Please, come home and practice the piano

Chapter 1380 600 Flute 3? The Political Correctness of Rehearsals [Part 1]

Chapter 1380, Section 600: Flute Three? The Political Correctness of Rehearsals [Part 1]

Upon waking up early in the morning, Li An received a message from Lin Youyou from the night before.

All examination videos have been submitted, and the teacher assessment results will be released in ten working days.

"Thank you for your hard work. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions."

After replying to Lin Youyou's message, Li An glanced at the group messages again.

Then I got up, turned off the air conditioner, quickly washed up, and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Half an hour later, Chen Xuan also got up.

This morning I went to Rong'ai for a rehearsal, and the two of us chatted about the work for a while in the room.

While Chen Xuan was putting on makeup after dinner, Ang Lee warmed up on the piano and felt pretty good overall.

"when!"

A short while later, Chen Xuan reappeared in the living room.

"Let's go."

Li An nodded in front of the piano, closed the lid, turned his head to look at it, and smiled, "Capable Xiao Chen."

"of course."

It was Chen Xuan's first time participating in Rong Ai's formal rehearsal, and she naturally wanted to leave a good impression on everyone, so she put a lot of thought into her outfit.

Based on her experience participating in orchestra rehearsals abroad, she believes that it's better for young musicians, especially young female musicians, to be relatively simple and unassuming.

Firstly, rehearsals are part of a musician's daily work, and their work is essentially no different from that of a programmer typing on a computer screen.

Which programmer wears heavy makeup and dresses flamboyantly every day?
Secondly, it was also to avoid stealing the limelight. The band is also a workplace, and she is a complete newcomer today.

Furthermore, because of Ang Lee, she needs to keep a low profile to avoid gossip.

She's not someone who got in through connections.

So today she only wore light makeup and chose a pair of blue jeans and a plain black T-shirt.

Hair piled up at the back of the head
Adding a pair of white sneakers completes the look, making the person appear both refreshing and well-dressed.

After hesitating for a moment, Ang Lee changed into a new pair of shoes. He's been really enjoying wearing Crocs lately.

"You drive, I drive?"

"I'll drive. You're the star of the show today. I'm just the driver, Xiao Chen."

So Ang Lee happily got into the passenger seat.

Chen Xuan was in charge of driving, and he used the time on the road to take out the sheet music again.

Having already become a seasoned stage performer, Ang Lee now has his own experience in rehearsals.

Rehearsals are actually a very simple thing – finding problems.

Don't be afraid of disagreements with the orchestra; if you feel there's a problem, stop immediately and resolve it.

Simply waiting and waiting, waiting to see what happens next, will only make the problem bigger and bigger.

It wasted everyone's time and also drained my own energy.

Especially when working with an old friend like Rong Ai, it's best to say whatever comes to mind and get the results out as soon as possible so everyone can leave work early – that's what old friends should do.
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At 9:15, Ang Lee and Chen Xuan stepped out of the elevator.

The doors to the rehearsal hall were open, and the sounds of various musical instruments could be heard from inside.

Ang Lee walked ahead and greeted the Mediterranean-looking chief of the Chinese and Italian media.

The man with the receding hairline knew that the person following behind Ang Lee was Ang Lee's fiancée. After greeting Ang Lee, he politely nodded to Chen Xuan.

Ang Lee introduced: "Teacher Ma, our top Chinese snooker player."

Chen Xuan: "Hello, Teacher Ma."

The Mediterranean-looking man waved his hand and laughed, "You flatter me, you're welcome, you're welcome."

Soon, the scattered musicians on and off the stage all noticed this.

Fang Yongbo walked over and greeted the two of them.

"Brother Bo".

"Fang Zhi".

"Go warm up first."

After speaking to Li An, Fang Yongbo looked at Chen Xuan and said, "Come with me, let me introduce you to the woodwind section."

Chen Xuan: "Hey!"

With 15 minutes to go before rehearsal, Fang Yongbo brought Chen Xuan on stage to introduce the newcomers to everyone.

Ang Lee greeted Lin Qingfeng and then sat down at the piano to get busy.

Sheet music, pencil, eraser, water glass, voice recorder.

Ang Lee was happy to see these things displayed on the piano.

And of course, we can't forget the towel for wiping our hands.

I took out a towel to wipe the piano keys when someone suddenly tapped me on the shoulder from behind.

Turning around, I saw Qi Guojuan smiling and holding a drumstick.

"I almost missed it," Li An joked.

Qi Guojuan: "Don't run away after lunch."

Li Anle: "Zheng-ge said you two found a great little restaurant."

"I'll take you there when it's over!" Qi Guojuan said, glancing at the woodworking group. "Xiaomi is the star today."

Ang Lee: Just kidding, the main character is sitting right here.

