Chapter 131
The trip to Africa occurred after the holidays had begun, but there was still time left in the semester.
In addition, Soo-hyun was forced to take on a series of intense classes, including one with Professor Gruber, who suddenly changed his teaching style, and one with Rachmaninoff, who was threatened by Chopin.
Piano practice room at the Vienna State University of Music.
Professor Gruber, who had suggested Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 as an exercise piece, which Soo-hyun had already been practicing on his own, brought a different score today.
A song with a simple top and bottom part. It didn't seem like it would be very difficult to play with Soo-hyun's skill.
Soo-hyun said as he flipped through the score,
"It seems to last about nineteen minutes, but the cadenza lasts a full seven. Is it really a piano concerto?"
Professor Gruber smiled. He seemed happy that Soo-hyun didn't know this song.
"What kind of song do you think it is?" he asked, pointing to the score with his head.
"Well, I think the melody is really great. Above all, the arpeggio of the cadenza has a very wide range. Whose piece is it?"
Professor Gruber looked a little sinister.
"This is a piece dedicated by the French composer Maurice Ravel to the pianist Paul Wittgenstein."
"Well, then was it composed by a man named Maurice Ravel and performed by a man named Wittgenstein?"
"Yes."
Soo-hyun tilted his head.
'Of course, if a beginner encountered this song, they would probably think it was difficult. But for you? It's such an easy song that it can't even be considered a practice song. Professor, why did you bring this song?'
All the expressions were revealed on Soo-hyun's pure face. Professor Gruber looked at Soo-hyun.
"Paul Wittgenstein was an Austrian-born pianist. He also participated in World War I with Ravel."
'World War I? It was a war, wasn't it? It must have been difficult for you to witness the horrors of war firsthand.'
"Well, actually, Ravel was so shocked after the war that he couldn't compose for several years."
'War is a struggle in which there are no winners and everyone loses.'
Soo-hyun said with a bitter expression as he turned the page of the music.
"Still, I'm glad you both came back safely."
Professor Gruber stared at Soo-hyun.
"Paul Wittgenstein lost his right hand in the war."
"Ah…"
'Ah, I see. War seems to leave many people with pain… Wait a minute! What? It was said that the composer of this piece was Maurice Ravel. Paul Wittgenstein was a pianist! A pianist lost his right hand?'
"What, what did you say?"
Professor Gruber said, pointing to the score.
"Concerto for the Left Hand in D Major. The official title is 'Piano Concerto for the Left Hand'."
'You play this song with only your left hand? It's not difficult with both hands, but with only one?'
Soo-hyun quickly turned his head to the musical score.
"That's ridiculous, Professor. This score is in two parts, like a normal score."
But this score, which included all that, had to be played with only the left hand. Soo-hyun, who had turned the page, tried his best to hide the trembling in his eyes as he spoke.
"Besides, this cadenza has some ridiculous jumps."
Professor Gruber nodded in agreement. The melody was hidden in the leap of the cadenza. Usually, the lowest note was responsible for the bass and the highest for the inner voice, but in this leap, the highest note was the melody.
'That is, you are required to play as if you were jumping up and picking fruit from a tree. In addition, the wide and fast arpeggios must be played at an incredible speed. Are you saying that you really played this with only your left hand?'
The problematic part was the cadenza. In piano concertos, the orchestra usually filled the empty spaces of the piano, but a cadenza meant a piano solo. That meant you had to fill the seven minutes when no one helped you. Even for Soo-hyun, who mastered difficult songs, this was not an easy task.
Professor Gruber added,
"In addition, the cadenza of this piece requires very short arpeggios. It means restraint and also darkness."
'Are you playing so fast and so quietly that your fingers start to cramp? Why did you create such a difficult song?'
"Why did the composer make this song?"
Professor Gruber said with his arms crossed.
"He wanted to show that Wittgenstein, who had fought with him in World War II, could play like any other pianist even after losing his right hand. He probably wanted his friend, who had lost hope, to recover."
"…"
'Hope. A composition that gives hope to a friend. Ravel was a truly great composer.'
