Chapter 58
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Victor’s greatest strength lies in his remarkable ability to reinterpret music.
Using his experience and knowledge, he creates completely original variations that diverge significantly from the original piece.
Just now.
The D major harmony flowing from his fingertips was undoubtedly from Canon, but to someone unfamiliar, it would have sounded like a brilliant solo composition.
Everything, from the overall atmosphere to the progression, was entirely new.
Of course, his performance skills could not be described as outstanding.
But that’s okay.
Not every exceptional teacher is an absolute virtuoso, and the reverse holds true as well.
Victor is well-versed in theory.
Rather than following his intuition, he approaches music logically and systematically.
It’s akin to a mathematical method.
As expected of an academy professor, his experience in education shines through.
Victor’s abilities as an educator hold significant value.
So, what about Erdi?
He has never received formal music lessons.
He was simply interested in the piano.
Even when he stumbled upon an opportunity to try it, he likely didn’t approach it academically.
Initially, it was probably just a matter of pressing the keys in accordance with sheet music.
However.
Thanks to his innate talent for recognizing sound, he quickly developed remarkable skills.
Add to that his extraordinary memory.
And the delicate expressiveness he honed while spending time with me.
Erdi is the kind of person who dominates sheet music with overwhelming physical prowess.
He stands at the opposite end of the spectrum from Victor.
For Erdi, intuition takes precedence over theory.
He proposes dazzling ideas on the spot, shaping melodies with an improvisational flair.
This guy is a genius.
An unparalleled one.
He might even become the ultimate goal for cadets entering the academy.
Choosing a piece to showcase Erdi’s skill was incredibly easy.
Music is both simple and complex.
Some pieces don’t require exceptional technique but demand emotional expression.
Others suppress emotion entirely and rely on dazzling technique to captivate.
And then.
There are those that require both to even attempt.
Franz Liszt’s La Campanella.
A piece Liszt composed after being inspired by Paganini’s performance, famously known for its transcendental difficulty.
In any case.
The charm of La Campanella doesn’t lie elsewhere.
Its appeal begins with the fast and brilliant high-pitched melody that grabs the audience from the first note.
It requires delicate yet intense melodies to be continuously played, all while pressing the keys with nimble fingers.
The rhythm grows increasingly intense, with rapid leaps for the right hand.
Listening to it, one might almost mistake the piano for a living, breathing entity.
If you can play this piece perfectly, it’s safe to say you’ve won the game.
As expected.
When Erdi lightly shook his arms and placed his hands on the keys, the audience began to stir.
“Oh!”
“Wo…wow…”
Their amazement was only natural.
Right now, in the capital—or rather, in the entire empire—only Erdi and I can play this piece.
Just the two of us.
This is a realm beyond anyone else’s reach.
We are showing them a dream.
A pinnacle that cadets aiming for the piano must one day strive to reach.
A grand leap.
His fingers bounced as if scaling an impossibly high mountain, producing sounds of astonishing precision.
A melody that could collapse if played too slowly or too forcefully was carried with immense concentration.
But.
Merely showcasing dazzling technique isn’t enough.
The true difficulty of this piece lies beyond technique—it’s in conveying emotion.
No matter how fast or precise the performance, without emotion, it’s nothing more than a mechanical string of notes.
During practice, that might be acceptable.
But in a theatre, on a stage, it’s different.
The delivery of delicate emotions cannot be overlooked.
Without expressiveness, even half the charm of La Campanella cannot be reproduced.
Of course, I know better than anyone that Erdi accomplishes this with ease.
Within the recurring melodies and themes, he first delivers a harmony of joy.
Then passion, ecstasy.
Even a hint of sorrow.
Finally.
As the last note of the piano resonated.
The theatre fell into silence.
No applause, no cheers.
“Is this…really a performance a human can give…?”
A middle-aged nobleman sitting quietly muttered while covering his mouth.
Behind him.
“H-how can his hands move so quickly? I must be dreaming, right? Ahaha…this must be a dream. It has to be.”
A new cadet, unable to believe what he had just witnessed, was in denial.
And then.
“Demon.”
