Volume 8 / Chapter 271

TL: LightNovelCafe

Editor: Isleidir

An orchestra that can bring out music with just the fine movements of his eye and baton.

While over 80 orchestra members acted as Jun Hyuk’s fingers for more than 10 minutes, they did not show a single irregularity.

One maestro shook his head. A performance like this is impossible even with endless rehearsals.

It is not a performance that is possible through practice. It is only possible if each member is trained individually. But to train musicians with strong pride?

There is not a single musician who is willing to withstand a whipping just because of a high salary. An orchestra is a group, but each member is his own universe.

Each musician is someone who plays his own instrument.

As the maestros looked at the stage in disbelief, Jun Hyuk’s baton began to move again.

When the lyrical 2nd part ended with an irregular 3-part form, everyone held their breaths. What kind of Schubert will a great maestro with a perfectly tuned orchestra show them?

When the first verse flowed out, the eyes of the maestros in the audience grew wide.

It is different. Completely different.

The score that Schubert left behind is composed until the 3rd part 9th verse, and the rest is generally sketched out on piano.

Average people don’t know well, but maestros remember this precisely and most have even performed it.

The dreamlike chord and ba.s.s in piccicato however, was entirely Jun Hyuk’s music. Jun Hyuk ignored the score that Schubert never finished writing, and was performing a completely new Schubert.

A pleasing theme came out through the violin and the theme kept developing. The violin’s quiet melody worked with the oboe and clarinet to play a sweet song, and the audience yelled out ‘Schubert!’ subconsciously.

The song’s atmosphere changed for a moment with the oboe expressing a longing as though aspiring to something, and they returned to the 1st theme again to end with the 3rd part.

There was the sound of light sighs coming from everywhere a tension relaxed. Isaac Stern enjoyed the aftertaste of this new Schubert with his eyes closed and waited for the last part.

Allegro’s 4th part started and introduction’s sad song and sweet and flexible melody shook his heart and pa.s.sed through the audience’s heart as though Schubert came back from a long vacation to show them the music on stage as the inside of the theater filled with joy.

The audience felt like they had been chosen by Schubert. Schubert coming back after 200 years to perform on stage himself. They feel as though they are watching that performance.

It was an affectionate whisper in the gentle and familiar language of love, and also a melody that captures the human spirit with endless love.

It did not make the mistake of forcing romance too much to lose convention, and it was cla.s.sical without being too rigid of a rendition.

It was a very high performance on top of solid German tradition, maintaining the external convention that Schubert’s piece has while expressing the rich nuances of the inner aspect of the melody through emotion.

It is very romantic overall and Jun Hyuk’s music, which is overflowing with poetic mood, shows Schubert’s melody flowing as though springing out of the underworld.

When they finished playing until the 4th part, Isaac Stern, who loves and understands Schubert more than anyone else does, could tell the true meaning of that Jun Hyuk’s gift holds.

Jun Hyuk had accepted the pending death and embellished the travel to eternal rest beautifully.

Jun Hyuk gifted Isaac Stern with a companion so he would not be lonely in his eternal travel. He had given a gift in the form of Schubert that contains his heart.

Jun Hyuk turned on the podium to face the audience, and the name ‘Schubert’ rang throughout the theater with enthusiastic applause.

When Jun Hyuk came down from the podium, a staff member quickly gave him a microphone.

“I won’t worry whether I dirtied Schubert’s name. This is something I started with full determination.”

The audience shook their heads vigorously and started to clap again.

“I felt it while performing. This song is obviously incomplete stylistically but by content, it is not in any way incomplete. That essence of this song is here. Like that someone’s life.”

He is saying that today’s performance was the perfect tribute. And the subject is Isaac Stern himself.

A few elderly audience members had eyes full of envy. It is envy for this last gift he received – a Schubert song that will never appear again.

“Dimitri. If my life is the 2nd part, meeting Jun was the 1st part and everything after is the 2nd part.”

Isaac Stern held onto Dimitri Carras’ hand tightly as he spoke.

“What? Then what about me? It wasn’t me dominating the 1st part?”

“He he. You’re something like the main theme of the 1st part? About that.”

As they laughed for a while, the curtains slowly came down on stage.

***

Once the official program was over, the Isaac Stern in the party room looked young again. He kept laughing while surrounded by Hollywood actresses, and occasionally showed his bad hand manners.

The President needed to go back to Was.h.i.+ngton because of his busy schedule, and held onto Jun Hyuk while making his last appeal.

