Chapter 28, Song 28...
Qu Jiaying struggled to get up, squinted, and replied to Ruan Qi's message, telling her she would be there soon.
She was sore all over and had a cough. She slowly came out of the bedroom, and her parents quickly urged her to rest.
"It's okay, cough cough, I can manage." Qu Jiaying took small sips of warm water.
Mr. and Mrs. Qu exchanged a glance, knowing they couldn't persuade their daughter. One of them helped her pack her violin case and sheet music, while the other helped her with makeup and change her clothes.
Fortunately, Qu's parents took her back to their old school campus yesterday. Originally, it was because she would most likely have to practice the piano in the morning, but now it saves them time.
Qu Jiaying arrived at the backstage of the auditorium quickly, escorted by her parents. Ruan Qi breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her, but then noticed that Qu Jiaying looked terrible and her heart tightened again.
Are you alright?
"I have a bit of a cold, it's nothing serious, cough cough." Qu Jiaying shook her head.
"It's about to start," Lü Yueming reminded her, glancing at her before turning to send a message to Yan Zheng.
Yan Zheng, Le Yi, and Xiang Min were sitting in the audience when his phone vibrated. He saw the message, paused for a second, and then told the two people next to him.
The three of them hurriedly ran backstage.
Yan Zheng first met Mr. and Mrs. Qu. He greeted them earnestly, and they asked him a couple of questions about his recent situation. Le Yi followed suit with a smile and a greeting, and Mr. and Mrs. Qu nodded back to him.
Xiang Min felt like he was falling behind. Not only did Le Yi overtake him on a curve, but Yan Zheng also provided an assist.
"You're looking for Jiaying, right? She's over there, and we can't persuade her at all," Mrs. Qu sighed softly.
Yan Zheng and Le Yi rushed over, but Xiang Min thought of her mother. Even when she was in such a bad state, she still insisted on completing the scheduled concert.
“Perhaps that’s the quality of a performer,” Xiang Min said softly.
Qu's mother nodded gently. She knew this was what her daughter wanted, but as a mother, she would rather Qu Jiaying be safe and healthy.
"Xiang Min..." Qu's father whispered, watching his retreating figure.
"What's wrong?" Qu's mother and father asked as they walked toward the audience seats.
“There used to be a very talented cellist, I think her surname was also Xiang, um, her name was Xiang Xiaojuan. It’s a pity that she passed away so young.” Mr. Qu had some recollection of her. “Teacher Xia probably knows more about her. Although they are not playing the same instrument, the classical music world is not big. They are considered to be of the same generation and both have lived abroad.”
Le Yi, Yan Zheng, and Xiang Min quickened their pace and found Qu Jiaying before the musicians went on stage.
Lu Yueming was checking to see if Qu Jiaying could finish the solo when he turned around and saw the three of them. He glared at Yan Zheng with a look of disappointment, wondering why he didn't seize the opportunity and instead called the other two over.
Qu Jiaying was a little weak, but she was able to hold on. Lü Yueming reported to Cai Rui, who was still looking at the score. Cai Rui thought for a while. He had been hesitant about whether to put the school symphony orchestra after the provincial symphony orchestra. Although these students lacked experience, their overall performance level was not much different from those old guys. However, a good principal could improve the whole performance a lot.
Fortunately, considering the reactions of the old guys in the provincial symphony orchestra, Cai Rui still arranged the order as usual. He just hoped that Qu Jiaying could play normally and didn't expect her to have a particularly good performance today.
"Are you sure you can play?" Xiang Min asked with concern.
“Playing music is quite energy-consuming,” Yan Zheng said.
Qu Jiaying smiled and nodded: "I can't let down all the effort you put into practicing with me. Besides, there are so many people in the band, they will support me, cough cough."
Le Yi was silent for a moment before smiling and handing over a few hard candies from his pocket: "I don't have time to buy throat lozenges, use these to soothe your throat."
"Thank you." Qu Jiaying accepted it.
Yan Zheng watched their interaction. He wasn't unaware of what Lü Yueming meant, but sometimes he couldn't be so open about his concerns. Moreover, he knew that Qu Jiaying cared a lot about their quartet, but he couldn't even convince his own father. He wasn't qualified to do so now.
When the time came, the musicians prepared to go on stage. Qu Jiaying took off her coat, turned around and smiled, "You all just stay in front and listen to my performance."
Le Yi, Yan Zheng, and Xiang Min could only watch her go on stage.
Qu Jiaying had a hard candy in her mouth to barely suppress her cough. She still had a slight fever and felt hot all over, but her parents were worried that she would catch a cold. Her black dress had long sleeves made of gauze, and the stage lights made her feel even hotter.
Cai Rui went on stage amidst applause from the audience, first shaking hands with Qu Jiaying, and then standing on the conductor's platform.
Music critic Li Yue sat in the best seat. He first focused on the design of the auditorium. Concert halls and cinemas need to take sound transmission into account. The music academy's campus has been built for many years, but it is well designed. The sound from the stage can be clearly transmitted to every part of the venue.
Debussy's works differ from others in that he pays great attention to timbre. This piece, "La Mer," emphasizes the hazy vibrato of the woodwinds, the ripple-like arpeggios of the harp, and the delicacy of the strings, aiming to create an overall texture of rippling, shimmering water.
