
From noble mtl dot com
And only Heather and Rowoon were guarding the waiting room where everyone had disappeared. Heather said shortly after, listening to the sound of the stage playing coming from the waiting room screen.
“Remember what Jace said earlier?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not long before I can take up the baton.”
“…it wasn’t a story I’d forget.”
“It is a harsh world. really. I practiced and ran desperately like this, but it’s impossible for everyone to stand on stage.”
It’s not like any art, but classical music that wasn’t popular was especially bad. Wasn’t Rowoon trying to quit the piano because he couldn’t accept the life of being a pianist who couldn’t stand on stage?
Heather continued.
“Again, I thought that this stage was a more precious stage. I don’t think it should be regarded as just a stage that you briefly pass by during your school days. I have to think of it as the last one. Rowoon.”
“huh.”
“You are good too.”
Heather looked at the screen. As if they had never been happier than right now, watching Jace passionately swinging the baton, and the orchestra pouring out all their youth under his baton.
“Be good to me. I hope so.”
“······don’t worry.”
Rowoon replied. And, I thought for a moment,
“don’t worry.”
He repeated the same words over and over again.
I don’t know why Heather suddenly said that, but it turned out to be a pretty good stimulus for Rowoon. Rowoon focused on each performance of the orchestra. And after a while, as I went up on stage at the staff’s call, I remembered what Heather had said.
‘I guess I just enjoyed myself without worrying too much these days.’
The weight of the sudden reality was strangely burdensome.
However, the heavy weight was rather nice now.
After reaching the piano through the audience’s applause, Rowoon remained silent for a long time. Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 opens with a pianist’s prelude. One note, one note, with a prelude that seems to sing about the weight of life.
Perhaps Rowoon has not been able to properly express Rachmaninov’s melancholy lately. All the gloomy things in his life were long past.
Life in Korea where I was teased for being a child.
Even though she came to the United States alone with her mother, the discrimination she received as a minority still persisted during her adolescence.
And, finally, even the mother left,
His talent as a pianist was exhausted, and the poor boy who had to let go of the piano he had been holding on to for the rest of his life was already saved.
Scabs formed over his wounds, which healed into scars. A scar that can no longer say out loud that it hurts.
But Heather’s words reminded them of the darkness of their world itself. Perhaps it reminded us of the helplessness that Rachmaninoff must have felt. So, when Rowoon’s upper body tilted, his shoulders lifted, and all of his weight was placed on the keyboard in an instant,
Even the orchestra, which had grown accustomed to Rowoon’s playing, couldn’t help but shudder.
‘Roun······!’
And, Jace was delighted. Intuition as a conductor spoke. Up until now, their performances have always been satisfying, but at this moment, if we properly receive Rowoon’s weight… I know that this stage will definitely be the most fun they’ve ever played.
‘okay. Rowoon. accept it I have to accept it!’
As Rowoon’s prelude raced towards the end, Jace grabbed the baton tightly. I caught my breath, measured the tempo, smiled,
With his baton, the sound of the orchestra fell over Rowoon’s performance.
And the crowd stopped breathing.
＜ California Music Festival (13) ＞ End
＜ California Music Festival (14) ＞
‘······Hya, this is Rowoon?’
audience seats. Chris twitched his lips. What would they say if we showed this stage to people who remember Rowoon in the past?
Most probably wouldn’t even believe that was Rowoon’s stage. Rowoon was in a slump just over a year ago. And in that one year, Rowoon faced more changes than he has ever experienced in his entire life.
see this play Chris was sure Rachmaninoff would be smiling happily even if he were here. He hadn’t heard this song very often, but he could say one thing for sure. Everyone on this stage right now fell in love with Rowoon’s playing.
It was a tremendous weight. Even Chris, who knows Rowoon well, is surprised at how a college student can express such a dark sensibility.
‘You’re definitely more suited to this kind of song. Rowoon.’
It might be apologetic to Rowoon, but that was Chris’ honest impression. Since childhood, Rowoon had been through a difficult time compared to most people. His life wasn’t always easy, and if I had to pick a time when he was living a smooth life, at most it would be now.
And that’s why when I look at Rowoon, I often feel that way. I wonder if this peace that I’ve been looking for will leave at any moment, and I’m worried somewhere.
It was obviously not conducive to living a healthy life, but
At least at this moment, on that stage, that attitude made Rowoon shine more than ever. No, I was making it dark. To the point of blinding everyone, and to the point of making them only look at him with those blind eyes.
‘······!’
So, Jace had no choice but to swing the baton even more vigorously with a flushed face as if it was going to burst at any moment. Rowoon’s piano was different from usual. It wasn’t that Rowoon didn’t particularly care about the orchestra, or that he was playing arbitrarily like that. but······.
‘It’s gotten more subtle.’
Rubato.
Depending on how much you push and pull the beat, even the same song has a completely different atmosphere and power of delivery. So far, Rowoon’s Rubato has been flawless. No, on the contrary, it belonged to the very attractive side.
But at this moment, Rowoon’s Rubato walked the tightrope more skillfully than ever. It’s not much different from usual. However, Rowoon’s performance, which embraced the sound of the orchestra in a very subtle way, slower or faster, made Jace much more nervous than usual.
If he lost even the slightest bit of tension, all those subtle aftertaste and tension Rowoon created could have been meaninglessly scattered. If Rowoon sowed the seeds, it could be seen that it was entirely up to Jace to water them and make them sprout.
In other words, it also meant that Rowoon believed in Jace and was playing. The sound of the orchestra that invaded not only his ears but also his body seemed to swallow him at any moment, but Jace held on tighter in the waves of notes.
Jace always thought. He can’t hold the baton for a thousand years. The stage can knock him out at any time, so he has to do his best in every single stage given to him. Later, when I look back on that stage, ah, yes, I had no regrets, I did my best, so that I can remember it like that.
so i can’t can’t be pushed away No matter how difficult Rowoon made his request, he had to comply. Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, so that I can forever love this gloomy yet hopeful piece.
Jace’s feelings were contained in the baton, contained in the orchestra’s performance, and mixed with Rowoon’s performance. The sound of striking the strings of a violin, the sound of drums on a timpani, the breath of a runner echoing through the pipe of a trumpet, the sound of hammers hitting the strings on a piano. All those sounds exploded out of the stage and pierced the audience’s ears.
‘······He’s going crazy.’
And Alice clenched her fists tightly. It was felt. Rowoon’s performance wakes up the orchestra and raises them all to a higher level.
Rachmaninoff was so charming. I had such a natural concern about how a student could express the gloomy depth of this song… but Rowoon is now proving that it was a useless worry.
‘I think it shines more than before.’
It was like that too. Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 is one of the most famous piano concertos and is one of the most famous. The presence of a pianist was originally proportional to the perfection of the song.