Old-time musicians

"Leave for a while? So soon, you haven't graduated yet." Xilan asked in confusion.

"Just about a month." Fanning said, "I want to go around, walk through the city, live in a small town, go to the countryside, watch performances in taverns, collect some folk songs and dances, watch folk paintings in the market, and then go to the wilderness, forests or lakes to listen to some inspirations from nature. Within the framework of my conception, it is necessary to seek their creative help."

Xilan seemed relieved: "Generally speaking, you have been silent or playing the piano alone for a lot of time this month, but from your expression and the few conversations, you have been in a good mood, otherwise I might think that there is something wrong with your state... You are always looking for inspiration and thinking about writing, right?"

Fanning nodded slightly: "The inspiration and enlightenment obtained in the migration is mysterious and supreme, and can be the core of the core of the work, but it is too illusory, and it is quite far from inspiration..."

"...To be honest, my heart has been much calmer during this period. Otherwise, the inspiration in the migration is I will stop at the transcendental realm, and I can't clearly imagine and describe what kind of musical vocabulary those movements are... But this is not enough, I still lack a lot of materials and insights. Although I have tried to write some melodies during this period, none of them perfectly match the feeling I want in my heart..."

Sheeran listened very carefully and nodded in agreement: "This is indeed necessary. My father had similar experiences when he wrote large-scale works in the early years. Sometimes he would take us to live in other small towns or villages for a short period of time. For me, it was just a vacation. I recommend you to choose the rural area in the south of Yin Geshi. There is my grandparents' former residence. It has a strong urban atmosphere and rich local culture, as well as natural clean air and mountain scenery..."

"Good suggestion, this month and season are just right."

Fanning bent down and put Sheeran's books one by one into the cabinet of the new office.

About half a minute later, he heard the girl behind him speak again: "Carlon, you graduate in June, I graduate in July, how confident do you think I can be in the entrance examination?"

"You have been spending a lot of time studying recently, but I think that even if Dean Gould does not fulfill the promise of the recommendation letter, even if you do not review so frequently, you will be able to enter the University of St. Lenya tomorrow."

There was no response for a while, Fanning turned around and found that the little girl was looking at him, biting her lower lip with her teeth.

Some thoughts and speculations flashed through his mind, and then he added: "My purpose of this trip is clear and single. I suggest you go to find Joan immediately after leaving. During this special period, you live with her... In this way, you can deal with some possible situations together, which can basically make people feel at ease. I will be back before the deadline for submission of the work."

A violin principal and a flute principal, these are extremely important positions in the symphony orchestra for Fanning. He was worried about the variables on Joan's side before, and he had to stay by Sheeran's side. Now these two knowledgeable people take care of each other, which saves a lot of trouble.

This is one of the reasons why he made the decision only today.

"...Okay, when are you leaving?" Shiran turned his head and looked at the desk.

"Now."

...

Fanning walked back to his residence, packed his luggage, mainly clothes, cash and writing supplies, and then began his journey of quiet creation. He did not choose the direct and fast way of steam train, but casually went south through Ufransel.

He took a few carriages and experienced the trams that have emerged in recent years. He got off the train from time to time and walked for a while, stopping for things worth noting in the city.

He admired the graffiti on the streets with great interest, walked into the church of the Holy Sun Church to appreciate the scenery and decorations, and listened to the performances of the organist and choir; he enjoyed Chinese food in a cafe whose appearance met his aesthetic preferences, and speculated on the experiences and thoughts of pedestrians on the street through the glass; he sat on the grass, watching people playing football and croquet in the park, and went to several well-known aquariums and fern exhibition halls to experience the latest fashion and leisure trends of the citizens of Uvlansel.

Sometimes when looking at the factories with billowing black smoke, or walking through the dirty and crowded workers and slums, Fanning would feel a little confused, but at least for now he felt that the tone of this city in general was prosperity and hope. While the industrialization process was surging forward, the soil for the flourishing of humanistic atmosphere was still left with enough fertility.

At night, Fanning had not even left the city. After staying in the hotel, he went to the tavern to enjoy the singers' singing. The guests loved to listen to their popular light opera excerpts.

Singers often cater to the tastes of the guests and add a lot of personal showmanship according to their own skills. Sometimes they will collage the selected parts with some vulgar sentimental tunes. This is a level that can only be enjoyed in big cities, and the guests are willing to give more tips for it.

