Old-time musicians

"Sister, you are my father's boss, right?"

The sound of milky milk came from the rehearsal room at the backstage of the concert hall. A little girl with brown curly hair, about four or five years old, and chubby cheeks was holding a piano bow in her right hand and a 1/ 4 size violin.

Although it is a children's piano, the size is still a bit too big for her, and the contrast with her height makes the scene in front of her quite interesting.

She did not pull the bow string, but looked at the girl in front of her with curious eyes.

Xilan, who was wearing a white evening dress, squatted in front of the little girl, touched her head and smiled softly: "I am not the commander, you should ask the big brother at the door."

The little girl looked out the door of the rehearsal room in the direction pointed by Sheeran.

At this time, when they were about to go on stage, some of the musicians in the rehearsal room were chatting in twos and threes, some were pacing nervously back and forth, and some were practicing segments separately, and the music was slightly noisy.

Another group of students returned to the green rooms for final rest, and everyone was waiting for the signal to assemble.

"So, Mrs. Olga used a backdoor connection to get the extraordinary medicine to cure the disease from inside the Special Patrol Hall." Fan Ning, wearing a black tuxedo and holding a thick music book in his arms, stood against the wall.

In front of him stood the assistant conductor Kaplan, and a woman in her thirties, with a decent temperament and a gentle and sad look at the same time.

She responded: "Well, the matchmaking cost 300 pounds, and the ceremony cost 200 pounds. In addition, based on the amount of medication, it costs about 50 pounds extra every month, which is a relatively large expenditure in the family's annual expenses. , but it is still within the affordable range. At least the official mysterious medicine is indeed effective, both in improving the quality of life and extending the survival time.”

Kaplan shrugged at himself and took over the conversation: "Otherwise, I wouldn't have survived three months last year. Looking at it now, maybe it can really give me two years."

This is the first time Fan Ning has met the Kaplun family - a typical wealthy middle-class family in Tioleon - his wife Olga also comes from the financial world of Santaramburg, and the two of them own their own real estate in the imperial capital. , a small courtyard and a private carriage. After their marriage, they had a daughter, Irene, who was almost five years old. Before the accident of leukemia last year, they thought about having a second child.

The death that most people have come or are about to face is speechless, mischievous, and has no extra reason or extra meaning. Fan Ning in both lives is convinced of this, and it also includes those who he has come into contact with. A person with noble artistic personality.

The secret rituals and treatment methods of the official extraordinary organization are the best solutions and have been proven to be effective. Even if you suffer from an incurable disease, this is the only way you can go at the moment.

The "hidden knowledge" and "inspiration" that knowledgeable people are good at may be able to create extraordinary things with better medicinal effects, but they can never directly protect people's bodies from the risk of illness, unless they are the very few who have obtained the essence. Change people.

"Although I learned about it the day before yesterday, I still feel very sorry. Maybe you should rest more." Fan Ning looked at Kaplan, who was very excited about the performance, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Two conductors, is the breath of this clip finally adjusted to 1 bar or 2 bars? Sorry, I got confused again." A boy who played the single yellow pipe came up and played in Fan Ning's voice. With a gesture from his eyes, Kaplan took the score from his hand.

"Two sections, I explained the reason to the entire woodwind group in the morning." After Kaplan answered, he patiently began to explain patiently, supplemented by waving and humming.

"He almost didn't sleep all night yesterday." Olga glanced at her husband, and then at her little daughter inside the door. "He kept telling us in the first half of the night that several works of his new symphony orchestra were about to be performed. , in one of the best concert halls in the Empire, we will hear it with more than 2,000 listeners. More importantly, he participated in the rehearsal process of these works. He initially overcame his fear and performed in the rehearsal. He led the students to polish a lot of details, which showed that what he had learned before was useful. After we all fell asleep, he started to outline some fragments on the score that he was going to check or emphasize tomorrow."

"I understand and support Kaplan's career, before or now." She said slowly, "In fact, no matter in any sense, the past year was the most unfortunate year for him, but it was also the best year in his life. The purest and most satisfying year”

The double melody of brass and flute sounded in the aisle.

