God of Piano

[Have you listened to the sound of the waves? ]

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Bach’s homework really had no such thing as regularity. Sometimes he gave me very musical homework, but one day he gave me very absurd homework.

Had it not been for the age of the internet, Rowoon might have been begging Chris to go to the sea to listen to the sound of the waves.

However, regardless of whether the homework was meaningful or not, the reward of the homework was always sweet. Each time he finished his homework, Rowoon took a step closer to the history of the Goldberg Variations. It was not simply a written history. It was a history engraved in Bach’s soul.

Making the history his own, doesn’t it mean that he has the soul of Bach to that extent?

‘A pianist with the soul of Bach.’

Rowoon laughed. Some might think it’s just a stupid delusion, but the scary thing is that this is real. Above all, the soul he could have was not only Bach’s. Beethoven, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, whoever it was… Rowoon could embrace anyone’s soul in his life.

However, apart from the satisfaction that it brings, Rowoon’s headache has been on the verge of exploding lately. It had to be. Too many things were happening all at once to him lately.

Playing level 6. Bach’s Journal. And a clue to the playing log.

‘The performance log is… if it’s what I think.’

If it was possible to look into the memory of Chopin or other musicians playing, it was incomparably more valuable than a composition journal.

Of course, it won’t come easily. I don’t know what the conditions are except for playing level 6, but if those conditions are more difficult than level 6, it’s difficult, because nothing is easy.

First of all, what Rowoon can do right now has not changed. He didn’t even know what the other conditions for unlocking the performance log were, and in the end, all he could do was read Bach’s journal, look into his life, and add more practice to extract Bach’s intended music into the world as it is. it was paying

There was only one answer left. practice. only practice. All pianists, like Chopin and Bach, had to go through that sluggish and desperate time of endurance.

Thanks to that, Rowoon had no choice but to stamp out the practice room as he always did. It was quite a funny irony that even though everything changed through the Walkman, there was no difference in my daily life.

Recently, the practice building has been quite busy. Rowoon was not the only one preparing an online application ahead of the entrance exam. Every door in the practice room was full of melodies, and the melodies that came running through the doors were tangled up in a mess and turned into white noise.

If you pay attention to each and every performance, you might be surprised to find that what people thought were weeds are actually pretty flowers. So was Rowoon. When he rested his hands for a while, he would lie down on the bench and pick out the tunes he wanted from the sounds that filled his surroundings. Searching for flowers that stand out among the weeds.

And the flower he found that day had no choice but to capture Rowoon’s nerves.

‘······uh?’

It had to be. Because it was the same Goldberg Variation as Rowoon. Unlike Rowoon, who had just mastered the 10th variation, the performance ended after playing the 22nd variation.

Neat, faithful to the score, and at the same time, a neat key that is hard to find a miss touch. I didn’t even have to look into the practice room. There is only one person at Hidden Valley High School who can perform at this level.

Gregor Maureen.

The undisputed ace of the piano department.

‘I heard that that guy is also applying to the California Conservatory…

Did he choose the Goldberg Variations among Bach’s works in the same way? If that were true, it was a pretty odd coincidence.

Rowoon stopped playing for a moment and focused on Gregor’s performance. I could hear them practicing the right hand bar of the 23rd variation separately.

‘······As expected, one type is good.’

Even in the middle of practicing, the power to press the keys was neatly controlled. It was also like baroque music to calmly revive the melody without any note sticking out.

The problem is, baroque music, just like baroque music, would be difficult to properly appeal to the judges.

‘It feels like a computer.’

Computers never make mistakes in playing. He digests everything as the sheet music tells him to do. However, if the result was attractive, humans would no longer have to deal with musical instruments.

Just a flawless performance is never a great performance. As someone who had seen Bach’s composition journal, Rowoon could speak more strongly about him than anyone else.

Rowoon stopped listening to Gregor’s playing. Now I know enough about the resonance of the plain Goldberg Variations. Now it’s time to hear his, Bach’s Goldberg.

From the aria to the tenth variation.

‘Bach.’

The Goldberg Variations were originally created for the harpsichord. Basically, it means that it is not a song for piano.

The gap between the harpsichord and piano.

reduce that gap.

‘······Pedaling is minimal.’

The works made by Bach for the organ rather recommended the use of pedals, but the case of the harpsichord was different. Stepping on the pedal as little as possible to ensure the independence of each note and several melodies was an essential element to successfully play this song.

The melody blooms. Even though it seems to be entangled like a vine, the stem eventually walks its own path and blooms its own flower.

