“Yuri, I’m sorry to trouble you.”
Humans are powerless in the face of time.
“It’s alright, Maestro.”
Yuri, the lion of the Berlin Philharmonic, was silently pushing the wheelchair. The man who once seemed monumental now had a bent back, a testament to the relentless passage of time.
“Maestro, you could have summoned the violinist. There was no need for you to come personally.”
There was no need for the elderly Gustav to move himself. At his word, violinists would drop everything and come running within a month.
Although he had long set down the violin, he was still the eternal Maestro.
No wonder even the King of Belgium would come to see Gustav. The reason was simple: he was the former master of Chapelle.
“With a heart that beats this fiercely, how could I wait?”
Is it really that serious?
“Yuri, honestly, I thought you would refuse my suggestion to meet that child. I was half giving up, but you willingly agreed to come with me. I thought you disliked me?”
“It’s a misunderstanding, Maestro.”
“Eden repeatedly warned me to be cautious of you, saying you might let go of the wheelchair handles on a downhill.”
“That redhead is just the same as ever.”
Yuri frowned and licked his dry lips.
“May I ask you one thing, Maestro?”
“Of course. I’m being escorted by the lion of the Berlin Philharmonic, after all.”
“I’m curious why you chose Eden Simeon that day.”
“Time really has passed. I never thought you, who were as solid as iron, would be curious about that.”
There was a time when Yuri was tested along with Eden. To be precise, it was at Chapelle. Yuri had no doubt he would inherit Gustav’s baton. He believed he was superior to the redhead in every way.
But Gustav chose Eden as his successor. The sense of loss and frustration that day was incomparable. Perhaps, everything that happened then is why he is here now.
“Yuri, you are mistaken. I did not choose Eden.”
The sound of the smoothly rolling wheelchair wheels stopped.
“It wasn’t I who chose that child; it was that child who chose me.” What could that mean?
But Gustav still had a peculiar smile on his face.
“You’ll understand one day.”
“Do you have any special instruments?”
Orchestral knowledge is vast. The experience and vividness of the field that cannot be learned theoretically overflow like a flood.
Take Michael, who is in charge of the snare drum. He openly shared his experience with me.
“Percussion wasn’t used much in classical music, but its use gradually increased from the Romantic era. That’s probably why I love Mahler so much. Anyway, if I had to pick the most unique instrument I’ve played instead of the snare drum, it would definitely be the hammer.”
“A hammer?”
“Yes, in Mahler’s Symphony No. 6, there are cases where you strike the ground with a hammer. And depending on the conductor’s inclination, the use of instruments can vary. There’s no reason to stick to standardized instruments in an orchestra. Sometimes we use sleigh bells to mimic the sound of a gentle breeze. There are other examples too.”
Michael imitated shaking sleigh bells.
“Hyun, don’t stay next to chatterbox Michael. Come over here. If you keep listening to him, he’ll start talking about how he first learned to play the snare drum when he was young or his thoughts on the spicy chicken he had a few days ago. I can guarantee it since we’ve been friends since childhood.”
It was Principal Cellist Emanuel. When Michael immediately pouted and shouted, “Who are you calling a chatterbox, you bald head!” the practice room became lively.
“Hyun, your vibrato was really impressive the other day. Could you check my posture?”
“Me?”
Emanuel was the principal member. Moreover, he was a cellist.
“Is there a problem?”
Emanuel asked back, assuming the position. I watched his left hand carefully.
Holding the fingerboard and creating vibrato was textbook perfect. But his expression didn’t look good.
“I’m trying to do it like you, but it’s not working well.”
“I’m not one to judge, but you’re doing very well.”
“Thank you, young Paganini. What I noticed about you is that you use the strings as if they were gut strings.”
“Pardon?”
Emanuel pointed to the strings and continued.
“Until the Baroque period, strings were made from the tendons of dead animals. These gut strings had a rich and natural sound. It felt like the music was alive. But they were hard to make and didn’t last long. After metal strings became common, gut strings disappeared entirely. But that caused a problem.”
“A problem?”
“Metal strings are sharp and precise in pitch, but to produce a rich sound like before, strong vibrato is needed. The naturalness was lost in the artificially created richness. But your melodies are so rich and soft. Just like the sound produced by gut strings.”
It was high praise. My face turned red without realizing it. Emanuel looked at me with satisfaction and added.
“By the way, I like this hairstyle. Unlike that chatterbox, you have style.”
Before I could respond, Michael, who had come closer, shouted, “That guy’s been bald since he was 19!” The laughter was interrupted by Dmitri entering the practice room.
The concertmaster of the London Symphony glanced at me briefly before taking his seat, resembling the great Russian Alexey.
Soon after.
Step.
When Maestro Spencer entered the practice room, the noisy members instantly calmed down.
“Hyun, sit here.”
Spencer had prepared a seat for me next to him. It was a spot where I could see the members clearly, just like the conductor.
When I wasn’t practicing a concerto with the orchestra, Spencer always seated me there. It felt warm, like when my grandfather used to take me to his office.
The seating arrangement in the London Symphony was unconventional. Except for the first violins, all positions changed slightly according to Spencer’s will.