Fan Ning looked at Kaplan in silence for a while, who was humming the melody and using full gestures to give performance hints to the two classmates. He said in a low voice: "After this performance, I asked him to study conducting with me for a while. ”

"You're not a conductor? Then what are you?" Inside the door, Kaplan's daughter Erin continued to curiously ask the girl squatting in front of her.

Xilan smiled and pointed to the violin she put on her neck: "I'm just like you."

"I know!" the little girl continued in a sweet voice, "Sister Xilan's name is written on the poster! But why, playing the violin will make everyone in the band listen to you? Can it be used as a conductor after practice? ?”

Sheeran patiently told her in simple language: "A long time ago, the person who played the violin best in the band was the conductor of the band. Later, the music we wrote became more and more difficult, and there was a special He is the conductor, but the person who plays the violin best is still the second most important person. He needs to lead the orchestra to work together.”

Erin's eyes rolled around a few times as she thought: "Sister, look, do I have any hope of ranking second in the band now?"

She pulled the bowstring and played the violin, which was only 1/4 size but felt larger than her whole body.

This is a familiar Coulant dance music composed by Master Meyer in his early years. The childlike and humorous melody is played by this little girl, who pauses the bow, jumps the bow, changes the strings, vibratos, and straddles three or four strings. Chords and a series of elements were displayed in a stylish way, and a dozen nearby students came over with great interest.

I don’t know whether it was because there were too many people watching, or the speed of the next section was a bit fast and the position of the hand was a bit high. Irene’s hands on the strings and the bow were misplaced for a while, and some funny notes came out.

She still continued very confidently, but due to a momentary mistake and forgetting the score, she tentatively played a few notes, but they didn't seem right, and her dark eyes moved as if thinking.

Seeing the serious look of this little boy with brown hair, the students smiled slightly, not laughing at him, but finding it interesting and encouraging.

"Come on, follow your sister, sol - use the 1st finger of the third position of the D string." Sheeran also stood up, picked up her piano from the side, deliberately slowed down slightly, and started from where she broke it.

A melody as bright and pure as the sun floated in the rehearsal hall, and Erin, recalling it, quickly followed.

The next moment, the elastic three-beat sound of plucking the strings of the cello sounded. Luo Yin, who was resting on the performance seat, looked at the little girl with a smile. He put the bow aside and plucked his own piano with his fingers.

Immediately afterwards, the two viola students played dotted accompaniment patterns, and the single brass player and flutist who asked the question earlier also played contrasting melody fragments. Finally, the bassoon and French horn added chord support, as well as the trombone banter. decorative sound.

Fan Ning and the Caprons turned around at some point and were fascinated by the scene in front of them.

Listening to the "small band version" of Coulant played by everyone and Irene, Fan Ning suddenly felt that he had relived some of his original feelings towards music, and the haze in his heart was dispelled inch by inch by the warmth, at least. Temporarily returned to the way it should have been before the performance.

"That's great." Fan Ning murmured, clapping her hands gently in time with the rhythm like an ordinary listener.

When the dance ended, the little girl still held the piano between her neck, but had a "wow" expression on her face, and covered her mouth with both hands and the bow.

"Dang——dang——dang——"

The second bell rang, with five minutes left before the performance, and the students began to line up.

"Let's go, honey, we're going to listen to the performance." Kaplan, who has successfully completed his assistant's task, laughed, walked over and hugged Irene, "Hurry and hand your piano to your mother and ask her to keep it for you. "

When the little girl was lifted into the air, she still held on to the piano and bow, looking around with a blank expression. It wasn't until Olga took away the instrument that she asked aloud: "Did I lead it just now?"

Kaplan took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead, and continued to smile: "Yes, little baby, when you grow up, I can see you becoming the concertmaster of the orchestra. Now let's listen to Sister Sheeran's violin concerto first. "

"Where can I hear it?"

"Look, there is a small door there. Let's quietly go around to the audience area on the first floor. You have to remember not to talk when others are playing." Olga made a "shh" gesture to her daughter.

On the other side, the performance passage leading to the stage has been opened a crack. Among the students standing and waiting, there is a "heavyweight" tuba player who is shaking: "I don't know why I feel extra nervous this time."

The boy holding the French horn next to him also had a soft voice: "Me too, but didn't you already go on stage last year? Why are you nervous?"

"Last year we confiscated so much money from the audience." The tuba player wiped his sweat.

