It was Alexei who had personally seen the Stradivarius used by Fritz Kreisler, Eugène Ysaÿe, and of course Niccolò Paganini.
In the past, it was common for large banks to directly purchase Stradivarius, Guarneri, and Amati for famous violinists and lend them for life. It was a kind of sponsorship, and it was an offer that Alexei had received. However, no one had ever turned on the Stradivarius 'illusion'.
It was because of the will left by Antonio Stradivari.
-The Stradivarius I made is for violinists. I want them to play out their melodies to their heart's content. I want the bow and strings to remain intact. However, fantasy and ecstasy are different. They choose their masters, and if someone other than the master touches their strings, they will lose their eyes to see the world and their ears to hear the melody.
Of course, this is a story unknown to the general public.
Rather, there were those who thought Antonio Stradivari's chilling will was a marketing ploy by a businessman. As time went by, Antonio's will was considered a ghost story. However, violinists were different. In a way, it was like finding a lifelong companion. Therefore, Antonio Stradivari's words could not be dismissed as just a rumor.
The red soundboard had black lines that looked like the devil's claws.
"how?"
French maestro Pierre Ganell raised his voice without realizing it. He had never said a word during the competition, but now he had no choice. The other maestro also looked half-souled. Just like when the Queen first came out with the Stradivarius "Ecstasy" at Carnegie Hall, the audience felt a shock and a strong tremble. Soon, as the silver strings sparkled and the bow tip sharply crossed the diagonal line, everyone held their breath as if they had made a promise.
*
Jiing―!
The pine-covered bow pressed hard against the string.
It was a melody like a sharp woman's scream. The left hand holding the strings was extremely soft, as if it was holding a baby. However, the bow was producing a tone more chilling than ever. The pianist in charge of the accompaniment struck the keys at the violinist's signal. It was a strong sound like thunder.
At that moment, the sharp bow began to cut across the silver strings with great force. The bow was so fierce that it was impossible to tell the difference between the up and down bows. It felt as if all the strings would break if it continued that way.
Crunch.
The director of photography who picked up the camera, as well as PD Ria who was watching the whole situation, unconsciously grabbed her hand. Ria had filmed countless violinist performances. But who on earth was that boy in front of her?
The first of the Szymanowski myths, the 'Fountain of Arethusa'.
I never imagined that Shinhwa would be performed here. For example, the masters on the judging panel would be surprised as well. The director of photography captured the masters' appearances without fail. Some of them even opened their mouths.
A boy who was not ordinary from the first filming.
He should have been flustered when he saw the camera, but instead he made an annoyed expression. What's more, he was so calm and composed that it was hard to believe he was a child. Whether he was talking or practicing, no matter how much I looked at him, he never looked like a child of his age. 'It's like seeing a master in the guise of a child.' That was the vivid feeling Leah had when she saw the boy.
What about that violin? Just looking at it gave me goosebumps.
That was when.
Jiying.
A sad and miserable melody resonated from the image of a man drowning in Arethusa's fountain. But the violinist was smiling with his eyes tightly shut. It seemed as if he was saying that my death for you was not in vain. Finally, when the ecstatic epic ended and the bow tip lowered, the thrill that had run through my entire body ended.
but.
No one dared to speak. The intense aftertaste engulfed their entire bodies. Only the cinematographer, who had come to his senses, was capturing every single one of their appearances with his camera. At that moment, one of the masters let out the breath he had been holding and spoke.
"This is driving me crazy."
It was a voice that seemed to represent everyone's feelings.
* * *
"This is Marc Ampere, who will be the director of the Chapelle."
There were 12 violinists sitting in the hall. Each violinist had a different, exotic appearance. What they had in common was their love and hate for the violin. Among them, there was a maestro who would become famous in the future. Now that I know their names, I finally feel that I have come to a great place.
"You will be staying in the Queen Elizabeth Chapel in Waterloo for eight days. During the training period, you will be prohibited from any contact with the outside world, and this will not be in words, but will be enforced by writing a formal pledge."
The story was that he couldn't receive help from his teacher, his family, or anyone else.
"Your life at Chapelle will be helped by Mr. Mark here, who will also arrange a meeting with the conductor of the Belgian National Orchestra."
Collaboration with the national orchestra. I heard that the King of Belgium also attends the stage held at the Beaux-Arts Hall. It was not for nothing that the competition was called a national event.
"The training camp starts in two days, so I hope you can do your final preparations during that time. Also, congratulations. The eight days at Chapel will be a great experience."
Everyone's faces were filled with emotion. Among the twelve people, there was a British gentleman, who didn't look at me as harshly as before. Instead, whenever our eyes met, he would turn his head away. He looked as fresh as a teenage girl. Anyway, that's all.
'There are a lot of famous people.'
