musicians of old

Chapter 148 Command Takes Office (4K [-]-in-[-])

Fan Ning's proposal at this time is three times more expensive than before!
The highest priced guest ticket is 18 pounds!No wonder the old professor was so frightened that he even said "the empty show".

Generally, the attendance rate is less than or equal to [-]%, which is called an "empty field" in the industry of Tiolein. This is naturally a bit exaggerated, but the fact is that if it falls below this line, the perception of the scene will be very ugly. It was sparse, and there were a lot of vacancies, even on the first floor.

Even the premiere of the "Ninth Symphony", which was the most failed performance in Professor Anton Konar's life, had an attendance rate of nearly [-]%, but then another [-]% of the audience left the venue one after another.

The enthusiasm of many media for reporting such "empty performance" accidents is at the same level as reporting serial murders, urban legends, and pornographic news. There are even some media that do not pay attention to the music field at all on weekdays. They are not interested in reporting on successful performances. When this kind of thing happened, all kinds of news, big and small, came out.

Alas. This kid is too young. He may have artistic talent and general acting experience, but he doesn't know anything about commercial acting.
Commons decided to educate Fanning on some of the most basic common sense issues in the music industry.

So he asked: "Professor Fanning, do you know what the highest ticket price was for our Dean Gould's last tour during his lifetime?"

"It's 12 pounds. I bought two copies at the New Year's concert." Fanning said, "It's a piano solo, and the price range is different from that of a symphony."

As a piano master, Dean Gould's price is relatively expensive in the range of piano recitals.It seems that it is only equivalent to a mid-level professional symphony orchestra, but if the box office revenue is converted according to the per capita income, the economic value he creates is much greater than that of a single musician.

"Okay, then do you know that the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra's highest price was last year's commercial performance?" Professor Commons asked again.

"It's also 12 pounds." Fan Ning continued to answer as usual, "As a top student band, their level is already better than many mid-level professional bands."

"You know so well, so you still put forward such an outrageous suggestion of 18 pounds?" The old conductor said more and more angrily.

"The most prestigious Fort Santaram Philharmonic Orchestra in the empire, the ticket price for VIPs is only more than 20 pounds. You are a student orchestra?" The old conductor waved his hands again and again, and the wrinkles on his face were squeezed together. , "Professor Fan Ning, don't discuss this issue. According to the original plan, maintain the attendance rate, don't blindly compete with those schools for the box office, and make the audience as full as possible is the most important thing for us."

Among the evaluation indicators for the student orchestra rankings of the Imperial Culture and Media Committee, hardware construction and daily activities accounted for [-]%, and the commercial performance of the summer art festival accounted for [-]%. Attendance rate" and "box office revenue" are two factors.

This is very reasonable. If you only look at the "occupancy rate", you can set the ticket price at 1 shilling. I am afraid that the tickets will be sold out on the first day.

And if you only look at "box office revenue", in case a rich and good "wife" appears, set the ticket price at tens of thousands of pounds, and then just buy a ticket to watch the performance. It may not be that this is still in the quantitative evaluation stage. A high score for a band?I'm afraid there's going to be a big and funny scandal.

An objective evaluation can only be made if two factors are mutually restricted.

Commons's conservative pursuit of attendance, in addition to maintaining the school's reputation, is also motivated by protecting students——

Many students have never experienced commercial performances. Although they have performance experience, they are performing for public welfare or internal activities. For example, the graduation concert, the audience is basically lively.

And if a commercial performance that has been prepared with all the effort, the auditorium is empty when it comes to the stage, even some professional musicians will not be able to bear this scene, and it will be a huge blow to students who are full of enthusiasm and wishful thinking. , may leave a psychological shadow at the beginning of his artistic career.

Self-confidence is very important for a player.

Fan Ning shook his head: "Professor Commons, according to the current plan, our box office ceiling is only close to 9000 pounds, so I have no room to rush up and give up the big indicator of 'market value'." Competition, just based on the quality of the performance and the response from the music industry, the chances of getting the first place in the ranking evaluation are less than [-]%.”

The old conductor's eyes widened: "Why are you still thinking about ranking with the Big Three? Are you still [-]% sure?"

Fan Ning crossed his chest and smiled: "It means that if you give up the box office competition, [-]%; according to my plan, [-]%."

His self-confidence was not given by himself. In less than two months, even if he can raise the level of the orchestra abruptly, he still can't guarantee that he can beat the Royal Academy of Music and the National Academy of Music in Tiolein .

In his opinion, the worrying level of performance of the Saint Lania Symphony Orchestra has been "accumulated" for quite a long time.

