DAEYTT Chapter 057: I’m not talking about just one person, I mean all of them…
As Wang Qian returned to his seat and sat down, Dawson, Karl, and a few others also took their seats. Then, Taylor, Jason, and the others followed suit, and everyone else gradually sat down as well. The applause slowly faded away.
However, the room did not quiet down. Many people in the back started talking.
“Who is this guy? That piece he played was amazing. I don't think I've heard it before.”
“Miss, didn’t you realize it’s a new piece? That old guy is a professor from Curtis Institute. He was totally impressed.”
“Don’t you recognize the boss? His songs are the best. I didn’t know he was so good at the piano too. Did he write that piece himself? As expected of our Haidilao boss.”
“What’s the name of this piece? I really don’t think I’ve heard it before!”
“A new piece that sounds this good, it’s incredible…”
The murmurs of the students revealed that their skills were limited; most of them could only tell that this was a new piece.
Qin Xuerong, excitedly holding Wang Qian’s hand, whispered, “That was amazing, Wang Qian, you were incredible! Do you know that? You were incredible!”
If she hadn’t had some self-control, Qin Xuerong would have kissed Wang Qian right then.
Wang Qian smiled and patted her hand to calm her down, softly saying, “Thank you, thank you!”
Jiang Yu also praised, “Really impressive!”
She was genuinely impressed and had no desire to compete with Wang Qian anymore. She was also pleasantly surprised to hear such a wonderful new composition. She wouldn’t mind being upstaged more often if she could hear new pieces like this each time.
Murong Yue curiously asked, “Does this piece have a name?”
Jiang Yu, Qin Xuerong, and He Chaohui all looked at Wang Qian with anticipation and curiosity.
Wang Qian nodded, “Yes, Wang Qian’s Eleventh Etude!”
Silence followed.
Only Qin Xuerong exclaimed, “Awesome!”
Jiang Yu and Murong Yue felt immense pressure. If they had thought Wang Qian was joking when he first named his new piece the Eleventh Etude, now they felt only pressure because this was the naming style of true master-level piano composers in history! It seemed that Wang Qian already had a touch of a master pianist’s demeanor, which they found hard to accept.
He Chaohui finally asked, “When did you compose this piece? Can I have the sheet music?”
She also loved the piece, but she hadn’t fully understood it after just one hurried listen.
Wang Qian nodded, “Of course, but let’s finish the final performance first.”
He Chaohui nodded and then noticed that Taylor from Curtis Institute was already on stage. Taylor carried an aura of a master; he gracefully bowed to everyone before turning to the piano.
He Chaohui remarked, “With your performance, Taylor’s brilliance has been overshadowed!”
Wang Qian responded, “Thank you!”
Nearby, Yang Jiansen and Peng Donghu occasionally glanced at Wang Qian, clearly not as interested in Taylor’s performance as they were before. Then they refocused on the stage to listen to Taylor’s performance.
Taylor, one of North America's top ten young pianists, was definitely more skilled than He Chaohui and the others, playing a piece of considerable difficulty. Wang Qian had never heard it before, but from Taylor’s performance, he could tell it was a melancholic piece, as if depicting a girl narrating something by the Danube River. It was indeed impressive.
Taylor, fully immersed in the performance, exuded an aura of sadness, embodying the piece’s protagonist. Mike couldn’t take his eyes off Taylor and softly said, “Taylor’s performance is amazing! This ‘Girl by the Danube’ suits her style and temperament perfectly. There might not be anyone in the world who could perform this piece better than her.”
He wanted to say that Taylor’s performance was better than Wang Qian’s, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it, because that would be a blatant lie! Perhaps, in terms of technical display, Wang Qian’s piece didn’t surpass Taylor’s, but the high level of the original composition, combined with a perfect performance, was enough to place Wang Qian a level above.
Professor Karl straightforwardly told Mike, “That Chinese man’s performance was better! It’s the most outstanding performance I’ve seen this year.”
Mike remained silent.
Professor Dawson heard Karl’s comment and nodded in agreement, “You’re right!”
