The Semperoper Opera House"s performance hall was different from other concert halls.
Normal halls in Europe were arranged with the stage in the center with the auditorium around it. This allowed the sound to extend as far as possible, and it was easier for the audience to enjoy the most beautiful music.
But, an opera house gave priority to the theatrical performance.
In most opera houses, the orchestra was a meter or so lower than the stage so the audience could focus on the performance.
An excellent orchestra would never steal the opera"s spotlight. They would impress the audience with fantastic music and immerse them in the opera from start to finish.
Dresden"s Orchestra was one of the most outstanding at this.
《The Magic Flute》 was the last opera Mozart wrote in his short 35 years. The dream-like story was a fairytale.
A giant serpent chased a brave, Egyptian prince, but three ladies, attendants to the Queen of the Night, saved him. The Queen showed the prince a picture of her daughter and gave him a flute. She then asked him to rescue her child from the "Devil." However, the real ident.i.ty of this so-called "Devil" was the Leader of the Light Priests. Thus, the prince was deceived into killing the "Devil" because of the Queen"s envy.
Just like Mozart, who experienced a turning point in his miserable life, every story had a happy ending. The prince saw through the Queen"s plot and married the beautiful princess. And 《The Magic Flute》 ushered in the perfect ending.
Stories were always beautiful, but life was cruel. As the greatest opera of his life, 《The Magic Flute》 earned him endless glory but could not save his life.
While Qi Mu was in Vienna, Lance told him that he wanted Qi Mu to be like Mozard, not Beethoven.
Though he suffered illness and a miserable life from a young age, Mozart"s music was positively optimistic. He believed the world was beautiful, and that good would always triumph over evil.
The second song of the first act 《Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja》 (The birdcatcher am I) was performed on stage.
The tenor sang a lively tune, dressed in flamboyant garb. Under the stage, the orchestra"s melodious sound reached out to the audience.
Qi Mu had never been so glad that the orchestra had an inconspicuous position during an opera.
Qi Mu could feel a burning gaze on him as he walked onto the stage. It was so fierce it made his throat dry. He didn"t dare look up.
He knew——
It was that man.
Farrell personally ensured Qi Mu"s name wasn"t printed on the brochures and posters to avoid misunderstandings. No one in the audience knew of Qi Mu"s presence except for some of Farrell"s old friends.
And. . . Who else would stare at him with that kind of burning gaze?
As a member of the first violin group, avoiding the attention was difficult. When Qi Mu could no longer feel that fiery gaze, he let out a relieved sigh. Soon, the opera began.
Once he started playing, Qi Mu"s world consisted of only the orchestra"s sound and the conductor on the podium.
Qi Mu served as an ordinary member. With his skills, however, he was qualified to be the concertmaster. But, once he partic.i.p.ated, Qi Mu realized the difference between an opera and orchestral performance.
To avoid overshadowing the actors, the orchestra had to hide in the dark, making the audience forget they were there at all but for the music.
For the first time, Qi Mu was not under the stage"s bright light. In the dark, he felt as if he had merged with the opera. He could play at will and dominate the stage.
When the ba.s.s began their lament, the cello whimpered. The soprano roared in anger, and the violin and wind instruments echoed with a rumble.
It didn"t matter what technique was used in the dark. Even with the soprano, Qi Mu decisively abandoned the baritone part on the E-string and played the whole section on the D-string.
Once a continuous melody was played on two strings, no matter how fast the bow or how quick his fingers were, there would be a tiny gap.
But, there was another string between the tenor E and ba.s.s D-string. Playing the treble on the E-string in tandem with the D-string was a difficult feat for an amateur.
It was easy for a professional to grasp the treble accurately. But. . . what if the ba.s.s and treble must be played at high speed?
When he heard the note amongst the other sounds, Min Chen was astonished. He turned to the person hidden amongst the violinists.