Fanning's confidence comes from Master Mendelssohn.

Throwing the most famous "Violin Concerto in E Minor" by this romantic master to the commercial performance of the student orchestra is more "dimension-reducing" than playing "Fantasia Impromptu" at that time. Mendelssohn and There is no distinction between Chopin itself, but a well-written large-scale orchestral work has more impact than a creative piano piece.

He could almost imagine that when the melody under Xilan's bow came out, the entire audience's scalp would feel numb.

Of course there's a problem here: at the summer festival, it's the premiere.

The premiere means that music fans have not been able to see it before. How to release some of its charm in advance, so that everyone can't get enough of it, rushing for tickets frantically, and eager to hear the whole song. This may require some tricks.

Professor Commons was sitting at the desk at the moment, his hands were tightly clutching the edge of the desk, his eyes were full of uncertainty.

Seeing the appearance of the old conductor, Fan Ning couldn't help but secretly amused. He said while the iron was hot: "Look, the repertoire has been confirmed to be changed anyway. Do you really not want to try the price again? Don't worry, even if you have the worst luck situation, and I guarantee that it will improve from where it is now."

"Dong dong", a staff member knocked on the door, and reported a lot of thick signatures - this is the workload that Professor Commons will review as soon as he goes to work today.

The old professor suddenly sat up straight as if he had made up his mind: "Professor Fanning, since you have conveyed the goal and confidence that are in line with the interests of the orchestra, I will temporarily accept your opinion and report to the principal, but you must clear"

Speaking of this, his expression became very serious, "I will see the results of your rehearsal in a few days, and whether the violin concerto you wrote can really meet my expectations, if you are just blindly pursuing high goals , even if you are collectively appointed by the school's top management, I will go to them to complain and ask to withdraw your change. I will never allow the students to suffer serious frustration during the performance."

"The students who have performed with me have only experienced the pleasure of 'seriousness'."

Fan Ning responded with a smile, looked down at his pocket watch, and then closed it with a "snap": "It's almost time, I'm going to meet with the band members first, these few days are the semi-annual musician assessment period, right?"

Carrying the briefcase and walking to the door of the office, he turned back again: "By the way, professor, since this is the case, please give me sufficient authority when it comes to issues such as band rehearsal style, assessment mechanism, and position adjustment."

"All right, you go." Professor Commons waved the pen with a bitter face, his face had already been buried in the thick pile of papers, but his mind was distracted again and again.

Wait, what happened?
He first agreed to replace Gilles' "Third Symphony" in the second half, and then agreed to replace it with the premiere of his own violin concerto in the first half?Then agreed to the plan of three times the original price? ?In the end, it is still acquiesced to ask him to arrange the assessment and adjustment of the musicians? ? ?
... hell.The more Commons thought about it, the more something went wrong. After muttering something in a low voice, he raised his voice and shouted: "...Fan Ning, don't mess around with major personnel issues involving personnel resignation and chief appointment and dismissal!"

"My adjustments are limited to this concert." The voice of the young associate professor came from afar in the corridor.

The old conductor breathed a sigh of relief, looked down, and saw that the tip of the pen that had landed on the paper had brought out a large pool of ink.

"...crazy, crazy...these changes are crazy..."

……

The semi-circular rehearsal room is brightly lit by gas lamps. The uneven wooden walls and smooth wooden floor all radiate a soft orange light.

Today is the meeting with the official troupe members and the semi-annual assessment time. The students carried their instruments and entered the arena in twos and threes. Among them were a small number of faces familiar to Fan Ning. They were involved in the premiere of the "First Symphony" in the square. More than ten official members.

When the graduation concert was performed later, although Fan Ning could mobilize all the official troupe members, he still chose the original troupe for the first performance in the square except for individual adjustments, so he was not familiar with most of the students here at this time.

But basically everyone knows him.

People who passed by him to say hello would occasionally blurt out their names and then quickly change their names.

"Good morning, Mr. Fanning." Roy, who was wearing a goose-yellow dress, had already taken his seat. When he saw Fanning coming in, he went up to him to say hello, and then whispered, "I have brought the things you asked for last night." Here we come."

"Good morning, I'll see you after the show." Fan Ning expressed gratitude in his eyes.

"Professor Fanning, I'm the new command assistant Kaprun, please give me your advice."

Fan Ning turned his head following the sound, and saw a man in a black formal suit, blue bow tie, and black-rimmed glasses.

His whole body clothing, watches, glasses and other items all reveal expensive and high-end textures, and the pen cap protruding from his breast pocket is shining golden, but his whole body is slightly puffy, his face is haggard, and his hairline is too far back.

