Chapter 113
While a small baton about 30 cm long came out of Soo-hyun's pocket, the members straightened their posture and looked at the sheet music and Soo-hyun alternately.
The title of the song and each movement were indicated at the end of the score.
SHN Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 4. 'The Death'.
1st movement - Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso (Not too fast and very grand).
2nd movement – Andante semplice (slow and concise).
3rd movement – Allegro con fuoco (fast and furious).
The beginning of the piece, with a 3/4 introduction, was presented by the horn instead of the piano. The three notes of the first descending line were the timbre.
But at the end of the soft note, the cymbals made a loud noise, adding emphasis.
Music that began with an upbeat. The 3/4 time signature meant that there were three quarter notes in a measure.
An incomplete phrase was a phrase that was missing additional notes that should be in a single phrase.
Ten violins simultaneously produced magnificent sounds as the horn began to play. The explanation of the uncomfortable words that Soo-hyun had explained came to everyone's mind.
Of course, all of Soo-hyun's explanations were based on Beethoven's explanations.
Soo-hyun, who was leaning on the podium to practice, smiled and explained the fundamental question of why it was necessary to start like this.
"Music is language. But why was music created?"
'Why?'
It was a question that had never been asked before.
Soo-hyun said after seeing the members who couldn't answer.
"As humanity progressed, the intonation of language became sharper and sharper. Music is language. Therefore, music was developed to express intonation."
'Well, it's a plausible hypothesis. But what does it have to do with the incomplete word?'
Soo-hyun tapped the podium with his finger and pointed at Yeong-eun.
"Ms. Yeong-eun."
Yeong-eun, who was listening to Soo-hyun's explanation while holding the violin bow, straightened her back.
"Yes, conductor."
"How do you say 'boy' in Korean?"
"It's '아이' (ai)."
"That's right. In Korean, the two letters of 'boy' don't have a distinct intonation. But what about in English?"
The members tilted their heads and pronounced the word "boy."
"Do you have an accent?"
Junwoo shook his head at the sight.
"It's not just written 'Boy.' It's written 'The Boy' or 'A Boy'."
"That's right. English words are preceded by articles. If we want to say the word 'boy,' we say 'The Boy.' So, should the accent be on 'The' or on 'Boy'?"
The gazes said, "Of course it's 'boy'." Soo-hyun smiled and nodded.
"That's right. Since 'The' is an article, you should pronounce it with a small voice, and since 'Boy' is a real noun, you should pronounce it with a strong voice, right?"
The members nodded.
"I said before that music is a language. The small notes that accompany the missing words express the article 'The.' The composer wants to convey something with the music. Think about the songs we listen to now. The singer emphasizes what he really wants to say."
'And what about classical music? It doesn't have lyrics, right?'
Soo-hyun said with a smiling face.
"So music is a language. Your instrument speaks, just as you put emphasis on what you want to say. The upbeats serve to express the emphasis of those words. For example, the beginning of the first movement would be The Death."
Only then did they remember the poem contained in the music that Soo-hyun had played before performing the music. When Soo-hyun said that where there is illumination, there is joy, the members' expressions became very serious, as they had never learned such teachings before.
'What on earth is Soo-hyun learning? Is this what Professor Lee Chan-ho of the piano department teaches his students?'
When Yeong-eun quietly raised her hand, Soo-hyun nodded and spoke.
"Yes, ma'am."
"So, Director, should our performance flow or speak?"
Soo-hyun smiled brightly.
"As you say, let it flow. Accent it so that the other person can easily understand."
'It's an ambiguous answer. In the end, it means you have to do everything.'
"So, does that mean that when you practice playing, you should constantly think about these poems and practice them as if you were saying them?" Yeong-eun said, holding the sheet music and the poem that Soo-hyun had given her.
Soo-hyun smiled. The senior student was providing annotations in his explanations so that everyone could easily understand them. He nodded, greeting with eyes full of gratitude.
"That's right. The poems that one leaves are sent only for oneself, to reflect on oneself. And fragments of those emotions will also be transmitted to the public."
As Soo-hyun conducted, marking the rhythm with his left hand and giving instructions by moving his right, a lyrical introduction theme began to emerge through the violin and cello, and the piano followed suit. Junwoo continued to play multi-layered chords in octaves. The last of the sixteenth notes, played in groups of three, jumped two octaves, which made the performance itself seem quite difficult, but Junwoo's skills were only comparable to Soo-hyun's.
