Please, come home and practice the piano

Chapter 1419, Section 639: National-Level? The Baroque Spear and Shield [Part 1]

The entire concert hall fell silent as soon as Ang Lee and his student entered, filled with the scents of pine resin and the distinctive aroma of the stage.

Meeting Grandpa Xie's smiling gaze, Xiao Che responded, and it would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous.

As she unconsciously tightened her grip on the backpack straps, her steps faltered for a moment, and she instinctively took a half-step behind the teacher before immediately straightening her posture.

Ang Lee, of course, noticed the little car's subtle movements and chuckled to himself that this girl wasn't as bold as the fearless ones.

Of course, in Ang Lee's view, it's perfectly normal for the car to be in a hurry.

Although she had previously held a solo recital at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, that concert featured only her piano and she was in complete control of everything.

But today is completely different.

It's a national-level stage, but this time, the stage is filled with top-notch performers and teachers from across the country.

Let alone a fourteen-year-old child, even an experienced performer would have to think twice before standing here.

Furthermore, Ang Lee knew that Xie Laozi had done more than just talk to get Xiao Che the opportunity to perform at the opening ceremony; after all, he was the top leader at the time.

He might even have to go against the majority opinion; Ang Lee even talked about this issue with Xiao Che on his way to the airport today.

Xiao Che secretly resolved to complete the performance steadily and reliably, and never let Grandpa Xie down.

However, when the thought shifted to style, she frowned slightly. The performance approach she had developed might not be compatible with the performance habits of this national-level orchestra.

And the teacher has reminded her of this several times already.

However, she was already mentally prepared that even if there were disagreements, she would not easily compromise. She had her own understanding of this Bach piece.

After greeting Mr. Xie, Ang Lee drove his car onto the stage.

After a few brief greetings, the rehearsal began.

"Relax."

With a relaxed smile at the car, Ang Lee turned and followed Hou Zhentao back to the audience, where he sat in the first row of the audience.
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On stage, the little car took out sheet music and then, following the teacher's instructions, asked Grandpa Xie for advice.

However, Master Xie didn't mention any precautions, only smiling and saying to warm up first.

"Let's go through it once in a bit."

"Listen to it."

Accompanied by the warm-up piano music, the musicians also got moving.

It was as if a rehearsal was about to begin.

Five minutes later, the car finished its warm-up and looked towards the control platform. Grandpa Xie then circled the baton around the car.

"Let's begin, the first movement, once we're ready."

Xiao Che nodded upon hearing this, his back instantly tightening up a bit.

The conductor raised his baton high, and the resounding sound of the strings erupted.

The melodious and gorgeous tune flowed slowly from the tip of the bow, and the bow strokes were expansive and grand, fully showcasing the beauty of the violin part in the original work.

The little car listened attentively, thinking to itself that it was just as the teacher had said.

The orchestra's teachers have been playing this way for years, preferring to emphasize the outward and magnificent feel of the main melody, striving to restore the original string style of this arrangement.

She silently counted the measures in her mind, precisely adjusting the rhythm, waiting for the right moment for the piano to enter.

When the time was right, she lowered her wrist and used the tips of her fingers to lightly touch the piano keys to generate force.

"when!"

She deliberately toned down the heavy resonance of the modern piano, making the tone more like that of a harpsichord—clear and restrained.

In her view, the soul of Bach's keyboard concerto is its polyphonic texture.

The sixteenth notes interspersed between melodies are never decorative notes used to attract attention.

So she focused all her attention on playing the middle register with even, continuous notes, steadily filling the gaps in the texture.

The left hand's bass voice is deep and resonant, firmly supporting the overall structure.

The high notes are clear and distinct, yet never ostentatious.

The three voices intertwine, creating distinct layers.

"when!"

As the ball played, the little car keenly sensed something amiss beside it.

The orchestra paused slightly in its playing rhythm.

Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the first violin section on the left. The older teacher there frowned slightly, and his bowing movements slowed a little.

Xiao Che's heart skipped a beat. Sure enough, a disagreement had arisen.

She had expected this.

The teachers present were used to the ornate and loud string versions, and most of them would subconsciously take the main melody as the only focus.

But she did the opposite, downplaying the technical effects and focusing on the overall balance of the texture.

Should we make some temporary changes?
The thought had barely crossed her mind when she immediately rejected it.

No.

After countless attempts to break down the parts, analyze the score, and communicate with her teacher repeatedly, she finally figured out the performance logic for today's version.

Baroque concertos are ultimately about equal dialogue between voices, not about the soloist taking the spotlight.

Having figured this out, Xiao Che felt at ease.

The angle of the fingertips touching the keys and the force applied remained unchanged, and the music was still played steadily according to the player's own ideas.

As the dialogue transitions between themes, the contrast between the two performance styles is amplified.

The orchestra's strings were full of tension, and the melody was soaring and lively. The piano in the car always kept its tone under control, sometimes blending into the orchestra's texture, and sometimes responding softly, like a partner working side by side.

As the musical phrases went back and forth, the sense of disharmony became increasingly apparent.

Finally, the conductor's baton slowly fell, and all the instruments stopped playing.

The rehearsal hall fell silent instantly.

No one whispered, because all the musicians knew what the problem was—

This young girl named Che Lin is indeed very talented, but she seriously lacks experience in collaborating with an orchestra.

This was the thought of a considerable number of the performers at that moment, while Hou Zhentao in the audience smiled to himself, thinking, "As expected of Ang Lee's student, their performance styles are practically identical."

The car stopped moving, and although his palms were slightly warm, he remained calm on the face.

This situation isn't just one person's problem, right? Let's see what Grandpa Xie has to say first.

With that thought in mind, she looked toward the command post.

But what happened next was not quite what she had imagined.

"Little Che, tell me your thoughts."

Grandpa Xie appeared completely at ease, as if everything was under his control.

Seeing this, Xiao Che didn't back down and spoke directly, his slightly hoarse voice full of composure.

"My thinking is rather simple."

"This work was adapted from Bach's violin concerto, but when it was adapted for keyboard, the core became polyphonic texture."

As she spoke, she pointed to the dense inner voice notes on the score.

"The violin can produce long and beautiful lines by using the bow, but the piano is different."

“These rapid note groups are all independent contrapuntal parts, not just decorations.”

"If only the main melody is highlighted, the polyphonic structure of the whole piece will fall apart."

After a pause, she added, "The teacher said that the tension in Bach's music is hidden in the interplay and tension between the voices, not in the volume and outward expression of emotion."

Hearing this, many of the musicians smiled. If someone else had said that, they certainly wouldn't have agreed.

But for small cars, they approve.

Because what the car said was exactly what the car had just played.

But the same question remains: ornateness is a hallmark of Baroque music, not only because of experience, but also because of tradition.

At this moment, Grandpa Xie slowly spoke up, "Then, according to your approach, the dramatic effect of the main theme will be weakened considerably. What should we do?"

Xiao Che responded playfully yet earnestly, "We'll leave the splendid performance to the string section musicians."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence on and off the stage, and then Grandpa Xie burst into laughter.

"Are you only responsible for balancing the vocal parts?" the old man asked.

The little car chuckled and blinked twice: "Hey."

Even the teachers who performed the piece were charmed by its cuteness.

After a brief incident, everyone managed to exchange their thoughts.

Grandpa Xie represents the orchestra, and the little car represents the soloist.

Thus, the second round of the Chengdu piano prodigy versus the Guozihao Symphony Orchestra begins!
Rehearsals continue.