Please, come home and practice the piano

Chapter 1149 409. Playing the game with my mother [Twenty-eight]

As the most watched classical music channel in the industry, the daily work of the Lizhi team includes tracking competitions.

As the editor-in-chief, Liang Shan has limited time and energy and can only select some of the matches to watch personally.

The way he selects competitions is not entirely based on the scale and level of the competition, but also partly comes from the players themselves.

If a performer he has been following appears on the list of players in a competition, he will go to watch the competition because of this player, even if it is just a small competition.

The Xiao Xiao competition is definitely not a small competition, as there are also young contestants that he is paying attention to.

But time was limited, so he could only choose two to watch.

One match is Group E the day after tomorrow, which is also the group he is most looking forward to in this Xiao Competition in China. There is a player in the group whom he has been following for more than five years, named Li Mingze, who is said to have started preparing for the 25-year Xiao Competition.

The other game is today's Group C.

There are four players in Group C that he is keeping an eye on.

In the order of his attention, they are Sun Wenjun, Feng Junjie, Xiao Jingchen and Che Lin.

He started paying attention to Sun Wenjun when she was still in primary school. It was during a small-scale competition held in Yenching, and he was invited as a guest to watch the game live.

At that time, Sun Wenjun left a very deep impression on him. She was young, had high skills, and was very calm when sitting in front of the piano. It seemed that she possessed all the qualities that a good seedling should have.

As he expected, not long after the competition, Sun Wenjun became Zhao Weilin's disciple.

Afterwards, Sun Wenjun's skills improved by leaps and bounds, and he won many awards in various competitions.

But the problem is that I have never won any of the grand prizes.

At first, Liang Shan thought that Sun Wenjun was too young and the opponents she met in the competitions were all older than her.

Later, she gradually discovered that there might be something wrong with the child's mental state.

Although my playing skills improved and my repertoire expanded, the spiritual energy I had as a child gradually disappeared.

Liang Shan analyzed that it might be because as the child gets older, he only sees his level improving, but he still can't get a satisfactory result in the competition. He unconsciously begins to deny himself and then becomes timid.

Cowardice is like a vine. Once it entangles a young person's heart, it will become a thorn blocking the road.

Liangshan has seen too many children like this, and they all ended up being just like everyone else.

Fortunately, I haven’t heard any news about Sun Wenjun participating in any competition for a year.

I think Zhao Weilin also wants his child to use this time to adjust his condition.

At the same time, Liang Shan hopes that the children can also have some rest, he knows how hard the children in the attached primary school work.

As soon as the final list of this year's Xiao Xiao competition was announced, he and his colleagues saw Sun Wenjun's name again when they got the list.

After being away from the competition for a year, what kind of performance will Sun Wenjun bring this time?
Liang Shan is very much looking forward to it.

In addition to Sun Wenjun, there were three other names on the list that surprised him.

At the time, he confidently told his colleagues, "This year's Group C competition will be worth watching."

From the perspective of a professional audience, what kind of piano competitions are worth watching?

Avatar vs. Smurfs might be a little interesting, but what's there to watch in a one-round match?

The one to watch is Godzilla vs. Kong.

It sounds a bit harsh to compare children to monsters, but it is very appropriate.

Aren’t these just a group of little monsters?
Liangshan has been following Feng Junjie since the Asian Junior Championships. He finished playing all of Chopin's etudes at the age of twelve.

Compared with technical aspects, Liang Shan is more optimistic about his personal understanding of the music part. He can be said to have demonstrated music in his performance at a young age.

He started paying attention to Jamel Xiao relatively late. It was during the last Chris King Piano Competition that he went there to chase Sun Wenjun, but he discovered Jamel Xiao by accident.

In that competition, the skills displayed by Xiao Jingchen were not as good as Sun Wenjun, and his musical performance was not as good as Feng Junjie of the same age, but Xiao Jingchen had a kind of calmness that only adult performers have.

Looking at the field of piano for young people in China, we can't say that there are a lot of talented and skilled children, but at least they are everywhere.

Maybe there are too few children who can be called calm on stage.

So Xiao Jingchen immediately entered Liangshan's field of vision. Later he found out that this child didn't even get into the primary school affiliated to Haiyuan.

The last one was Che Lin, and the first thing Liang Shan saw was the column for his instructor Li An.

Looking at the contestant information, he is from Chengdu.

Looking at the contestant information, Che Lin is the only child in this round who is not from the affiliated high school.

The fact that an ordinary junior high school student made it onto such a finalist list was enough to catch Liang Shan's attention.

