King of Classical Music 106

Tchaikovsky’s 《Symphony No. 6 in B minor》 was also known as the 《Sorrowful Symphony》

Unlike Beethoven’s 《Pathétique》, this 《Pathétique》 was overcast and depressive from beginning to end. It was Tchaikovsky’s last swan song, describing his life.

Six days after the song’s premiere, the composer died, due to ingesting poison.

The piece was divided into four movements. The third had the liveliest allegro. With the violin as the main accompaniment setting the mood, it expressed the busyness of everyone’s life through the sound of southern dance.

Bai Ai was undoubtedly skilled. According to Christole, they hadn’t rehearsed the third movement yet. But, from the audience, Qi Mu couldn’t hear anything glaringly wrong. Other than the occasional error in emotional interpretation and typographical mistakes like missing a beat or a tempo, problems were few and far between.

Such performance would usually take an orchestra two days of rehearsal to reach.

——Qi Mu thought.

His perfect pitch distinguished every sound, and he could hear how unfamiliar with the melody the orchestra was at the beginning, but they gradually began to play in harmony, as if they had rehearsed it countless times.

And all of this. . . Qi Mu knew it wasn’t just because the orchestra was skilled.

His gaze shifted to the man standing at the conductor’s podium. From his seat, all Qi Mu could see was Min Chen’s straight back. He watched the man gently raise his baton and listened as the cello group played a warm melody in succession. When he lowered his arm, the string group stopped, and the wind group began.

Any conductor could control a performance, but a good one could make the piece their own.

Offstage, the young man couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

Onstage, Min Chen stared at the clarinet section of the woodwind group. One of the brunettes clutched his clarinet as he trembled nervously, focusing on the score.

A horrible note screeched in his ear, and Min Chen turned a dangerous look on a woman with a pony-tail. She trembled then straightened.

The whole third movement lasted for about 9 minutes, quite short. Other than Christole, the entire orchestra reminded themselves not to make any mistakes and concentrate even harder. As for those who faltered. . .

They could only pray.

At the end of the rehearsal, the clarinetist who made the first mistake raised his head. He nervously looked at the conductor, waiting for the man to admonish him.

To everyone’s surprise, the attractive man set down his baton, looked at the clarinetist, and gently asked, “Roger, do you have a cold today?”

Nodding quickly, Roger said, “Yes, Conductor. I have a cold, so I wasn’t careful. . .” He shook his head vigorously and explained, “No! Mr. Bertram, I shouldn’t have coughed just because I have a cold. I should have taken a leave of absence.”

He remembered the last time Martha had a cold. Not only did her bow slip, but she sneezed so loud they had to stop playing. Back then. . . the conductor said——

『Drink more water when you’re sick. Did the cold scald your brain, or did you not have one, to begin with, to bring your illness to the orchestra? Go home!』

Today, however, Roger easily admitted his fault and was ready for the expected reprimand. Who would expect the gentle response he got instead? “Well, you should have a good rest when you’re sick, Roger. Remember to drink more water, don’t let your cold get worse.”

Roger: “. . . Ha?!”

The entire orchestra: “. . . ???!!!”

Turning to the violin group, Min Chen asked, “Alice, the mistake on the third paragraph? That was you, right?”

Alice cried out then apologized. “I’m sorry, Mr. Bertram. I’m not familiar with the third movement. I will practice it tonight when I get home, I won’t delay the orchestra! I’m really sorry!”

Min Chen calmly nodded and gently said, “You’ve done a good job, Alice. It was only a small mistake on the overtone, it was a bit high. It’s understandable you’d missed the timing. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.”

Alice: “. . . Ah?!”

The entire orchestra: “. . . ????!!!!”

Say, conductor. . . Did you take the wrong medicine today?

When they recalled the Mr. Dorenza and Allen tended to guide their members, they paused and mulled over Min Chen’s soft voice. It was as if the earth had found spring, and the snow had melted. The Bai Ai orchestra felt as if they had tasted heavens’ warmth at last.

Min Chen nodded in satisfaction then snuck a glance towards the audience. . .

The temperature instantly dropped!!!

Qi Mu was gone, not even his shadow could be seen!

