Chapter 267: “Croatian Rhapsody”
—
As Yao Han roared loudly—
All the pianists nearby, their skin ranging from white to yellow, opened their mouths wide in astonishment as they watched the performance on stage.
How intense was this release?
It was like a long-dormant volcano erupting.
After a series of dissonant chords intensified the tension, suddenly, the tranquility turned to excitement, and the melancholy transformed into rage, all flung out at once!
Ripples and rises!
Shocking.
There’s no second word to describe it but shocking!
Lin Tian continued playing, pouring his entire being into the music.
“Croatian Rhapsody” is composed by Tsoi Hui-Kok, performed by Croatian musician Maksim Mrvica.
The backdrop is the war in Croatia in 1990 after its independence from Yugoslavia due to ethnic strife.
At that time, Maksim and his teacher Marija Sekso kept teaching despite the chaos. To Maksim, who was just a teenager then, the piano had become a sanctuary from the war and a reason to survive.
Later, Maksim was trapped in a cellar for eight days. After his rescue, he immediately returned to practice and headed to Zagreb for the competition.
In that competition, Maksim depicted the ruins of post-war Croatia, with echoes of bl**d and dust reflecting in bloody sunlight, through lively but sorrowful music—and won the champion.
Yes,
As seemingly energetic and inspiring as this piano piece may be, it is filled with the bl**d and tears of the Croatian people.
“(Oh, it’s so good! So good!)”
In the audience, people couldn’t help but share their joy.
“(Hey, is this a piece by a Chinese musician?)”
“(Not bad, it seems better than the previous performances.)”
“…”
Among them, some knew nothing about this young pianist, while others had already heard of him online.
But right now, everyone was completely immersed in the music, as if everything else faded away in its presence!
The climax struck again!
Lin Tian spared no effort.
He was far from someone who only relied on the system.
His playing didn’t start flawless!
To reach today’s level, he trained countless nights alongside Gan Yan Yu!
Every time they played together, he tried to match her skill, leading to constant progression.
Although he had divine skills bestowed upon him,
Still, to prepare for this competition, he spent as much time practicing as any professional pianist.
Lin Tian kept playing, putting all his emotion into the piano!
He rendered the famous old-world piano piece to everyone watching intently!
“(Miss, why are you crying?)”
A Caucasian guy turned and noticed the beautiful angel next to him shedding tears.
“(I’m fine.)”
Gan Yan Yu wiped away her tears,
“(I can’t help it…)”
She looked back at the stage.
What horrifying scene led to such a masterpiece?
Not just Gan Yan Yu.
As the music progressed,
The audience also shifted from sheer excitement to deep contemplation.
In this interplay of light and dark,
The anger and sorrow hidden in the music slowly seeped into everyone’s hearts.
It made their hearts quiver.
“(The fusion of classical piano and modern pop elements, with repetitive chord progressions creating war’s tension and the lingering smell of gunsmoke.)”
“Superb, Lin Tian-san!”
At this moment,
Watanabe Satoru leaned against a corner of the rest room, smoking a cigarette and sighing deeply,
“(So many varied emotions… such outstanding changes and contrasts, truly an excellent rhapsody!)”
“(Teacher Yao was right. You’re a formidable opponent.)”
Watanabe blew out smoke,
Promotion was secured.
As the music entered its finale,
Intense emotions showed no sign of stopping. Fast notes and dense harmonies accelerated repeatedly.
And Lin Tian’s playing never wavered.
“(Can this be… really his composition?)”
From inside the rest room,
Someone asked out of nowhere.
The surrounding crowd fell silent.
Fact is,
If judging solely by the performance, he’s far from the best, especially compared to Nishikawa Yuha, a grandmaster.
But comparing to the best,
In Saibō City, such a performance was above average.
Besides,
Playing ability and composing ability shouldn’t be equated.
Everyone already had their verdicts.
“(So what? It’s an incredible piece, but I don’t think it compares to Mr. Nishikawa’s ‘Dawn Lament’.)”
His friend shouted next to Nishikawa Yuha.
But just then, Nishikawa held him back.
Confused, the friend looked at him.
Nishikawa’s frown eased as he let a smile escape,
“(Though subjective, I must admit, my skills were inferior this time.)”
“(But)”
The friend wanted to say more.
But Nishikawa sighed,
“(It’s our responsibility as Japanese musicians if an exceptional artist receives criticism here.)”
Music reached its final climactic high.
With a forceful final chord,
Music abruptly ended,
Emotions wound up tight.
Finished.
Lin Tian gathered his hands and stood up, stepping forward.
Sweat was visible on his forehead.
A bitter smile spread across his lips.
Despite deciding to cast everything aside, he performed better than usual.
Did he reach expectations?
Was his music well conveyed?
Lin Tian bowed to the audience.
Suddenly,
Wild applause erupted!
Audience members from around the world, regardless of country or skin color, rose in unison, smiling broadly.
The teenager with an angelic face in front cheered the loudest, clapping until her hands reddened.
(End of Chapter)
