Chapter 17

Act III: Rachmaninoff (4)

----------

The idea of ​​Xiang Cai wanting to sing two roles by himself was immediately opposed by the class teacher.

Chu Ping asked: "Can you not find a partner? If not, as a teacher, I can come forward to help you communicate."

Chu Ping knew that high school students of this age would more or less have some ‘small group’ behavior. So it was expected that Xiang Cai who could easily outshine others just with his presence alone, who joined the class late, was yet to be accepted by his classmates.

It was just that the final exam was not child's play, it was about graduation results! Rachmaninoff was not a one-man show. Among the 19 songs, several were duets, and there were so many roles in the play that it was absolutely impossible to be performed by one person.

"Thank you, there are indeed some students who invited me to join their group, but I don't think it is necessary." Xiang Cai replied quietly, "Teacher Chu, may I ask if the school has a rule that a student cannot perform both roles?"

"There is not, but ..."

"I remember that in Music Appreciation class, you showed us two official videos with different casts. In both shows, the same actor played Rach first and then Dr. Dahl."

Chu Ping said helplessly: "You dare to have this idea at this time? ... It's different. That actor has been famous for a long time, is experienced onstage, and is not 'playing two roles at the same time'. He is Rach’s A main role and Dahl’s B secondary role. "

Such things were not uncommon in China. In order to save staff salaries, the supporting characters in a play often learned the protagonist's vocals at the same time and were given the protagonist’s B role.

But the example he gave was unique. When Rachmaninoff was staged, the two main roles were played by a total of three actors, and the three men took turns, one of whom performed both roles.

"Xiang Cai, the teacher knows how good hard working you are. But there are nineteen songs and nineteen scenes. In our final exam, each student is randomly selected perform two songs live. It may be a duet or solo. You really think you can do it alone? Even if you have learned both solos, how will you perform the duets?"

Xiang Cai was at a loss, but he was used to being proud, and at this time, he was reluctant to bow his head, only replied: "I have a way."

...... In fact, he doesn't have a way yet. He could only hope that he will be able to find a way through this obstacle that resembles a mountain.

Chu Ping could not persuade him, and could only let him be "solitary”.

Chu Ping said: "Xiang Cai, I know you are proud. Having pride is a virtue, and you are more confident and mature than most of your classmates. But pride also has its disadvantages. I hope you can lower your pride a little and be part of the group. "

Outwardly, he nodded in agreement quietly, but inwardly, he refuted it in his heart: ‘They are rejecting me, why should I “lower my standards" for them?’

...

When Xiang Cai returned to the class, Qi Ji was resting her head on the table with earbuds in her ears, watching the phone screen intently.

Seeing this, Xiang Cai got upset, rushed over, and tore out her earbuds, scaring her: "Teacher Chu is at the back door! You are playing games? Are you not afraid of being discovered by the teacher?"

Who thought Qi Ji would snort slowly: "I'm not playing, I'm studying!"

She tapped on her phone screen: "I'm watching the musical Rachmaninoff to learn the essence of our seniors' performances."

Xiang Cai peered over her head, but couldn't see it clearly. Qi Ji’s phone screen was indeed showing Rachmaninoff. The set was gorgeous, but the two actors on the stage were highly unusual, dissimilar to anyone he’d ever watched in class.

Curiously, he brought the pair of earbuds to his ears and then realised Qi Ji was actually watching the original Korean musical!

Within Asia, Japan and South Korea were the strongest countries rich with musicals. Japan had perfect large-stage theater model. The Four Seasons Theater and Takarazuka Theater are both famed for this. After hundreds of years, they had trained numerous talents in musical theater. However, in South Korea, it was just the exact opposite. Their field of musical theatre was developed based upon the small-theater model. On Seoul's most famous university road, various small theaters emerged endlessly, as many as hundreds! Half of them were pocket theaters that could only accommodate a hundred people. But it was precisely these small theaters in South Korea that had contributed countless outstanding musicals and dramas to the Asian cultural circle, and Rachmaninoff  was born there!

Korean is a cohesive language and is more convenient for expressing emotions in songs than the Chinese language - with its four-tone change making it more ambiguous due to homophones.

The vocal teacher said that if anyone had the opportunity, they should try to listen to the original musical to experience the rich emotions of the characters in the drama.

The problem was ... who can understand it?

Xiang Cai asked, "Qi, there is no translation. Do you understand it?"

Qi Ji snorted, and he didn't know where she pulled it out from, but she held a postcard of a Korean female star, put it next to her face, and asked him, "What do you think I have in common with her?"

"Uh ... both are women?"

Qi Ji roared: "And what, we both are surnamed Jin????"

"Uh ... then what?"

"My name is Jin Ki-Ji!!! Jin Ki-Ji!!! I'm Korean!" Qi Ji complained. "You and I have known each other for so long, and you don't even know that I am Korean."

