Volume 8 / Chapter 261
TL: LightNovelCafe
Editor: Isleidir
When Jun Hyuk came through the recording booth door, the waiting orchestra members bolted up from their seats. Jun Hyuk laughed and waved his hand so they could sit back down. When the person closest to the door got up to close the door to the booth, Jun Hyuk waved at him to leave it alone.
“First off, congratulations on becoming official members.”
Jun Hyuk clapped lightly and everyone finally realized that they had become members of this incredible orchestra, and their faces brightened.
More than half were veterans of other famous orchestras, and there were complete rookies. However, they had something in common as well. Not a single person had gray hair.
The members were feeling it dimly as well. Older people had not even bothered to audition because it is difficult for them to follow this scary maestro’s rigorous directing.
“The first thing I can tell you is about money. If you become an orchestra to the standard that I want and those who are able to withstand it until that happens, you will be sitting on money.”
The members had been expecting more agreeable and warm words, so their faces hardened. This young maestro is too straightforward and coarse.
“I’ll give incentives for each show’s ticket sales and each album’s sales performance.”
The members already know that Jun Hyuk’s choral concerto album is a million seller. It is not an exaggeration that they will be sitting on money if they release dozens of albums like that.
“First, I’ll give you a taste of the money. After one month, you all will be recording my opera . We’re working on the first album with the premiere’s original cast.”
The members’ jaws dropped. A world tour that went over a year. It is a work that sold out each time and rewrote the history of opera.
If it comes out as a record, it will sell at least as much as the audience was mobilized. It is normal for the audience who witnessed the show in person to purchase the album in order to experience that emotion again. And how many people are manic about the movie ‘Godfather’? They are positive that this album is going to become a collector’s item for the millions of people around the world who love the movie.
Record companies are saying that the opera album is going to sell at least 10 million.
Karajan sold 200 million albums while serving as life conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. That was called the Berlin Philharmonic’s Golden Age. The orchestra members all earned a ton of money from album sales and performances abroad through incentives. However, Karajan released over 1000 albums with the Berlin Philharmonic.
Jun Hyuk’s orchestra will sell 10 million with just one album. Compared to Jun Hyuk’s orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic’s Golden Age is just like a poor laborer devoting himself to mass production.
The members all realized that the large salary they would be making is no longer considered a lot of money.
“And if I want to, I could make it so that not a single label could release the album for the opera . Then your performance would be the only album out there.”
The members all had trouble trying to hold back their laughter. A performance that will continue for dozens of years after. And just one album.
If it is a steady seller for that long, it is basically another pension. With just one recording.
“You can’t be so happy about it already. We’ll be working on it in this studio recording booth. It’s not a performance on stage.”
It took a while for them to understand what Jun Hyuk was saying.
“Here, there are a total of 10 people to take on 1st and 2nd violin.”
Jun Hyuk raised his hand to motion to the violinists.
“If I only like the way one out of all of these people play, that person will end up playing 10 times. Why? Because it’s a recording. All we have to do is mix the 10 times they play. And that person will take all of the incentives of 10 people.”
The orchestra members had been too quick to be happy, and they looked like an audience watching a horror movie. Until now, most operas were recorded in performance and released as live albums.
If there is even a single person for each instrument in this recording booth that is like a performance stage, it would even be possible to record a choral symphony. This place is not a temple of music, but a coliseum that they need to survive.
When the conductor had said that they would sit on money if they withstood it, he was not just talking about them remaining as members. They need to survive as people with abilities up to standard to participate in the recording.
“A worse situation could come out. If no one is to my satisfaction, I will have no choice but to call in a violin soloist. Um… Daniel LaPierre, my friend and someone getting the most spotlight at the moment. He can come and record 12 times.”
There was a chill in the studio as if cold water had been thrown on them. How insulting are his words? He picked them and could end up not using them!
“This is not just with the violins. It is the same for all of the parts. I brought you all here with 3 times the salary of the Berlin Philharmonic. Is anyone here able to say that they are 3 times better than the Berlin Philharmonic in ability?”
The chill became a freeze with Jun Hyuk’s fastball. A symphony that can follow the Berlin Philharmonic will not come out right now.
“There are 2 years left until JS Center’s opening. My goal is to give a performance that is as great as – no – at least twice as great as that of the Berlin Philharmonic in 2 years.”
Everyone’s hair rose. This means that they will just practice rigorously for 2 years.
“It’s possible if you trust me and follow my directing. Of course that process will be more than 3 times as rigorous as that of the Berlin Philharmonic.”
Jun Hyuk came down from the podium and walked toward the open door.
“I can direct your performances but not your legs and feet. Anyone who does not have the confidence can leave through this door. We will pay you for the work you did today.”
No one rose from their seats. No one wants to leave this golden pond. Jun Hyuk smiled at them and got back up on the podium.
“Great. Then shall we get started? Everyone, open your scores.”
The members opened the score to opera , sitting on the music stands in front of them. The members were like gladiators battling to stay alive in a coliseum as they picked up their weapons. Their instruments.
***
While Jun Hyuk waved a carrot in front of the orchestra to whip them into shape, President Isaac Stern was more busy than he had ever been in his life.
“Oh my God! Mr. Stern, what are you doing all the way here?”
“Mr. Yoon, it’s been a while. I wanted a coffee from your cafe.”
Yoon Kwang Hun was surprised when he opened the cafe early in the morning and President Stern walked in. And he could guess that the man had not come to see him himself for something small.
President Stern had a coffee with Yoon Kwang Hun and enjoyed Jun Hyuk’s music as they exchanged greetings.
President Stern chatted for a while before handing Yoon Kwang Hun a thick document.
“What is this?”
“First, take a look. Let’s talk after you read through it.”
The documents recorded the complicated relationships of various companies, the flow of funds, and Jun Hyuk’s income in detail. Yoon Kwang Hun looked through them carefully and then put a cigarette in his mouth.
“This is impressive. What a map.”
President Stern would not have come all the way to Korea just to show him this map. Yoon Kwang Hun could already guess why President Stern had come to him.
Jun & Stern Foundation.
A foundation that possesses Isaac Stern’s personal shares of Stern Corporation, and shares for the record label and online distributor which will be newly established. A foundation that will be responsible for JS Center’s operations and tremendous funds.
The record label to be established plans to create Jun Hyuk’s music of course, but also the albums he will act as producer for, and music he will make for singers.
The offline distribution of music is working with existing distributors, but there will be a label dedicated to online music distribution.
The conclusion is simple. The foundation’s objective is maximizing revenue through Jun Hyuk.
The Beatles also created their own record label because they did not want to waste the money that was going to their former label. Their record label’s name is . Of course it has nothing to do with Steve Job’s Apple.
It was an era without online however, so Apple collapsed when existing record labels and distributors united to block the distribution of Beatles albums. The Beatles submitted to an existing large label again.
However, the situation now is moving in an entirely different paradigm that it was then. A music production company is just another name for an agency and management agency. They play the same role, and unity is no longer possible.
“Mr. Stern. This is a good plan, but isn’t it meaningless to Jun no matter how much you maximize his revenue?”
President Stern laughed.
“You’re right. Jun isn’t buying a castle in Europe or collecting artwork worth millions of dollars like other stars. He won’t say that he wants to buy dozens of super cars or islands in the South Pacific either. And it doesn’t seem like he’ll marry multiple times and have to pay enormous alimonies like I did. Ha ha.”
“But why are you thinking of such a huge project?”
“Because it’s a waste.”