"Many pianists have asked me to make this piece easier after hearing it," the professor said with a smile. "It's not an easy piece even for professional pianists."
'Well? Did you change it?'
Professor Gruber said, raising the corners of his lips.
"Do you know what Beethoven said to the violinist who complained that his symphony was too difficult when he composed it?"
'Mr. Beethoven?'
"What did he say? He must have yelled or scolded him."
"Do you have to take care of your own problems?" the professor said, confirming Soo-hyun's prediction.
"Haha…"
'It's very Beethovenian. It's even funnier when you imagine his appearance and way of speaking.'
"The same goes for Ravel," the professor said with a smile. "He never arranged it. It was a piece for Wittgenstein. Maybe he liked that no ordinary pianist could play it, and only Wittgenstein could."
'A performance that only Wittgenstein could perform? That's not true. It's a piece that many pianists have practiced with great effort and tears.'
"Really? Let's see if it's more difficult than Uncle Franz's or Mr. Rachmaninoff's piece."
Soo-hyun now habitually loosened his wrists. Professor Gruber said as he looked at Soo-hyun, who was observing the score.
"Your left hand does all the work of your right hand. Don't let anyone know that your right hand is resting. So, shall we begin?"
The Pianist's Village, Rachmaninoff's log cabin.
Professor Gruber's lesson lasted a full four hours. Soo-hyun, who felt as if the ligaments in the back of his left forearm were going to break because he was playing only with his left hand instead of with both hands as usual, rubbed his forearm. Rachmaninoff looked at the spectacle with a serious expression and said,
"You grew 12 cm in six months. There are more children who grow like that than you think. However, they all tend to fall frequently or have trouble controlling their strength due to their sudden increase in height. This is because their body balance changes drastically and their body cannot adapt."
'He's right. Jaehee and Junwoo even complained that they felt like they were going to die from my jokes. As my body grew and I started exercising, my strength increased. In fact, even during classes, Professor Gruber was constantly telling me to play softer.'
"Master, you're right. I usually have a hard time controlling my strength."
"Surprisingly, few people manage to maintain body balance. More than 90% of the general population is in a state of imbalance. This can cause pain or musculoskeletal disorders. Massages can help relax the muscles, but they cannot correct body balance, so it is necessary to exercise. I will teach you some exercises."
Soo-hyun learned the exercise method of following him, lying on his stomach, stretching his arms forward and lifting his upper body, or lying on his back, lifting his neck and head and holding on.
"It doesn't look like much, but it's so hard, hahaha!"
"Because you use muscles you don't normally use. Most of them are muscles where you don't use strength. However, these muscles are the core muscles of the human body. Just because you have a strong body doesn't mean you're healthy."
Soo-hyun smiled bitterly.
'Master, you say that after seeing you. Where is the pianist in you? I would believe you even if you said you were a soldier.'
"How far have you gotten in rehearsing the Piano Concerto No. 3?" Rachmaninoff asked after a long time.
"It's almost finished."
Rachmaninoff's eyebrows twitched.
'Already? It seems like it's only been a few days since I gave you the mission.'
However, Soo-hyun, who had trained for a long time, used to play the instrument perfectly in just two performances. The fact that Soo-hyun practiced a song for several days meant that it was a difficult song. Rachmaninoff, with his arms crossed, nodded towards the piano.
"Then let's hear it."
"Yes, sir."
Soo-hyun quickly sat down in front of the piano. His left arm still ached from all the hard work he had done in class with Professor Gruber, but it wasn't strong enough to interfere with his playing. Soo-hyun silently closed his eyes and fell into meditation.
A song composed by Rachmaninoff during his most brilliant years as a composer, before his property was confiscated due to the Red Revolution in Russia and he fled to Sweden and then to the United States. This song, which he planned and composed for his debut and tour in the United States, was a masterpiece with a wide range of emotions. It was also a song that he practiced with a fake piano on the ship to the United States because he didn't have time to practice properly due to his busy schedule.
A song of elegance and beauty coexisting at the fingertips of Soo-hyun, who had his eyes closed and was absorbed in his thoughts. S. Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30, resonated.