The audience quietly listened to Taylor’s performance. Then they applauded. Taylor bowed to thank everyone, her eyes lingering on Wang Qian for a moment before she nodded slightly and returned to her seat.
The performance officially ended, and the exchange began. At this moment, a female host from the Conservatory, evidently a current student dressed in a black gown, elegant and beautiful, with long black hair simply draped over her shoulders, exuding a simple yet graceful vibe, took the stage with a microphone and said, “Thank you to these talented students for their performances.”
“Especially, Mr. Wang Qian for bringing us a new piece that amazed us all. Let’s invite Mr. Wang Qian to come on stage and talk to us, shall we?”
Cheers of agreement came from the students in the back.
Amid applause, Wang Qian was a bit surprised. He thought the exchange would be a private discussion in another room. He didn’t expect it to be on stage in front of so many people.
Wang Qian asked He Chaohui in a low voice, “Can I refuse?”
He Chaohui was surprised, seeing Wang Qian nervous for the first time, and smiled, “Of course not. If you refuse, you’ll offend everyone here. Director Yang, Director Peng, Professor Dawson, Professor Karl, and the others will think you’re looking down on them.”
Wang Qian felt cornered and managed a reluctant smile.
Yang Jiansen, Peng Donghu, and other Conservatory leaders applauded while looking at Wang Qian with smiles and anticipation. Dawson, Karl, and Taylor also clapped lightly, looking at Wang Qian.
Wang Qian knew he couldn’t refuse. Qin Xuerong encouraged him, “Wang Qian, go for it! Don’t be afraid, they’re all not as good as you.”
Jiang Yu and Murong Yue both rolled their eyes.
Wang Qian smiled at Qin Xuerong. He was confident in performing, thanks to his extraordinary talent and years of practice, believing he was second to none in pure performance. But discussing professional knowledge on stage was a different matter. He wasn’t familiar with the world’s piano pieces and had nothing to discuss.
With a heavy heart, Wang Qian smiled at Yang Jiansen and the others, nodded at Karl and Dawson, and then walked towards the stage. Qin Xuerong clapped hard, not caring about the pain in her hands. Jiang Yu asked Qin Xuerong, “Do you think he’ll rename the piece to something more appealing?”
Qin Xuerong replied, “I don’t know, it doesn’t matter!”
She didn’t care about that; her eyes were only on Wang Qian.
As Wang Qian took the stage, the applause grew louder. It wasn’t until he stood next to the host in the center of the stage that the applause gradually subsided. The host, with eyes shining, looked at Wang Qian.
She herself was a piano major and had been accepted into the Conservatory's combined master's and doctoral program. Although not as talented as Jiang Yu, she was still quite accomplished. Naturally, she admired someone as talented in piano as Wang Qian.
Moreover, Wang Qian carried an air of maturity, sophistication, elegance, and the demeanor of a successful person, making him appear quite mysterious.
The host was stunned for a second before quickly regaining her composure. She turned her gaze to the audience and asked, "Mr. Wang Qian, may I ask, was the piece you just played a brand new piano composition?"
Everyone stared at Wang Qian.
Feeling a bit pressured, Wang Qian seriously nodded, "If you mean a piece that hasn't been published, then yes."
Host: "So, was today the first time you publicly performed this piece?"
Wang Qian nodded, "Yes, I was invited to perform at the Conservatory today, and on a whim, I played this piece. I hope everyone enjoyed it."
The host smiled, "I personally loved it. I believe every listener here also enjoyed it. Have you named this piece, Mr. Wang?"
Wang Qian: "Well, if you mean publicly, then no. I call it the Eleventh Etude."
Eleventh Etude?
Almost everyone present looked at Wang Qian in astonishment.
The name was quite profound!
It had the style of a master.
Most importantly, since it was called the Eleventh Etude, did that mean there were also the First Etude, Second Etude, all the way up to the Tenth Etude?
The host was clearly surprised, then quickly asked, "So, have you composed other etudes as well?"