— Waves must be calmed down by waves.

Many disagreements follow that the Goldberg Variations were written to solve Count Kaiserlink’s insomnia. It was because this variation had a structure that was not so calm to be considered a sleep song.

However, Rowoon knew that this song was more definitely a sleep song than any other song.

To solve Count Kaiserlink’s insomnia, Bach chose to captivate rather than calm his mind. Pulled under the swamp of music, made him forget the burden he originally carried.

Rowoon knows Bach’s true intentions, which no one can guess.

Unlike Gregor, who has already been able to play up to the 22nd variation, now he can only reach ten variations.

But what matters is depth, not speed.

After finishing the tenth variation, the last bar, Rowoon took a slow breath. And I realized that I couldn’t hear the Goldberg Variations I had heard before, Gregor’s performance to be precise.

The reason was immediately clear. A knock rang out. I turned my head. Through the window of the practice room, I saw a familiar face.

It was Gregor.

#

“He played Goldberg.”

“huh.”

“Are you preparing for the California Conservatory?”

“So what.”

“It is a strange coincidence. I was preparing Goldberg too.”

“It’s not a coincidence.”

Gregor said calmly.

“I chose it because of you. The Goldberg Variations.”

“······what?”

It was unexpected. Gregor continued.

“How did you do it?”

“I can’t follow you.”

“How did you get over the wall?”

For a moment, Rowoon couldn’t find anything to say. It cannot be said that great men such as Chopin and Bach began to teach him directly through the Walkman.

“Even if you suddenly ask me that… I don’t have anything to say.”

“······okay. I guess so.”

As if he didn’t know what he was expecting, Gregor nodded without a hint of disappointment. Rowoon looked at Gregor like that. His friend Luther seemed to dislike him a bit from the old days, but Gregor did not. Rather, even before he showed the light, Rowoon always felt like he was respected by Gregor.

“Good luck. theory.”

“······you also. I hope it goes well.”

“Today is your victory.”

For a moment, Rowoon did not know what Gregor was saying. But after a while, he realized that it was about the Goldberg Variations and hardened his expression. Gregor continued.

“But I won’t quake next time.”

“What youth movie are you shooting?”

Gregor laughed at Rowoon’s scolding. The conversation ended there. Gregor went back to his practice room. Rowoon also sat down in front of my piano and caught his breath.

If you think about it, it was unrealistic. Gregor, who has always been considered the head of the piano department, is conscious of him. But more mysteriously, the conviction that he could defeat such a Gregor was in his heart.

‘How did you get over it?’

I have such perfect teachers right now.

Engraving the answer he couldn’t return to Gregor in his heart, Rowoon raised his hand. There are many variations left. There is no time.

That day, Rowoon received three more assignments.

＜ Only one performance (2) ＞ End

＜ Only one performance (3) ＞

When nobody hears the word ‘pianist’, they don’t think he or she has a muscular body. The image of classical music is usually a delicate and elegant feeling, and muscles in many ways do not suit that feeling.

Rowoon had the skinny physique that people usually expect of a pianist. But that didn’t mean he was negligent in taking care of his body. Although it differs depending on the song, pianists often had to sit in front of the piano for an hour or more to play, and physical strength was essential.

As a means of increasing physical strength, Rowoon considered several things. Weight training was out of the question from the start. Even one finger could get hurt while working with metal, and for a pianist, injuring a hand was no different from a death sentence.

Martial arts and other tough sports had to be excluded for the same reason. And, there is only one thing left.

swimming.

“…”

Floating in an empty pool, Rowoon looked up at the sky. Because it was an outdoor pool, the clear sky of California was clearly visible. The sky is the same color as in the days of Bach and Chopin.

It had already been over a month since we prepared Bach and Chopin for the online audition. Chopin’s Prelude No. 4 was recently obtained, and Bach’s Goldberg Variations were also his, twenty-seven of those thirty-two journals.

‘Would this work?’

[Do you think you can really create waves with this kind of performance? ]

Bach once left such a word to Rowoon. Rowoon raised his hand and pushed the surface of the water. For a moment, something similar to a wave almost occurred, but it disappeared with only ripples.

‘Can waves be created by human hands?’

Of course, having read Bach’s composing journal, Rowoon knew what the correct answer was. Both Bach and Chopin, apart from the waves, already had a great sea within them.

what about Rowoon? Would the sea inside him be bigger than this swimming pool? Are there waves in his sea?

The more he practiced, the closer he got to Bach and Chopin, the more Rowoon could not help but realize the gulf between him and them.