Old-time musicians

In Kaplan's mind, the level of the Old Symphony Orchestra will undoubtedly far exceed that of the Santa Maria Symphony Orchestra in the future.

From assistant conductor to permanent conductor? From 5 pounds a week to 80 pounds?

This was Professor Fan Ning's previous position, and his salary was more than six times higher!

After the initial shock, then the excitement and surprise, Kaplan's expression began to become uneasy, even a little anxious: "Professor Fan Ning, the job of permanent conductor is very... at least I don't think my status is comparable to Miss Sheeran, In your fixed salary plan, the weekly salary of the vocal principal is 60 pounds, while Miss Sheeran's weekly salary as the orchestra principal is only 72 pounds..." He shook his head uneasily, "This is still higher than hers. This is really, this is really true. No…"

"Think about how long you have." Fan Ning interrupted him.

Capron clutched his notebook tightly.

"As I said at the last opening ceremony, since you have found the meaning of life, there are some steps you need to take faster than others. I will give you this opportunity. By the way... New Year's Concert, you go."

Looking at his complicated expression, Fan Ning added: "The same goes for the weekly salary issue. Once you arrive, you will know how heavy the orchestra's workload is. Believe me, this is a 'shady employment.'" He deliberately Just a joke.

"Olga, come to the administration department. You are welcome as the manager. Compared with serving large companies in the imperial capital with much more complicated business, this place may be a bit unfair to you, but it is also to better accompany your family, right?"

"Not at all, Mr. Fanning." Olga said in surprise, "I can't get a weekly salary of 36 pounds in Santa Ramburg, and I have a hunch that there is a better team atmosphere and a brighter future here."

Kaplan bowed deeply to Fan Ning as if he had made up his mind, and then took his family out.

"Good night Mr. Fanning." The little one in Olga's arms said goodbye in a sweet voice.

After they left, Sheeran sighed: "Caron, I want to learn conducting from you. How on earth can you analyze such deep and essential things and explain it in such a simple and easy way?"

There was admiration in her eyes: "For a one-on-one course like yours, let alone 60 pounds per class, even if it is 600 pounds, I think there are many people in the world who are willing to pay this money. Others have gone through it for several years or even ten years." After a few years of detours, maybe you can avoid it with a few tips. How about you accept another student? "

"Can't we exchange music at any time?" Fan Ning smiled at her.

"Really?" Xilan raised his head and began to clear away the scattered objects on the long table. "Is it because of his health that you gave the Kaplan family such an important position?"

Fan Ning nodded immediately at first, but then shook his head after a few breaths.

Sheeran said slowly: "Emotionally speaking, everyone has worked hard and experienced success together. I also hope to continue to work with them in the future. But the facts remind me that with the foreseeable platform height of the Old Symphony Orchestra, An annual salary of three to four thousand pounds and the title of permanent conductor can be exchanged for a 'famous conductor' to serve as your deputy, or according to the theory you once told me, a 'blade bearer'."

Fan Ning helped her clean up the cups and plates that everyone had used, and put them in the sink until they made a splash: "For the time being, I dare not say that Kaplan is a genius or a person with high potential, but he has One thing is that his personality is very special, and his abilities are also very special, and can even be said to be rare.”

"On the surface, he appears to be easy-going, attentive, and courteous. It seems that he has the service quality brought by his long-term professional experience of "providing financial consulting to the rich." In fact, this is just a superficial thing."

"His biggest inner character trait is a very severe level of 'rational inferiority'. Really, I have never seen such a 'rational' yet so 'inferior' person. This is reflected in the music he loves most. Above all, I can clearly perceive the gap between what I think in my heart and what I produce in my hands, and I always compare the music produced by others with the music produced by myself.”

"His accumulation of appreciation and sensitivity to music far exceeds your imagination. He will know which movement of which composer and which piece of music, no matter how popular it is. When someone else plays a piano sonata, he can hear it. Every measure, every phrasing and pedal, and the processing of any expression term are different from the version of a certain master, and of course you can hear how it is far better than your own.”

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"And when he could read music and systematically studied music theory, this quality quickly became apparent. When rehearsing the orchestra, he actually knew all the problems of the parts. He didn't need you to point them out at all, but he didn't know what to do. "Yes, he is not very good at dealing with musicians. Those academic teachers can conduct but cannot teach. One of them is trying their best to learn, and the other is trying very hard to make him learn, but it just doesn't work."

"So he often gives you a feeling of being diligent and even a little submissive, because he really feels that 'he is too bad' and that 'the people around him are too strong.'"