Qi Guojuan: "Alright, alright, you wait, protagonist."

After a brief chat, Qi Guojuan returned to the percussion group.

Just as Li An turned around, Tian Tao jogged over with two bottles of water.

"Brother An".

"I brought water with me, oh, you're too kind."

"It's nothing, no need to be so polite. Are you and your wife free for lunch? Let's have lunch together."

"I do have plans for today. Let's wait until rehearsals are over the day after tomorrow. I'll make the arrangements and invite Lao Cheng over so we can have a good chat."

"Okay, Brother An, you go ahead with your work."

Tian Tao put down the water and hurriedly went back.

Looking at Tian Tao's retreating figure, Li An was also somewhat moved.

Now that he's joined the group, his whole demeanor is different from before.

Her words have become sweeter.

As the musicians took to the stage one after another, it was already 9:30. Fang Yongbo turned his head and glanced at the audience, urging, "Hurry up, hurry up, it's you two again. If you're late again, it will be considered being late."

"Here he comes!" A young man carrying a violin jogged towards the stage.

"Please calm down, Father Bo!" Following behind the violinist was a young man carrying a bassoon.

The two of them joined the group last year and are core young talents in Fang Yongbo's faction.

During rehearsal breaks, he would also take the initiative to chat with Ang Lee.

Once the two took their seats, everyone was present.

Fang Yongbo looked around and said, "Before we go over the notes, let me say this: we've only had three rehearsals for this performance, so we all have a pretty good idea of what to expect."

As he spoke, Fang Yongbo looked towards the piano and asked, "Is there anything else you'd like to add, Teacher Li?"

Ang Lee stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Please forgive me, please forgive me."

Everyone laughed.

Fang Yongbo smiled and waved his hand, "Correct the pronunciation."

For a moment, the sounds of various musical instruments mingled together, and Li An glanced at the woodwind section.

Chen Xuan was sitting in the third position on the flute.

It's a menial job, but it's quite reasonable.

Typically, a professional symphony orchestra only needs two to three flutes to handle more than 95% of the works.

First flute, also known as the principal flutist.

The principal flute player is naturally responsible for the flute solo in each piece.

The second flute player, or to put it more politely, the assistant principal, is responsible for some repertoire for the second flute section and occasionally gets a chance to perform a solo.

As for Flute III, it's purely a patchwork.

When two people are needed to play one piece, flute three plays flute two.

Aside from these special circumstances, Flute III's daily routine usually involves picking up the leftovers from Flute II.

They also take charge of the piccolo part. Sometimes the piccolo part is also played by the flute, in which case the third flute player is responsible for providing emotional value to the principal and assistant principal.

The situation is different for each ensemble, but one thing is the same: the third flute player in any ensemble is always at the bottom of the flute section.

For a newcomer in an orchestra to advance from a junior flautist to principal flautist through sheer hard work is probably no easier than a mediocre student getting into Tsinghua or Peking University.

It might even be more difficult.

Because the competition for seats in an orchestra is no less intense than the power struggles in the imperial harem in the TV series "Empresses in the Palace".

Every musician who holds the top spot is a formidable figure behind the scenes; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to maintain that position.

As a complete newcomer who has not yet been officially enrolled, it is already an unexpected surprise that Chen Xuan is on this stage today.

Anyone who has rehearsed Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony knows that the orchestral concerto section of this work is clearly written, requiring only two flutes.

As the dialogue ended, Chen Xuan let out a soft sigh. She knew that the opportunity was secured for her by Li An, but whether she could silence others depended entirely on herself.

"Xiao Chen, blow louder in a bit."

Sitting next to Chen Xuan, Yang Ling jokingly said, "Let us take a break too."

Chen Xuan quickly laughed and said, "Teacher Yang, please stop teasing me. I've never recorded this piece before."

Yang Ling pouted: "That's why you have to speak louder."

Yang Ling was the principal flutist of the ensemble before Fang Yongbo arrived.

The bespectacled young man sitting between him and Chen Xuan was his student, Liu Haoming, who had been in the troupe for over six years.

Liu Haoming smiled and said with a beaming smile, "Teacher Chen will be looking after you in a bit."

Chen Xuan's thoughts were pretty much the same as Li An's, but what could she say about it?

"I have to follow the two teachers."

Yang Ling smiled and said nothing more.

The teacher and student both held the principal and associate principal positions in the flute section, but unfortunately, they were both affiliated with Kong Chao.

The band's coup attempt failed, and Kong Chao was relegated to the Children's Palace, meaning their good days were over.

Fang Yongbo's sudden recruitment drive last time was already a calculated move; it was an open message to everyone that the orchestra was about to undergo a reshuffle, replacing its members with his own people.

Yang Ling is getting old and will soon retire, so he doesn't care about these things, but Liu Haoming is still young.

