Chapter 88
Chairman Park Ki-jun watched with wide eyes as Soo-hyun began to play. Professor Lee Chan-ho, who only noticed the chairman after the performance began, approached him.
"Is the Chairman here?"
Chairman Park Ki-jun, without greeting him, snatched the sheet music from the professor's hand. As a long-time music lover, he knew how to read scores and looked impressed as he read it, moving only his eyes.
'First movement, Allegro moderato? Allegro means fast, and moderato means medium speed. Are you asking me to play fast or at a medium speed?'
When the chairman looked at the professor with a questioning gaze, the professor smiled.
"Isn't it strange?"
"Should we use the very vague interpretation of 'appropriate speed'?" the chairman said, holding the score.
"In the early days of music, there were no metronomes, so tempo markings were used to indicate the character of the movement," the professor explained. "The Allegro Moderato is commonly used as a tempo symbol in the sonata form. It can be considered as a solid structure that dominates the character of the entire sonata."
"Is this the key movement?"
Professor Lee Chan-ho crossed his arms.
"Yes, perhaps that's the beginning of the story."
"The beginning of the story."
'Conductor Kirill said that what he heard was probably the third movement. The first movement is something we are hearing for the first time in the world. I am the first person in the world to hear Soo-hyun's music. Perhaps when I am older, I will brag about this moment for the rest of my life.'
A four-part motif appeared and was constantly repeated in Soo-hyun's hands, becoming a memorable element. An engineer, wearing headphones, was concentrating. At first, he had complained about having to record a rich kid for fun. But as soon as Soo-hyun started playing, he hugged his chair tightly and focused all his hearing. As a professional musician, he felt that Soo-hyun's performance was different.
The first movement was played like flowing water, fast and beautiful. As Soo-hyun played, Beethoven's voice was heard in his head.
"You must play with only your fingers. Lift them slightly! Your arms should be completely still and relaxed. Slowly at first, then faster and faster. As if it were flowing seamlessly."
The spring of despair does not escape,Lurking in the darkness, waiting for it to come.Through a trap called absolute silence.There is nothing a person with a strong will cannot do.Pieces of a broken heart,Floating in the silent void.Expect nothing,Are you not disappointed?The moment you get everything,Hope is lost.If I had known this would happen, I would have been a little greedy.Hope is something we must keep in reserve.
The engineer, who was pressing the headphones tighter against his ears, looked up in surprise.
'The boy in the recording studio doesn't have a microphone, so I can't hear his voice. But where did the sound of despair that just echoed in my head come from? Who on earth is that child?'
The engineer, his eyes filled with emotion, looked at the two men standing behind him. Professor Lee Chan-ho, with his arms crossed, was watching Soo-hyun. Chairman Park Ki-jun, with his fists clenched, was staring at him.
"It's a very dark movement," the chairman said. "It seems to be talking about memories of despair. If you think about what Soo-hyun went through, the story begins with bad memories."
"Well, is that so?"
'The first movement is dark, but quite beautiful. Soo-hyun will be recognized for this movement alone.'
"What's the title of the second movement?"
"Andante con moto," the professor said after looking at the score.
"This time it's ambiguous too. A little faster than andante, or slower, but lively."
Chairman Park Ki-jun shook his head.
"What a strange title!"
"It will be a performance that conveys hope as the story flows."
The engineer, who sensed the end of the first movement, slowly manipulated the equipment to gradually decrease the volume of Soo-hyun's music. Soo-hyun, who did not start the next movement immediately, saw Chairman Park Ki-jun through the window and stood up from his seat to greet him. The chairman smiled and signaled for him to sit down again.
"He was always a well-mannered child," the chairman said with a pleased face. "I don't know who raised him during his disappearance, but I can't help but imagine that he may have been raised by a European nobleman."
Professor Lee Chan-ho smiled.
"Well, I don't know, but I think the opposite. Have you ever seen Soo-hyun eat? Seeing him eat, it doesn't seem like he learned modern aristocratic culture."
"What does that mean?"
"He always eats small portions and never drinks before meals. Is that what modern aristocrats do?"
"Well, there aren't many people like that left these days."
"Yes, it seems like he's copying the way medieval nobles ate."
The chairman burst out laughing.
"So, you're saying Soo-hyun was raised by ancient sages who had been trapped in the forest since the Middle Ages?"
The professor smiled.
"That's what I mean, haha. Once, while we were eating, I asked Soo-hyun why he was so obsessed with table manners. Do you know what he said?"
"What did he say?"
"A person's character and status are revealed by their table manners. One who fills their plate too much eats like a pig. One who spits or blows their nose on the tablecloth while eating… all these behaviors are wrong, so you can just ignore them."
'It's a very obvious statement, but the last words are not simple. Can we just ignore someone like that? I don't think these are Soo-hyun's words.'
The professor smiled.
"It doesn't sound like what Soo-hyun said. I asked him where he had heard it, and he said that the old men taught him."
"Sir…"
'It's an old man again. Who are these people?'
"I think the second movement, Andante con moto, is about to begin," the professor said.
After catching his breath, Soo-hyun looked at the engineer and began the second movement. The engineer's eyes widened in surprise as he heard the loud piano in his headphones. The right hand played forcefully and explosively, but the left was quiet and lyrical. It was as if the orchestra were playing grand sounds while the piano played lyrically, creating tension. The image of a man playing a gentle harp to calm a raging conflict came to mind. A movement that brought to mind a scene from an ancient tragedy. The engineer couldn't close his open mouth as he watched Soo-hyun create a contrast with his powerful performance.
Become young with all the sounds of the world.Growing old with all the silences of the world.As long as there is sound, young;As long as we remain silent, we age.Some believe that hope is in art,Some in honor,Others in gold.My greatest hope remainsIn music.Like the setting sun that leaves a red tail,My great hopes are sinking.The light of life is fading.I thought there would never be hope again in my life.But it appeared.The sun sets over the hill of sorrow,The tail of light rises again.Shining from the sky,A sound of hope that resonates without foundation.
'Is this the right piano piece? Although the song has no lyrics, the speaker's emotions and the flow of the story are clearly felt.'
Finally, when the second movement ended, the engineer took off his headphones and spoke excitedly.
"That child… what kind of child is that?"
The professor, who had already read the score, looked at him and smiled.
"Why are you doing that?"
The engineer jumped up and pointed at Soo-hyun.
"I've never seen anyone play like that in my life! I even doubt that this piece was composed solely for piano! Who on earth is that child?"
Chairman Park Ki-jun crossed his arms and smiled happily.
"Do you know the Chopin Competition and the Beethoven Competition?"
"I'm stuck here, but I also make a living from music. Is that a question?" the engineer frowned.
The chairman apologized.
"I wanted to explain something about that child. Don't feel bad."
"Then why that competition?"
The chairman nodded at Soo-hyun.
"He is the boy who won those competitions."
The engineer quickly raised his head and looked at Soo-hyun with trembling eyes, stammering.
"I saw it on the news. The first child in Korean history to win both the Chopin and Beethoven competitions at the same time… That child… the sole survivor of the train accident in Switzerland…!"
The professor and the chairman nodded at the same time. The professor said,
"The recording is not yet finished. There are three movements left. We'll talk about it later."
The engineer, who had lost his mind, put his headphones back on and shouted inwardly,
'This is ridiculous! I have this opportunity!'