After walking and stopping like this, Fanning entered the Motlaun area on the third day. It is located at the junction of three counties. To the north is Ufrancel, to the west is the imperial capital of Saint-Tranburg, and to the south is Hiran's former residence, Ingers.

According to Sheeran, "Traun" means "royal territory" in the ancient Hofmann language, and the suffix "mo" at the beginning is similar to the pronunciation of "salt" in Tulungarian, where Hofmann was once the The royal property of the Fuman Dynasty, the salt mine has brought considerable economic effects to the region and accumulated a certain amount of industry and population.

One sunny morning, Fanning, wearing a windbreaker, took a steamboat and arrived at an arc-shaped town in the southeastern part of Lake Metraun. The porter took the luggage, and he was able to use his hands to block the sunlight above his forehead and look at the Dolomites Mountains in the distance, which are as tall and steep as a blade. One side of the mountain is exposed rocks, the other side is covered with green vegetation, and below is the sparkling vastness. Lake view.

"Little sir, you can call me Schwint."

The family-style hotel in the small town has a simple and cozy decoration. The male host is wearing a thin cotton-padded coat that is not new and is not new. He rests his elbows on the reception desk and registers the guests' information.

"Mr. Schwendt, this painting is very interesting. What is it called?" Fan Ning looked at a woodcut on the wall and asked with a smile.

The male owner turned his head: "Oh, this is a decoration left by the family from my great-grandfather's time. Although the workmanship is relatively rough and the color has been severely distorted over the years, it has always been on the wall of this ancestral house... The name should be : "Hunter's Funeral".

With a tone between yellow and lead gray, there is a group of animals on the forest path, including owls, rabbits, foxes, goats, and marmots, holding various musical instruments, escorting the coffin and remains of the hunter, slowly sending them away. Going to the cemetery, the atmosphere seemed a bit sad.

"It's very interesting." Fan Ning smiled sincerely and happily, "Hunters are the natural enemies of prey. How can an animal pay a funeral for a hunter?"

Rather, it cleverly fits my presupposition of the ironic atmosphere of the funeral march in the third movement.

"To say the least, even if they really go to a funeral, they must be happy." Schwindt, the friendly and talkative hotel owner, laughed, "Your dress seems to be from a big city. We have had many vacation guests in recent years. I heard that They escaped all the way from the soot and smog, but it seems that you did not bring your female companions or relatives or friends with you. I hope you can meet a wonderful fate here. "

Fanning also laughed: "Do you know which families in this town have builders or masons?"

Schwindt's eyes widened: "Do you mean that I misunderstood the purpose of the young gentleman's visit? Are you going to settle here or invest in some tourism project?"

Fan Ning explained the purpose truthfully: "I want to build a cabin by the lake to facilitate my short-term quiet creation. I am conceiving a work, um, a symphony."

"It turns out he is a serious music composer from a big city." The shopkeeper's polite respect turned into awe. "But I don't know how long your short term is, because it takes at least ten or twenty days to build a house, and Preparing food and daily life from scratch always takes more energy, which may delay your creation. ”

"The lakeside cabin I'm talking about is a 'hut' in the true sense." Fan Ning said with a smile, "The plan is less than twenty square meters, only one floor will be built, and there is no need to configure it with too complicated living facilities. Just now I Come all the way, the distance to your favorite lakeside location is only six or seven minutes' walk. I will go back and forth frequently, and I will still take care of my food and daily life at your place, and maintain the rental of the guest room."

Schwint nodded suddenly: "In this case, if the manpower is sufficient, it may only take a few days... I can call for introductions for you. The masons will be happy to take on this job, and I can also introduce you to building materials and furniture supplies. "

The timing was just right. It would take a week to deliver the piano I ordered from the city three days ago.

"I can spend a budget of 200 pounds on various house expenses, so I can work hard."

After Fan Ning finished speaking, he placed three 10-pound bills at the front desk, which was enough to pay for one month's rent for the best guest room and allow them to provide more considerate catering and life services.

The budget of 200 pounds is obviously a top-end budget. As a rural building, the price is close to half of the apartment in Ufranser, and the area is only about a quarter.

"You are a generous artist, I will take you upstairs."