A young girl went so far as to assign an ominous nickname to Erdi.
It wasn’t out of malice.
She simply had no other words to describe what she had seen.
A demon, huh.
Come to think of it, Paganini, the original owner of La Campanella, was also called by that nickname.
A talent so great it was otherworldly.
Even Liszt, known as the King of the Piano, held such deep respect for him that he declared himself the Paganini of the piano.
Among artists, this nickname isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
If this were a church, perhaps—but this is merely a theatre.
As if a gust of wind swept through the previously silent audience, one person after another stood up and began clapping.
It was a standing ovation.
“Damn it! I can’t believe I’m being taught directly by such a great performer!”
“This is insane! That performance was madness!”
The new cadets unabashedly spouted words that would be considered too crude for nobles to say.
Well, I guess it’s fine.
Their faces were filled with exhilaration.
Any suspicion directed toward Erdi had long since vanished.
After all, what’s the point of holding anyone to a standard in front of a genius with such overwhelming talent?
The dean praised him.
“Professor Erdi Villette!”
It seemed even he was rather shaken, judging by the way he slightly bit his tongue.
But no one cared whether the dean stuttered or not, as everyone had already been utterly captivated by Erdi’s performance.
Even I was surprised.
‘At this level, he might as well be Liszt reincarnated.’
I never doubted his piano skills, but I didn’t expect him to improve this much in just one year.
My judgment wasn’t wrong.
Pushing for Erdi to become a professor at the academy had undoubtedly been the right decision.
As he descended from the stage after finishing his performance, I gave him a pat on the shoulder.
“Take it easy.”
“Wasn’t this your idea, sir…”
“Anyway, good job.”
He said something in response, but I ignored it entirely.
***
A tense atmosphere enveloped the theatre.
The unexpected appearance of Victor Kosolin had already caused a stir.
Then, they witnessed the extraordinary skill of Erdi Villette, a rising star.
In truth, there had been no shortage of doubts about the establishment of this academy.
It was just a branch campus, and the only notable faculty member they knew of was Anton Tilburg.
It wasn’t unreasonable for people to question the quality of education here.
If it couldn’t surpass the northern Valcares Academy, why would noble families send their children here?
But the performances of the first two had silenced those concerns all at once.
‘Perhaps, at least in terms of music, this place surpasses the north.’
And now.
The person to solidify that certainty was about to appear.
With both Victor and Erdi having performed, only one name remained in everyone’s minds.
After a brief pause, the dean spoke.
“Finally, I would like to introduce a very special individual.”
All eyes turned to the centre of the stage.
“He is more than just a musician or a scholar. He is something beyond that.”
The dean’s words may have been slightly exaggerated, but no one in the audience felt the need to object.
Because, in a way, it was the truth.
“The melodies born from his fingertips have become the heartbeat of the empire. We have lived in harmony with the music he has created.”
Then.
Even though no one had stepped onto the stage yet, people in the audience began to stand one by one.
“A great artist! And now, as a professor, he will guide you into another world! Please welcome Sir Anton Tilburg!”
Thunderous applause and cheers erupted, loud enough to shake the walls of the grand theater.
“Wow!”
“He’s finally here!”
“Anton! Anton!”
The dean gestured.
From behind the stage, a dark figure slowly emerged.
At the same time, oddly enough.
The air inside the theatre seemed to come to a complete halt.
His steps were calm and composed.
As he sat before the piano, he gently raised his arms.
His fingers struck the first note.
Like the sacred chimes resonating in a church, an overwhelming melody pierced deeply into the hearts of everyone standing in the audience.
What Victor and Erdi had shown was on a completely different level.
To the audience, even the extraordinary skills of the previous two performers now seemed like a distant memory.
There is always another peak beyond what we think is the summit.
“…God has descended upon us.”
“If this is truly music… then I’ve never known music before.”
It was breathtaking to the point where one couldn’t even exhale properly.
Each note from the piano keys surged like a massive wave, sweeping over the audience.
They couldn’t help but surrender their emotions.
It wasn’t just the piano and its performer.
It was music itself.
Standing right there before them.
—
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