Volume 4 / Chapter 150
TL: LightNovelCafe
[TN: Hey guys…sorry about yesterday. I was sick and was stuck in the hospital all day trying to see a doctor so I couldn’t translate. Even today I had to call out sick at work. But I hope you enjoy. I am setting this release for free :D]
For most people listening to this song for the first time, it is nothing but extreme noise. This song is noise that is difficult to listen all the way through to the end. However, this kid heard it for the first time and had an interpretation of it. It is an impossible response unless it is from the composer.
Petrenko looked behind him and called someone over,
“Maestro Giavelli. What do you think? Isn’t it obvious?”
Maestro Giavelli approached Jun Hyuk slowly.
“Are you Korean?”
“Yes.”
“So you are.”
Maestro Giavelli is the elderly gentleman who had stayed until the end and clapped. That is when Jun Hyuk remembered who the man is. He is the maestro who used to lead the San Francisco Philharmonic. It is no wonder he seemed familiar.
“The person who gave me the score for this song first is my student and he’s Korean. He came across your score by chance as well, but he said that he wasn’t able to find the composer.”
The first source of the score is Korea. The time and location of the appearance of the score matches up exactly. That and Jun Hyuk’s evaluation of the performance.
Everyone backstage finally believed that Jun Hyuk is the composer.
“You said that a Korean gave you the score?”
Since he said that it was a student, he is sure that it is not Yoon Kwang Hun. Then could that mean Yoon Kwang Hun threw away his score? There is no way that could have happened. He keeps Jun Hyuk’s scores and considers them worth more than money.
He takes care of them and stores them with a humidistat that would only be seen in a museum. He would not have shown it to others either. If he had, the composer would not be unknown.
“Ah, it’s not the original. He found a printout somewhere and brought it to me.”
Maestro Giavelli smiled slightly at Jun Hyuk’s surprised expression. The young composer does not know where his score was leaked either. There is no reason to wonder about that though. Everything was already revealed.
There is something that no one backstage had asked Jun Hyuk. That is the background of making this song. No one asked why he had created such a song and what he had wanted to express.
It is a question that would have come out if the composer was old. When everyone laid eyes on Jun Hyuk however, they could only guess. They do not know what kind of past he had, but his ability to write such a song is evidence that he has experienced indescribable pain. They could not bring up that painful past on purpose.
Jun Hyuk shook off thoughts about the original score and said why he had come backstage.
“Honestly… I’m curious about your opinion. There are 3 maestros here and the Berlin Philharmonic members, who are seen as the best in the world, so I think you can solve what I am curious about.”
When Jun Hyuk spoke carefully, everyone turned their attentions to him again.
“Can you tell me what my music is like?”
The 3 maestros looked at each other.
“I guess we can say it like this.”
Marco Giavelli, who had seen Jun Hyuk’s music first and had thought about it the most, started giving his opinion.
“Modern music, which started in the latter half of the 19th century, constantly throws the question – what is music? And little by little, musicians appeared to answer that question… We went past listening to music and enjoying it with emotions, to exploring its nature. But Inferno is….”
Marco Giavelli stopped speaking as though he had suddenly thought of something.
“Oh right, what do you think of the subtitle ‘Inferno’? Is it okay?”
“Yes, it’s perfect. When I was writing that song, I did not know the word ‘inferno’. If I had known it, I think I would have titled it that.”
“That’s a relief.”
He had a satisfied expression and continued with his opinion on Jun Hyuk’s essential question.
“Anyway, I think that Inferno isn’t asking the nature of music but the role of music. The question up until now. The question has moved from ‘ What is music?’ to ‘Until where is the role of music possible?’ Could there be a role for music that causes pain just by listening to it?”
Jun Hyuk found Marco Giavelli’s explanation more interesting than his own music. He respected that this man could have such thoughts.
“If there is, is it something that is necessary for humans? If it is not needed, is there a reason for creating that music? It brings up these never ending philosophical questions.”
