Alexei had seen Stradivari uses used by Fritz Kreisler, Eugène Ysaÿe, and of course, Niccolò Paganini.
In the past, large banks often purchased Stradivari, Guarneri, and Amati for famous violinists and lent them for a lifetime. It was a form of sponsorship, and Alexei had received such an offer.
However, no one had ever played the Stradivarius ‘Fantasy.’ This was due to the will left by Antonio Stradivari.
- The Stradivarius I created is for violinists. I hope they can fully express their melodies. So that neither the bow nor the strings remain unscathed. However, fantasy and joy are different cases. They choose their own masters, and if someone unworthy touches their strings, they will lose the eyes to see the world and the ears to hear the melody.
Of course, this story was not known among the general public.
Some even thought of Antonio Stradivari’s will as a merchant’s marketing ploy. Over time, Antonio’s will came to be viewed as a ghost story.
But violinists were different. It was like finding a lifelong partner. So they couldn’t just dismiss Antonio Stradivari’s words as mere rumors.
On the crimson resonance board, there was a black streak like a devil’s claw.
“How?”
Pierre Gannelle, a master from France, unintentionally raised his voice. He hadn’t uttered a word throughout the competition, but he couldn’t help it now.
The other masters also had half-dazed expressions. Like when the queen first brought out the Stradivarius ‘Joy’ at Carnegie Hall, the audience felt shock and intense trembling.
Soon, the silver strings gleamed, and as the bow’s tip sharply crossed the diagonal, everyone held their breath as if on cue.
Ziiing―!
The bow coated with rosin pressed down on the strings with force.
It was a sharp melody, like the scream of a young woman. The left hand gripping the strings was as soft as if holding a baby. But the bow was producing a more vivid and sharp tone than ever.
The pianist, who was in charge of the accompaniment, struck the keys in sync with the violinist’s signal. It was a strong resonance, like thunder.
Then the sharp bow began to sweep across the silver strings violently.
The bowing was so intense that it was impossible to distinguish between up-bow and down-bow. If it continued like this, it felt like all the strings would snap.
Crash.
The filming director, who was holding the camera, and PD Ria, who was watching the whole situation, both unintentionally clenched their hands. Ria had filmed many violinists’ performances. But who on earth was this boy in front of her?
Szymanowski’s myth, the first piece ‘Arethusa’s Fountain.’
No one could have imagined that he would play the myth here. The judges were just as surprised.
The director was capturing the expressions of the masters without missing a single one. Some even had their mouths wide open.
The boy had been unusual from the first shoot.
He should have been flustered by the filming camera, but instead, he had looked annoyed.
Moreover, he was calm and composed, hardly looking like a child. Whether during conversation or practice, he never seemed like a child of his age.
‘It’s like seeing a master in a child’s guise,’ Ria felt vividly as she looked at the boy.
And what was with that violin? Just looking at it gave her goosebumps.
It was then.
Ziiing.
A sorrowful and miserable melody resonated as it depicted the image of a man drowning in Arethusa’s Fountain.
But the violinist was smiling with his eyes gently closed. As if saying, “My death for you is not in vain.”
Finally, the enchanting grand saga ended, and as the bow tip lowered, the overwhelming thrill that had penetrated their bodies ended.
But.
No one could easily open their mouths. The intense afterglow wrapped around their bodies.
Only the filming director, who had fully regained his senses, was capturing their faces with the camera without missing a single detail.
Then one of the masters exhaled the breath he had been holding and said, “This is crazy.”
It was a voice that seemed to represent everyone’s feelings.
“This is Mr. Marc Amper, who will be in charge of the Chappelle.”
Twelve violinists were sitting in the hall. Violinists with various exotic appearances. Their commonality was their love and hate for the violin.
Among them were maestros who would become famous in the future. Knowing their names now, I realized what an incredible place I had come to.
“You will be staying at the Queen Elizabeth ‘Chappelle’ in Waterloo for eight days. During the camp, all contact with the outside world is prohibited, and this is not just words; it takes effect by signing a formal oath.”
It meant that they couldn’t receive help from teachers, family, or anyone else.
“Mr. Marc here will assist you with your life at the Chappelle, and he will also arrange meetings with the conductor of the Belgian National Orchestra.”
A collaboration with the National Orchestra. I heard that the Belgian King would also attend the stage held at Bozar Hall. It was no wonder the competition was called a national event.
“The camp starts in two days, so please make your final preparations. Congratulations once again. The eight days at the Chappelle will be the best experience.”
Everyone’s faces were filled with emotion.
Among the twelve participants was an English gentleman who no longer looked at me with disdain as before.