"Whether it's a conductor, a composer, a piano or other instruments, he really admires and envies us people. He can clearly find the reasons for every inferiority complex he has, even if he has actually surpassed Many professional practitioners.”

"The vast majority of people in this world, if they have never been exposed to music, will never become an assistant conductor of a student orchestra in a first-class conservatory after becoming a monk for two and a half years."

"Strange guy." Listening to Fanning's analysis, Sheeran also felt that Kaplan was respectable and subtly worthy of sympathy.

This is completely different from some people who are arrogant because of their superficial knowledge of art, but it is also different from those who are incompetent, weak, or simply have character flaws and are inferior.

"You're right. How can a normal person's talent achieve this in such a short time? He just lacks a guide like you."

"But is his trait good or bad from the perspective of an artistic career? Since you decided to teach him, you should think he can achieve great success, right?"

"I can't answer that." Fanning shook his head. "The stage requires confidence and freedom. This alone is not good, but this kind of 'rational inferiority' will drive him to devote all his energy to research and explore, and constantly fill in what he lacks."

Sheeran sighed, "Perhaps, the only regret is that he has too little time, too little in the past, and too little in the future."

"Yeah."

From the first floor to the second floor, Fanning helped her clean up the house as usual without saying a word, then picked up the briefcase and cane leaning against the stairs, ready to go downstairs.

"I heard that the song you composed at the Basani memorial event last time was very, very long, right?" Sheeran asked suddenly.

"Yes, a large-scale keyboard variation work, with two themes and thirty variations."

"I have had a little insomnia these two days."

Fanning turned around. She was at the other end of the room, not looking at him, and was tiptoeing to collect clothes from the roller skating rope rack.

"Ah, do you also have insomnia?"

"A little bit." Sheeran did not stop.

Fanning thought for a moment, took off the hat he was wearing, and went back into the room and closed the door.

"Then I'll play it for you tonight."

"Do you have a lot of things to deal with recently?"

"I can start tomorrow."

"Okay." Sheeran squatted on the ground and folded the clothes into the storage box one by one, but a smile appeared on her cheeks.

"Then you go downstairs and wait for me. I'll come down after I finish my own things. Well, some of your personal belongings are still in the guest room, and the bathroom and shower room on the first floor belong to you." She made arrangements happily.

More than half an hour later, Xilan, who had changed into a light and elegant black dress, walked down the stairs with a thin blanket in her arms and threw it on the sofa closest to the piano.

The sofa in the living room was soft and spacious, comparable to a small bed, and there were no armrests on three sides. Although it was used to help sleep with closed eyes and listening, it would not make her feel alienated from the piano when she lay on her side.

"Well, can I think that I have monopolized the entire box office of a concert?" Xilan exclaimed softly, lying on the sofa and stretching her body comfortably.

She was very happy and satisfied with the results of today's active or semi-active attempts.

"No." Fanning sat in front of the piano, unbuttoned the first two buttons of his pajamas, and adjusted the distance of the piano stool. "First of all, I'm not wearing a tuxedo. Secondly, do you think Zun Kepiao can be so close to me?"

For some reason, although his tone was calm, Xilan seemed to hear a hint of doting. She smiled and said, "You make me want to lie down beside the piano and look at your hands, but it's too comfortable here, I can't get up. By the way, does turning off the lights affect the performance?"

"Of course you have to turn off the lights when you sleep." Fanning got up and turned off the gas lamp and walked back. "Theoretically, it doesn't matter if you cover your eyes."

"Then I'll say: good night." The girl giggled.

Fanning raised his hands in the night and the evening breeze, and played the aria theme of "Goldberg Variations" on the piano keys with only hazy light and shadow in his vision.

It has a simple, delicate and spotless melody, a steady and mellow bass line, and ornaments with pleasant musical interest. This time Fanning has no ideological burden of being in the "center of scrutiny" or "the focus of the stage". He adopts a more contemplative or personal approach.

He will not worry about a detail getting out of control or accidentally exceeding the stable range, or even playing the wrong note or pausing, because it doesn't matter here.

Sheeran feels that every note flowing from his fingertips carries the meaning and thoughts of an intimate dialogue with himself.

Tenderness is too pure, but it makes people's hearts sway.

After the theme is introduced, one after another counterpoint possibilities are explored and interpreted, and the rigorous underlying logic steadily advances and climbs. Various dances, touches and canons emerge in an endless stream, sometimes cheering and jumping, sometimes praying and meditating, and sometimes showing fascinating and exquisite structures.

I am the happiest person in the world right now. The girl swung her legs gently, enjoying the soft feeling of her skin touching the fabric after bathing, and couldn't help but breathe deeply with those emotions.

