Chapter 87

Because it concerned the future, almost no one took it lightly. Everyone put in 120% effort, making a final push.

The first boy to take the stage played Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 11. His performance was quite impressive.

After his performance, not only did the examiners nod frequently, but the audience also gave enthusiastic applause.

The seven examiners revealed their scores. Removing the highest score of 85 and the lowest score of 82, the first candidate ultimately received a good score of 83.5.

The student council president, Hu Bing, announced the score on stage and then introduced the seven examiners one by one. They included Vice Principal Liu Ya, Dean of the Music College Jin Guoheng, Deputy Dean Hu Fangfei, Head of the Piano Department Li Yunling, Deputy Head of the Piano Department Kong Jianjun, Professor of the Piano Department Liu Sisi, and Professor of the Piano Department Duan Renjie.

Each introduction was followed by enthusiastic applause. The lineup of examiners was truly impressive, and they could easily serve as judges for a national-level piano competition.

The second candidate came up and played the third movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. In the复试 (retest), it seemed that everyone brought out their best skills, performing pieces of high difficulty.

Perhaps it was the excellent atmosphere of the music hall, the high-quality Steinway piano, or the positive environment of the music college, but almost all the students who took the stage demonstrated a high level of skill.

He Mingzhe found a suitable spot to watch the exam proceed. Seeing the candidates perform as if they were on steroids, He Mingzhe secretly smiled. The more impressive their performances, the more it would highlight Cheng Xiaoyu's lack of skill.

He Mingzhe searched the rows of candidates for Cheng Xiaoyu but found no trace of him. This made him somewhat disappointed and a bit worried that Cheng Xiaoyu might have been scared off.

But he felt that as long as he could make Duan Mulinsha see the true face of this fat guy, it didn't matter how it happened.

Duan Mulinsha, sitting in the audience, sent a text message to Cheng Xiaoyu, urging him to hurry. She was next to go on stage, and there were only a few people left after her. Almost everyone thought Cheng Xiaoyu wouldn't show up, but Duan Mulinsha firmly believed he would.

Duan Mulinsha stood behind the side curtain of the music hall, feeling a bit nervous for the first time. She had participated in some commercial piano competitions, but none had made her this nervous.

However, she didn't participate in many professional competitions because Su Yuxi was a towering figure that no young pianist could surpass. In any competition where Su Yuxi participated, she was always the clear winner, which greatly reduced Duan Mulinsha's desire to compete. Knowing the result in advance made the competition uninteresting for her.

Moreover, for her, the meaning of the piano went beyond just competitions. She loved the piano and enjoyed immersing herself in the various sounds it produced. The piano was a part of her life.

After the score of the previous candidate was announced and the applause died down, Duan Mulinsha patted her chest, took a deep breath, and walked to the center of the music hall under the bright lights. She took off her dark blue blazer, revealing a white blouse and a blue pleated skirt, and gracefully made her way to the center.

Today, she had applied a bit of light makeup, not for the exam, but for someone else. In the spotlight, Duan Mulinsha looked even more radiant, especially her slender, beautiful legs, which were white and round, perfectly proportioned. Her walking posture was graceful and natural, and her hair was tucked behind her ears, revealing a flawless, pale, and long neck. Her impeccable profile made everyone in the audience hold their breath, unable to believe the beauty before them.

The appearance of such a perfect candidate on stage immediately drew thunderous applause from the audience. If it weren't for the serious atmosphere of the music hall and the presence of many school leaders, a group of unsatisfied people would have already started howling.

Duan Mulinsha first bowed to the piano, then announced that she would play the second movement of Schubert's Piano Sonata No. 21 in B-flat major, D960.

When the name of the piece was announced, there was a stir in the audience.

This sonata, in B-flat major, D960, was composed in 1828. Music critics consider the first movement to be the most perfect sonata after Beethoven and the pinnacle of Schubert's piano works.

The difficulty was evident. Most candidates chose well-known pieces by Beethoven, and a few chose Mozart. Schubert was a first-time appearance, and the candidate was a beautiful woman, performing the final chapter of this piece.