Rather, whenever our eyes met, he quickly turned his head. He acted as coy as a teenage girl. Anyway.
‘There are many famous people here.’
Maestros who would be called that in the future. It felt different from seeing the masters sitting in the judges’ seats.
It was like peeking into the childhood of those who had been in textbooks.
But the way they looked at me wasn’t very favorable.
I understand.
From their perspective, I was an unknown, nameless violinist, a very young one who suddenly appeared and stood on the same level as them.
Moreover, the first and second rounds of judging were conducted privately, so no one except the English friend had seen me play.
“Nice to meet you.”
At that moment, an Asian violinist approached me and greeted me in English. “I am Zhang Yan from China.”
He was a man with a lean but strong impression. His seagull-like eyebrows were impressive.
I knew this person. In my past life, he was called ‘China’s Star’ violinist. It was known that the country’s president favored him. Moreover, he had carried out international music volunteer work and was called ‘China’s Sage.’
“I have heard a lot about you from my teacher. He said there’s an amazing rookie in this Queen Elizabeth competition. I wanted to greet you since the last judging, but I didn’t want to be rude.”
He was quite polite. But who is his teacher?
“Are you talking about Maestro Deng Lun?”
“Yes, he is a close friend of my teacher. He cares for me like a son.”
Zhang Yan nodded with a smile.
Surely, if a violinist from one’s own country came to the competition, one would want to take care of them more. Of course, Deng Lun wouldn’t be biased.
But to think I would feel Guanxi in Belgium.
Hagrid was zooming in, capturing the meeting between Zhang Yan and me as if it were a fateful showdown. But there was not a hint of that atmosphere between us.
“I’ve never seen my teacher talk about someone for so long. He is incredibly sharp when it comes to the violin. If we get the chance after the competition, I’d like to play together. Please.”
As expected of China’s Sage, he was excessively polite. He seemed like a monk among the haughty musicians.
“No, I would really like to play with you too. I’ve never had that kind of experience before.”
As Zhang Yan and I were having a friendly conversation and walking out,
“Ora-boni―!”
From afar, the ice princess was running towards me.
Seeing this.
“Oh, is she your fiancée?”
Zhang Yan looked at me with wide eyes.
“First, let’s start with the cute young lady.”
It was the interview I had promised Ria earlier.
“What is your relationship with the violinist Hyun?”
Son Yooha read Ria’s questionnaire and answered, “We are very close!”
Ria’s lips curled up at her clumsy English. I could translate for her, but she insisted on answering herself, which must have seemed quite endearing.
I was a bit worried. After all, this would be recorded by the media.
Who was Son Yooha? She was the heir to a conglomerate that would inherit Jeil Trading in the future.
I even called Korea to ask if the interview was okay, and the chairman accepted without a moment’s hesitation.
“How do you feel about Hyun being at the Chappelle for the next eight days?”
Hmm.
“Being apart. It’s very sad!”
She seemed to have a lot she wanted to say, but the English words weren’t coming to her. Hagrid quickly zoomed in on her frowning face.
“But what is the Chappelle?”
Laughter erupted for a moment. Ria looked at Son Yooha with a loving gaze.
“How do you feel when you see Hyun playing the violin?”
Son Yooha read the English written on the questionnaire for a long time and then frowned again. Anyone would think she was taking a college entrance exam.
After a long contemplation, she smiled broadly, as if she had thought of a good word. Her chubby cheeks jiggled as she did.
“Sexy!”
What?
Ria’s face also showed signs of confusion. Ah, this ice block. Where on earth did she pick up such words?
After a brief commotion, it passed.
Mother seemed to like Yooha quite a bit. No wonder, given how she behaved like a lady and chose actions that my mother would like. It was hard to overlap this with the image of the ice queen she would become in the future.
When mother sat down for the interview, the zoom-in started again.
“Mother, what kind of son is violinist Hyun?”
To Ria’s question,
“He is a very good son. He has never troubled me and has always handled everything on his own. It hurts me to see how much he has grown up.”
Mother answered cautiously.
I was sitting there as a translator, but I ended up telling my own story.
“How do you feel as a mother about Hyun being on the list of twelve?”
“I still can’t believe it. I never thought my son would do so well. I also learned the violin briefly when I was young, but it was nothing like this. On the other hand, I’m looking forward to seeing his performance since I haven’t seen it yet. I’m sure Hyun’s grandfather in Korea will be the happiest.”
It wasn’t just embarrassing; it was unbearable. It was far more intense than what I felt during the documentary five days at the Judicial Research and Training Institute. If I had known it would be like this, I would have done the interview myself.
“By the way, mother, what was Hyun like as a child? They say prodigies are unique from a young age.”