The next morning, Fan Ning woke up from the chattering of chickens and ducks. The refreshing wind blew through the windows, bringing with it a special freshness.

"Ding-ding-ding-ding-"

The herds of animals with bells hanging on them walked across the stone road in front of them, making a pleasant crunching sound. Fan Ning sat in the courtyard, finishing the milk, eggs and buttered bacon bread on the dinner plate, and then walked through the twists and turns where flowers were piled in every house. The path leads to a place with a wide view.

"The spring in the north of Tioleon has its own special temperament." Some of his father Vincent's casual chats echoed in Fan Ning's mind, "It is not like those spring scenes written by academics, those works are bright and colorful. , solemn and elegant, with stable, precise and delicate perspective, and a perspective of looking into the distance from a gorgeous palace. It is definitely not a Western Continent-style, Gilles or Rolfing style, a spring movement full of fragrant and sweet fragrance. …”

Only now did Fan Ning truly feel that the warmth of early spring here was only hidden under the cold outer air, with the thick mud unique to the North and a hint of the awakening atmosphere in the desolation.

"After the 'breathing motive' of the introduction appears several times, write a double note with two voices on a single yellow pipe, jumping to a higher octave, indicating that a ray of morning light breaks through the clouds and pierces the sky...the dynamic mark should be weak , strong, and weak, indicating that energy is still brewing, dawn has not yet arrived, and the sun briefly broke through, but was blocked by thick clouds..."

Not far away, there were some puddles in the soil that shone slightly in the weak sunlight and lacked bright colors. The mist flowed over them and was about to dissipate.

Fan Ning saw this scene, played with the baton in his hand, and his thoughts went further: "'Breathing Motive' is further developed in the introduction, and it is completely possible to copy the continuous downward progression of Teacher Anton's final chapter, 'Psalm Theme'. But I’m going to make a change here, temporarily changing the major key to a minor key, giving it a gloomy and mysterious color. This is another foreshadowing that the audience can’t expect..."

"Then, there should be a long chromatic line of the double bass here, and the cello can then add an octave to make the sound thicker, suggesting that something with vitality is uneasily sprouting under the earth..."

"...In the introduction, I also want to metaphor the scene of a hundred flowers blooming to the audience. This scene is very exaggerated, not static, but like an accelerated lens. This is a spectacle, what a wonder of nature... You can choose French horns on the orchestration to continue The fast triplet sound pattern pours upward, which can be called a 'blooming motive'. In order to metaphor the bright colors of flowers, I tried adding a double tone in the lower third to enrich the sound effect..."

Wonderful revelations continued to overflow from the astral body. Fan Ning wandered along the roads in the Danchuse wilderness, passing through patches of water-soaked farmland. "I read poetry, just like I walked through the wilderness in the early morning." This Tulungarian rhetorical sentence was read in my heart again.

Another bass melody was hummed involuntarily. It was different from the mainstream romantic style - those melody rhythms were as complex and continuous as possible, with changes in rising and falling to show the composer's off-key level.

This melody starts from the fourth interval of the breathing motive, then jumps back to the first level, climbing unpretentiously along the scale of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and then naturally twists and turns, simple and warm, fresh and pleasant. .

"It should become the theme of the presentation after the introduction of the first movement, played by the cello, so... I'll call it the 'Field Theme'."

"...the flute plays a combination of minor thirds and major secondes, with gentle twists and turns, and then descends happily. This is the subtitle of the presentation part, named 'Birdsong Theme'. It can be played in conjunction with the theme at the climax of the closing sentence to form a lively of polyphonic counterpoint.”

For several days, Fan Ning absorbed the nutrients of nature and humanity in the wilderness and village life. The seeds of inspiration he once planted took root and sprouted. Sometimes he hummed a melody, sometimes thought about harmony or orchestration, sometimes played a certain rhythm, and also Sometimes just humming a bunch of suitable bass lines, which are ideal material for the first movement.

The sun dances in the lake, and where the noisy wild ducks accidentally stop, the ripples carry the reeds swaying slightly, and the sound of big fish jumping and falling can be heard from time to time in the hut.

"Be careful, be careful, look at the lower left corner of the piano, your knees need to be blocked there."

"Thank you for your hard work these days."

Five days later, a "composer cabin" belonging to Fanning finally appeared on the shores of Lake Motraun.