Unlike the gentle and stroking performance of the violin and cello, the piano ascended by jumping several octaves in a staccato manner. And among the many violins, Young-eun's and Jaehee's violins sounded pizzicato, a technique that involved plucking the strings with the fingers. The performance of the two musicians, added to the notes of eight other violins, sounded like the echo of a soul waking up alone in the quiet dawn and embarking on a long journey.
It's okay even if there are no stars.
It's okay even if there is no moon or sun.
I just beg you in a low voice with a song.
To the small, quiet forest below.
Please come back, my love.
The thin upper branches of the tree,
Swaying in the moonlight.
The lying tongue of the malicious devil,
Dragged you into a distant and deep abyss.
You lie to me.
Shake the weak heart with a bright voice.
Before I know it, I feel empty again.
Is death sad for the dead?
Is it the vanity of those left behind?
A movement that ended quietly after playing the introduction theme again with a tutti for piano and orchestra.
We all carry a memory of death in our hearts. Whether it's a friend, a family member, or an acquaintance. We feel it sometimes during our lives. Even if I, the subject of the world, disappear, it will still be like this, silently or noisily, as if nothing had happened. The dead are no longer sad, because they have found peace in death. The pain of death belongs to those who are left behind. Missing the deceased and feeling pain for the memories shared with them is the only destiny of those who survive. Even those who are already eighty or even in their late fifties know this, and through Soo-hyun's music, they came to understand the emptiness and sadness of a child who had experienced the death of a parent.
After finishing the first movement, Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso, the second movement began without a moment's rest. And at that moment, as the orchestra members and the townspeople sitting in the audience were all intoxicated by Soo-hyun's story that the entire orchestra was telling, only Soo-hyun was having a different experience.
Suddenly, Soo-hyun's eyes saw random colored curves. On the violin, a crimson curve flew by, carrying the notes. On the cello, dark gray curves swirled and rose like a whirlwind. On the viola, a light brown curve. On the double bass, a black curve. On the flute, a yellow curve. On the oboe, a green curve. On the clarinet, a sky-blue curve. On the bassoon, a purple curve. On the trumpet, a blue curve. On the trombone, a white curve. On the tuba, a golden curve. The aqua-colored curves on the timpani. On the marimba, a crimson curve. On the cymbals, a blue-green curve.
A smile appeared on Soo-hyun's lips. The sweet smile and words of Professor Schubert came to mind.
"There is only one person in the orchestra who makes no sound. That person is the conductor. However, he is not the one who makes no sound. He is the one who combines many sounds to create a language that is finally transmitted to the audience. In the end, he is the one who produces the loudest sound among the orchestra members."
I also remember the scolding of Uncle Beethoven, who taught me how to conduct in real life.
"The conductor is a dictator! In reality, a dictator is subject to a coup, but in an orchestra, no matter how sloppy the conductor is, the members follow him unconditionally. You don't want to be a dictator? Then get off the podium right now! That place is only for principled and proudly ignorant dictators! If you want to be well-behaved, just sit quietly in front of the piano!"
As Soo-hyun's right hand pointed to the three curves, the green, blue, and golden curves that followed the dictator's orders wrapped around his hand like gentle snakes. As he shook his hands lightly, the curves clung to my arms. They playfully suggested that I play with them a little more, that they make things a little more fun for me.
'Let's fly.'
When Soo-hyun suddenly stretched out his right hand to the side, the curves that were wrapped around his arm shot out quickly. And it was powerfully transmitted to the audience through the sounds of the trumpet, trombone, and tuba respectively. The dramatic and technical toccata-like passage, sung by blind beggars, ushered in a brilliant new musical idea. As Soo-hyun tied several more curves to his right hand and sent them flying, the string instruments added rests and played the main melody. The piano developed the second theme in a complex and descending pattern, ushering in the poem about death.
I have been spending many sleepless nights.
Now there are more nights of crying.
My lover said,
Don't seek death,
Death will find you anyway.
But I seek death in an instant.
If you go there, maybe
I can meet the people I've been dreaming of?
Even if it means sleeping forever,
Can I lie down next to them as they sleep?
I don't even know life yet,
The child who longed for death.
In the pain and emptiness that comes,
A child who could not see his surroundings.
I was that kind of child.
- - - -
Thanks for reading!
We reached our goal! With your support on Webnovel (500 Power Stones) and Patreon, this week we'll have 5 chapters a day on Webnovel and 10 chapters a day for Patreon subscribers.
Read +120 advanced chapters of this novel on my patreon
@Patreon/iLikeeMikee
Thanks again for your support!