Producer System: My Girlfriend is a Cellist-Chapter 712 - 445 "Fifth Concerto ’Emperor’" and "Sixth Symphony ’Pathétique’_2
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, born in 1840, graduated from the Saint Petersburg Music Academy. A great composer of the Romantic era in Russian history, a representative of the Russian national music school.
When it comes to Russian music, an indispensable presence.
He is widely regarded in the history of world music as the third milestone figure in human music history after Mozart and Beethoven.
His music, to this day, remains a core repertoire of the classical music stage. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
The famous "Swan Lake" was composed by him while teaching at the Moscow Music Academy.
This "Sixth Symphony 'Pathétique'" is Tchaikovsky's final work.
Lin Tian had never composed a work by Tchaikovsky before, and now that he is doing so for the first time, it's this last piece, which is somewhat regrettable.
After Gan Yanyu carefully read through the score.
Gradually, the young girl couldn't help but cover her mouth, her pupils trembling slightly.
"What did you see?" Lin Tian asked.
"Death....."
Gan Yanyu whispered,
"The void of everything."
Indeed.
The entire "Pathétique" consists of four movements—"Passion-Demise-Death-Oblivion". Symbolizing the journey of life.
The music reveals Tchaikovsky's deep reflection on death.
"Let's try it first."
"Mm... mm."
This time, Gan Yanyu was not as confident as she had previously agreed to be.
Although her face showed some hesitation, she still agreed.
"...."
After setting up their instruments, the performance began.
The deep and slow cello began to reverberate within the apartment's room.
"....."
Due to the nature of the symphony, Lin Tian and Gan Yanyu needed to be more focused during practice, mentally filling in the missing parts of the music.
Lin Tian joined in, playing the piano.
With every touch on the piano keys,
a profound heaviness struck Lin Tian's heart, causing his heart to skip a beat...
...
It was just a brief practice.
After stopping, Lin Tian and Gan Yanyu exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat overwhelmed.
It was so painful!
Just following the score once, the touch transmitted from the piano keys.
Lin Tian could deeply feel the agony and struggle conveyed by the composer through the score....
This emotion was too heavy.
It was like a massive stone pressed on the heart, making it hard to breathe.
Lin Tian finally understood what it felt like for Gan Yanyu when she performed the "E Minor Cello Concerto."
At this moment, Gan Yanyu was also pressing her lips, her expression complicated:
"Lin Tian, this piece... did you also get the inspiration from... 'another world's dreamscape'?"
"Yes."
"What a pitiable soul...." Gan Yanyu murmured.
Lin Tian was slightly startled.
In 1890, Tchaikovsky, in his later years, was deeply trapped in the whirlpool of public opinion regarding his homosexuality, suffering from severe depression.
At the same time, the patron who had long supported him, Mrs. Meik, also announced her estrangement from him.
For a while,
Tchaikovsky faced a storm of public opinion, the predicament of losing a benefactor, and the compounded impact of his illness.
In 1893, under such conditions, Tchaikovsky composed this "Sixth Symphony 'Pathétique'."
What is presented within it is Tchaikovsky's relentless exploration of the meaning of life and his struggle and contemplation during the last moments of his life.
These feelings are expressed through the movements themselves——
Traditional symphonies often end with a grand and magnificent finale.
Whether it's Beethoven's "Fate Symphony" or Mozart's "Symphony No. 40," that's usually the case.
But the "Pathétique" is different.
It uses a mournful melody of sobbing and horns, concluding in a thunderous "silence and calmness."
The final melody draws its curtain with the "last tremor of life's candle flame," which Tchaikovsky himself regarded as his "most sincere creation," and some scholars even view it as his "designed suicide note."
Therefore,
The "Sixth Symphony 'Pathétique'" is essentially Tchaikovsky's ultimate outpouring of despair against fate...
Yes, an outpouring!
This is why performing it brings such pain to Lin Tian and Gan Yanyu.