Jun Hyuk thought of the saying, interpretation over draems. A deep interpretation that he had not thought of. There are times when the value of art is decided on the interpretation of it. As there are more people in tune with that interpretation, the more it is recognized as a work of art.
“I think that your song Inferno is important because it causes a cycle of never ending questions. The young maestro, Petrenko, also put this performance on stage to throw that question out to the world.”
Marco Giavelli was telling Jun Hyuk that the shock surrounding his song will not have disappeared yet. It has been performance and since the composer appeared, it will inevitably become more news-worthy.
“So the intentions of the composer are not important. Inferno is a song that I wrote for no particular reason when I was younger.”
Jun Hyuk was embarrassed that they were giving such a high assessment of his song.
“I have another opinion.”
Petrenko had been quietly listening to Marco Giavelli’s opinions, when he spoke,
“Yes. I would like to hear it.”
“These are opinions that say we cannot say it is not music. There are people who say that it is nothing but noise and no matter what the intentions for making it were, the results are too violent. That’s why there are a lot of people who say that it such not be included in the category of music.”
Jun Hyuk made it himself, but thought that there is a need to take a look at it objectively.
“I see.”
Neatly solved questions and an assessment of his music. Jun Hyuk forgot about the awkwardness and embarrassment he felt when he first came backstage.
“I feel relieved. It’s a song that I had completely forgotten about… I don’t know how to thank you for giving me such a clear evaluation of it.”
Jun Hyuk got up from his seat and owed to the maestros and Berlin Philharmonic members.
“I took too much of your time when you’re so busy. Then I’ll be going.”
However, Jun Hyuk could not go backstage. None of the people surrounding him, cleared a path for him to leave.
“Hang on. What are you doing?”
The person blocking him with his arms was Petrenko.
“Ah, I’m sorry but I’ll be going now. I need to go to Budapest early tomorrow morning.”
Jun Hyuk spoke in apology, but Petrenko did not get out of his way.
“You can’t go now. There’s still a lot that we need to talk about. How can I just send you away like this?”
“Of course I would like to speak more with you three, but the situation…..”
Petrenko and Jun Hyuk suddenly became awkward. Petrenko cannot hang on to someone who has a reason for going back. And Jun Hyuk feels bad that there is more to say, but he only asked what he needed to.
Sir Simon Lettle resolved this awkward situation.
“It isn’t three. What are you going to do if there are 6 people? I mean to include the conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic.”
Sir Simon Lettle shook the cellphone in his hand.
“I told all of the conductors in Salzburg to gather. No one hesitated when I said that the composer of Inferno appeared. Are you still going to leave?”
Jun Hyuk stared blankly at the cellphone. What could be happening right now? Is he saying that over 10 of the best conductors in the world are gathering here because of him?
“If the orchestra members come as well, that’s hundreds of people. I don’t know what you have going on, but don’t you think it’s too much to disappoint so many people?”
Sir Simon Lettle smiled at Jun Hyuk in jest, and Jun Hyuk took out his phone. He would need to send Amelia a text.
If he tells her that he is with the 3 maestros, she will not be angry but be happy for him as though it had happened to herself.
Petrenko looked at Jun Hyuk’s phone through the side of his eye and tilted his head.
“Sorry but… are you texting Amelia? The pianist that I know? Amelia LaMarque?”
“Yes.”
“Well… Was there a performance with you two scheduled in Budapest? This is uncomfortable. I wanted to spend a few days with you…..”
It seems that Petrenko thought they were putting on a performance together as conductor and pianist because he does not know their relationship. Since they are students of the same school, it is not a far off guess.
“Ah, no that’s not it. It’s not a performance, but… she’s actually my girlfriend. We were going to meet in Budapest.”
Jun Hyuk’s face flushed in embarrassment.
“What? Amelia is your girlfriend? Then are you saying that you’re the Jun she spoke about in an interview after the Tchaikovsky Competition?”
Jun Hyuk is like an onion, with layer on layer. The people backstage gathered to him again upon this new side of him.