“Maestro, you promised me. You have to attend the year end ceremony at the White House. Got it?”

“Mr. President. I need to hold a year end show here, too. I’ll try to adjust my schedule, but I can’t guarantee anything.”

Jun Hyuk handed a roll of paper tied with ribbon over to a disappointed President.

“I don’t know if I can give you this instead.”

“What is this?”

“A piano song. It’s a total of 10 songs, so play it in the order they’re numbered. If you play them perfectly until the 10th song, I’ll hold a special performance. I’ll bring you in as a pianist in this large theater. You’ll play a duet with me.”

The President smiled more widely than he had when he was announced as the next President on election day.

The maestro wrote songs just for him and even promised that they would go on stage together. More surprising was what Yoon Kw.a.n.g Hun said.

“Mr. President. This is the first time Jun’s handwritten score has been leaked out. The scores for these piano songs are the first.”

The President’s Secretary General must have understood the scores’ value as well because he chipped in.

“Mr. President. Right now, Maestro Jun’s handwritten score is similar in value to those of Mozart. I don’t know much, but it’s enough to get museums all over the world calling you for those scores.”

The President embraced Jun Hyuk.

“If I fail in the re-election, that will all be your fault, Maestro. I would have neglected my duties to the state to practice these songs.”

The President held the scores in his hand as he walked away with regret, as the night of the party ripened.

And after 1 week, Isaac Stern left the world.

***

Isaac Stern. He was a giant iceberg. If the tip coming out above the water is a musician, he was the one hiding his giant body while sustaining the person on top from under water.

My friend Isaac was humorous and positive, an elegant man who loved music. It was also part of his charm that he was an old man who liked beautiful women.

The over 100 musicians he found are now playing fascinating melodies all around the world and his companion, friend, Maestro Jun who is like a grandson, is covering the world with his music.

He did not keep a single cent in his hand, and gave it back to society. He gave everything away and is going back into the earth.

Dimitri Carras gave the eulogy at his funeral, which was held in a New York cathedral. And he left his last words.

“I hope you have a chance to say your last goodbyes to Isaac Stern, who was a friend to us all.”

As people said their goodbyes to Isaac Stern, Dimitri Carras conducted the JS orchestra.

Schubert’s unfinished symphony flowed throughout the cathedral. It is a requiem for Isaac Stern.

The people who attended the funeral formed a line in front of the coffin in order to see Isaac Stern in his death.

Everyone cried and prayed for him.

Jun Hyuk put a score inside Isaac Stern’s coffin. It was the 3rd and 4th parts to Schubert’s unfinished symphony.

This song was made just for Isaac Stern and it was a declaration that he would never play it again.

Isaac Stern was buried in the Isaac Stern Center Park.

***

People who leave the sadness of someone who has left them, must go on living. Just as happiness does not last forever, neither does sadness.

Before Jun Hyuk could completely erase his sadness over losing Isaac Stern, he wanted to bring happiness to someone who is alive.

“Jun. This is too grand of a birthday party.”

“It’s not a party. It’s a birthday present.”

“Whether it’s a gift or party, it’s still too much.”

Tara and Amelia looked happy as well as they listened to how well Jun Hyuk’s plan worked out. It was even better that they were able to forget about Isaac Stern’s death even for a moment.

“And there’s no change to the fact that you deserve a tremendous birthday present.”

The 2 women nodded in agreement. Yoon Kw.a.n.g Hun really is someone who deserves it.

“Anyway, I’ll look into a performance that matches up perfectly.”

“I’ll look into a few performers and ask them, too. I’m sure I’ll be able to mobilize a fair number of them.”

“Amelia, Tara. Tell them that I’ll compensate them fully for my grat.i.tude. Then I’ll make a show that wasn’t there before.”

“Compensation? How?”

“Tell them that they can use my music in any way that they want from now on. I won’t take royalties.”

“What? You’re giving up royalties?”

Being able to use Jun Hyuk’s music as much as they want just by doing him a favor once. It seems that if they don’t pay the royalties that come with the number of performances and record sales, everyone will come out to try to get involved.

“Yeah. We need to show at least that much sincerity.”

Tara looked at Jun Hyuk smiling brightly, and let out a low whistle.

“Whew. This isn’t just a grand present, but an incredibly expensive one. It’d be much cheaper to buy and gift an island in the South Pacific.”

“Whatever. I’ll leave it to you. Tara, Amelia.”

“There won’t be any problems with conditions like these. Don’t worry.”

The 2 women took out their cellphones and started calling different places.