Yang Ling now only hopes to curry favor with Chen Xuan so that Liu Haoming can still have a job in the troupe in the future.

After everyone finished their rehearsals, the room gradually quieted down.

Fang Yongbo looked at Li An.

Ang Lee nodded, and then raised his hand after a moment.

"when."

As his hands fell, a heavy chord, like one breaking through the earth, slowly emerged from beneath the raised piano keys.

"when."

Then another sound came.

The complex block chords were layered and played again and again, gradually transforming into a series of hums like the striking of a giant bronze bell.

"Dang!!"

Ang Lee then passed his right hand through his left arm and slammed it into the bass register.

The vibrations from the hammers striking the strings seemed to spread through the instrument and into every corner of the venue in an instant.

The string section near the piano could even feel a slight resonance coming from the floor.

Fang Yongbo's expression was solemn, as if he had been drawn into the mournful music.

At this moment, there is no virtuoso performance in front of the piano, only the precise control of power and beauty.

Ang Lee played with increasing intensity, his left hand striking the keys with almost brutal force.

Use your right hand to make the harmonic layers as clear as possible.

"Clang!!!"

Finally, in his last burst of power with both hands, a series of arpeggios, like churning lava, began to assault the brains of everyone present.

The rehearsal prelude for Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 was slowly drawn back at this moment.

Fang Yongbo's baton gently swept across the air at that moment, and the string section began to play simultaneously.

Every musician's expression was solemn.

This is the charm of an excellent soloist; without saying much, he can lead all the members of the orchestra into his own musical ocean with just his piano playing.

As soon as the string section appeared, they lifted the piano high with their bows, and a vast musical scene seemed to unfold at that moment.

Xiang Nan, sitting in the audience, thought to himself that everything was in the bag; just this half of Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony was enough to raise the bar for this year's music festival.

But at that moment, Ang Lee suddenly stopped in front of the piano.

As soon as the piano music stopped, the entire music seemed to have its spine removed, and the stage fell silent in an instant.

Fang Yongbo knew roughly what Ang Lee was going to say, and he also felt that the string section was pushing a bit too hard.

However, he wanted Ang Lee to say those words.

"The string section teachers here should pay a little attention; the sound is too loud."

Ang Lee stood up and said.

If it were last year, he would have been more tactful, but this year's work is too big, and he has to hurry.

Fang Yongbo then laughed and said, "Why are you all getting so excited? You're making me excited too. Let's do it again."

Everyone laughed.

A moment later, Ang Lee started again.

This time he toned it down a bit; he had gotten a little too carried away earlier.

Ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye, and Ang Lee did not interrupt again. Instead, it was Fang Yongbo who called a halt to the bassoon section.

"Don't add that vibrato!"

Just as the first movement was about to come to an end, three heads suddenly appeared at the back door of the concert hall.

Wang Xiaohu, still carrying the music score bag, quietly slipped in first.

Following closely behind was Xiao Che, wearing a small blue hat.

Finally, there's Tang Xiaoxing, wearing black overalls.

Originally, only Wang Xiaohu was supposed to come. Wang Xiaohu had already made arrangements with Li An last night, and he would come over as soon as the command class started this morning.

Xiao Che and Xiao Xing only decided to come this morning.

The two had planned to practice the piano this morning and then come over when the teacher rehearsed the day after tomorrow.

Midway through the journey, Wang Xiaohu posted a screenshot of his taxi ride in the group chat, showing that the destination was the Chengdu Concert Hall.

Tang Xiaoxing saw it first when she took out her phone to record, and then she showed it to Xiao Che.

The two girls immediately became flustered.

Finally, encouraged by Grandpa Tang, the two of them decided to head to the Chengdu Concert Hall!
How many times in my life can I witness a teacher and orchestra rehearsing Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony?
Then Xiao Che called Wang Xiaohu and asked where he was.

When Little Tiger saw that the two were coming, he thought he would wait at the door for a while.

This delay has caused him to miss the first movement, which he could have caught up with the complete first movement. Now, he only has the tail end of the first movement left.

"It's all your fault."

The third child quietly found a seat in the middle row.

Wang Xiaohu hadn't even settled into his seat when he complained, "I should have known better than to wait for you two."

Car: "I just asked you where you were. Did I make you wait?"

Wang Xiaohu: "You."

Tang Xiaoxing grinned mischievously: "Can you two stop showing off?"

Xiao Che: "He insisted on waiting, so he blames us."

Wang Xiaohu: "Okay, okay, Xiaoxing, did you hear that?"

Tang Xiaoxing: "I didn't hear anything."

Wang Xiaohu: "Beautiful."

Just then, the first movement came to a magnificent close with a series of dense, legato piano passages.

As the second movement began, the tender strings immediately drew the three children's attention back to the stage.