Chapter 46

046. Main Event (3)

After the evaluation was over,

The British violin virtuoso was the first to speak.

"···It was excellent."

His brief comment made the other virtuosos nod in agreement.

Another moment of silence.

The Italian virtuoso, who had been fiddling with his sharp nose, tilted his head and asked,

"But, about the violin used in the performance. It was a Guarneri, right?"

"Yes, it was. But······"

The American virtuoso, who had been using a Guarneri for the past 30 years, stopped applying her lipstick and looked around at the other virtuosos.

"The tone was strangely different from a typical Guarneri."

"Is it a fake?"

It was a persistent issue.

There were too many counterfeit Guarneris on the market.

Therefore, it was said that out of the 150 or so Guarneris known worldwide, only about 100 were genuine.

Thus, such speculation was understandable.

However,

The American virtuoso gave a hollow laugh.

"If that was the sound of a fake······ there would be no reason to buy a real one, right?"

It was her, the owner of the Guarneri, who said this.

The virtuosos burst into laughter.

And they had to admit it.

"Ultimately, that peculiar tone was a characteristic of the performer."

"···To be honest, I'd like to learn it myself."

"Although it was too flashy and not my preferred tone, it actually suited Paganini's music well. The sharpness of the caprices was much more refined."

The virtuosos exchanged comments. Then the British virtuoso, who had spoken first, nodded vigorously.

"That's right. The caprices······ they were excellent too. Not only the tone but also the technique was top-notch. Especially in No. 24, the 11 techniques were performed cleanly without any redundancy. Moreover, even the double stops (playing two or more strings simultaneously) were executed with that peculiar tone."

Although he was only the fifth performer since the main event began, such continuous praise was unprecedented.

The virtuosos were almost disappointed that the next participant was about to be called.

In the midst of such admiration and praise, a question that everyone was secretly curious about was finally asked.

"Who, I wonder, is the teacher?"

The German virtuoso stroked his chin, recalling a scene he had noticed.

"Especially when performing Paganini's caprices, a unique gesture was visible······ Is there anyone who performs with a similar style?"

A performer's gesture is a habit and a symbol.

And that symbol is passed down to students, like genes.

Thus, it was thought that some inference might be possible, but······

No one responded.

None of them, no matter how much they searched their memories, could think of anyone.

Even though they were called virtuosos in the classical music world, they could not have guessed.

That the unique gesture was, in fact, Niccolò Paganini's.

In the end, the answer to that question was buried in mystery as the next participant was called to the stage.

-Participant No. 6. Participant No.-

"······"

It was time for everyone to fall silent again.

#

Shortly after finishing the performance, I received the news of my qualification in the backstage.

And it was unanimous.

Of course, the recognition from the virtuosos was gratifying,

But more importantly, I was quite satisfied with my own performance, and my lips couldn't help but curl into a smile.

As I walked through the corridor, where only participants and staff were allowed, several foreign journalists approached, eager to conduct interviews.

Some asked if the Guarneri was mine and who the sponsor was, while others praised the performance and shared their impressions.

While conducting brief interviews with them, I noticed my mother and reporter Choi Sung-ryeong standing a distance away.

"Then, I'll take my leave···"

After bidding farewell to the journalists, I approached, and reporter Choi Sung-ryeong smiled. She said, looking at the journalists who were dispersing,

"It's not a common occurrence."

"What isn't?"

"Journalists spontaneously interviewing like this."

My gaze naturally followed the dispersing journalists.

"They're all busy looking for the performers with the highest chances of advancing to the final. What A participant ate, how much B participant practices. I saw that Leo Dubochel was leaving for the hotel, and all the European journalists left the venue."

Her words made me turn my head, as the name sounded familiar.

"Leo Dubochel?"

"Yes. A rising star from France. Do you know him?"

"I didn't know him before, but I had a conversation with him once inside the music school."

He was a friendly person who left an impression. Of course, he seemed a bit older than me.

So, he was a rising star in France······

"He's not well-known in Korea yet, but in Europe, he has swept all the major youth competitions in recent years. That's why the media is hyping him as a prodigy."

"To sweep all the competitions, he must be quite talented."

"But the real reason he became famous was an interview he gave last year."

"What did he say?"

"He said, 'It's a pity that there's no violin category in the Chopin Competition. I can't win all three of the world's major competitions.'"

At this point, even I couldn't help but give a hollow laugh.

"Quite confident, isn't he?"

"Exactly."

And my curiosity was piqued.

"When is his first round performance?"

"Let me see··· Ah, it's tomorrow at 9 PM."

