Chapter 119
Founded in 1817, the university offered academic research in music and performing arts, with over 3,000 students from Austria and more than 70 countries studying in 24 departments.
With 1,300 performances and events taking place each year, the MDW was the largest cultural event in Austria.
There was another reason why music education was famous here. A place where musical geniuses could receive intensive training, with an average of 4.7 students per professor. At MDW, that opportunity existed.
The main gate of Korea University. Although it was still the holiday season, many students flocked to the library, as befitting the name of South Korea's most prestigious school. The students exclaimed in admiration at the banner hanging over the main gate.
"Wow! You admitted three of them to MDW? If this keeps up, won't the reputation of the gifted education center grow more than that of the music school?"
"I see many students who have gone on to other prestigious schools."
Right above the main gate, a large banner hung proudly by the dean could be seen.
The world's best music school! Admission confirmed to the Vienna Conservatory of Music (Austria)! Nam Soo-hyun and Kim Junwoo from the piano department. Shin Jaehee from the violin department.
Next to the banner was a list of other students who had entered prestigious music schools abroad. A student who admired the achievement tilted his head.
"Wait a minute, Nam Soo-hyun. Are you referring to the victims of the train accident in Switzerland?"
"Yes, he's very famous. He's a genius who swept the Chopin and Beethoven competitions."
"But Nam Soo-hyun is already sixteen, right? Is he going to college?"
"Does age matter for a genius? It's even worse in the music field."
"Wow!... How envious! When I entered Korea University, people thought I was a prodigy, but when I came here, I became an ordinary student. Nam Soo-hyun shines among them."
"Yesterday I saw the dean leaving work, and he was laughing his head off. It was the first time I'd seen him laugh so hard."
"That's right. The results will lead to corporate sponsorship."
Soo-hyun's house.
Ji-ye kept nagging Soo-hyun as he packed his clothes into two huge suitcases.
"As you've seen in movies, some people secretly expect that kind of greeting when meeting Asians. Don't just greet in the Western style, but also shake hands and bow your head naturally. It is said that this makes them more likable to the Austrians."
Soo-hyun sat on the sofa and stared at Ji-ye, who didn't stop talking.
"It is said that most Austrians are very sad about the fact that their country was reduced after World War I. They feel a complex, especially about Germany's rise. The way to ease this complex and gain their support is to recognize Austria as a cultural powerhouse."
Ji-ye said as she put Soo-hyun's underwear in a bag.
"Austria has a well-established etiquette for respecting women. When entering or leaving a place, women always have priority, and when greeting with a handshake, it is customary for women to extend their hand first."
'If this goes on, I don't think he'll stop talking all night.'
"Sister."
"Also, when someone asks you for a favor, the way to build trust is to express your intentions quickly. What foreigners hate most is vaguely indicating your intention to refuse."
"Sister, you're going too."
"Yes, Chairman Park Ki-jun provided a house for exclusive use near the school."
Ji-ye was hired by the chairman for a long-term period and followed him to Austria. His salary increased significantly when he was put in charge of Jaehee and Junwoo.
"I can't keep up with the school. What if I make a mistake? The fewer enemies you have, the better," Ji-ye said with a glaring look.
"Aren't you glad that Jaehee and Junwoo are together?" she asked, changing the subject.
Soo-hyun smiled brightly. It was very good news.
"Junwoo got in with relative ease. Professor Hermann's letter of recommendation also helped. Jaehee said she got in by the skin of her teeth, but I heard she got good grades."
"Jaehee, what about German? We've been studying it every day these days."
"It's going well. I think I can get to the B1 level."
"Wow! B1? Wasn't Junwoo also a B2?"
"Haha, Jaehee was born with a talent for studying. Junwoo is a bit of a nerd."
Ji-ye said, looking at Soo-hyun.
"Are you the only one who's going to make it?"
"…"
Soo-hyun still struggled with studying, especially math. When he found out he wouldn't have to study it in Austria, he was even happier than when he found out he would be studying abroad with his friends. Ji-ye looked at Soo-hyun and smiled to herself. She looked around the house, filled with emotion.