In addition, this is Li Ang's student. Liang Shan had a feeling at that time that this child named Che Lin would definitely bring a surprise to the game.

Perhaps he has a bit of blind personal worship for Ang Lee, and has placed his expectations for his child on Ang Lee.

Therefore, the competition list has four such players, including He Peng’s son and a player who has participated in the Xiao Xiao competition twice in a row.

How can such a game not be interesting?

Liangshan has been sitting in front of the computer since lunch and has been sitting there until now.

The moment contestant No. 10 finished playing, he let out a long sigh.

He was glad he didn't miss the game.

It was more than exciting. He had to take back his previous words. Although he still had Group E to watch, he was sure that no group in this tournament would be more exciting than Group C.

Before learning that the organizing committee was going to hold an emergency meeting, friends in the group asked him to predict the outcome of the game.

In keeping with his usual style, he would only give a few names for reference.

But today I just predicted that contestant No. 01 will be among the top three.

What he thought in his heart was that if contestant No. 01 did not win the first place, it would be the greatest tragedy of domestic piano education.

In Liangshan's opinion, there is no need for comparison. Just today, no contestant's performance can be compared with that of contestant No. 01.

Because contestant No. 01 was not participating in the competition at all.

From going on stage to taking his seat, from presenting his works to wiping his hands between songs, to finally bowing and leaving the stage, contestant No. 01 was just sharing the stage and his own music.

When Sun Wenjun first appeared on the scene, Liang Shan became nervous. He became nervous subconsciously because of Sun Wenjun's tense state.

It was as if the stage had become a battlefield.

This is indeed the case. From the moment Sun Wenjun stepped down, the tone of the stage became like a battlefield.

Liang Shan felt a little regretful as he did not see any change in Sun Wenjun's condition after being away from the arena for a year.

The processing of the tracks is more rigorous and almost meticulous.

But it felt to him like a product produced on the highest-end assembly line, lacking the vitality and energy that a performer of this age should have.

In terms of spiritual energy, it is even worse than it was a year ago.

It can be said that Sun Wenjun’s performance on stage today is the most standard teaching syllabus performance.

No one can find fault with it.

But this is music. It is a competition as well as a stage for music. It is different from the examination hall for cultural subjects.

After Sun Wenjun stepped down from the stage, until contestant No. 01 took the stage, every contestant gave him the feeling that they were going up on stage to take an exam.

Only the girl who was a revolutionary gave him a little bit of emotion, but only a little bit.

Contestant No. 03 Feng Junjie, whom he paid special attention to, also made a major mistake on stage.

He also regretted this.

Maybe I was really too nervous.

In such a stage atmosphere, it would not be easy for any contestant to go on stage. He could understand that. Which child would not be nervous on such a stage?
When contestant No. 01 came on stage, Liang Shan was immediately infected by the girl's smile. Suddenly, the atmosphere of the entire stage changed, as if this was no longer a competition venue.

The moment contestant No. 01 finished playing the first piece, Liang Shan knew that this girl from an ordinary junior high school in Chengdu would be remembered by everyone.

She’s here to share her music, she’s not here to compete.

Her Beethoven runs rampant, as if defying all the rules.

Isn't this Beethoven?

Her waltz is lively and graceful, her nocturne is dreamy and her mazurka tells a story.

Which of these qualities is not Chopin's?

The best part is the Bach at the end.

After listening to the first four pieces by contestant No. 01, Liang Shan didn't know what kind of mood he should be in when looking forward to the last piece by contestant No. 01.

He didn't know how contestant No. 01 would play Bach, as Bach was never a work for children.

But since he is contestant No. 01, in his fantasy, contestant No. 01 can use various performances to create the image of a young Bach.

He was sure that No. 01 definitely had such a level, and her teacher was an expert at this job.

It turned out that he was completely wrong.

Contestant No. 01 simply used the most key-sensitive playing method to play the piece from beginning to end.

Use clean voice to clearly outline three parallel melodic lines.

It's easy to tell, oh, look, this kid is playing a three-part Bach Invention.

It was this Bach, which could be said to have no highlights, that truly shocked Liangshan.

After listening to Bach by contestant No. 01, he could tell everyone loudly that this kid was not here to participate in the competition.

With her level, she can play a more pleasant Bach.

But she didn't, she chose the most simple way of playing, just playing the piano.

In such a fierce competition, she chose a calm Bach as the last piece to canvass votes for herself, like a silent confrontation with the competition.

She completely disrupted the order of the game.

Harmony and confrontation, rules and disorder, isn’t this the most primitive aspect of Bach’s music?

Great writing never needs to be profound.