Reporter Choi Sung-ryeong checked the schedule and answered. I nodded, thinking I must see it, but the surroundings became a bit noisy. The noise was getting closer.

Puzzled, I turned around to see familiar figures approaching.

It was Pavel and Lim Jin-gyu.

To those who had come to watch the competition, they were celebrities in their own right.

Pavel, who had been asked for autographs and photos from a distance, approached and extended his hand.

"It's been a long time."

"Indeed."

Actually, I often had video calls with Lim Jin-gyu, so it didn't feel like it had been that long, but still···

Pavel sent a strong gaze and smiled.

"And it was a really great performance."

"Thank you."

While responding to his praise, Lim Jin-gyu finished taking a photo with a Korean fan and came over.

Pavel added with a smile.

"Jin-gyu was completely mesmerized. He said it was unbelievable."

"Ha-ha, I was really surprised. It's unbelievable that he can play the violin so well."

Lim Jin-gyu nodded in agreement.

After receiving a flood of praise and congratulations, Pavel suddenly said,

"Shouldn't we eat dinner first?"

I nodded vigorously.

The competition was at 7 PM. It was an awkward time. It was a bit early to eat before the performance.

"I know this time well. After a 40-minute performance on an empty stomach, you get really hungry··· If you don't mind, I'd like to treat you to dinner. What do you think?"

He asked my mother for permission, as if in agreement.

My mother readily agreed when I translated.

And.

"······"

Reporter Choi Sung-ryeong was looking at me, licking her dry lips, with a gaze as intense as Pavel's just now.

It felt like she was trying to hypnotize me.

Take me too, take me too···

That kind of feeling.

I chuckled and asked,

"Are you coming with us, reporter?"

"Of course!"

······So, we headed to the restaurant Pavel recommended.

Reporter Choi Sung-ryeong, looking like she had hit the jackpot, was busily translating Russian on her phone.

I smiled at the sight, and Pavel asked,

"Are you going straight to the practice room after dinner?"

I thought for a moment and then shook my head.

"No, I'm not going to rest······"

I turned my head.

The Russian flag and the Tchaikovsky Conservatory emblem were fluttering everywhere.

Looking around the venue where the competition was still in full swing, I said,

"I want to watch."

Pavel blinked and then burst into laughter, looking bewildered.

Lim Jin-gyu also shook his head with a similar expression.

"···?"

I couldn't understand why.

#

"So, it was a real Guarneri?"

"Yes, it was. And the performance was so good that some journalists followed and waited for him."

"Moreover, Pavel approached the participant and had a conversation with him······"

In the Great Hall where the piano competition was taking place.

The Korean journalists sitting in front were whispering, and reporter Choi Sung-ryeong chuckled.

She pointed at me with her chin, as if to say, "They're talking about you," and I smiled awkwardly.

And I waited for the next performance.

Unlike the Small Hall, there were many Korean journalists, probably because Kim Se-jin's performance was about to start at 9 PM.

It was the debut performance of the expected star.

As participant No. 9 was called, Kim Se-jin, dressed in a tuxedo, appeared on stage. He stood in front of the grand piano, greeted the judges, and took his seat, taking a deep breath.

The audience also held their breath, sensing the tension of the impending performance.

A moment later, reporter Choi Sung-ryeong took out her phone and opened the notepad.

And as if that was the signal, the performance began.

Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier.

Kim Se-jin's fingers lightly tapped the keys. Even from this distance, I could tell how light his touch was.

And because of this playing style, the prelude (prelude) was freely interpreted.

In the early 17th century, preludes were often improvised parts played without sheet music, so they naturally blended well.

A free yet clearly structured performance.

Although it was somewhat different from the classical style I knew, it didn't feel like the piece was broken.

It seemed to maximize the drama of a single piece, allowing more people to have a deeper impression.

In this way, a more dramatic version of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier was being created.

I sighed in admiration and focused even more.

'So, it can be played like this!'

'Wouldn't this direction be better than that?'

'If it were me, how would I play that part?'

I thought and imagined such things.

"······"

And with these thoughts,

Inspiration suddenly struck.

It wasn't the usual kind of inspiration where a musical idea pops into my head and I want to compose a piece.

My mind was filled with thoughts solely for performance.

By the time the performance was nearing its end, my fingertips were tingling.

And the moment the performance ended,

I whispered to reporter Choi Sung-ryeong,

"Having seen this much, I need to go practice today."

I wanted to play the piano right now.

#

Meanwhile, in a luxurious bar in central Moscow.

Pavel and Lim Jin-gyu, standing side by side, each ordered a whiskey and a vodka.

Pavel, who had exchanged cheerful greetings with the bartender,