"This house is finally finished. It's a shame there's still time left on the lease, but it was still a house with a lot of memories. Right?"
'That's right. Because I met Jaehee, Junwoo, the people of Baeksa Village, and my orchestra friends while coming to this house.'
"Did you say goodbye to the elders of Baeksa Village?"
"Yes, yesterday Jaehee, Junwoo, and I were going to go, but when the others found out, they came running, so there were twenty of us. Because of that, Uncle Young-hoo had a hard time cooking the ramen."
Ji-ye smiled at Soo-hyun's words.
"I found out that we didn't have enough pots, so we even brought all the pots from Mr. Sambok's house, haha. When the elders in the neighborhood found out, they came to visit and gave us snacks and side dishes."
"I connected well. I plan to visit again when I come back from studying abroad."
"Do you have to go to school today?" Ji-ye said as she finished unpacking one suitcase and opened the next.
"Yes, I decided to have lunch with Professor Kim Eun-joo and Professor Lee Chan-ho."
"Jaehee and Junwoo too?"
"No. Neither of them knows Teacher Kim Eun-ju, so it's just me."
"Yes, it's the last day of school. Come home on time. You know we're leaving the day after tomorrow, right?"
"Yes, Sister."
"Oh, it's already so late! Get ready!"
Although he still had plenty of time, Soo-hyun left early on purpose because he wanted to enjoy the view of the practice room and the school. As he walked slowly, the people he met on the street greeted him warmly. The supermarket lady gave him five thousand won worth of snacks for free.
Soo-hyun was the first to go to the practice room. A small room, just over one pyeong. A piano, a stool, three folding chairs, and a wall clock were the only furniture. He touched the piano quietly.
'Come to think of it, the door leading to Uncle Beethoven opened right in this practice room.'
He opened the lid and placed his hands on the keys. The piano seemed to tremble and regret the separation.
"Take care, thank you."
As he smiled, he suddenly remembered something he had forgotten.
"Play when you have time. If you don't find the rhythm, there's no opportunity to grow."
He remembered what the men who had given him the sheet music had said. He opened the lid again and sat down. He took out the folded sheet music and looked at the time.
"We still have about an hour, so let's play it."
There was no title for the sheet music, but there were movement instructions. The first movement was Vivace-Moderato-Vivace.
"I guess it's a piano concerto," he muttered as he read the three movements.
He placed his hands on the keyboard. A movement with a wide, arched structure. It was full of healthy, lyrical, and attractive ideas. A conversation about a subtle theme, where the fortissimo trill could have a strong effect or stand out for its delicacy. Although in sonata form, the traditional solo cadenza was played in refreshing double octaves. A long cadenza full of nostalgia and a bright, lasting flame.
'It's a strange music. A song that shines with its purity and fresh lyricism despite being music full of lyricism. A song that goes from quiet and gloomy to sweet and gentle. Small, waltz-like manic fragments send notes into a storm. Back in Forte, it is treated with a grand tone. In the middle of the fast and furious outer sections, the dreamy song suddenly announces its end.'
Soo-hyun's eyes trembled after finishing his performance. Until now, no matter what song I played, the composer's heart was conveyed in the form of poetry. But this song was different. It reminded him of a wide painting.
A field dyed gold.
In the golden fields where the sun sets,
As I was digging potatoes, I heard a bell ring and stopped.
It depicts a man praying to God.
Innocence, comfort.
The wonder of nature is depicted in golden paint.
Born from the earth, eating through the earth,
An image of the original nature of humans, sleeping on the ground and returning to the earth.
A glimpse of the fading sun's rays beyond the horizon.
It seems like it's the end of the year, but on the contrary, it vaguely comes to mind.
Through the appearance of the faint full moon,
A rocky landscape that emits a red light that reflects the sunset.
It makes me feel ecstatic.
A song that dealt with an abstract proposal that was not poetry but painting, something he had never felt before. It was difficult to express, but the meaning felt clearer than the poem he received in an ambiguous poem.
'What kind of person could create a song like this? Perhaps he is a color artist and a genius musician in the expression of space and time through musical art.'
And then, the door of the practice room opened with a click, just as he had opened Beethoven's door.