“Really?”
I thought there was no rising star capable of handling the Berlin Philharmonic. However, the eyes of the eternal maestro Gustav were not lying.
It’s not that I doubt him. It’s just that there is still something to confirm. Just as the endless ripples were about to begin.
Knock, knock.
The person we had been waiting for arrived with a knock.
“Brühl, although it’s late, congratulations on winning the Queen Elizabeth Competition.”
“Th-Thank you, Maestro.”
Daniel Brühl was more tense than ever. Because the lion of the Berlin Philharmonic was right in front of him.
He was a maestro he had only seen from a distance. Even his own teacher had found this lion of the Berlin Philharmonic daunting.
His throat bobbed nervously.
“Brühl, you must have seen the violinist Hyun up close. I’d appreciate it if you could share your thoughts about him. Even if it’s just a brief impression.”
A small-statured violinist.
“He was a giant.”
“A giant?”
The trembling in his voice subsided.
“Clearly, he was just a child who could barely reach my waist, but everyone in the chapel felt that way. We often couldn’t hide our astonishment at the sight of that child.”
“Tell me more in detail.”
“That child taught us everything he knew. I too received a grace I will never forget. He taught us the posture for holding the bow, the methods of fingering, and even bowing techniques suited to each person’s physique. It felt like learning the violin for the first time. Clearly, he did not consider us competitors.”
Was it as if Mozart, Jascha Heifetz, or Eugène Ysaÿe had come back to life?
“Everyone in the chapel knew it. That he would win the grand prize. But no one felt resentful or cried out in anger. Instead, everyone felt regret.”
“Regret about what?”
“That the days at the chapel were ending.”
Yuri’s brow furrowed. The days he remembered at the chapel were nothing short of a battlefield without gunfire. Hadn’t the sharp melodies continuously resonated in the dawn?
“Maestro, what would it feel like to spend time with Paganini?”
“I would cry at my cursed talent, but my steps would feel like walking in heaven.”
“That day when we first saw that child’s performance, everyone must have thought the same thing.”
Daniel gave a faint smile.
“We were facing a living legend.”
An orchestra is a massive community. Like a spider’s web, everyone’s thoughts and emotions are intertwined. It is difficult to achieve a perfect melody without such tight interconnection.
It is the conductor’s role to encompass all of this.
It was the London Symphony, boasting a long history. Although the members were in casual clothes, their eyes were as sharp as if they wouldn’t miss anything about me.
It was as if I had walked into their web on my own, and this suffocating tension was perhaps only natural.
“Can I borrow a violin?” It must have been an unexpected request. “A violin?”
“Yes, Maestro.”
It wasn’t difficult to find a violin. There were always practice violins available in the concert hall.
Spencer looked at the old case containing a fantasy with a curious gaze. The other members were no different. But they must have soon understood my intention.
Fair evaluation.
I couldn’t tarnish Spencer’s reputation. After tuning, I bowed to the audience sitting in the seats.
As I took my stance as if flowing like water, the string instrument players were the first to adjust their postures. Zing―!
As the bow pressed down on the strings, a sharp melody resonated.
Even with a simple movement, the audience’s gazes focused all at once.
It was a rough movement.
The sharp and tearing melody that resonated from the small frame was unbelievable, as if the bow and strings were wailing in jealousy of each other.
The skill of bowing with the bow and plucking with the left-hand fingers reminded me of someone.
Paganini’s Caprice No. 24.
The short fingers gripping the strings poured out dazzling techniques. It was so splendid that I wondered if the fingers might tear apart.
Using flageolet and double stops, it seemed as if one violin was creating two melodies.
The sharpness from earlier was gone, and an ecstasy began to fill the audience’s eyes. At the moment when thick drops of sweat rolled down my back.
Ping―!
The string broke.
Violins are sensitive to temperature and humidity. The practice violin in the concert hall seemed untouched for a long time.
After letting out its final cry, it was as if the string had reached the end of its lifespan. Finally, even the metal E string broke, leaving only the G string.
A deep regret filled the audience’s eyes.
But it was something that could be fixed and played again, especially when playing with a violin that wasn’t one’s own. The one who would feel the most regret at this moment would be none other than the violinist.
Just as Spencer licked his dry lips and was about to stand up.
The violinist looked at the last remaining string. As if asking if it wanted to stop here.
As if having received an answer, the violinist gently closed his eyes. At that moment,
Zing―!
The bow was lifted again.
The audience couldn’t believe their eyes. What they had only heard in anecdotes about Niccolò Paganini was unfolding before their eyes.
Even an imperfect performance was fine. There was still much to learn.
Blood was flowing from the short fingers, but the boy seemed not to care.
“Ssanghwa tea, even the name sounds mystical.”
It was a sweet yet bitter taste. At first glance, it seemed similar to mulled wine, but it had a deeper flavor. As if it contained the mystery of the East.
The egg yolk floating like the traditional Georgian khachapuri was indeed a delicacy. Isn’t the savory taste still lingering in my mouth?
Upon arriving at the concert hall.
“Dmitri, did you meet the president well?”
