“What are you talking about?”
Victor’s brow furrowed deeply. The Sotheby’s employee’s expression was not good. It was clear that the young man had made a mistake without understanding anything.
However, Kang Hyun, staring intently at the Stradivarius “Desiderio,” spoke.
“The stability of the melody is slightly twisted.”
Was he saying that the violin was like a car? In reality, there is a difference in sound between cheap beginner violins and expensive ones.
But the violin before his eyes was a Stradivarius, one of the so-called Three Great Violins.
Moreover, it was an instrument with such a beautiful melody that it had enchanted Victor’s notoriously picky ears in music.
At that moment, Sotheby’s employee Mikel looked sharply at Kang Hyun.
“Violinist Hyun, with all due respect, the Stradivarius ‘Desiderio’ prepared by Sotheby’s is undoubtedly genuine. Evaluating Desiderio’s melody based on a single touch of the bow and strings is not only disrespectful to the Stradivarius but also to Sotheby’s.”
Mikel was firm, showing no intention of tolerating Kang Hyun’s rudeness any further. But Kang Hyun was just as resolute.
“If my judgment is wrong, I will apologize. But the melody of Desiderio was strangely without resonance. To an untrained ear, it might sound deep and clear, but to me, it felt like it was struggling to follow. If the Stradivarius Desiderio before us is truly genuine, it would be considered a failure by Antonio Stradivari.”
Mikel swallowed hard. How could the man before him make such a confident statement after merely two touches of the strings and bow?
“Visually, Desiderio clearly exhibits the characteristics of a Stradivarius. The soundboard, which has gracefully transformed over time, the selected woods such as willow, maple, and wisteria used in various parts of the instrument, and even the asymmetrical F-holes. That’s why it’s even more confusing. How can an instrument that looks so perfect produce such a poor melody? Don’t you agree?”
“Violinist Hyun, what you’re saying now is an insult to all of Sotheby’s.”
Kang Hyun smirked. Wasn’t he here to select violins as a violinist?
To him, one of the two Stradivarius violins was not in good condition. If it wasn’t broken, it felt like a replica.
Initially, he thought it might be structurally damaged, but Mikel’s wavering eyes confirmed his suspicion.
“Wait!”
Victor’s voice made everyone freeze. Victor scrutinized Desiderio with his sharp gaze. After a long examination, he nodded briefly and spoke.
“Call Mr. Hawk.”
“Sir?”
Mikel seemed momentarily shaken but quickly added.
“With all due respect, Mr. Hawk doesn’t come just because we call him.”
“If you don’t call him, I will.”
At that moment, Mikel’s expression twisted. He hadn’t expected Hawk’s name to be mentioned here.
Kang Hyun was puzzled. Who was this Hawk that made Mikel so anxious?
Kang Hyun’s gaze remained fixed on Desiderio. He wanted to get up and play it.
If he played it, he would surely know whether it was genuine or fake.
-The types of wood used in each structure, the special chemicals added to the varnish made in Northern Italy, the curves and angles following the design, particularly the asymmetrical F-holes and the engravings on the sides, all show the features of a Stradivarius. The melody as well. I’ve heard the melodies of the Three Great Violins countless times, but they always sound beautiful. If Antonio Stradivari were alive, he would applaud this instrument. It’s such a well-made ‘replica.’
Victor downed his whiskey. The plane had left Italy, but Mr. Hawk’s words still lingered in Victor’s mind.
-Accurate judgment requires precise machines to measure the age. It won’t be completed in a short time. But in my opinion, this is undoubtedly a well-made replica. Even a seasoned violin maker would have a hard time identifying it immediately. Of course, all of this is off the record, you understand?
Mr. Hawk was a renowned instrument master in Europe. He was unmatched when it came to string instruments, so much so that he was dubbed the Antonio Stradivari of the 21st century. He continued to examine the exterior and interior of Desiderio.
-But how did you know? Even I, who have faced countless replicas, find it difficult to judge without detailed examination.
It was baffling. He couldn’t even touch the Stradivarius. He could only see and evaluate the instrument encased in glass.
Moreover, Kang Hyun identified whether it was genuine or fake just by hearing the melody twice.
Sotheby’s employee Mikel was immediately subjected to a police investigation. It seemed even Sotheby’s was unaware.
If an ordinary person had claimed the Stradivarius was fake, they wouldn’t have listened. But with two judges from the Queen Elisabeth Competition and a renowned European instrument master supporting him, it was different.
