Chapter 22, Song 22...
Qu Jiaying's method was very simple: she had Qiu Xue play the note that was a semitone lower than the one she heard.
Qiu Xue was panicked; she couldn't believe she could do it.
Qu Jiaying remained calm; she believed in Qiu Xue's performance and hoped that Qiu Xue could also believe in herself.
They got here because of their performance skills, so they shouldn't let their hard work go to waste.
Cai Rui finally appeared with a smile amidst prolonged applause, shook hands with Qu Jiaying, and asked quickly in a low voice, "Is everything alright?"
Qu Jiaying nodded.
Cai Rui trusted Qu Jiaying as the principal, and he also trusted the principals of each section he had chosen. He stood on the stage, stretched out his hands, and began the first movement of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto in A major with the string section, gentle and moving.
A clarinet solo will be even more melodious.
The music academy's New Year's concert is open to the public, including not only students but also enthusiasts and professionals. Graduating students treat it like an audition, and their performances are closely watched by industry professionals.
The job market for clarinets is very limited, unlike violinists, who are the most numerous in every symphony orchestra, regardless of size.
Qiu Xue was able to outperform the other two boys this time not only because her performance was no worse than theirs, but also because she was more expressive.
She was under immense pressure, and her state of mind was completely different from the somewhat melancholic melody. If it were Qu Jiaying herself, she wouldn't have been able to perform it well.
But Qiu Xue did it. Despite the immense pressure and a completely different hearing than usual, she performed the solo perfectly, and the ensemble was flawless as well.
Qu Jiaying smiled slightly. She felt that warmth. Qiu Xue's solo was different from Cai Rui's interpretation. Hers was warmer, but it didn't feel abrupt at all. Instead, it highlighted the tenderness in the melancholy.
Perhaps Mozart's clarinet friend felt the same way.
After the performance, Cai Rui stepped down from the stage, and the musicians stood up. Qu Jiaying first turned around and glanced at Qiu Xue, who had a big smile on her face but was covered in sweat, before bowing to the audience.
However, they did not go backstage because it was not over yet. Cai Rui led them to rehearse three more segments in advance.
This was the first time Qu Jiaying had personally experienced a conductor's performance, which is something soloists should learn.
Their program was the last of today's New Year's concert. As is customary, they were to finish playing the "Radetzky March" before concluding, and Cai Rui took three curtain calls.
After two excerpts from an avant-garde piece, the audience applauded and cheered for the performance of the "Radetzky March."
Before they practiced, Cai Rui specifically told them: "This is the secret to holding a concert. Audiences have only heard pieces that often appear in sports meets or movies, but we are musicians. Although we cannot express ourselves directly through composition like composers, we can still interpret our ideas through performance."
The order of the tracks reflects the individual's understanding of music, while also employing techniques to attract the audience.
Just when I thought the next piece would be the "Radetzky March," it turned out to be an unfamiliar and strange melody. I thought the next piece would surely be it, but it wasn't until the third time.
Qu Jiaying probably understands that the pauses in many pieces serve the same purpose; you always think the climax is about to start, but it turns out to be the second second later.
As soon as Qu Jiaying left the stage, Qiu Xue pounced on her: "You're a madwoman!"
Qu Jiaying calmly said while drinking water, "But you successfully played it."
"What if it doesn't work? We'll all be ruined." Qiu Xue was still feeling lingering fear.
Qu Jiaying smiled easily: "It's not that serious. It's just a school performance. Even if it's really as you say, the first one to be ruined is Cai Rui's reputation as a conductor, and then it's me, the principal. You don't even know where you'll end up."
“How can you say that? Our performance went smoothly because I’m a genius, I’m bipolar, and that’s why I was able to meet your excessive demands,” Qiu Xue added. “But only I can say this, you can’t say it, otherwise it’ll be considered discrimination.”
Qu Jiaying didn't quite understand and gave a blank smile: "I just thought that with your ever-changing performances, I was wondering if you could manage to stay in tune with the notes that are always off-key for your current performance."
Qiu Xue hesitated for a moment, then said, "Thank you."
Qu Jiaying smiled gently: "After all, this is Cai Rui's first official performance since he took office at the school. As the principal, I hope the solo performance is just as good and can't be ruined, right?"
Lu Yueming urged them to pack up their instruments quickly, as they were about to head out for a dinner party.
Qu Jiaying responded, slung her violin case over her shoulder, and hurriedly caught up with Ruan Qi.