The principal cellist, Emanuel, greeted me. The other members were busy chatting among themselves, unusually lively today.
Normally, they would stay quiet, mindful of the maestro. However, today, there were excited and flushed faces here and there. Even the famously reticent violist Chloe looked elated, so something must have happened.
“Emanuel, what happened?”
Was the performance at the shabby concert hall canceled, or was a trip to England decided? “Everyone experienced a miracle.”
“A miracle?”
Had they all had ssanghwa tea without me knowing?
“You’ll hear the details from the maestro. He’s waiting for you. By the way, I suggested we have seasoned chicken for dinner. I know you like chicken. It was hard to persuade the members.”
His cold eyes nodded and he started walking.
“Oh, that Iceman. Still never says thank you.”
I thought I heard Emanuel’s voice behind me, but I didn’t pay attention.
“Maestro.”
The maestro was busy looking at the full score.
“You’ve come, Dmitri. Have a seat.”
He must have been checking the repertoire for the performance. I could still hear the voices of the members from outside, but he seemed unfazed, which was unusual.
“It seems we need to add to the repertoire.”
“Are you talking about the repertoire?”
Dmitri asked again. The maestro had never changed the repertoire just before a performance.
He was that sensitive and a perfectionist. The London Symphony would not tolerate even a hint of dissonance.
“Tell the president that we might need to extend the performance time.”
“Maestro?”
Would the president of the Arts Center dislike it? On the contrary, he would welcome it with open arms. The audience would feel the same. There was never an audience member who disliked an extended repertoire.
However, Dmitri’s cold eyes showed puzzlement. The maestro was acting very differently from usual.
“We’re planning a collaboration.”
“A collaboration?”
With whom was he planning to collaborate?
“I couldn’t inform you sooner, as I didn’t want to burden my concertmaster with unnecessary worries. You handle a lot of things in my stead. If you were displeased, please forgive me. In fact, the collaborator just left the concert hall.”
“I always respect the maestro’s wishes. But did the members agree?”
The pride of the London Symphony members was significant. In the past, there had been instances where they ousted a conductor for recruiting an underperforming member.
It was Maestro Spencer who had brought together these members with their distinct musical values and personalities.
Suddenly, the excited faces of the members flashed in Dmitri’s mind.
“Maestro, who is it?”
Just as countless names were coming to mind.
Dmitri’s gaze fell on a violin with broken strings. It was clearly a practice violin that hadn’t been maintained for a long time. But all the strings except the G string were broken.
Maestro Spencer’s gaze also fell on the violin with broken strings. “A young Paganini came and went.”
“You’re going to buy shares in Hyun’s name too?”
The teacup was placed down with a noise.
“Not just for Hyunja, but there are many things we haven’t done for Hyun as well. We need to slowly repay the debt of our hearts now.”
“Well thought. Watching you lately makes me think I should call my daughter-in-law back. The household feels lively, and the old man’s complexion brightens by the day.”
“Well, then, how about thinking about remarriage? There will be a line of old ladies across the country.”
“Old man, you should go for it.”
It was a joke only close friends could share.
The conversation continued as long as the lingering old scent in the reception room. They laughed endlessly as if the stories were incredibly amusing.
Both were entirely different from their stern images at the company.
“By the way, when is Hyun coming?”
It was quite some time after the conversation had started. Just as they were saying that, Kang Hyun walked into the reception room, making not only Chairman Yoo but also Chairman Wang widen their eyes.
“Hyun, what happened to your hand?”
“It’s nothing, really. I’m fine.”
There were band-aids on the places where the skin between the fingers had torn. The maestro had personally treated it.
Would you believe me if I said the stinging pain actually made me feel good, knowing that these wounds would heal and turn into calluses of glory?
Nevertheless, my grandfather’s face was full of worry. “Grandfather, I think I’ll be doing a collaboration.”
“A collaboration?”
I needed to change the subject quickly.
“It’s not officially part of the performance, just an additional piece to the original repertoire. Like an encore.”
It was almost unheard of in an orchestra performance. Especially for a world-renowned symphony.
No matter how I thought about it, Spencer had given me an incredible opportunity. He wouldn’t have proceeded without fully trusting me.
It seemed like every time we met, my debt of gratitude increased.
Just then.
“Oppa―!”
Son Yooha came running straight into the reception room, having somehow found out I was here.
After greeting Grandfather, Yooha clung to my side and trembled as if an earthquake had hit her eyes.
“Oppa, what happened to your hand? Wait a moment!”
Anyone would think I was terminally ill. Before I could even respond, Yooha dashed out of the reception room like a bullet. She must be going to get a first aid kit.
A little while later, Yooha returned, breathing heavily.
“Oppa! I asked the secretary unnie to call Grandpa Hoho!”
“Grandpa Hoho?”
“Yes, Grandpa Hoho!”
Who could she be talking about? Yooha was still looking at my bandaged fingers with a worried expression.
Although winter was far off, it seemed like she was talking about Santa Claus. At that moment, Grandfather was trying hard to suppress his laughter. Chairman Wang ran a wrinkled hand over his face.