Those who would later be called maestros. It was a different feeling from when I saw the masters sitting on the judges' table. It felt like I was peeking into the childhood of the maestros who were actually active, rather than meeting those who appeared in textbooks. However, the way they looked at me was not very good.
I understand.
From their perspective, I was an unknown violinist, a very young one at that, who suddenly appeared and was put on the same level as them. Furthermore, the first and second rounds of judging were conducted in secret even to the contestants, so no one saw me play except my British friend.
"Nice to meet you."
Then an Asian violinist approached me and greeted me in English.
"It's called Jiang Yan in China."
He was a thin but muscular man. His seagull-shaped eyebrows were impressive. I know this person. He was a violinist who was called the 'Star of China' in his past life. He was so skilled that it was known that he was favored by the president of the country. Furthermore, he was called the 'Sage of China' because he had done international music service.
"I've heard a lot from the teacher. I've heard that there's a great new talent in this year's Queen Elizabeth. Actually, I wanted to say hello to Mr. Hyun since the last judging, but I couldn't because I was afraid of being rude."
As expected, you are quite polite. But you are a teacher?
"Are you talking about Maestro Dengrun?"
"Yes, he is my teacher's best friend. He treats me like a son."
Zhang Yan nodded with a smile. Of course, if a violinist from our country were to participate in the competition, the country would want to take better care of him. Of course, given Deng Lun's personality, he would not be biased. By the way, I never thought I would feel the scorn in Belgium.
Hagrid was zooming in on my meeting with Zhang Yan as if it were a fateful showdown. But I didn't feel even the slightest hint of that between us.
"It's the first time I've seen Professor Deng Lun talk about someone for so long. He's incredibly sharp when it comes to the violin. If we get a chance after the competition, I'd like to play with him. Please."
He was so polite that some might call him a Chinese sage. He seemed like a monk among the arrogant musicians.
"No. I really want to play along with you sometime. I've never had that experience before."
As I was walking out after having a friendly conversation with Zhang Yan.
"Brother―!"
From far away, an ice bucket was jumping toward me.
At that sight.
"Oh, are you fiancé?"
Zhang Yan looked at me with wide eyes.
*
"Let's start with the cute lady first."
It was an interview I had promised Leah the other day.
"What is your relationship with violinist Hyun?"
Son Yu-ha read Leah's questionnaire over and over again.
"We are very close!"
Leah's lips lifted at his broken English. I could have been the interpreter, but it must have seemed quite unusual that he insisted on answering on his own. On the other hand, I was worried. After all, it would be a record that would remain in the media. Who is Son Yu-ha? The successor to the conglomerate that would inherit Jeil Trading Company in the future. Just in case, I called Korea and asked if an interview was possible, and Chairman Wang accepted without a moment's hesitation.
"How do you feel, Hyun, you will be in Chapel for eight days now?"
Hmm.
"Go away, stay away. It's so sad!"
It seems like he has a lot to say, but he can't seem to come up with the English words. Hagrid quickly zooms in on him as he frowns.
"But what is Chapelle?"
Suddenly, laughter erupted. Leah looked at Son Yu-ha with loving eyes.
"What do you think of Hyun playing the violin?"
Son Yu-ha, who had been reading the English on the questionnaire for a long time, narrowed her eyes again. If someone saw her, they would think she was taking the College Scholastic Ability Test. Son Yu-ha, who had been thinking for a long time, smiled broadly as if a good word had come to mind. As a result, her cheeks, which had not lost their baby fat, rippled.
"Sexy!"
what?
A look of confusion was evident on Leah's face. Oh, that idiot. Where on earth did he hear such things?
It was after a commotion that wasn't much of a commotion had passed.
It seemed that her mother was quite fond of Yuha. It was no wonder that the young girl acted like a young lady, choosing actions that her mother would like. It did not overlap at all with her past life when she was called the Ice Queen.
As the mother sits down at the interview table, the zoom in comes in again.
"Mother, what kind of son is violinist Hyun?"
To Leah's question.
"He was a very good son. He never once gave me trouble and did everything on his own. I felt sorry for him because he seemed to have grown up so much."
The mother answered cautiously.
I was sitting there as an interpreter, but somehow I ended up telling my story with my own mouth.
"Hyeon, you've been named one of the 12. How do you feel as a mother?"
"It still doesn't feel real. I never thought my son would be this good. I learned the violin for a while when I was young, but it wasn't to this level. On the other hand, I'm also excited because I haven't seen my son on stage yet. I think Grandpa Hyun in Korea would be the most excited."
It's not that unfamiliar. It's incomparable to the documentary 5 days I felt at the Judicial Research and Training Institute. If I had known this would happen, I would have done the interview myself.
"Oh, Mother. What was Hyun like as a child? They say that prodigies are special from a young age."
As Leah glances at me, Hagrid alternates between his mother and me, as if enjoying it. Ah, I understand why you asked me to be your interpreter. I have to say this again with my own mouth.