In the dark, the man"s thin lips parted. If anyone could read lips, they would have read——
『Caught you』
The opera lasted for nearly three hours, and the audience thoroughly enjoyed it. They were still immersed in the melody even after the prince and princess got together in the finale.
Qi Mu had never performed while being ignored before. He trailed after the other members of the orchestra and bowed to the audience.
Though they were ignored, Qi Mu was still satisfied he got to play 《The Magic Flute》 freely to his utmost content.
Thunderous applause broke out in the opera house, and the bright atmosphere became even warmer. Accompanied by the praise, the orchestra members exited the pit one after the other, officially ending the night"s show.
Farrell pounced as soon as he walked backstage. He laughed, "Angel, you did great tonight! I couldn"t hear it completely, but from how perfectly seamless it was. . . I guess you did quite a difficult trick, didn"t you? Like abandoning the E-string?"
Although the maestro"s hearing wasn"t as superb as Min Chen"s, Farrell was much more skilled at the violin than the younger conductor. Though Min Chen could hear Qi Mu"s sound amongst the rest, he couldn"t guess the technique like Farrell did.
And, even if Farrell couldn"t hear it, he could guess from experience.
Qi Mu didn"t try to hide it. "Yes, Mr. Farrell. I thought the second piece of the third act would lag a bit if played on the E-string. I worried it would be noticeable, so. . . I tried playing it on the D."
Farrell nodded and praised him, "You"re really fast, Angel. I think, in a few years, even I wouldn"t be able to keep up with your left hand. Being young is so nice! Angel, I think you"re more suited to orchestra than opera, but it"s a pity. . . There doesn"t seem to be an orchestra in want of a new concertmaster right now."
Akkad said the same thing half a year earlier, so Qi Mu just smiled and didn"t pay much mind to it. "Mr. Farrell, as you said, I"m still young. And I don"t care much about these things right now."
Such a confident, calm young man made Farrell all the better about him. After a few more words of praise, the old man remembered, "Oh yeah, Angel. It"s late now, so the celebration party will be held tomorrow instead. You were informed, right?"
Qi Mu smiled and nodded, "Yes, Jenny told me yesterday."
"Well, it"s already this late so, come home with me," Farrell added, "Audrey must have prepared a good red wine and is waiting for us to go back and celebrate. I"ll wait for you at the gate."
Qi Mu"s expression shifted.
A flash of hesitation appeared on his face, and he said, "Mr. Farrell. . . I"ll go back alone tonight. I have something to deal with."
Farrell thought for a moment then understood. Smiling teasingly, he asked, "What"s wrong? You want to talk to Auston? Angel, I"ve known him for over a decade. Though he doesn"t have a gentle temperament, he"s really a man worth trusting your life with. If you like him, don"t miss the chance."
"Yes, yes, yes. I know, Mr. Farrell."
"Angel, I"m saying this for your sake. Auston is a good man. He"s. . ."
After a full five minutes of lecture, Qi Mu sent away the man who had discovered a love for matchmaking.
Watching the old man"s back, Qi Mu shook his head helplessly, "Me. . . go find him? How is that possible. . ."
Yes, his plans for the night had something to do with him, but. . . Qi Mu wasn"t going to talk to him like Farrell a.s.sumed.
Since he was late arriving today, Qi Mu found that aside from the front and rear doors, there was a small side door just big enough for one person to walk through.
This kind of secret entrance was perfect for sneaking off!
Qi Mu crept out the door with his violin case and looked down the deserted street. He took a deep breath and, in a pleasant mood, whispered, "Hmm. . . What fresh air. . ."
A low, magnetic voice rang out, "Well, it"s better than Berlin."
Qi Mu: ". . ."
The young man"s eyes widened in horror. In disbelief, he stared at the man who spoke.
A handsome man leaned against the brick wall, basking in the moonlight. His keen eyes stared fixed on Qi Mu, strong emotion brewing deep within them. His thin lips curled at the corners with ridicule and laughter.
If it wasn"t Min Chen, who else could it be, ah?!!!
Qi Mu: ". . ."