Chapter 80

080. The Unchanging, Classic (1)

[Professor, I have set out with Han Seoho.]

The message arrived.

At that moment, a short exclamation came from behind Professor Celine, who had been staring down at her phone.

It was Professor Kirk, who specialized in the clarinet.

"Amazing."

She didn't feel the need to ask what was so amazing.

Their recent conversations had mostly revolved around similar topics.

"Briener, I mean."

As expected, the name she had anticipated popped up.

At that moment, Celine, who had suddenly felt something odd, spoke up.

"By any chance, did he post another piece?"

"No, not that. But..."

That would be the case. Unless someone else was posting on his behalf...

Muttering to herself, she listened as Professor Kirk continued.

"Albert August mentioned Briener in an interview."

Celine's eyes lit up at the unexpected name.

Albert August, a towering figure of the New York Philharmonic, one of the world's top three symphony orchestras. His interviews alone often stir the classical music world, such was the authority he held. For him to mention an anonymous internet composer was quite something.

At this point, it was impossible not to be curious. What exactly did he say about Briener?

"What did he say?"

"He said it was a hodgepodge of rough music. If you just glance at it, it looks like a bunch of weeds suitable only for kindling."

Celine's brow furrowed at the harsh words.

Indeed... That's just like him, the pedantic old man.

Then, Professor Kirk slightly changed his tone and continued reading the interview.

"But when you start to dissect each piece, you can't help but be amazed. It's been a long time since I've had such a spontaneous outpouring of admiration. This person clearly sees their compositions as mere exercises. Otherwise, they wouldn't have just bundled them up and posted them on the internet like firewood. What a monstrous, anti-narcissistic creature..."

Professor Kirk, reading in a tone similar to Maestro Albert, finished his sentence.

He looked at Professor Celine and gave a hollow laugh.

"He received quite a high evaluation."

"Yes, indeed."

"Soon, the classical music world will be buzzing. His name has been mentioned here and there recently."

Professor Kirk seemed disappointed.

Like a tracker who is sad to see a once-secret spot suddenly become famous.

Celine, wiping the surprised look from her face, mused.

"Actually, he has posted over a hundred highly completed pieces. It's strange that he isn't more famous."

"True. Even if many of the pieces are short, it's still a hundred... That's why some people think Briener is a team. The individual characteristics in the pieces are not very noticeable, and the themes are too broad. It's like Beethoven's symphonies."

As he said, Beethoven was a person who intensely disliked repetition. Therefore, his compositions often felt like they were written by different people, which is why he inevitably had fewer pieces compared to masters like Mozart or Haydn.

However, Briener's compositions had already surpassed the hundred mark.

Apart from the quality of the pieces, it was also practically impossible for one person to create such a diverse range of works.

Celine's expression became serious.

Professor Kirk shrugged.

"I feel the world has changed a lot. I, too, am one of the people waiting for Briener's next piece, but it feels very strange for internet compositions to become the topic of the classical music world."

"We are all adapting to change."

The idea of change and adaptation in the context of classical music, which is supposed to be unchanging.

Saying this as if it were heresy in academic circles, Celine brought the teacup to her lips.

Professor Kirk, who had been looking down at an already empty cup, nodded.

"Perhaps that's why there have been many interesting things happening in the classical music world lately. An anonymous composer appears on the internet, a prodigy who swept a competition with two instruments suddenly debuts as a composer... Where is that prodigy, by the way?"

"He has set out."

"If it weren't for my class, I would have liked to meet him. I'm curious about what kind of pieces he has created."

Checking the time, Professor Kirk hurriedly left the office, saying he would return tomorrow. He seemed quite curious about Han Seoho.

It's understandable. In the classical music world right now, there are few people as talked about as Han Seoho and Briener. There are also many controversies surrounding them.

Celine, left alone, put down her teacup.

She got up and headed to where her instruments were.

Several violins.

Her hand, naturally reaching for the Guarneri, hesitated.

Eventually, she picked up a different violin.

It was the one that could produce a sound closest to the violin in Briener's music.

#

Squeak—

The car stopped.

Finally, I could breathe.

Is the driver too skilled, or the opposite?

While steadying her head from the intense driving, Olivia pointed with her finger to the building across the street.

"Over there. There's a third small theater in the middle of the second-floor corridor. I'm supposed to wait there."

"Ah... Yes, thank you."

"I'll come back when I get a message. I'm just going to visit my old workplace nearby."

Should I go by public transportation?

After a brief consideration, she gave up and nodded.

"Sure, see you later."

"Right. By the way, I'm really curious about what the professor wants to talk about. Is she going to give some advice like a senior?"

Listening to her mutter, I got out of the car. Waving goodbye, the car drove away quickly.

Sigh. I turned and started walking in the direction Olivia had pointed.

Bard College.

I had heard of it somewhere before...

Turning on SoundCloud, I scrolled through the inbox, now filled with messages I couldn't handle.

