Chapter 97
Soo-hyun sat opposite Schubert, sipping a cup of tea. Unlike Beethoven, who would grab him by the scruff of his neck and force him to sit at the piano, Schubert was a kind person who brewed him hot tea and made conversation.
"Did you have many friends, Professor?"
'In reality, I think I wanted to ask, "Was your life chaotic?"'
Schubert, with a kind face and smiling eyes, put down his teacup and said,
"There were many. As a child, I was a member of the Vienna Court Boys' Choir, so I met many friends there and we maintained a good relationship over time."
Soo-hyun asked, slightly surprised.
"You sang in a choir, Professor?"
"Haha, that's right. After my voice changed and I could no longer sing in the choir, I left school, but I still had friends. Some went to university and others became famous artists. As a young man, they didn't envy me, but respected me."
'The vocal music teacher must have been greatly disappointed to see his voice ruined. However, he still had friends. How lucky.'
"What kind of people were your friends?"
"They were not friends who aspired to live as intellectuals. Most had stable jobs and families, and only a few friends remained as artists. Those few became composers, painters, comedians, and poets."
'He said he had a few friends, but now he has four.' Soo-hyun still had no one he could call a friend besides Jaehee and Junwoo.
Soo-hyun, who had been drinking tea for a while, opened his mouth again.
"The old men told me to make friends. Do you believe that, master?"
Schubert said, still smiling.
"I agree. Friends are a comfort. But don't get too attached to them. Friends come and go. On the other hand, as you go through life, the number of enemies you encounter increases, haha."
'It's a joke with a bone in it. Does that mean you should keep increasing the number of friends to accompany you through crises? Or should it be interpreted literally as you shouldn't obsess and just think comfortably?'
"How can I become a good composer?"
"You should study."
'It's the same as the answer that tells me to focus on Korean, English, and math. I feel a little frustrated.'
"What should I study? I don't major in composition."
"I was not originally a musician. I was a school teacher."
"…"
'She tells him something similar to Ji-ye. Ji-ye also worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but she said that few people can work in society using their major. Is it similar to what my sister said back then?'
Schubert looked at the confused Soo-hyun and said as he put down his teacup.
"Learn the traditional techniques of composition first. To break the mold and to be unaware of it are different. The right thing to do is to learn first and then break the mold."
Soo-hyun thought deeply.
'In the end, it's a simple statement about building a solid foundation, but you have a knack for making it sound so difficult.'
"The first thing you should do is sight-singing and listening. But this study is no longer meaningful for Soo-hyun."
Schubert said, counting on his fingers.
"Let's start with harmony. We will write variations of a piece for a piano trio, then move on to a concerto for piano and other instruments, and then to a piece for piano and voice. After that, we will move on to trios with piano, percussion, and chorus. After all of the above, we will learn about piano sonatas, string quartets, fugues, and string quartets. Finally, we will learn about orchestras and free-form ensembles."
'It really seemed like there was a lot to do, but after listening carefully, I realized that, except for the study of harmony, the only method of study is to try to compose music yourself.''Is it not necessary to study the theory separately? If so, that would be great.'
But Soo-hyun's wish was miserably shattered.
"Of course, you will study the basics of counterpoint, instrumentation, and orchestration."
'Studying again. Ha, I hate studying. But what is counterpoint?'
"What is counterpoint?"
"It is a melody on top of a melody."
Soo-hyun's face went blank. 'What is a melody on top of a melody?'
"Please… explain it more simply, master."
If it had been Beethoven, he would have been immediately reprimanded, but Schubert's reaction was different. He tapped his forehead.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I was talking to Soo-hyun, who has amazing musical talent, so I forgot he was a young student. It was my mistake."
"Oh, no, sir."
Schubert rubbed his thumb and forefinger together in thought and then said,
"Well, it's hard to explain simply. In harmony, composition is based on the major and minor scales. Counterpoint is a method used before harmony was established. Harmony emphasizes the vertical arrangement of notes. Counterpoint emphasizes how each note flows horizontally."
'It's easier than before, but it's still difficult.'