Because the piece itself does not deliberately aim to lead them to think or reflect on anything, nor does it intentionally showcase an exploration of life within the music....
All reflections are founded on people's own thoughts after listening to the music.
And the music itself.
Is simply an outpouring.
That's all.
Thus,
Gan Yanyu would say——
She sensed a pitiable soul within it.....
In their performance.
Again and again, they heard Tchaikovsky continuously ask in their ears:
What is the meaning of life?
What, after all, is the meaning of life?!
Living in this world...what should we pursue after all?!
....
Each question pulled emotions into the abyss.
It also brought great pain to Gan Yanyu, a performer who plays primarily with emotion.
However, even so.....
"So beautiful."
After continuing to try to pull the music out, Gan Yanyu said softly,
"This piece... is so beautiful."
Lin Tian's pupils slightly widened.
"....."
This was not something Gan Yanyu spouted out of nowhere.
It is that this "Pathétique" is, in essence, the "aesthetic of death" that Tchaikovsky showcases.
Even if it is angry, painful, dying in struggle...
It is still an aesthetic of death created by Tchaikovsky!
That is also why this piece is so great.....
The ensemble just now was simply a basic attempt. Although the process was not very smooth, with a couple more tries, after familiarizing themselves with the score, they can definitely capture the emotion within.
"Lin Tian, we...."
"Let's just skip it."
After thinking for a while, Lin Tian suddenly interrupted Gan Yanyu,
"Let's skip this piece."
"Ah? Why?"
Gan Yanyu couldn't understand. She didn't grasp why Lin Tian's expression changed so quickly.
"I see you finding it painful to play. There are many options, so don't waste energy on this piece."
"No, Lin Tian!"
Gan Yanyu said,
"It was just practice. Isn't it normal to have many unfamiliar areas since it's practice? Isn't practice meant to go slowly?"
"This competition is very important....."
"You know clearly that there's no piece that can daunt me now!"
Gan Yanyu interrupted Lin Tian. She looked seriously into Lin Tian's eyes and said,
"This thing, don't you understand it well?"
With these words,
Lin Tian found himself at a loss for words.
After a pause, Lin Tian said,
"Even so, it's better not to perform this piece at the Keller Cup."
"Why??"
Gan Yanyu didn't understand why whenever they talked about this piece, it seemed like Lin Tian became impossible to communicate with.
If it's not suitable for performance, why write it?
"Sorry, I was careless. I didn't seriously consider this matter when writing it."
Lin Tian apologized to Gan Yanyu, then, as if to comfort her, gently patted her head,
"Don't worry, there are still a few more pieces."
Then, to divert Gan Yanyu's attention, Lin Tian turned the notebook to the next few pages.
These were also meticulously selected by Lin Tian, suitable for performing in this grand final.
There were Mahler's Symphonies, Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Schubert's Fantasia.
Lin Tian practically brought out all the pieces he had seriously considered but hadn't written down.
The effect was remarkable.
Gan Yanyu quickly became so immersed in the classical world constructed by Lin Tian that she couldn't extricate herself...
They tried playing a few pieces in succession.
In fact, the results were all very good.
Each one was a classic in classical music, also representing the brilliance of their era. Gan Yanyu's performance was impeccable.
It's impossible to choose!
The more they went through each "very suitable" piece, the more they didn't know which one to choose!!
The notebook quickly turned to its last written page.
Seeing the title on the last page, Lin Tian's eyes widened, and he immediately closed the notebook:
"Let's not look at this one, let's choose from the previous pieces."
"Why???" It was the second time Gan Yanyu expressed such bafflement.
They had already tried so many pieces in one go; would one more really matter?
"This one...is a bit special." Lin Tian stammered.
"Then let's take a look, just a glance.... It was not easy for you to write it, Lin Tian!" Gan Yanyu said earnestly.
Seeing Gan Yanyu coming closer, Lin Tian knew he couldn't resist this girl and could only say:
"Alright."
Lin Tian turned the notebook to the last page. The final title was unmistakable on the page—
"Requiem."