-Exchanging fakes and genuine items at auctions has been a recurring issue. No matter how prestigious the auction, complete security is impossible. Especially with art and instruments, it’s hard to distinguish between genuine and fake unless you’re an expert. Particularly with such well-made replicas, it’s even harder. No doubt it was made by an unknown master. But really, how did you know?
Mr. Hawk asked again, genuinely baffled. The Stradivarius ‘Desiderio’ was a perfect replica.
Even Mr. Hawk admitted that he would have been deceived if he hadn’t examined the exterior and interior closely.
“Glenlivet.”
Victor felt his throat burning. The hot whiskey flowed down his throat, but instead of feeling warm, it felt cold.
He had been there too. But he didn’t know, and the young man he had dismissed as an amateur recognized it immediately.
He felt ashamed. He had felt a fleeting ecstasy from the melody of a replica. Was his hearing getting worse with age? Kang Hyun’s words crossed his mind.
-Though it was a replica, it had a beautiful melody. If it had its own name instead of being called a Stradivarius, it would have been loved by many violinists. Moreover, if you had played Desiderio, you would have recognized it too, Victor.
Victor had no confidence. Even if he had played Desiderio at that place, he wouldn’t have been able to make such a confident statement like Kang Hyun.
Victor began to see Kang Hyun, whom he had thought of as a mere arrogant amateur, in a new light.
“I just knew?”
After returning from Italy, Kang Hyun faced a barrage of questions. Not only from the judges of the Queen Elisabeth Competition but also from the Italian police.
The main question was always the same. How did he know that the Stradivarius ‘Desiderio’ was a replica?
There was no way to explain. The moment he heard the melody, it felt as uncomfortable as having phlegm stuck in his throat.
After hearing it twice, he was certain. If Desiderio wasn’t broken, it was a replica.
Moreover, he had previously worked as a deputy prosecutor at the Western Prosecutor’s Office. It wasn’t difficult to grasp the other person’s intentions just by observing their expressions, voices, and gestures.
Thanks to advanced software, his senses were much sharper and more sensitive than before. He could detect Mikel’s momentary emotional turmoil.
“Snore, snore.”
Kang Hyun covered his ears. It was starting again.
Every night, he couldn’t sleep because of his roommate Victor’s snoring. Usually, he would fall asleep before Victor did.
But the large room amplified Victor’s snoring like an orchestra’s resonance.
“Sigh.”
Reluctantly, Kang Hyun got out of bed and picked up his violin case. The drowsiness that had been overwhelming him vanished like a lie.
“Uhm.”
Victor woke up feeling parched. It was probably due to the excessive drinking on the plane.
Outside the window, only the moonlight shone brightly. But Kang Hyun was nowhere to be seen. At that moment,
Zing.
The melody coming from outside the mansion made Victor move unconsciously.
The mansion was located near a chapel. Hence, outside, there was a spacious garden and a forest path without a single streetlight. The melody was too loud and clear to be coming from the chapel.
Step.
Victor followed the melody as if he were enchanted. For a moment, he rubbed his eyes roughly with his pajama sleeve, doubting his own eyes.
There was someone there. The silhouette of the shoulders swaying gracefully under the moonlight was like a painting.
Moreover, the wind blowing from the forest added a rich and beautiful undertone to the melody.
Victor hid behind a tree trunk, listening to the performance, feeling like he was spying on a childhood crush.
“Enchanted.”
If his ears were truly enchanted, this is how it would feel. The ecstasy he felt hearing Desiderio seemed like a lie.
He wanted to see who it was. But the performer’s face was hidden in darkness.
Among the judges, only a few still performed actively. Could it be the Japanese maestro Hirose?
Gulp.
Victor’s throat bobbed. The serene melody quickly escalated into a passionate wave.
The rustling leaves, dancing in the wind, added to the resonance.
Victor felt overwhelmed with emotion. He had listened to countless new violinists while judging the Queen Elisabeth Competition, but he had never felt this way.
As the passionate melody continued, Victor’s heart swelled even more.
At that moment, the moonlight revealed the performer’s face.
Victor clung to the tree as if he had a sudden cramp. The dancing leaves stopped rustling and drooped, staring at Victor.
His eyes were trembling violently, as if witnessing something unbelievable. The performer who had enchanted him was…
“Hyun?”
It was the young man he had dismissed as an amateur.
