Please, come home and practice the piano

Chapter 1253, Section 473. Ang Lee's Answer: A Textbook Example of Beethoven's Fourth Symphony

It was 7:30 p.m. two days later.

Live from the National Centre for the Performing Arts 2023-2024 International Music Season on the 19th.

Rotterdam Symphony Orchestra concert.

"Wow——————"

The applause remained the same, the concert hall remained the same, the stage remained the same, and even the backstage staff from the day before yesterday were the same.

As for the audience, there are definitely changes. Judging from the ticket sales, tickets for Ang Lee's show today sold much better than those for the show the day before yesterday.

The Rotterdam Symphony Orchestra musicians were already in place on stage, and Rolf and Ang Lee were communicating in German, making their final preparations for going on stage.

Two little girls stood to the side, looking ready to be at his beck and call.

One person held the teacher's sheet music, and the other held the teacher's teacup.

Xiao Che finally didn't have to wear a formal gown anymore; she changed into a light-colored casual outfit, and she looked much more relaxed.

"The teacher is about to go on stage," Tang Xiaoxing translated.

The backstage staff then applauded.

"Go, teacher!" Xiaoxing had gotten used to it; ever since the teacher started rehearsing in the afternoon, Xiaoxing had been her personal translator.

"Go, teacher!" Tang Xiaoxing shouted loudly.

Ang Lee turned and straightened his tuxedo lining, giving the two girls a confident smile: "Listen carefully in a bit, I'll have to ask you questions when we get back."

Car: "Yes, sir!"

Tang Xiaoxing: "I guarantee it!"

Ha ha ha ha--

Amidst the laughter of the staff, Rolf and Ang Lee walked out of the backstage door together.

The cheers of two children rang out again from behind.

"Whoosh————————"

The camera then shifts to the stage, where Rolf and Rolf appear one after the other, and the applause from the audience erupts once again.

"Teacher Li!"

"Brother An is so handsome!"

"Boss!"

Although the Rotterdam concert was the highlight of the festival, half of the audience today came for Ang Lee.

There were relatives, friends, parents, and students from Chengdu, as well as fan groups who had followed the group from Xinghai Concert Hall to the National Centre for the Performing Arts, and colleagues and old friends from the Beijing area.

Tang Qianfeng missed Ang Lee's concert tonight due to scheduling conflicts. Apart from him, everyone in the Tang family came to the venue, including Tang Xiaoxing's great-uncle and his entire family.

Not far from the family, Xie Qianzheng and Cao Liqun, the current head of the International Exchange Association, also appeared in the audience, accompanied by Hou Zhentao.

Looking in the direction of the three people, it was clear that quite a few people from the industry had come today.

"Wow————————"

Ang Lee, dressed in a black tailcoat, walked past the first row of musicians, looking elegant under the bright stage lights, like the embodiment of classical music.

He stopped and shook hands warmly with the orchestra's concertmaster as he passed by.

He then approached the piano, smiled, bowed to the audience, and sat down at the piano.

After Rolf stepped onto the podium, he focused his attention on the piano.

As the pianist and conductor took their positions, the musicians tuned in amidst rustling sounds, and a fleeting chorus of various instruments seemed like a final announcement before the performance began.

The audience stopped applauding, and the scene gradually quieted down.

After adjusting the piano bench, Li An exhaled lightly and tried raising his hand to feel the distance between his body and the piano.

At that moment, some audience members thought Ang Lee was about to start, but as they held their breath, they saw Ang Lee pull his hands back, lift his buttocks, and move the piano stool forward a little.

A few soft laughs suddenly rippled through the audience.

Upon hearing this, Ang Lee looked towards the audience and smiled, instantly creating an atmosphere of relaxed harmony.

After a brief interlude, Ang Lee raised his hand again, this time finding the familiar sense of distance in his arm.

He then looked at the command post, and he and Rolf nodded to each other in confirmation.

As their eyes met, the venue fell silent once more; experienced audience members knew that the music was just about to begin.

The string section musicians also straightened their posture at this moment.

The atmosphere on stage suddenly tensed up, and the two little girls at the backstage entrance couldn't help but feel nervous as they watched their teacher's back.

In the silence, Ang Lee sat at the piano with his hands on his knees and his head slightly lowered, as if his upper body was supported by his arms.

No one knew what he was thinking at that moment, but no one was worried either.

After about five or six seconds, Ang Lee straightened up and casually raised his arms to rest on the keyboard.

After a few more moments, his hands slowly fell into the black and white squares in front of him.

"when--"

A chord resonating with a sense of destiny, like the distant tolling of a bell, cast a soft golden hue over the entire concert hall.

"Ding ding ding-"

"Ding ding ding-"

Slowly, Ang Lee continued to play the repeated chords.