For example, the positions of the cellos and violas were sometimes swapped, and the percussion instruments’ positions were also changed.
Everything had to be in optimal condition, so the seating was fluid, depending on the symphony to be performed and the state of the concert hall.
“The Seoul Arts Center doesn’t have much reverberation compared to other places. Knowing this, I should’ve suggested performing in a cathedral. Everyone, please pay attention to the ending notes, considering this.”
An orchestra breathes as one.
It can be seen as a huge instrument. The members could understand each other with just a glance, having played together for so long.
This isn’t achieved through mathematical formulas. Only long experience can create such harmony.
The thrill felt from the conductor’s position is indescribable.
When the Maestro’s hand, controlling the huge instrument, was raised, the members’ gaze changed instantly, as if by agreement.
“Dmitri, how is he?”
The Maestro’s hand seemed lighter than ever.
“Hyun, I mean.”
“He is an outstanding performer. Certainly.”
Dmitri did not view Hyun as a child. He treated him as a complete musician.
Orchestra members are like finely honed blades. As sensitive musicians, they do not easily open their hearts to strangers. But didn’t they all approach Hyun as if they had known him for a long time?
“He has a charisma that draws in the audience.”
“I agree. How do you assess his playing skills as a concertmaster?”
The concertmaster oversees the entire string section. They must view the members differently from the Maestro conducting them.
Especially, they must carefully observe whether the soloist’s breath harmonizes well with the members.
“It’s hard to believe, but it feels like he has integrated with the orchestra in just a few days. Even the picky Emanuel opened up to him. His occasional leading melodies felt like they were ahead of the orchestra, yet they seemed to encompass everything. Such an experience.”
“Is it your first time?”
Dmitri nodded without hesitation.
It was unheard of to practice a solo performance for a main concert in just a week. But Hyun absorbed the essence of the orchestra at a frightening speed.
“Maestro, may I ask why you always seat Hyun next to you?”
Whenever the Maestro conducted, Hyun was always seated beside him.
“I wanted to test if he had talent in conducting. What do you think?”
“Maestro, when I first joined the orchestra, I couldn’t even look at you. But one day, I thought about the immense pressure you must feel being watched by so many members. I think seating Hyun next to you was an excellent choice. His gaze at the members.”
It was like the Maestro’s. Dmitri swallowed his last words.
Sizzle―!
The house in Ichon-dong was busier than usual. Not only the housekeeper but also Mother was busy preparing dinner. The reason was simple. Chairman Wang and Son Yooha were visiting.
Son Yooha was eager to help Mother, rolling up her small sleeves. Seeing her adorable efforts, Mother couldn’t stop smiling.
Thus, the usually empty dining table was filled. Naturally, the seat next to me was occupied by Yooha.
“Kang, how is it in the new development department?”
So, Father moved to the new materials development department.
That’s good. It’s a core department that will lead Dongju in the future.
“Since it’s related to my field of study and an area of interest, I’m very happy. I’m working hard to make the most of the opportunity you’ve given me. I’ll do my best not to disappoint you.”
Father’s answer was somewhat stiff, but understandably so, given that Chairman Wang was sitting across from him.
They might have met several times, but it’s not easy to get used to a giant in the business world.
“Chairman Yoo, are we talking about business at the dinner table? Let’s not make him lose his appetite. By the way, Hyun, how is your preparation for the concerto?”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
“Your grandfather doesn’t seem to stop smiling.”
It was a harmonious dinner.
Mother’s soy sauce crab was so popular that Chairman Wang even asked to pack some leftovers. Although Grandfather complained that there wasn’t enough for himself, their bickering brought endless laughter.
I suddenly thought of Eric from Northern Europe, who devoured my braised chicken. My cooking skills must come from Mother’s genes.
“Oppa, do you like lotus root?”
Seeing me continuously eating the lotus root dish, Son Yooha asked curiously.
In my previous life, I hated braised lotus root, but now I can’t get enough of it.
When I nodded, Son Yooha looked determined and brightened her round eyes.
She quickly picked up a piece of braised lotus root and stuffed it into her mouth, then proudly said,
“I too wike lotus woot!”
After a dinner that could rival a royal feast.
Grandfather and Chairman Wang were busy discussing the bundle of papers they had exchanged earlier.
The documents covered real estate, stocks, and the expansion of industry and market potential. As expected from the strategic planning office, the report was excellent.
The details were meticulously researched, things that ordinary people wouldn’t even consider, and Chairman Wang had overseen it all. I was impressed.
I realized once again why Son Ilsung feared Chairman Wang.
Of course, it’s impossible to perfectly predict the future market, so there were occasional mistakes. Predicting the future flawlessly with statistics and other academic methods is nonsensical.
Ah, that part is wrong.
Chairman Wang, noticing my frown, looked at me.
“Hyun, is there something strange in what I said?”
I nodded briefly.
“So, you don’t know, right? Of course.”
Oops, I almost fell for his trick and started explaining everything.
I got so engrossed in the conversation without realizing it. I felt a cold sweat forming on my back.
“Hmm, is that so?”