...This, it shouldn't look like he just graduated a few years ago, probably ten years older than himself, right?
Fan Ning wanted to think about it, but still responded with a smile: "Hi Kaplan, I hope to have a happy cooperation in the future... May I ask if you used to be in the conducting department? Or the composition department or something?"

"I study finance." Kaplan replied politely.

"..." Fanning's smile froze, and Kaplan's self-introduction continued during this period, "I used to work in the financial center of the Tulip Parish of Santa Ramborg, and you may have heard of the magazine I founded. Investors, a fairly popular read on the Santa Lambert Stock Exchange..."

Fan Ning was dumbfounded after listening, and then coughed lightly: "Well, how long have you been studying music?"

"I studied piano for more than two years, and then I studied conducting for half a year...well, I invited relatively well-known professional musicians or music educators to teach me, but I still don't understand music theory systematically enough, and I lack Practical experience, these points I hope to learn from you in the future..."

"Then what about your previous side..."

Fanning couldn't help asking, because he realized that Kaplan wasn't just rehearsing a concert with him, he was officially hired.

"All resigned or sold," Capron said.

"Before I joined the job, I had completely completed the work of Santa Rambo, including the companies I was mainly in charge of, which have also been transferred one after another. At present, I only rely on the long-term investment to make profits. Even the consulting orders from my old employer are basically the same. They all declined..."

"Then how much weekly salary does the school offer you?" In this context, Fanning felt that this question should not be considered rude.

"12.5 pounds." Kaplan answered very simply.

... Fancier, you are playing with your life.Fanning maintained a polite smile, but he felt very strange inside.

"Will you compose?"

"Only some simple musical form analysis."

"Have you tried sight-singing and ear training?"

"I'm practicing."

"... What have you learned from conducting in half a year?"

"Tap."

Fanning felt his head growing bigger.

For a moment, he wanted to switch this Kaprun with another assistant conductor who was in charge of the rehearsal of the substitute members.

How did the school recruit this guy?Relationship household?
"Professor Fanning..." Kaplan smiled graciously again, "Would you like me to keep your "First Symphony" manuscript? I will offer six thousand pounds, and you can increase the price."

"...I probably know how the school recruited you." Fan Ning couldn't help but curse in his heart.

The musicians were getting better and better, and he didn't have time to chat with this guy for a while.

Forget it, use him as a coolie.

The wall clock on the wall showed that it was three minutes past eight. Fanning stepped onto the podium and glanced at the musicians sitting behind the fan-shaped music stands.

Below the right hand, Roy's cello is leaning to one side, with his hands on his knees, and he is quietly looking at himself.

Joan, who was sitting in the middle of the back, seemed to be a little pale, which made Fan Ning feel momentary doubts, but it was inconvenient to ask at this time.

When Fanning glanced at the vacancy for the principal violin position, he frowned, and then he realized that there were still many vacancies, so he frowned even tighter.

"Kaplan, from now on, you will remember all the latecomers, accurate to the second." He ordered to the side.

Fanning didn't lower his voice at all when he said this, and his voice was so obvious in the rehearsal hall with particularly good echo effects that all the whispers in the crowd suddenly disappeared.

Kaprun nodded repeatedly, took out his notebook, unscrewed the pen, and "patrolled" back and forth between the wall clock and the gate with serious eyes.

A minute later, Julius strolled into the rehearsal hall, carrying the piano case with an elegant smile.

"Tap, tap, tap..." Amidst the sound of high heels, she suddenly felt that the atmosphere today was not right, as if it was too quiet, and then she turned her head to the podium.

"It's this one again, I forgot I'd see her today..." Fan Ning met her eyes with squinted eyes.

As early as the day I investigated the factory, I had already wanted to kill her, but I didn't expect that she would not die now that Cecil was dead...

Although Julius was a little uncomfortable, she didn't take it seriously and kept a slow pace until she sat down at the principal violin position.

In the next ten minutes or so, one after another musicians were seated in a similar plot process.

After everyone arrived, Fan Ning finally spoke:
"In the team member assessment starting today, there will be 20 attendance points, one point will be deducted for every minute late, and one minute will be counted for less than one minute, and each point will be superimposed every time."

His eyes fell on Julius, and he jumped between a dozen specific seats, and then said again:

"If the chief of the voice department is late, no matter how long or short he is late, as long as he accumulates three times, he will be disqualified as the chief."

　Thanks to Takashiiii for the March ticket reward~~Thanks to James Han, Niord, and Qingluo for the weak and whining monthly tickets~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)