"Shouldn't you be excited just thinking about charging so much money?" Kaplan, who was passing by with his daughter in his arms, joked. With the little girl's milky "Come on!", a relaxed voice finally came from the crowd. laughter.

The symphony hall is magnificent, and the record company's on-site recording equipment is already in place.

The musicians in formal attire entered the stage one by one from the side and stood in their respective positions. Welcome applause began to spread from the packed audience.

After everyone was in their seats, Xilan, who was holding the piano, walked onto the stage. She was wearing a pure white evening dress, her long brown hair was pulled up loosely, and her delicate and smooth shoulders were shining brightly under the light, and she looked towards The audience saluted with pure smiles in their eyes.

The audience expressed their good first impression of the orchestra leader with even more enthusiastic applause.

“Is this the violinist on the poster and set list?”

"She looks so young!"

"She is really good-looking. I have decided to follow Cilan Connell's future performances. Although I don't know what her skills are, I am sure that she will be a pleasure to watch as long as she holds the piano."

"I think I have found the reason why the composer dedicated that concerto to her."

Although no one in the audience uttered a sound other than applause, everyone was already excited about Sheeran's appearance.

Sheeran stood next to the conductor's podium, led everyone to complete the pitch correction, and then stood back to the position of the first violinist.

The bell struck eight o'clock, and Fanning, wearing a black tuxedo and holding a music book in his arms, entered the room. Because Sheeran's previous image was too endearing, this time the conductor received almost equal applause.

Fanning walked a little faster, raising his hands to greet the audience with the vigor of a young man. The musicians followed his gaze and Sheeran smiled at him.

Fanning stepped forward to shake hands with Sheeran to express his respect for the entire orchestra.

He then stepped onto the podium, placed the music score firmly, and everyone sat down in unison while turning the pages. After a few scattered coughs from the audience, the symphony hall gradually became silent.

The baton was raised, and Fanning's eyes scanned between the various parts. After everyone adjusted their breathing to the same state, he gently started the beat.

A cantabile andante was played slowly in a medium-tempo rhythm of three beats, which was Sweelinck's symphonic poem "Summer Night in Lebich".

Fanning guided and prompted without haste, and the presentation was filled with dreamy woodwind sounds and moving and long string melodies, all like a summer night street scene with a hint of sweetness. The middle section symbolizing the storm was handled neatly, with uneasy tremolos of strings, rolling fragments of timpani, short chords like the roar of brass... Waves of sound echoed through the hall, making the audience feel as if they were a lone sail in the stormy sea.

"It's been 50 years." The 80-year-old master Sweelinck was in the audience, listening to this symphonic poem of his youth being played, and he felt mixed emotions for a while.

"This student orchestra performed far beyond the ceiling quilt under the conductor Fanning. Although there is still a gap compared with the first-class professional orchestra, I am sure this will be one of my favorite versions. Its interpretation requires a sense of youth."

An opening song of more than ten minutes mobilized the state of the musicians and the audience.

Next was the "Violin Concerto in E Minor". The array of the first violin was slightly adjusted, the musicians moved forward one, and Sheeran, who switched to the role of soloist, stood up and stood beside Fanning.

"One is the romantic avant-garde work "Symphony No. 1" with a flamboyant personality, and the other is the grand keyboard work with medieval style. If he can still present the new orchestral work in the academic style perfectly this time, there will be no dispute that his "style" is "Forged Lion". "Master Schillings also stared at the stage.

Fanning gave Sheeran a smiling look. After the violin soloist indicated that he was ready, he lowered his head slightly and played two preparatory beats with his right hand up and down.

The audience held their breath and waited. The "Violin Concerto in E Minor" that people only heard at the beginning of the radio and thought about day and night can finally be heard in full live.

Its beginning does not rely on a magnificent or lengthy prelude to declare greatness, but is told like a dreamy poem.

In just two bars, the hazy semi-broken chords of the string group and the deep bass plucking like the waves below instantly bring the audience into an atmosphere of happiness and sentimentality.

Against this backdrop, Sheeran's fingers rubbed the E string, and the bow played an elegant and sad melody.

"This noble theme is finally here..."

The tingling feeling like an electric current surged through the skin of more than 2,000 listeners again.