Old-time musicians

"Can you guys be quiet?"

A tall, thin man wearing a black tuxedo and white gloves stepped out from the front of the line.

Although his voice was cold and low, it immediately interrupted everyone's discussion about Fan Ning.

This is Meric, the leader of a grade group in the Conservatory of Music, majoring in piano.

The Conservatory of Music divides students into three major groups:

The first group is popular majors such as piano, voice, and string music with a relatively large number of students.

The second group is Wind Instruments and Percussion Instruments, each with a small number of people but many categories: flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, French horn, tuba, trumpet, trombone, timpani, and triangle.

The first two groups are performance majors, while the third group includes musicology, composition, conducting, arts management, etc.

Ram Cecil, who had met Fan Ning, was the leader of the third grade group and a leader in the composition department.

The leader of the group, Merich, is a piano genius recognized by the college and has made great achievements in the field of composition. He premiered his own "Piano Concerto No. 1" at the New Year's Concert in his sophomore year, although it was only a childish one. student style, but people who can do this are rare in ten years.

"Why don't you sign up for a large-scale production? Why are you so rude? Are there fewer people coming to try your luck every year?"

Meric looked around at everyone coldly.

"The professors will be here soon, please observe your gentleman and lady etiquette."

The prestige of the piano genius' group leader was very useful, and the crowd was temporarily quiet.

"Caroën Fan Ning, do you also want to write a large-scale orchestral piece?" A mellow and gentle voice suddenly came from behind Fan Ning.

"Hello, Dean!"

"Hello Professor Gould!"

"Dean, you came here early."

Everyone, including Fan Ning, saluted.

The short old man in front of him is Belen Gould, the dean of the Saint Lenia Conservatory of Music. He has shiny black hair, is energetic, has bright eyes, and often smiles.

"Yes, Dean, I want to write a symphony when I graduate." Fan Ning replied.

"Huh? Did I hear you correctly?" Cecil seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world, "You also want to write a symphony?"

"You want to write a symphony at such a young age? Does he know how difficult it is? It starts with four movements, at least more than 40 minutes in length, and requires familiarity with the functions and characteristics of all instruments. Does he think he has the talent of Master Gilles? "

"Even if you have this talent, you will lose your skills if you follow Professor Conor, right?"

Even though the dean was present, the whispers behind him could be heard again.

Gould raised his hand to stop the discussion, and then said to Fanning: "The symphony is not that simple, but I am looking forward to it. I will see your performance in the improvisation later."

"Thank you." Fan Ning bowed.

"Soon, I will be able to confirm that mysterious text message again." He thought to himself.

"And you will eventually understand that Professor Anton Konard is a great master composer."

The registration queue soon reached Fan Ning. He picked up the top one among the stacked envelopes. The gray-black outside felt delicate and thick, with the number 6 written in light-colored fonts, and the disassembly opening was sealed with white wax.

Write your name and information on the registration form, then walk off the stage and find your seat.

"Caron, here, here!"

Under the dim light of the auditorium, where the lights were not fully turned on, a boy with curly hair on his head, wearing a cotton shirt and a new dark vest in the back row leaned out half of his body.

Fan Ning forced out a smile, a small but sincere smile: "Calvin, it's quite early for you to come."

"Fortunately, I got in line early." Calvin raised the white envelope in his hand, "You are too daring to play. I write a piano sketch without any hope of being selected. You write a symphony... I Oh my god, just thinking about what it would be like if I went on stage to improvise, my hands start to tremble..."

This was Fan Ning's roommate when he was in first and second grade. They were both majoring in the same field, and they usually had a good relationship.

The University of St. Lenia has long implemented a compulsory boarding system with simple accommodation conditions and advocates the cultivation of diligent and simple gentleman character. This system was optimized ten years ago and was limited to boarding for the first two years. Along with the reform, women's admission channels were also smoothed.

After Fan Ning sat down next to him, Calvin lowered his voice again: "By the way, I heard about Professor Anton Konar."

"There are already many people who know about it. I think the obituary will be issued early tomorrow morning." Fan Ning's voice was very calm.

"I deeply regret and feel sad." Calvin obviously knew the relationship between Fan Ning and Professor Anton. "Even if you are not a music major, most of them have studied his "General History of Music in the Western Continent" and "Introduction to the Evolution of Performance Styles" "Introduction to the Evolution of Composition Techniques" and other courses, Professor Anton may seem old-fashioned and pedantic to ordinary people, but I admire his erudition and gentlemanly demeanor very much. I also want to pay his last respects at the funeral."

"Thank you, Calvin." Fan Ning put his hat on his knee and steadied his cane, "I ask you, have you heard that something happened to some of your classmates?"

"Of course I know! There are two of them, right? I don't know about the other one, but Furkan Harvey is from the piano department of our college. It's terrible. Tell me, what can you see that can force you to go against your physiological structure? into the piano? Or is there some indescribable external force?"

When this happened, Calvin was obviously frightened.

"Are they two people?" Fan Ning asked again.

"Two, right? They are all classmates from the same school. If there are others in such a big event, even if we don't know the details, it is impossible that there is no news at all."

Fan Ning was secretly curious: "Then what about the two human silhouettes I saw on the stage when I just crossed over? Could it be that they are not dead people, or at least not the two classmates who communicated with me after class?"

If there is such a possibility, his psychological burden will at least be lighter.

"To be precise, there are three. Alas, there is also Teacher Anton." Seeing that Fan Ning has been silent, Calvin added.

"By the way, Carloen, there seems to be a rumor that their deaths are related in some way. Don't you often discuss music with Teacher Anton? Be careful recently."

Then he looked at Fan Ning with a worried look.

Fan Ning sighed and wanted to talk about something else: "Your cane looks valuable. Hey, what have you been busy with for more than a month?"

"I found a part-time job." Calvin is heartless and answers whatever he wants.

"Oh? Where? How's the salary?"

"It's unimaginable. Four days a week, easy work, only 3-4 hours a day. I can get about 5 pounds a week now. If the performance is good in the future, it may even exceed 4 pounds and 5 pounds."

"As a student, the part-time job is enough to ensure the quality of my daily life and even maintain decent social expenses. Hey, but the specific content is confidential. I have signed an agreement with my employer." He said this. He looked mysterious again.

Hearing this description, Fanning looked strange.

Brother, you didn't figure it out and engaged in some kind of "I don't want to struggle" career? ?

At this time, the gas lamps on the walls around the auditorium were all turned on, and the three sets of chandeliers on the ceiling lit up together-the latter used the latest electric lighting technology, hundreds of complex crystal arrays complemented each other, making the originally dim hall present a magnificent effect.

Fanning's focus fell on the nine-foot black Boethius piano in the center of the stage light.

It was a huge thing that was hard to look away from, violent yet elegant, profound yet aggressive…

It was beautiful.

Just like the Steinway piano on the blue planet.

No matter in the past or present life, they were the physical products that Fanning was most obsessed with, without a doubt.

His fingertips slid across the black envelope containing the test questions, and he began to imagine what the test questions for improvisation would be and what he would play.