In general, the performance was slower this time, and the pedal and phrases were handled more freely. Fanning's purpose was to help sleep, so he naturally didn't have the competitive spirit of "I will show you how strong I will be next." He repeated each theme and variation according to the original score, which he hadn't done before, so this time his performance lasted far more than an hour.

After the aria of the reunion ended, he stayed for about ten seconds, and then heard Sheeran whispering in class: "It's so good-sounding-"

"Ah, hypnosis failed." Fanning spread his hands that had just been placed on the piano cover.

"I really can't bear to fall asleep, so I want an encore." She said.

"You want an encore?" Fanning smiled.

"Well, I want to listen to the "Barcarolle" from last year, okay?"

"Yes."

Coincidentally, it was the minor key of the same name in the previous song. Fanning's left hand struck a melancholy g note in the bass area, and then turned into a group of sad semi-broken chords, and the melodious melody floated out from the sparkling waves.

At the end, the cold wave wave swayed and disappeared.

"It's very beautiful, but too melancholy." Sheeran put his fingertips together and tapped his lips in the dark to think: "I'm a little sleepy, and I want to listen to a song that fits the characteristics of a 'bedtime story', but it's sweet."

"Bedtime story, so it means to wish you a good dream?" Fanning's hands slid back and forth on the keys, "But it also requires sweetness, um, yours"

He thought about it, moved his left hand to the bass area, and gently played an E flat.

Then the melody jumped up six degrees, and was taken over by the middle voice c note of the right thumb. At the same time, the left hand played a warm bass, and the other four fingers of the right hand began to present the flowing broken chords in the high voice.

In the background of such accompaniment symbolizing gentle eyes, a dreamy and sweet melody in A flat major is sung slowly from the middle voice.

Liszt's "Dream of Love" No. 3 (541 3).

The delicate and rich sweetness, the crystal-clear cadenza sound flow, the blurred and shining interweaving echoes of the subvoice, the music thought goes from implicit murmurs to passionate declarations, and finally dissipates in a long and deep sleep.

"Do you know what I was thinking just now?" Sheeran asked quietly again.

"What kind of song do you want to hear at the end?"

"I've been fed. I was thinking that the last time you asked me to leave the train, I was a little annoyed. I always felt that I always did what you wanted, as if whatever you said was the truth."

"That's the case."

"But I suddenly realized that you would also do what I wanted, right? As long as I said it."

"That's the case."

"Go lie over there, the blanket is ready for you."

"Okay."

The two of them lay in an L shape on two sets of vertical sofas in the living room, with their heads at right angles.

"I also found" sweet breath coming from a little further behind the head.

"Hmm?"

"You are in a very positive state recently. Although there are some frustrating things, such as the subway accident, the visit to the workers, and Mr. Kaplun's matter, they affect some emotions. In terms of life or work "state", you are actually getting better."

Fanning stared at the dark ceiling, and after carefully sorting out his thoughts in his mind, he said: "Yes, because I realized that I will have a period of time to devote myself to the art career. Although the orchestra was founded with many risks and difficulties, I was purely rushing to solve them. Although I had no clue about the last movement of the "Second Symphony", I was purely experiencing and thinking. These are fascinating things."

"I hope this state can last forever." Sheeran closed his eyes, still smiling on his face.

"I'm lucky to have a long time."

"Will you take me with you next time you go to the countryside to collect folk songs?"

"Next summer, when the band is on track."

"Then tell me about your 'composing hut' by Lake Möttlauen."

"Okay." Fanning also closed his eyes, "It's not far from your former home, Ingers. I chose the southeast direction of the lake. The view is very wide. In the distance are the rolling Dolomites Mountains."

"What does it look like?"

"It's very high and steep. Vegetation only covers half of the top. The other half of the rocks are exposed. Below is a particularly beautiful and clear lake."

"The kind that can't be climbed up?"

"It's not impossible to go up if you have to, but what are you going to do?"

"Where's the house?"

"The house? There are less than 2 0 square meters, but the display specifications are not low, but the piano needs to be tuned next time."

"You can cook when you get there, right?"

"I can't cook food, but fortunately it's only six or seven minutes' walk to the town. The gentry, residents and musicians there are very enthusiastic. They have given me flowers and fruit baskets."

"I didn't lie to you about the scenery and specialties, did I?"

"Well, what impressed me most was the evening. You will feel that the sky is high above you, and there is a sense of magnificence in the deep blue."

"When writing music there, you often hear the noise of wild ducks or the sound of big fish splashing in the water."

"The roasted whole lamb in the town is very good, but you may not be interested in that spicy taste."

""There was no response in my ear, only the girl's light and even breathing.