Chapter 95
Germany, bordered by both the North and Baltic Seas, was a rigorous gentleman’s country .
As a world-renowned industrial place with a population of fewer than 100 million people, it was quite prosperous . In its east-central region resided a beautiful, bewitching city named Dresden .
The Elbe River flowed through Dresden like a silver belt, giving the city the nickname Florence . At dusk, magnificent clouds floated upward, glowing over the river .
Dresden Symphony Orchestra was the most outstanding representative orchestra in the city . Throughout Germany, perhaps only the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra had comparable strength and fame . Anyone who visited Dresden had to find an opportunity to listen to the orchestra’s opera and enjoy their 400 years of history .
Yes, opera .
Unlike many others, the Dresden Symphony Orchestra performed in opera format for most of their concerts .
Symphony and opera were intimate friends . Symphony provided moving music for opera while the opera gave innumerable inspiration to the symphony .
Many orchestras performed together with a troupe at an opera house, but in most cases, they played a grand symphony concert by themselves in a concert hall . The Dresden Symphony Orchestra was an exception .
For example, they would perform Mozart’s most famous opera 《The Magic Flute》 at the local opera house, Semperoper for their evening event next month .
Qi Mu didn’t have much opportunity to touch opera symphonies in the past, but 《The Magic Flute》 was just too famous that he couldn’t ignore it even if he wanted to .
Farrell used his position as chief conductor and music director to open the back door for Qi Mu to perform with the Dresden Symphony Orchestra as a member of the first violin group .
Concertmaster? Naturally, that was impossible .
This opera’s concertmaster was a Norwegian violinist in her early thirties, Jenny Achilles .
While studying at the Munich Conservatory of Music, Qi Mu also listened to the Dresden Symphony Orchestra, but the concertmaster then was not this seemingly delicate, thin woman . So when he came to the orchestra, he officially met the beautiful lady for the first time .
Now that Farrell had decided on 《The Magic Flute》 as their repertoire, the orchestra began rehearsing fervently . Qi Mu remembered that when he first came to the orchestra, he was sitting in the third row, staring at the young lady sitting at the front of the lines in surprise .
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Can a woman so soft and beautiful play 《The Magic Flute》 well?
Qi Mu thought this to himself, but who would expect, after the performance was over, the music left him speechless .
Although Mozart’s 《The Magic Flute》 was a fairy tale, there were many points of conflict such as escape scenes, revenge, and battle . . . This variety was presented in the singing, and the symphony music had to show its vigor .
Qi Mu finally understood why Farrell liked the soft-spoken young violinist so much . When Jenny pulled her bow, she could showcase the force and anger . It was even comparable to the famous midnight soprano aria in 《The Magic Flute》 .
Of course, it’s not that Qi Mu thought he couldn’t express the same momentum, but compared to Jenny, he had less exposure to opera and wouldn’t be as skillful . As a result, if you want to compare which was better than the other . . .
“Well, I’m still worse than Jenny,” Qi Mu could only smile and sigh .
But privately, Jenny didn’t think this was the case . When she first saw Qi Mu, she shook his hand excitedly and with great joy . Her pale cheeks were tinted red when she said, “Oh my God, are you the Angel Mr . Farrell often talks about? I really like your music!!”
Qi Mu was surprised, but before he could respond, Jenny’s continued, “Since Mr . Farrell let me listen to your 《Violin Sonata in D major》, I listen to it once a day . You played really well!”
Qi Mu’s eyebrows involuntarily arched high, and he began to recall . . .
When mentioning 《Violin Sonata in D major》, several pieces came to mind . But when it came to ones he both played and recorded, there was only one . . .
“The 《D major》 you played is the best version I’ve ever heard! Mr . Bertram’s music has always been difficult . I liked this piece very much, but I can’t play as great as you did, mine was much worse . Can you guide me, Angel?”
Qi Mu: “ . . . ”
It really was that one!
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Qi Mu’s smile was stiff, and he opened his mouth to reply, but before he could utter a single word, Jenny’s head tilted down shyly, and she whispered, “Actually . . . I admire Mr . Bertram very much, and although he occasionally visits the orchestra, I’m too shy to say much . I heard that . . . Well, I heard you know him well, so . . . Can you tell me what kind of a person Mr . Bertram is, Angel?”
