Chapter 71
As Soo-hyun saw Professor Lee Chan-ho and Junwoo off from the hotel, he adjusted his friend's collar.
"Do you remember what I said?"
"Oh."
"Never forget. Your current skills are more than enough."
Although Soo-hyun tried to encourage him, Junwoo had an indifferent expression.
"That would be great, winner of the Chopin Competition."
Soo-hyun burst out laughing. Unlike Junwoo, who had to participate in the preliminaries, Soo-hyun was exempt. Winners of major international competitions like the Tchaikovsky or Chopin Competition receive the special privilege of being exempt from the preliminary round.
'I also went through the preliminary round at first. I couldn't just fly here and stand before the judges like you. I simply recorded a video, sent it in, and waited. Compared to me, your situation is better.'
Junwoo frowned.
"It's easier to play on video. No one is watching you, and if you make a mistake, you can just record it again."
"Did I take it in one shot?"
When Soo-hyun shrugged, Junwoo grabbed him by the collar.
"You lucky bastard!!"
Soo-hyun, who was grabbed by the collar, smiled and nodded behind him.
"I wonder?"
"What?"
When Junwoo looked behind Soo-hyun, he saw the cellist and violinist sisters coming out of the lobby. Junwoo quickly let go of Soo-hyun's collar and transformed into a man with the best manners he could muster.
"The preliminaries start today, right? My sister and I decided to watch them all." "Is Junwoo playing today? We'll be cheering for you, fighting!"
Junwoo's face, which had been dissatisfied just a moment ago, lit up as if nothing had happened.
"Yes! I will! Let's go!"
As Junwoo spread both his arms, the sisters, each linking arms with the boy, walked on ahead. Professor Lee Chan-ho shook his head as he watched them.
"Suddenly, even the women are riding in the same car."
"That little one is already showing off his femininity," Soo-hyun said quietly to him, as he looked at Junwoo's back with a pitiful expression.
"Professor, aren't you going by car?"
"Huh?"
Soo-hyun said, nodding towards the two sisters.
"Last time I heard, those people are really rich."
Professor Lee Chan-ho saw a black luxury sedan parked next to the compact car he had rented. The older sister was sitting in the driver's seat. Junwoo, sitting behind her, opened the window and gestured.
"Professor! This car is great! My father's car wasn't even a car! Get in!"
'Even Professor Lee Chan-ho has never driven a car like this.' Soo-hyun laughed as he patted the professor's back, who swallowed hard.
"It's a good thing you don't have to pay for gas. Please take good care of Junwoo, Professor."
"Huh? Uh, uh…?"
Professor Hermann took a sip of coffee and rubbed the space between his eyes tiredly.
"How many people did you choose?"
The judge sitting next to him said, holding up his scoring sheet.
"I chose about ten people. How about you, Professor?"
"I'm the same."
Professor Hermann glanced at Professor Lech, who was sitting at the end of the stage. Professor Lech was watching the child playing on the stage with a serious face. Professor Hermann whispered to the professor next to him.
"What about Professor Lech?"
The professor next to me shook his head.
"There's not a single one yet."
"Wow, you really are a person known for being strict."
In fact, all his attention was focused on the Korean contestant, Nam Soo-hyun. However, starting today, and for three days, he had to evaluate 230 preliminary contestants.
"Let's switch seats."
"Yes, Professor."
Professor Hermann, who had switched seats and moved next to Lech, said,
"How do you feel?"
"…"
Professor Lech nodded with a serious face at the boy playing the piano on the stage.
"I can't tell if he's playing the piano or chopping wood."
Professor Hermann smiled bitterly at Professor Lech's sarcastic remarks.
'Sometimes it happens. They think that smashing the piano is the most Beethoven-like way to play.'
Professor Hermann glanced at the list of participants and stopped at one point.
"Korean participants?"
Professor Lech said, tapping the desk as if he had already confirmed it.
"I saw him too."
Hermann looked at the stage. He wanted to get the "woodchopper" out of the way and see Junwoo's performance. He endured the remaining four minutes and then looked at Junwoo, who was coming up on stage, with an expectant gaze. Before sitting down, Junwoo bowed politely, took a breath, and closed his eyes. He seemed to hear Soo-hyun's voice.
"Like a fountain that spouts water and sprays it in all directions."
Junwoo's hands slowly rose to the keyboard.
'Don't worry about wrong touches, be free and flexible. Rubato rhythm without the slightest irregularity. We just faithfully follow the creative path he created.'
Junwoo began to play. Hermann nodded upon hearing the beginning of the performance.
'Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor, Op. 31, 'The Tempest'. He wrote this piece after reading Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'. It reflects absolute loneliness rather than understanding and forgiveness.'
Professor Hermann, who was talking, glanced at Professor Lech, but he didn't respond because he was concentrating.
'The work of a great composer, inspired by the work of a great playwright, is the best result.'
Professor Hermann nodded as he listened to Junwoo's performance. It was very good, even to him. The other judges seemed to think so too, passing him within three minutes. Hermann, who had also passed him, was curious about Professor Lech's evaluation.
"What do you think, Professor…?"
He saw, faintly but clearly, Professor Lech's smiling face. He looked at Junwoo on the stage with a surprised face.
'Is this a performance that makes Professor Lech smile?'
"Professor Lech?"
Lech, who was smiling slightly with his arms crossed, nodded.
"That boy had a wrong touch in the second movement."
'Huh? Could it be that Professor Lech didn't notice because he was talking to himself without listening?'
"Was that so?"
"Yes, but the flow was not interrupted at all."
Professor Hermann's face became serious. There was a wrong touch. And even he, a professor at the Munich University of Music and a lifelong Beethoven researcher, didn't notice it. Professor Lech's laughing voice came to his ear.
"What is the most Beethoven-like performance?"
Professor Hermann was lost in thought.
'Freedom from rules, varied dynamics, use of colors, an emotional performance. But Beethoven was not a precise pianist. Even Schindler said he played the piano like a composer.'
"Wrong note or whatever, whatever you feel," Hermann opened his mouth.
Professor Lech smiled, marked the test as a pass on his grading sheet, and put down his pen.
"All music played in his hands is created anew."
All the judges nodded in agreement after hearing Professor Lech's words.
'Where on earth are you worried about your friends? Mind your own business!'
Beethoven's shouts were still heard. After Professor Lee Chan-ho and Junwoo left, Soo-hyun had a quick breakfast with Ji-ye and, as usual, went to the Pianist's Village. Beethoven, who knew the final round of the competition was just around the corner, made him practice rigorously.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Beethoven shouted, swinging the willow stick he had broken off from the forest. "Practice! Practice! Practice until you die! You won't die!"
He struck Soo-hyun's back hard as he quickly got into position.
"If you don't win, you'll die by my hands!"
'Ha, he really is an old man with a dirty personality. I miss the kind Uncle Frederick so much lately.'
Beethoven only gave a ten-minute break after practicing for two more hours.
"Excuse me, sir," Soo-hyun asked during a break.
"Isn't it because we're not practicing?" Beethoven answered without shouting.
"Why is the 'Tempest' sonata called that?"
"It's not a name I gave it. My disciple Schindler. He didn't understand the song and kept asking me for hints, so I told him to read Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', and he gave me that title. Damn fool!"
Soo-hyun smiled bitterly as he watched Beethoven instantly turn the scholars who had studied him their whole lives into fools.