Cai Rui did a very good job. Music critic Li Yue nodded slightly. These students were also working hard to achieve this, but he didn't hear how amazing the concertmaster was.
Li Yue reluctantly reserved his opinion, since "The Sea" itself does not have a violin solo, and Cai Rui's interpretation has not yet reflected this.
After the performance officially began, Qu Jiaying was a little tired. She had overestimated herself, and her voice wasn't as bright as before. Fortunately, Ruan Qi and the others were there to support her. This was a symphony orchestra, not a solo performance by her alone. For the first time, she was genuinely grateful for this opportunity.
Ruan Qi's heart raced. Qu Jiaying couldn't do many things properly, and Cai Rui's eyes and gestures were telling her to step up, indicating that the violin part should all follow her.
Ruan Qi handled the details quite well; those hazy, seabird-like sounds were something she was good at. But as for leading the entire vocal section and having to communicate with other vocal sections, that was something she wasn't good at.
Qu Jiaying felt as if the waves were caressing her ankles, the morning sun was shining on her face, and the sea was supporting her body.
However, discordant voices soon emerged.
The sea surface undulated, making Qu Jiaying dizzy, and the violin parts were not in sync.
Although Cai Rui was directing the violin section members to now follow Ruan Qi's movements, their improvisation skills were not strong, and they were somewhat flustered and rushed, which only made things more chaotic.
Ruan Qi herself could only control her own movements and could not take into account the overall effect.
They all clearly have the ability, yet they seem to be acting independently.
As the sea transitions from tranquility to grandeur from dawn to noon, the sound of a violin bursts forth.
Qu Jiaying's piano playing was exceptionally prominent, yet not abrupt. The entire section stabilized, propelling the strings and woodwinds together, allowing the audience to witness a magnificent, shimmering blue sea.
Li Yue's eyes lit up.
Qu Jiaying clearly felt that if Cai Rui was the captain, then she was the helmsman.
Qu Jiaying's gaze met Cai Rui's. He nodded slightly and then gestured for the musicians to follow her again.
Yan Jing looked at Qu Jiaying on the stage. Even though she was wearing a plain black dress with the least design today, it couldn't hide her radiance. He suddenly thought of Xia Xiaolei. They were from the same generation.
In those impoverished times, Yan Jing learned to play the viola by chance. His father's friend was in a performing arts troupe, and seeing his talent and curiosity, he taught him. He had heard of Xia Xiaolei's name since he started learning the viola.
Xia Xiaolei comes from a family with a strong academic tradition. Even though her parents were sent to a farm, it did not hinder her talent. Her parents taught her by secretly listening to the radio and transcribing sheet music. In the 1980s, before she was even an adult, she went abroad to participate in competitions and became famous overnight. She stayed abroad to study violin. Although she did not become famous internationally, she was still one of the top violinists in China. The music academy went to great lengths to invite her back to teach.
His only skill was to sit as the principal viola player in this small provincial symphony orchestra.
If he can't do it, what about his own son?
I had arranged for Yan Zheng to marry Xia Xiaolei a long time ago, hoping he could pick up some of her talent.
But that is also an illusion.
Talent is such a irrational thing.
Qu Jiaying's parents don't know any musical instruments, but many years ago, when Yan Jing saw Qu Jiaying practicing backstage at a competition and heard her playing the piano, he understood that his son, like him, would never reach the top.
Yan Jing then had his son switch to the viola, but unexpectedly, even he, as the father, failed to discover his talent. It was Qu Jiaying who found him; this girl casually remarked that he could be a conductor, and finally, his talent blossomed here.
Yan Jing looked at Qu Jiaying. Compared to Xia Xiaolei, she was still considered a late bloomer. Only now had she truly developed her own acting style, but once she found it, nothing could stop her.
In the third movement of "The Sea," Li Yue finally heard Cai Rui express himself more. He added a violin solo, and even changed it to a feeling of confrontation with the orchestra, contrary to Debussy's intention.
However, Qu Jiaying's performance was excellent. Li Yue seemed to see the wind shattering the waves, the sea surging and turbulent, with undercurrents surging beneath the surface, the currents fierce and unpredictable, and small boats shuttling through them, battling the sea.
No, it's more like a petrel, crying out, roaring, and raising its head to face the might of nature.
Qu Jiaying stood up, bowed with the orchestra members, and left the stage with her instruments, leaving the stage to the provincial symphony orchestra.
Cai Rui couldn't help but sigh inwardly that Qu Jiaying had given a performance that exceeded his expectations, making the provincial symphony orchestra's presence completely overshadowed.
Just as he expected, after the entire performance, the audience was discussing the school symphony orchestra's rendition of "The Sea" rather than the pieces they were more familiar with, such as "The Yellow River Cantata."
"I got goosebumps, it was really shocking."
"I had never heard Debussy's 'La Mer' before, this is the first time I've heard it, and it's really very moving."
“I remember one year when I was on an island, driving along the coastline. During the day it was sunny and the seagulls were calling, but at night the wind was howling.”
Two weeks later, Li Yue's music review was published in the most famous magazine, with a photo of Qu Jiaying performing right in the center. She looked pale, but her whole being radiant.
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