Qi Mu: “ . . . ”
After a while, Qi Mu’s lips curled up, and he gently smiled, “Jenny, in fact . . . I’m not that familiar with Mr . Bertram either . But if you want me to say something about him . . . ” Here, Qi Mu paused and after a moment of hesitation, “He’s . . . very talented . ”
Jenny was disappointed by this standard street evaluation and nodded listlessly . But soon, she got excited again . She looked directly at Qi Mu and said, “Angel! Since you can get in touch with Mr . Bertram, how could you not know him? Let me tell you something . ”
Qi Mu never expected this kind of development . Before he could stop it, the concertmaster of the Dresden Symphony Orchestra was already chatting excitedly with her eyes wide, “Mr . Bertram is really a gentleman . I first met him at Leipzig College . . . ”
“Oh, yeah, you didn’t know this . I studied at the same college! But unfortunately, when I was half a year in, Mr . Bertram had already graduated ahead of schedule . . . ”
On the afternoon of his first visit to Germany, Qi Mu was forced to listen to the lovely Jenny’s renderings of “the great Mr . Bertram” she had known for years the whole time .
In Jenny’s words, Mr . Bertram was quite the very, very talented maestro!
In Leipzig Conservatory’s annual assessment, the then 16-years old maestro didn’t participate . Not because he wasn’t qualified for it . . . But because a few years before, he had already won first place in Xiao Sai with full marks . It would hurt the students’ heart to let him participate .
Being talented was not enough!
Mr . Bertram was also very graceful!
Every time he visited, he would thoughtfully bring the members Berlin’s delicacies . Although he looked serious, he was meticulous and considerate .
There were countless occurrences .
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Listening to it going on and on, Qi Mu even doubted——
That awkward, stingy, vengeful, poisonous tongued, and black-bellied man with a good face that he knew . . . Most important of all that fear of bugs, was this really the man named “Auston Bertram”?
All in all, until time for the last rehearsal, Jenny kept instilling “Mr . Bertram is a handsome, gentlemanly, elegant and talented man . . . ” propaganda in Qi Mu’s mind .
It was hard to make the loyal Bertram fan leave . A member of the orchestra patted Qi Mu’s left shoulder with feeling and sighed, “Angel, Jenny is . . . She adores Mr . Bertram so much even her husband is jealous . ”
Qi Mu: “ . . . ”
After a while, Qi Mu asked helplessly, “In fact, Mark, why do you call me Angel? My English name is . . . ”
“Ah?! Isn’t your name Angel? Mr . Farrell has been talking about you non-stop for half a year, saying—— ‘I met a lovely Angel in Huaxia . His violin was very touching’ and so on . ”
Qi Mu: “ . . . ”
Sure enough, Farrell was committed to creating black history for him forever . And He . Would . Not . Stop!
Even allowed to join the Dresden Symphony Orchestra as a temporary violinist through the back door, Qi Mu doubted him again, Mr . Farrell . . . is this true love? Or is this really hate?
After pondering for a long while, Qi Mu found a suitable description for Farrell: “Well, he’s both black (hate) and pink (affection) . ”
In this way, Qi Mu officially joined the orchestra early his third day in Dresden and began rehearsing for the opera concert next month . Over here, a silver plane from Berlin landed at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle International Airport .
A man whose phone calls had been hung up on 22 times in a row and had 53 texts ignored finally couldn’t resist rushing over from Berlin to ask in person .
But when he stood in front of the door with a plaque that read, “Reed Akkad,” and knocked for 20 minutes, he never got a response——
Min Chen: “ . . . ”
After a while, Dylan, who had just bought a hamburger, saw the man standing in the corridor with an unhappy face . He was so frightened that his burger fell to the floor, and he exclaimed, “My God! Mr . Bertram?! Why are you suddenly here?!”
Min Chen: “ . . . ”
A while later, the man coughed softly and said plainly, “I have something . . . I left something here, so I came to get it . ”
What were the words Qi Mu used before?
Good face!
How could the great Auston Bertram with a good face say directly that, “I’ve been ignored by my loved one for three days, so I decided to block the door in person”?
But Dylan, a fool, didn’t think much of it . He nodded and said, “That’s why . . . But Mr . Bertram, didn’t Angel followed Mr . Farrell to Dresden? Why did you come to Paris to see him? Eh . . . Aren’t you friends? Didn’t he tell you?!”
Min Chen: “ . . . ”
After a while, the cool, elegant man lifted his chin and calmly replied, “Oh, he told me, but I forgot for a moment . ”
Dylan: “ . . . ”
He was a bit dense, but he wasn’t stupid, okay . . .
Mr . Bertram!