This ... Xiang Cai really didn't know.

He was dumbfounded for a moment, and looked at Qi Ji carefully. Qi Ji had single eyelids, white skin, a round face, and slightly high cheekbones. She really looked a bit like a Korean girl - when one really analyse closely. 

Xiang Cai felt that he was really unqualified to be called her friend. He hesitated for a long time and wanted to say sorry, but ended up saying: "Annyeong Haseyo."

[T/N: Hello in Korean.]

Qi Ji laughed angrily at him. She wanted to complain that he didn't care about herself at all, but she couldn't express her anger after looking at his beautiful face.

"Okay. Do you want to listen?" She adjusted the video to “Yelena”, the most famous vocal part of the musical.

Yelena was Rachmaninoff's sister. This song expressed Rach's longing for his sister and also represented his pursuit and yearning for the music world.

This tune was the climax of the whole story, and it was also the theme song of the musical. It was adapted from the second movement of Rach's Piano Concerto No. 2 and was both graceful and lyrical.

Xiang Cai initially thought that the language barrier would definitely affect his appreciation, but he soon discovered that in the world of music, language barriers were by no means a hindrance. Just by listening to the various emotions in their voices, he was truly immersed in the story.

On the stage, a spotlight draped over the two figures facing each other, singing this timeless song together.

Xiang Cai’s eyes chased their figures, the notes danced in his ears, and he subconsciously followed the music, humming to the tunes of the song.

The Chinese translation had long been remembered in his mind, and at this moment, it flowed out--

"I remember the hand you touched me with,

It warmed me.

It's those hands that soothed the pain

And brought laughter."

Xiang Cai’s voice was very low. He brought himself into the plot. At this moment, he was Rach, Rach chasing his dreams.

What he was once proud of became a source of his pain. He couldn't stand up, but lived in the shadows of the past.

Fortunately, he met Dahl, who rescued him from his predicament and lead him out of the quagmire step by step.

"Listen, listen to the sound of the piano.

I give as a gift to you.

You listen, listen

To the call

You’ll see, see

A long-lost smile ... "

Waiting for the climax of the music, Xiang Cai didn't notice that his voice’s volume had also increased--

"You listen, listen

To the call

You’ll see, you see

A long-lost smile

Your fingertips are wrapped

In haunting dreams

You and me compose this melody ... "

The musical was accompanied by live accompaniment, the piano player acting as the conductor of the orchestra. The stringed instruments matched the beat of the piano keys to tell this story, this relationship. Although the song was called "Yelena", wasn’t it praising Rach and Dahl’s friendship?

Xiang Cai liked this story because he sometimes felt that he was the Rach in the play. He was as proud as Rach was, but was trapped in his pride.

It was just ... Where was the Dahl who could lead him out of the situation?

At the end of the song, he finally hummed the final melody of the song.

He was immersed in the music and didn't notice that the entire classroom had become extremely quiet.

He didn't know that from the moment he started singing, the noise in the class had faded away. The classmates who had been chatting and arguing had involuntarily turned their eyes and ears to him.

Even Qi Ji, who was sitting beside him and sharing a pair of earbuds with him, looked at him sideways.

If one were to compare the maturity of the voice, Xiang Cai’s singing voice could not be compared with other students in the class. There were two boys in their class called "human CDs", whose pitch were very stable, and had gorgeous skills.

But if one were to compare the emotions contained and delivered in the depths of their singing voice, then others in the class could not match Xiang Cai’s. Even though, he has only studied music for just over two months, and his young voice had not yet faded, they could not outshine him.

Just like the song "You Can’t Stop the Beat” that he performed last time, in this "Yelena"- he had magnetic powers. The moment he sang, everyone would immediately throw their gazes on him, follow his steps and be caught in the the surging emotions of his voice.

He was born a superstar, wherever he was, that was where his stage was.

Qi Ji looked at him thoughtfully, wondering, in five or ten years, in which theater would her fellow deskmate stand, and how big of an audience would he attract?

But at this time, Xiang Cai didn't notice the attention he attracted because he was caught in a conundrum——

——This "Yelena" was a duet of the two male leads. He lacked a voice to cooperate with and accompany his own. Right now, it seems he has overextended himself ...

----------

The author has something to say: Sorry! There is a lot of information in this chapter, so the update was delayed!

I’m giving you 100 red envelopes to express my apologies. In addition, these Chinese lyrics are modified on the basis of Mr. Gan’s translations. You can listen to the original song~ It is very dynamic!

[T/N: If you want to hear a bit of the original Korean Rachmaninoff's “Yelena”- here at 6:19. Interestingly, the Chinese musical used only snippets of music from Rachmaninoff's Piano Concertos No. 1 and 2 for all the vocals' melodies]

***

Back    ToC    Next