There seems to be a gap between each chord, yet it is impossible to hear it clearly. One chord after another, without the support of an orchestra, the sound of the piano gives people a sense of echoing in the mountains.

The scene seemed to be pulled into a vast and boundless space at that moment, with only bright chords like Amen in the ears.

As the piano music, which had been gradually building in intensity, seemed to lose momentum and was about to fall in mid-air, Rolf, with his left eye half-closed, gently tapped his baton on the podium.

The resounding strings caught the falling piano music in an instant and replicated the theme and rhythm of the music with the same emotion.

The sweet woodwinds and deep strings intertwine harmoniously, creating a gentle and romantic atmosphere.

And so, the curtain was raised once again on Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, performed by the Rotterdam Symphony Orchestra, Rolf, and Ang Lee.

Just like on the stage of the Vienna Theater on December 22, 1808.

That day marked the last time Beethoven stepped onto the stage as a soloist, personally giving the public premiere of this work.

But who would have thought that this piece, which is considered by later generations to be one of Beethoven's most beautiful melodies, was forgotten by people at the time after Beethoven's premiere.

Beethoven completed this work in 1806, the same year he also completed his Fourth Symphony and Violin Concerto in D minor. During this period of Beethoven's middle creative career, only this work seems to have been forgotten.

It wasn't until thirty years later, when Medalson rediscovered the work and conducted a performance, that it returned to the public eye.

During his discussion with Rolf on this point, Ang Lee offered his own ideas, which were then accepted.

“Beethoven used the piano as the opening theme in this work, instead of the traditional approach of having the orchestra present the theme first.”

Looking at Beethoven's piano concertos, it's not just the Fourth that uses this piano-opening style.

In the manuscripts of his famous Emperor Concerto No. 5 and the unfinished Concerto No. 6, Beethoven also adopted the compositional pattern of starting with the piano.

The Emperor Concerto, in particular, was a sensation that captivated the entire orchestra upon its release.

But why did No. 4 encounter setbacks and be neglected by the audience during its premiere?

Ang Lee's answer was that it was due to differences in the structure of the works.

The Emperor Concerto opens with a dazzling cadenza, giving the audience a truly refreshing experience.

In comparison, the opening of number four seems too conventional.

But is that really the case?
Ang Lee raised a question mark here.

He told Rolf that, at least in this piece, Beethoven had an absolutely original effect at the beginning. The motive is revealed at the outset.

He also emphasized that it should be viewed separately from Mozart's K.271.

Indeed, the opening of the fourth piece immediately brings to mind Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat major.

That is, the piano directly answers the orchestral motif as soon as it appears.

That's certainly true in terms of hearing, but Ang Lee doesn't agree with that statement.

He believes that Beethoven at most looked back at Mozart in terms of the conception of the two works. Although the materials used in the two works are the same, the creative logic is completely different.

"It's like the difference between braised pork and twice-cooked pork."

To make Rolf understand his meaning, Ang Lee specifically used two traditional Chinese dishes as an example.

Both of these dishes are made with pork belly.

"Braised pork belly is usually made from chunks of pork belly, which is stewed. It is characterized by tender meat, not greasy, bright red color, and rich sweetness."

"Twice-cooked pork is made by slicing pork belly that has been boiled until half-cooked into thin slices and then stir-frying it. The result is a slightly charred exterior and a juicy interior. Paired with fragrant fermented bean paste and garlic sprouts, every bite is fresh, sweet, and spicy, leaving you wanting more."

After making sure that Rolf understood the difference between the two dishes he was talking about, he gave his final opinion: "So in my opinion, Beethoven's Fourth is like braised pork. It doesn't need to go through a series of complicated cooking steps like twice-cooked pork. Slow cooking is enough."

As Ang Lee said, he abandoned all performance techniques at the beginning and simply explained the opening notes clearly in the most straightforward way.

The reason Rolf ultimately decided to let Ang Lee lead the work was not only because Lee's example moved him, nor entirely because he heard the sound he wanted during the rehearsal.

The former was an academic discussion, and the latter was an impromptu performance; neither was enough for Rolf to completely hand over himself and the orchestra to Ang Lee.

What finally made Rolf decide was Ang Lee's positive answer yesterday morning to the question he had raised at the dinner table that day.

What are the shortcomings in the components of Beethoven's music?

In fact, this question was originally prepared for Ang Lee.

“Mr. Rolf, if I may be so bold, Beethoven’s music is, in my opinion, without any shortcomings.”

When Rolf heard Ang Lee say those words so bluntly, even with a hint of denial, he knew that the young pianist before him was ready.