It took a while to find it with my thumb.

A message asking for permission to perform 'Snow-covered Art Center' for a school assignment.

'So, he was a student here.'

Satisfied with this revelation, I looked around.

"The campus is beautiful."

The buildings were sophisticated, and art pieces were placed here and there.

I felt inspired every minute I walked around, but I wasn't here for inspiration, so I continued walking, following the signs. Small performance venues were visible at the end of each corridor.

I was amazed to find such small performance venues scattered throughout the school as I searched for the meeting place.

Then, at some point, I started walking by following the sound of the violin instead of the signs.

[Third Small Theater]

I stopped in my tracks.

This was both the meeting place and the source of the sound.

Opening the door slightly, I stepped inside, mesmerized.

An elderly woman with white hair was on stage.

As old as Viktor, whom I had seen in Russia, she was playing the violin with graceful gestures.

'Professor Celine.'

It was definitely her. The American master and owner of the Guarneri, whom I had seen throughout the Tchaikovsky Competition.

But at this moment, such titles were forgotten.

She was simply the performer of 'Violin Sonata, K.379.'

Modern classical music is often described as 'reproductive music.'

If so, Professor Celine was undoubtedly a master.

To feel the essence of Mozart from a woman who looked nothing like him...

How much effort must she have put in to transcend over 200 years?

How many thoughts must she have had based on the small clues in the score?

All of this was palpable.

I was disappointed that the piece was ending, but the more it did, the faster the end came.

"Hello."

I approached Professor Celine, who had put down her bow, and greeted her.

She also came down from the small stage, smiling brightly, unlike during the competition.

"Nice to see you. It's been a while."

I smiled and nodded, but an unexpected question came out.

"How was the performance?"

"Excuse me?"

"Just talk freely. I'm really curious. I don't even remember the last time I received an evaluation. But I'm releasing a new album soon, and I need to be evaluated. I want to get a sense of it beforehand."

I felt Professor Celine's eyes deepen as she looked at me.

After a moment of thought, I carefully replied.

"It was like Mozart."

Professor Celine chuckled at my straightforward answer.

"As a Mozart specialist, I've heard this often, but it feels especially good to hear it from Seoho. It's a great compliment. If you can play Mozart's pieces like Mozart, what better praise is there?"

Saying this, Professor Celine stroked her violin and added.

"But we can't confirm it. We don't know what Mozart's performance was really like. We can only guess from the score. It's the dilemma of all classical performers. We have a goal, but we can't verify where exactly it is. Unless we have a time machine."

This could be Professor Celine's humility, acknowledging that my praise was too high. Or it could be the frustration of having to follow Mozart without ever hearing his performance.

I felt a pang of regret.

I couldn't confirm for her that my words were even more of a compliment than her imagination.

I had seen the real Wolfgang and heard his performance, so I could prove it, but I couldn't.

At that moment, Professor Celine suddenly handed me the violin.

"Would you like to play? I'm curious to see how much you've improved since the competition."

I looked down at the violin for a moment.

Then, Professor Celine, as if feeling guilty, explained.

"It's not the Guarneri. It's a violin I use for practice. I use it often. Often."

"Ah, yes."

But I wasn't concerned about that.

Perhaps, this could work?

That proof.

With this thought, I took the violin.

Slowly stepping onto the stage, I focused on the characteristics of the violin.

The tension of the strings, the feel of the bow...

I drew the bow once.

I was surprised. The sound was familiar. It was quite similar to the violin I usually use.

Thinking it was a funny coincidence, I placed the bow on the strings and began to play.

'Violin Sonata, K.526.'

As I drew the bow, I recalled something.

Mozart was a natural improviser.

Thus, his scores often didn't reach 'completion.'

After all, he would complete them on the spot during performances.

Yet, it was a remarkable feat that he could play the same melodies at each premiere.

I wasn't just recalling this because I was playing Mozart's piece.

It was because this was what was missing from Professor Celine's performance.

Mozart himself didn't know how he would play, so his music had an elusive, raw feel.

This was not present in Professor Celine's performance.

Therefore, while her performance was like Mozart, it couldn't be Mozart.

I wasn't more technically skilled than Professor Celine, but I could express this nuance.

It was a subtle difference, but I hoped she would notice.

Professor Celine, who had studied Mozart extensively, would surely recognize the difference.

After the performance, I stepped down from the stage and asked lightly.

"How was it?"

But an unexpected question came back.

"Did you try to teach me something?"

"Excuse me? No, that's not..."

I waved my hands in confusion, and Professor Celine's expression was peculiar.

At first, I thought she was angry, but it didn't seem so. Rather, it was closer to exhilaration.

"No, you were clearly completely immersed in the performance. But..."

"..."

"I feel like I learned something."

Her answer was unexpectedly calm, and I smiled, feeling relieved.

"Thank you."

"No, I just..."

Before she could finish with a confident voice,

"Briener."