Chapter 73
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27. A masterpiece known as Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.
As it is famous, it has been reinterpreted thousands and thousands of times by numerous pianists. However, the public does not hesitate to listen to it again, which means it is a song that touches people's hearts. The two contrasting themes of the sonata form are clearly distinguished, as if a great speaker with multiple voices were reciting two different dialogues.
The judges whispered as they listened to the first movement, Allegro.
"It starts with passion and energy, but from the sixth verse the tone becomes more relaxed." "The ritardando sounds almost like a plea." "It's mysterious, as if a painter were painting with a brush, the colors gradually being absorbed." "That's right. Look at the resume. That boy is the winner of the Chopin Competition. Of course, the Children's Chopin Competition."
When the Chopin Competition was mentioned, all the judges looked at Professor Lech. He, sitting with Professor Hermann, looked at Soo-hyun with wide eyes.
'He has changed again! It's only been a few months since he progressed in the middle of the Warsaw Competition. How fast! He was only in Korea for a few months. But the boy is developing again. Teenagers grow every day, but this is excessive. His growth as a pianist is faster than his physical growth.'
The eyes of Professor Hermann, sitting together but thinking of something else, also seemed to fill with tears.
'A vivid and harmonious tone, and the habit of keeping certain notes soft and fluid. It makes the listener feel as if they are in the living room, looking at their cold lover and pleading! If Beethoven were alive today, he would definitely play like this!'
As Professor Hermann said, Soo-hyun strongly emphasized the fourth note of each successive note. He started slightly faster and then returned to the original tempo in the continuous chromatic progression.
Professor Hermann slowly rose from the back of the sofa. Perhaps he was the only professor here who understood Beethoven better than Professor Lech.
'I can't swallow. My cochlea closes when I swallow, and I feel sorry to miss that sound.'
Soo-hyun's performance kept changing. It was completely different from Chopin's music. Soo-hyun, who used to play while preserving all the notes and symbols, was gone, and like Beethoven, the performance flowed as if the variations were music themselves. The tempo of Andantino was chosen, and the bass was increasingly beautifully emphasized. By emphasizing the upper part of the harmony, the two themes were clearly distinguished. Beethoven's emotion was added to this truly perfect performance.
Professor Lech, his jaw trembling with surprise, leaned forward. Professor Hermann, sitting next to him, did the same. Then Professor Hermann was surprised and let out a small, loud noise.
"My goodness!!!"
The audience looked at Professor Hermann. The judges around him whispered to him.
"Professor, I'm in the middle of a performance."
Professor Hermann, swallowing hard and not taking his eyes off Soo-hyun, spoke in a low voice.
"Do you have hollow ears? J-just now... That boy. He sang in the second part of the first movement!"
"Yes??"
Only after hearing Professor Hermann's words did the judges take notice.
"Oh, no!... It changed to A-flat. And we didn't notice?" "It's ridiculous. It's like flowing water. You don't even notice when the major and minor keys change in the middle of the song."
'Black paper instead of white paper. On a piece of paper as black as the night sky but with a hint of blue, drops of gold paint spread to create stars. The bass notes played with the left hand glided across the keyboard in an unusually Beethoven-like way, sending out small ripples.'
The judges, who were watching Hermann's and Lech's reactions, were soon absorbed in the performance and whispered.
"Accelerando and increased volume. I've never seen anyone play the accelerando with such intensity and detail." "I'm ashamed to say it, but I'm not that technically perfect either." "It's not just the technique. The emotions are also perfect."
They were curious to see what Lech and Hermann would say. One of them tilted his head.
"Huh? Are Professor Lech and Professor Hermann covering their ears?"
"What did you say?"
One by one, the judges covered their ears. And they all looked surprised.
"Oh, the speed at which his hand moves… it suddenly gets faster, and then suddenly slower… and even though the speed changes continuously, the overall feeling of the song doesn't change?"
Forte, a little fast, fast, very fast, a little slow, slow, very slow. If you covered your ears and watched Soo-hyun play, you could appreciate the movement of his hands in detail. However, the rhythm of the performance was maintained.