The discussion on how to play Bach's music is already a historical issue

As the great master in the minds of all classical musicians, Bach's status is the first.

His music was once labeled theological.

From Mendelssohn's first public performance of his Matthew Passion, to the Bach Society founded by Schumann and others in 1850 for the centenary of Bach, supported by Liszt and others, to the rise of various modern styles in the st century -

Reviving Bach and returning to Bach have become the loudest slogans in the classical music world.

While people say that no one else in the world can have the same innocence and simplicity in conception and practice as Bach's music, they are also hotly debating whether Bach's music needs to be similar in form or in spirit, authentic or interpreted, restored or recreated?
Isn’t it strange?
Does a piece of music that is so innocent and simple need so many problems to be solved by countless musicians in terms of how to play it?

Just play it. Isn’t it enough to just play it simply like contestant No. 01?

Liang Shan knew that this was not easy, just like the most difficult word to write.

But contestant No. 01 came out on the stage today with ease.

It was so easy that people didn't even think about whether contestant No. 01 had the qualities of a steady performance.

It is unique among all the contestants today.

Compared with Jamel Xiao who performed later, contestant No. 01's performance did not need to be described as steady.

Even if it was Xiao Jingchen who won the first place today, Liang Shan would not think that Xiao Jingchen's performance today was more stable than contestant No. 01.

It can't be compared!
How to compare?
Contestant No. 01 is 13 years old!
Some of the other contestants are almost 16 years old!

To put it bluntly, this is no longer a beating, it is a crushing defeat.

When Liang Shan learned that the judges were going to hold a meeting, he never thought that controversy would arise with contestant No. 01.

To be calm and objective, if contestant No. 01 did not win first place, Liangshan would not understand.

It is a fact that he has to take into account the judges in the audience and the mainstream voice in the domestic piano education community.

The performance of contestant No. 01 might not be accepted by all the judges, but he never expected that contestant No. 01 would be blocked from advancing in the end.

This is the result of a fucking meeting?!
The first time Liang Shan saw the results, he was so furious!
"This is complete nonsense!"

moment.

"Brother Liang?"

"It's alright, I'll take care of you guys. Forget it, let's stop here for today, and go back early."

After taking a final glance at the six judges who gave contestant No. 01 full marks, Liang Shan sneered, stood up, picked up his phone and left the studio.

Suddenly he felt a sense of revenge. It was you who shut out the only player in Group C of the Chinese region who had a chance to win an international award.

Liang Shan had no opinion on the top three children, as they all played very well.

Including He Jiaming, they performed better than he imagined.

This matter has nothing to do with the children, and no one can say anything about Zhao Weilin regarding the first place.

Based on the performance of Sun Wenjun and Jamel Xiao today, whoever takes first place will be able to save face for the judges.

But Sun Wenjun, who was playing at home, lost to Xiao Jingchen, and Sun Wenjun was Zhao Weilin's student.

However, this could not offset Liang Shan's anger at the moment.

As the chairman of the judging panel for the Chinese region, Zhao Weilin should be fair.

But eliminating contestant 01 is pure stupidity.

"Hey, Brother Cui."

"Yes, I saw it. What happened just now? Was there any meeting? Is there any movement on your side?"
-
While Liang Shan was calling his friend to inquire about the situation on the front line, Tang Qianfeng had already hung up the phone.

This is what happened. Tang Zhongfu nodded after listening.

Then he sighed, "Xiao Zhao is anxious. We can discuss it further. Let Warsaw understand the specific situation here first, let them really listen and see what they say. It won't be a problem for us to delay the announcement of the results for another day."

Tang Qianfeng: "He doesn't want to offend either side."

Tang Zhongfu: "That's why he got anxious. Now he has offended both sides."

Tang Qianfeng hesitated for a moment: "You just asked me to call the old dean. Will it make us look a little bit?"

Tang Zhongfu grinned and said, "Speak."

Tang Qianfeng groaned for a moment: "After all, we have nothing to do with this. If it gets out, it will seem like we are on the side of Rongcheng."

Tang Zhongfu put away his smile in an instant: "It would be better if it is really spread like this."

Tang Qianfeng's eyebrows twitched when he heard this, and then he heard the old man continue to instruct: "For the performance in June, Ang Lee's show will remain the same, and then arrange a show for this child as well. Pick a better show, so that the teacher and student can come together at that time."

Tang Qianfeng: “You.”

Tang Zhongfu: "Since the jury can't do it, let us give the children a fair go."

"Otherwise, I'll make a fool of myself by showing it to others."

Another moment.

"Don't let Yan Qiu take the message. Contact Li An yourself. Maybe tomorrow. You can wait another day."