Wang Qian: "Yes, but they’re mostly incomplete pieces I wrote during my spare time. This Eleventh Etude is the only one I’ve completed, which I put together last night after going through my old notes."
The room fell silent again!
Taylor, sitting next to Dawson, translated Wang Qian’s words for him.
Then Dawson started clapping.
Naturally, everyone else followed suit.
The host also clapped lightly with the microphone. After a few seconds of applause, it gradually quieted down.
The host continued, "Mr. Wang, could you tell us more about your Eleventh Etude?"
Critiquing his own piece? No problem.
As long as he didn’t have to critique others.
Wang Qian knew this piece inside out and immediately nodded, "Of course."
"This is a march. I was in a cheerful mood when I wrote it, so the piece has a joyful and lively style with many rhythmic changes. I tried putting the main section after the middle section, and it turned out quite well..."
"The first section in A minor..."
"Then I tried returning to A major..."
"The overall structure of the piece is a rondo form, returning to the first section at the end..."
Wang Qian talked fluently and in detail, explaining his understanding of the piece for over ten minutes.
Many people in the audience, such as Yang Jiansen, He Chaohui, Peng Donghu, Jiang Yu, Murong Yue, Jason, Taylor, and Mike, understood the piece better after Wang Qian’s explanation.
Many students in the back also comprehended parts of it.
Then, another round of applause erupted, even more enthusiastic than before.
Because, after Wang Qian’s explanation, they realized the piece was even more impressive than they had initially thought—a true masterpiece.
Dawson even stood up again to applaud, prompting others to follow suit.
The applause lasted for a full minute before stopping.
Wang Qian thought he was done and could leave now.
But as soon as he took a step, the host pulled him back, holding his hand briefly before letting go.
The host smiled, "Mr. Wang, please don’t rush off. May I ask for your thoughts and opinions on the performances of the other participants?"
Uh!
I don’t even know what they played…
Wang Qian casually replied, "They were alright."
The host wanted to talk more with Wang Qian and asked, "You must know what piece Mr. Mike from Berklee played, right?"
She wanted to highlight that Mike’s piece, "The Storm," was a renowned and difficult piece, seeking Wang Qian’s evaluation.
However!
Wang Qian was an honest person, so he answered truthfully, "I don’t know."
The host froze.
Jiang Yu, sitting below, covered her eyes, "I knew he’d say that!"
He Chaohui was helpless, "He shouldn’t have said that!"
Qin Xuerong was indifferent, "What’s wrong with telling the truth? He genuinely doesn’t know. Besides, I don’t know what that foreigner played either."
Everyone else was shocked.
To them, this implied something significant.
Mike, hearing the translation, instantly became furious, muttering, "Damn it, what did he say?"
The translator was stunned, regretting his fast translation.
Taylor, expressionless, translated again, "He said he doesn’t know what you played."
Mike was enraged, "Shit!"
He felt belittled.
He had performed "The Storm," a highly challenging piece, quite well!
Karl’s face was also stern, "Mike, control your expression!"
Mike took a deep breath to calm himself.
Not far away, Wei Shuxin and Hu Ke chuckled and gave Wang Qian a thumbs-up. Although they knew they weren’t as good as Mike, seeing Mike publicly humiliated by Wang Qian was still satisfying.
On stage, the host quickly recovered, knowing Wang Qian’s words had offended the people from Berklee. She hurriedly gave Wang Qian a chance to redeem himself, "Mr. Wang, did you mean you didn’t clearly hear Mike’s performance?"
Wang Qian shook his head, "I heard it clearly. The performance was alright. But I didn’t know what piece he was playing."
After a brief pause, Wang Qian realized this might be misunderstood, so he added, "Actually, it’s not just Mike. I don’t know what pieces the others played either."
At this point...
The room fell silent again.
Taylor, who had translated for Mike, also looked stiff.
Wei Shuxin and Hu Ke, who had given Wang Qian a thumbs-up, were also stunned.
What did he mean?
He meant that...
He wasn’t targeting any specific individual...
He was saying he didn’t know any of their pieces...