Duan Mulinsha's teacher, Li Yunling, was also in the audience. She had great confidence in her student, though she was not as talented as Su Yuxi, she was a promising talent.

Duan Mulinsha adjusted her seat, and the moment her hands touched the keys, all her nervousness disappeared, replaced by excitement and enthusiasm.

The examiners in the audience knew that this was Li Yunling's favorite student, but in a public exam, no one would show favoritism. Only the performance would reveal the truth.

When the first note of Duan Mulinsha's performance sounded, the beautiful handling immediately caught the attention of all the examiners. An expert's touch was unmistakable.

It was clear that Duan Mulinsha had a deep understanding of the piece. Li Yunling knew how hard her student worked, practicing for five hours daily, while other girls watched dramas, read novels, fell in love, or went shopping, she was always practicing.

Duan Mulinsha's interpretation of Schubert followed Brendel's understanding.

The piece is an Andante in C-sharp minor, in three sections. The first section introduces a light melody with the soft pedal, leading to the main theme. The middle section is in A major, expressing emotional fluctuations, and then returns to C-sharp minor. The third section reappears, followed by a C-sharp major coda.

Each section was handled perfectly, with every note and every change in tempo carefully considered. Duan Mulinsha's technical skills and sensitivity to the keys were not typical of a high school student. Her exploration of the depth of the work and her grasp of the emotions were far beyond her years. The emotions expressed were broad, immersive, and elevating.

Schubert's piano sonatas have more improvisational elements compared to Beethoven's and can sometimes seem a bit fragmented.

However, Duan Mulinsha achieved the greatest freedom through the most meticulous control and careful thought.

Of course, a great work cannot have only one correct way of performance.

But she could make the beautiful melody carry all the listeners to a mysterious world of Schubert. Everyone felt a strong emotional resonance, and the tragic beauty of the piece brought tears to their eyes.

When the piece ended, the applause was thunderous. Her performance was commendable in terms of emotional expression, but there were some technical shortcomings due to her small hands.

However, for a girl not yet 17 years old, her performance was already impressive to the examiners, especially considering her excellent appearance and demeanor. There was little to criticize.

All the examiners gave her a high score of 90, with some even giving 92.

Only Li Yunling gave her 85. In her view, her student still had room for improvement, and she didn't want to make her too proud.

Since the piece Duan Mulinsha chose was about 15 minutes long, it counted as two pieces.

Duan Mulinsha was pleased with her score, which was the highest so far, but she was a bit anxious when she noticed Cheng Xiaoyu still hadn't arrived. She hurried off the stage to call him. There were only four people left to perform, and Cheng Xiaoyu was the fourth and last one.

When Duan Mulinsha called Cheng Xiaoyu, he was still at a copy shop. He answered the phone and said, "I'm on my way."

Several professional music stores did not have the sheet music for this piece, which caused Cheng Xiaoyu a lot of trouble.

Indeed, this piece was rarely practiced by anyone. Out of desperation, Cheng Xiaoyu had to download the sheet music from the internet and print it out.

The copy shop often helped people download and print sheet music from the internet. However, the sheet music Cheng Xiaoyu downloaded left the staff speechless. They couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure this is sheet music?"

Cheng Xiaoyu, looking at the stunned staff, nodded and said, "Of course."

The staff, who had some knowledge of music, found it increasingly unbelievable. Shaking his head, he said, "This piece can't be played! Someone must be playing a joke on you, spreading random sheet music."

Cheng Xiaoyu smiled and said, "Who says no one can play it? I can."

The staff, finding it a funny joke, shook his head and said nothing more, not wanting to offend the customer.

When the second-to-last candidate took the stage, Cheng Xiaoyu was still rushing to the music hall from the entrance of the music college. At that moment, he wished he could fly.

The candidate who went on stage before Cheng Xiaoyu caused quite a stir. He was a candidate from Chongqing named Wu Di.

Many people had seen him in magazines, where he was hailed as a piano prodigy of China, often mentioned alongside Su Yuxi as the golden boy and jade girl of the piano world.

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