"Do you know this song?" Schubert said, and then sang, snapping his fingers:
"Le coq est mort.""Le coq est mort.""Il ne dira plus co co di.""Co co da co co da co co di."
It was French. Soo-hyun was perplexed by the strange lyrics, "The rooster is dead," but the melody was suddenly familiar.
'My mom taught me this song when I was little… It wasn't like this lyric, what was it?'
Soo-hyun, who had been humming unconsciously, slapped his thigh.
"Isn't that 'A Walk in the Neighborhood'?"
Schubert couldn't have known the Korean song.
"Hmm? What is that? Do you want to sing it?"
Soo-hyun nodded, cleared his throat, and sang.
"Let's all play together and take a walk in the neighborhood~"
Schubert gestured for him to continue.
"Get up early in the morning and take a walk in the neighborhood~" "Let's all play together and take a walk in the neighborhood~"
'Huh? That's weird. I sang the next lyric, but the one Mr. Schubert sang was the one before.'
"We greet you like a morning glory~" "Get up early in the morning and take a walk in the neighborhood~"
Soo-hyun stopped singing. He only remembered the lyrics up to that point. Schubert said, snapping his fingers,
"See? This is counterpoint. In English, it's called a round. It's a technique of imitating and repeating the same note. You could also say it's a technique of using the same melody as a counter-melody."
'Aha, I understand perfectly. This is counterpoint! It could have been explained very easily, but I think I made it too complicated.'
Schubert, who noticed that Soo-hyun understood, smiled as he drank his tea.
"Soo-hyun, you said you went to music school, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Where are you? Austria? Italy? Or maybe Germany?"
"I am from the Republic of Korea."
"Hmm? Is that also a country's name?"
"Yes, please call me Korea."
"Korea? It's the first time I've heard that name. I guess Korea is the mecca of music these days. In our time, it was Vienna. Anyway, if it's a music school, there are places that deal with other instruments, right? For example, orchestra, woodwinds, brass, conducting, and composition."
"Yes, there are. There are professors in charge."
"Okay, then take a look around there. Can you audit the classes?"
"I don't know, I'll look into it."
"Leave the piano aside for now and learn what sounds other instruments make and what scales they move in. If possible, try playing them yourself."
"Leaving the piano on hold?"
Instructions not to play the piano. It might be difficult for Soo-hyun, for whom the piano had a special meaning. Schubert touched Soo-hyun's shoulder.
"I'm not saying you should give up completely. Just reduce the performance time a little and study other instruments. After all, the score that Soo-hyun has to draw is the full score."
'A full score is a large-scale score that the conductor sees, with the scores of all the instruments drawn on it. If Soo-hyun were to receive orchestral composition training, his goal would be to write a full score. Anyway, I'm glad I'm not giving up the piano completely.'
Professor Lee Chan-ho was a little surprised and asked a question after hearing what Jaehee's professor, Professor Yoo Jin-young, said.
"Huh? Soo-hyun came to the violin department?"
Professor Yoo Jin-young nodded.
"That's right, he signed up for today's class. Didn't you know? I thought it was the professor's instructions."
"That has never happened…"
"Well, then you're saying the student heard it because he needed it. He also requested to sit in on the next class. Should I refuse?"
'What does this mean? Why is Soo-hyun, who should be growing as a pianist, suddenly taking violin lessons?'
"I'll tell you after I talk to Soo-hyun."
"Yes, then I'll wait for your contact."
After Professor Yoo Jin-young left, Professor Lee Chan-ho, who was heading to his room, saw Soo-hyun leaning against the wall and talking to Junwoo. As he approached, thinking it was a good idea, he heard the two friends talking.
"Hey, Nam Soo-hyun. I heard you took violin lessons?" "Oh." "Hey, do you have time? Even if you only play the piano, the day is already tight." "No, that kind of thing." "Isn't it because you want to learn to play the violin?" "No."
Professor Lee Chan-ho, who was approaching, stopped, hid himself, and listened.
"So, what did you go there to learn?"
The professor, who was concentrating all his nerves on his ears to hear in more detail, heard Soo-hyun's voice.
"I'm studying about joy right now."
"…?"
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