Professor Hermann slowly removed his hands from his ears and closed his eyes. His hands were trembling slightly, and his heart was pounding, which excited him.
'The rhythmic range and sound power increase. Beethoven's strength is expressed. But the tone is nuanced by a mysteriously delicate pianissimo. The most amazing thing is... the rhythm is not maintained, but no one perceives it. Nowadays, if there is a pianist who plays in the Beethovenian style, it is rather a flaw. But that boy is different. He sometimes follows the exact metronome rhythm, and sometimes ignores it completely. Moreover, there is no need to hit the piano as many children do. The most Beethovenian performance. It is the legato technique.'
It is a performance technique in which two keys are continuously pressed simultaneously and the sounds overlap. It is very difficult. The most perfect connection is between 0.07 and 0.17 seconds. This adjustment can only be made by a person, not a machine.
'But look at the boy in front of you. It was as if Beethoven himself had descended into the world in the body of a child.'
The performance, which reached the third movement, captivated not only the judges but also the audience. Those who used to look down on him as an arrogant oriental boy were gone. They were reminded of a scene of a clear moonlight shining on a calm lake, with a man standing on a wooden pier looking out the window of a mansion across the lake. A performance that finally concluded with an expression of agony and passion.
Junwoo, who often watched Soo-hyun practice, was also impressed every time he heard him. The concert hall remained silent even after the performance ended. Junwoo was the first to give a short round of applause.
Clap, clap...
The two sisters, who had recovered from their stupor, looked at each other, laughed brightly, and then jumped up.
"Bravo!!!" "Bravo! Nam Soo-hyun!"
Unlike what happened in Warsaw, Poland, here, the spectators clutched their chests. The voices that echoed in their hearts seemed ready to burst if they opened their mouths. The audience gave a small round of applause of admiration similar in size to Junwoo's. The same was true for the judges. Professor Hermann, who had come out of his reverie, looked at Professor Lech with a lost expression.
"Who on earth did you bring?"
Professor Lech smiled brightly.
'Why do you think I brought the soul of Beethoven with me?'
"Isn't it?" Hermann almost asked. It seemed like a very stupid question. He stared at Professor Lech. However, his gaze was fixed on Soo-hyun, who was greeting him as he finished the performance. As he met Soo-hyun's gaze, Professor Lech raised his hand slightly and pretended to know him. Soo-hyun, who was looking at him, smiled and nodded. Professor Hermann, who felt a chill of envy for an instant, spoke with a confused expression.
"Professor Lech."
"Yes."
"That boy hasn't decided on a career path yet, has he?"
Professor Lech, who had raised his hand to greet Soo-hyun, slowly lowered it and looked at Professor Hermann. Then he opened his palm and said,
"Who knows, maybe I'll have a chance too?"
'Can I take him away? It would be better to have that child in my arms in Germany than in your homeland, Poland.'
Professor Lech stared at Professor Hermann for a moment and then laughed.
"Why don't you try? But it won't be easy."
"The Munich University of Music also has comparable facilities and faculty," Professor Hermann said with a straight face.
"That's not what I meant."
"Are you sure?"
Professor Lech nodded at Soo-hyun as he opened the back door and entered the waiting room.
"The person who raised that child. Shouldn't we find him first?"
Professor Hermann snapped his fingers. Seeing Professor Lech so confident, it might be too late to recruit Soo-hyun. In that case, it would be more practical to catch the educator who raised such a genius. Hermann quickly picked up the phone and sent a text message to his secretary.
[Find the professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies who taught Nam Soo-hyun. He is probably in Germany, so please check his contact information.]
After Soo-hyun's turn, Junwoo, who was about to get up and leave, looked at Professor Lee Chan-ho and asked.
"Professor, why are you like that?"
Professor Lee Chan-ho, who was constantly picking his ears, flicked his pinky finger and made a face.
"It seems like someone is talking about me… They're not saying bad words, are they?"
Professor Lee Chan-ho became a famous professor who raised geniuses through an absurd misunderstanding.