At the celebration banquet, everyone happily chatted about today's performance, talking about how nervous they were before the performance, reminiscing about the hard rehearsals of the previous months, and teasing Qiu Xue about her recent fluctuating performance.
Qiu Xue mocked herself without a care, then scolded Qu Jiaying: "She went too far, forcing me to play well. Even the conductor doesn't demand that of me. But if it weren't for her, we would have been finished today. She is the best principal!"
Everyone echoed loudly.
"Are you insulting me or praising me?" Qu Jiaying asked helplessly, reminding him, "You should drink less."
However, the musicians now admire Qu Jiaying very much and come to her for drinks and chats.
Although Qu Jiaying had a good alcohol tolerance, he couldn't keep up with this drinking. It wasn't until Cai Rui came over that the others scattered like birds and beasts.
Cai Rui hesitated for a long time before finally speaking.
"What can I do for you?" Qu Jiaying quickly changed her cup of tea.
Cai Rui asked her, "Do you speak other languages?"
Qu Jiaying was a little confused: "Are you speaking English, or another less common language? I speak German, and I also know a little Russian and French."
Cai Rui breathed a sigh of relief. He could only ask smoothly in German: "Did you form a quartet with a boy named Xiang Min?"
Qu Jiaying hesitated for a moment before switching to German: "Yes."
How is he?
"It's fine?" Qu Jiaying replied, confused.
Cai Rui didn't ask anything more, but just sighed softly: "Give my regards."
Qu Jiaying had drunk quite a bit of alcohol, and her mind was already a bit muddled; she almost forgot about the incident.
She didn't get up until noon the next day. Both of Qu's parents were home. They had both gone to the concert the day before. Qu's father specially prepared a light meal for her today. Qu's mother kept praising Qu Jiaying's performance yesterday, as if she was the best and most dazzling.
Qu Jiaying drank her porridge, smiling contentedly and happily.
After finishing lunch, she turned on her phone and saw a message from Lü Yueming, who wanted her to recommend some good introductory German textbooks.
Qu Jiaying felt that she hadn't specifically brought this up; it must have been discovered by her friends in their daily lives.
She thought it was because she saw news about German classical music events, which she could easily understand. In reality, it was because her friends bought imported German beer, and every time she found out, she would tell them that she could speak German.
Qu Jiaying suddenly remembered her conversation with Cai Rui last night, and replied to Lü Yueming, asking him if he had decided to go to Germany.
"Pretty much, but don't tell Ruan Qi yet. I haven't figured out how to tell her."
Qu Jiaying didn't want to interfere in other people's relationships, but then she remembered the reason for her breakup with Yan Zheng, and quickly reminded her, "Don't keep it from her until the end."
Lu Yueming said he understood, but he had a question: "What did you talk about with her before?"
Qu Jiaying then realized that Ruan Qi might also be hiding something from him. After considering it for a moment, he said, "We definitely talked about some things that are important to her, but if you want to know, you should ask her."
Perhaps many people have hidden stories. Qu Jiaying recalled that when she first talked about Cai Rui coming to their university, Xiang Min was the first to guess correctly, but her expression was not good. Cai Rui, on the other hand, was being secretive and asking her for help.
Qu Jiaying privately asked Xiang Min, "Did you know Commander Cai Rui before?"
Xiang Min, who had just been in a relaxed and cheerful mood, instantly changed her expression and said in a stiff tone, "I don't want to talk about this."
"He just asked you if you were doing well," Qu Jiaying said.
"I don't want to know." Xiang Min put on a short-sleeved shirt. The room was warm, and with his anger still burning inside, he didn't feel cold at all. He got off the bed and sat down in front of the cello in the corner.
"Can't you tell me?" Qu Jiaying sat up from the bed.
"Is this what we're like?" Xiang Min looked at her. "I've told you, so what answer can you give me? Are you just going to ignore Yan Zheng's confession and pretend nothing happened?"
“How could you…” Qu Jiaying took a deep breath.
"How should I know? He told me. He wanted to know how things were going between you and me. Guess what I said?" Xiang Min's brain couldn't control his mouth anymore.
"I don't care what you say." Qu Jiaying put on her sweater, wrapped herself in her down jacket, and walked towards the door without looking back.
"Don't look for me anymore," Xiang Min emphasized.
Qu Jiaying slammed the door and left, causing the furniture to shake.
Xiang Min didn't move. He turned the tuning pegs to adjust the tone, and with a snap, the string broke.
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