This was a "trap" he had prepared for Ang Lee. As long as Ang Lee fell into his trap and started from "where he was lacking", no matter how reasonable or eloquent Ang Lee's subsequent explanations were, he did not believe that Ang Lee could play Beethoven's works well.

In his view, Beethoven's works need to be played with a spirit of courage and determination, which means that the performer must fully recognize every note in the work and resolutely play those notes on the keyboard.

You can play it however you like.

If the performer cannot do this, then all the treatment is just whitewashing Beethoven's work, whitewashing those aspects that the performer feels are inadequate.

Just when Rolf thought he and Ang Lee had hit it off, Lee's subsequent words were like a shot of adrenaline for him.

"If you dissect Beethoven's works, none of them are perfect. But if you put these imperfections together, they become the most perfect musical work in the world."

"Musical form".

"In Beethoven's music, form is everything."

"Beethoven's musical form determines how his next note should be played."

Rolf had to admit that when he heard those words in the air-conditioned lounge, it felt like something had ignited within him.

Thus began the spectacular opening that the audience heard tonight.

Ang Lee achieved an amazing effect by playing only the most basic tonic triad.

It is full of poetic charm, resonates with people, and allows them to feel a sense of tranquility.

Ang Lee also used the opening of the performance to once again prove the greatness of this work to Rolf—

Before this piece, no one had ever used the most basic triads in such a powerful way.

Since this piece, no one has been able to replicate such a dramatic effect without weakening the tonic chord.

So to the audience, the young pianist sitting at the piano—no, nowadays we might have to add the prefix "famous" before "young"—is already quite famous.

Bathed in the golden light of the stage, he appeared solemn and dignified, exuding an aura of authority and dominance, and methodically commanding the entire stage.

In theory, Ang Lee is only a minor supporting actor for the Rotterdam Symphony Orchestra.

But at this very moment, it was this young man, who should have been a minor supporting actor, who made the Rotterdam Symphony Orchestra a complete foil.

Those in the audience familiar with Ang Lee also noticed that he seemed different tonight compared to when he performed Brahms at the Xinghai Concert Hall.

Especially in the second movement, the "misaligned" dialogue between the solemn orchestra and the piano vividly portrays the piano as the dominant force.

"Clang—"

As a delicate piano melody spread across the stage, Ang Lee's expression resembled that of a frail old man.

He gradually entered a meditative state, sinking into a state of trance, his thoughts seemingly touching the air and drifting towards the vast forest.

No matter how heavy the strings were, they could not erode him in the slightest.

Hearing the piano's monologue again, Xiao Che couldn't help but wipe his eyes once more.

She held the flowers tightly against her body, as if only in this way could she breathe smoothly.

She finally breathed a long sigh of relief after the piano faded into the distance.

Looking at Tang Xiaoxing on the side, the two little figures, each with teary eyes, were holding bouquets of flowers and chuckled at each other.

The final movement is coming!

The orchestra began with a grand opening rehearsal, and the audience immediately turned their attention to the piano.

As Ang Lee raised and lowered his hands, he exuded a heroic and spirited aura. His every move was bold and expansive, and the music he played on the piano was like a rushing river, with a powerful and unstoppable force.

"Boom boom boom!"

The sudden sound of the timpani seemed to inject a tremendous amount of energy into the surging music.

The audience was also stunned!
With sweat pouring down his face, Ang Lee poured all the remaining energy of the night into this final segment.

With both hands moving freely, weaving through the entire orchestra, the music instantly entered an astonishingly grand phase.

The orchestra played together!

The piano's deep and resonant sound!

"when!"

A piano melody, a cry to the vast universe, ripped through the night sky, and Beethoven's heroic spirit finally appeared on stage in a transcendent, three-dimensional image at this final moment!
The moment the music ended, Ang Lee suddenly raised his hands in mid-air, and then stood up and turned towards the audience!

“Wow——————————————”

"Bravo!!!!!!!"

A thunderous applause erupted from the audience instantly!
"Awesome!"

Old Tang and his companions, who had only arrived in Yanjing in the afternoon, were now completely refreshed and as excited as if they had taken stimulants.

Old Tang was so excited that he started swearing!
Not far away, Boss X watched this scene on the stage with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. Who would stop and get up at the very end of the band's song?
He thinks Ang Lee is becoming less and less like a musician, more like his mother working herself to the bone!

But damn, that's really awesome!

"So cool!"

For a moment, Boss X seemed to have become fifteen years younger.

Just then, two little girls, each holding a bouquet of flowers, ran onto the stage from the backstage entrance, one on the left and one on the right.

“Wow——————————————————”

"teacher!"

"teacher!"

Meanwhile, in Chengdu, Little Tiger was kneeling next to the toilet, holding his phone, and watching this scene, he felt no jealousy whatsoever!

why! !

Why wasn't I the one offering flowers?!