Christole coughed, feeling awkward. He kindly explained, “Auston, at the end. .  Danial took him away.” Implicating that, by the time Min Chen started his commentary, Qi Mu was already gone.

Min Chen: “. . .”

With a cold glare, the man picked up his baton.

“Again from the top. Make a mistake this time, and you can copy the score ten times for me.”

The orchestra: “. . .”

You told us to have a good rest!

You were so good just now!!

You were very kind until now!!!

Little Angel, why did you leave, ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Daniel called Qi Mu out as soon as the orchestra had finished playing.

Though he didn’t know why, Qi Mu didn’t mind, and since the rehearsal was over anyway, he left the hall with Daniel.

There were six entrances to the rehearsal hall, excluding the backstage. Daniel led him through the middle doors and he was surprised to see——

Outside the huge window, a clear river divided the city in half.

Looking out the window, Daniel smiled. “Oh, that’s the Spree River. You can see the part that hasn’t entered the Havel River here, and our HQ can see the part that’s merged. You came from the corridor on the other side so you couldn’t see it.”

This corridor was similar to the one Qi Mu walked through with Min Che, except, there were no pictures of the orchestra’s historical figures here.

Qi Mu looked at the setting sun and said, “Long time no see, Daniel. Was there. . . something?”

Daniel went straight to the point. “Actually. . . Angel, are you with Min?”

The question was so abrupt Qi Mu froze for a moment before answering. “Yes, we’re together.” After a pause, he added,  “You can call me Little Seven. The name Angel was just Mr. Farrell’s prank.”

Feigning hurt, Daniel said, “Oh my God, did you really forget, Little Angel? The first time I heard your solo at the end of last year in Huaxia’s B City, I called you Angel. Mr. Farrell wasn’t even there!”

Qi Mu was speechless at the man’s sad expression. Finally, he forced himself to nod. “Yes, I forgot. . .” After hesitating, he asked tentatively, “Um, will you. . . still call me that?”

Daniel nodded. “Angel, when Min asked for two days off yesterday, I thought. . . If you didn’t accept him this time, what kind of catastrophe would we experience next?”

Surprised, Qi Mu asked, “. . . His temper is that bad?”

Min Chen pulled him away from traffic the first time they met, saving him from danger. The second time, he found out the man was so afraid of bugs he would not enter his own house. Such a person could scare people?

Later in Hong Kong, Min Chen told him what Boswell liked, what to play, and how to play it.

There were countless examples since, proving Min Chen might look unfriendly, but he wasn’t scary, right?

Daniel rolled his eyes and exclaimed, “God! Are you saying that devil is gentle, Angel? Did I hear that right? He’s not that bad?! I’m telling you, he’s not just bad, he’s already trained the whole orchestra not to breathe!”

Qi Mu: “. . .”

“Have you been to the Danube Forum? Damn it, I thought that fellow wouldn’t be interested in what people say about him. Oh, I forgot, Little Angel, you’re from Huaxia.” After a pause, Daniel added, “It’s a forum for Europeans where classical music fans gather. They held two polls last year.”

Qi Mu just smiled and waited for Daniel to continue. “The first poll was for conductors with the best temper. And, you should know the one who got the first place. It was Allen from the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. The other poll was for conductors with the worst temper. And. . . Little Angel, do you know who won first place?”

Although he smiled and shook his head, in his head, Qi Mu spat out the name. . . Auston Bertram.

“It’s that guy, Min Chen! I found a few friends to register an account and vote for him. Otherwise, the other bad-tempered conductors like Mr. Evra of the Vienna Symphony would snatch his well-deserved place, you know!”

Qi Mu: “. . . Well, Daniel. . .”

“Min Chen’s temper is just so bad. He may look elegant and all, but his belly is full of black water and his tongue’s poisonous. . .”

Forcing a smile, Qi Mu said, “Daniel, actually. . .”

“I know! Don’t you also want to say he’s a demon? Little Angel, you finally see the truth! If he’s not the devil, then who else. . .”

“I’m the devil?”

A deep voice rang out from behind Daniel, elegant and unhurried.

“. . . And, you asked people to help you vote?”

Daniel: “. . .”

Little Angel! Why didn’t you warn me!!!

Qi Mu: “. . .”

I mean, you didn’t let me. . .