“Team 1, we’re going up now!”
“Do-hee, fighting!”
As I headed towards the stage from the bustling backstage, it felt like I was entering a competition.
For some reason, I was reminded of my teacher.
Maybe it’s because that habit from back then still lingers.
My pounding heart calmed down a little.
Nope.
My heart would still thump loudly.
The audience would be filled with murmurs.
But perhaps because my sympathetic nerves were excited, I couldn’t hear anything in my ears, and the sensations I received became limited to my body, growing more sensitive, deeper, and focused.
I moved to my spot and sat down in front of the piano under the dim lights, taking a deep breath.
Even though I learned this piece while playing with my teacher back in elementary school, I had to practice it again for two whole months.
Five key signatures that constantly confuse the performer throughout the piece.
So many double flats that reading the sheet music in D-sharp minor was a struggle.
Not two hands, but a complex part divided into four layers, where each hand has to perform two different types of playing, making a total of four performances required.
While one hand moves quickly, the other usually moves slowly in contrast, here, both hands must leap quickly, relying solely on the performer’s senses and having to memorize the music entirely.
Playing the same note throughout the piece with the same finger physically hurts the hands.
Amid such technical challenges, one must express musical interpretation as well.
Masters say that Liszt crafted this notoriously difficult piece to boast about his own playing skills and large hands.
“La Campanella.”
It was the piece I was going to perform today.
Finally, the lights came on, and the keys gleamed bright white.
It felt like my heart would burst from the cheers, my hands trembling, not just slightly, but shaking heavily.
It was my first performance in front of nearly ten thousand people.
In a way, this could be a place to prove myself.
“Ugh… Huh…”
Taking one last deep breath, I calmly placed my fingers on the keys.
Right, the performance begins smoothly and tenderly.
La Campanella.
In Italian, it means “little bell.”
Originally played on the violin, this piece captures the tickling sensation of a little bell and the whimsical commotion described in its title.
When played on the piano, the distinct sound of -ta ta ta ta ta ta- reveals the essence of La Campanella.
A little bell, in other words, a clock.
This piece should especially produce a sound reminiscent of a wristwatch.
This piece needs to produce sounds akin to a wristwatch ticking.
It’s a performance that resembles the sound of a watch’s second hand.
No need for too much thinking.
Start by aligning the notes precisely along the line.
“One two three, one two three, one two three.”
Time flies quickly, but don’t rush.
Play with the ease of a clock’s beat; don’t be hasty.
“Relax, relax.”
There’s no need to hit hard with the right hand.
Keep it simple for now.
There will be parts to play loudly later.
For now, play lightly and save energy for later.
Instead, put more strength into the left-hand bass.
To describe the feeling of this section, each note feels like it’s on an extension, almost like a pizzicato technique. It has a sound as if something is flying through the air.
Once you pass this part, the melody shifts. The small sounds of bells become bright.
Gradually softer, a diminuendo is enough with just one time.
When faced with the same section again, play as if you’re shaking your hands with intensity.
The important thing is to never feel rushed at any moment.
—Bam Bam Bam, Bam Bam Bam Bam
As you move forward, it’s time for the crescendo.
Now, the part where you descend through all the keys.
For musical expression, finger positioning is crucial here.
4321, 4321, 4321.
It feels like you’re wiping your fingers on the piano keys.
Only then does a smooth, frictionless feeling emerge.
It’s not easy, but you must play.
With an easy feeling.
That’s how La Campanella is.
Now move on to the new fingerings, repeating 3432.
Here, you must play very relaxed.
Eventually to the point of almost falling asleep.
Funny enough, that’s the only way the performer can continue without tiring.
It’s a very exhausting piece to begin with.
Now, legato, smooth.
Always with the phrasing.
—Dariiri.
The hardest part is approaching soon.
Before that, the buildup.
The buildup is equally challenging.
Play with relaxed wrists.
Moving with the wrist instead of the fingers, the fingers follow the momentum of the wrist.
A master once compared it.
At this time, the wrist moves like a duck taking off from the water.
That saying fits perfectly.
The buildup is nearing its end.
Crescendo. Crescendo. Crescendo.
Remember that there’s a strong beat at its center.
The intense performance that felt like a buildup concludes.
And now comes the most difficult part and the closing.
The hardest part and the conclusion have finally arrived.
There’s no time to think.
Now, with my hands memorizing the frantic keystrokes, hitting with intensity.
Hit hard, hit intensely.
Again, hit intensely.
It’s so hot.
Droplets of sweat are splattering on the piano keys.
As that happens…
“Huh…”
The breath escaping tells me that the 5-minute performance has come to an end.
And when the cheers and applause echo in, I feel like my heart might explode, and tears might just burst out for no reason.
I know it’s a concert, but honestly, it feels like I’m at a competition.
Not just any middle or high school competition, but a real one.
If it were a competition, I would be the grand prize winner.
There wasn’t a single lack of expression or technical mistake.
But now, it’s a concert…
Right.
What’s the next stage again?
Ah.
That’s it.
I need to be cute.
Ah.
*
The stage that started with cheers has, before I knew it, made even the sound of breathing feel like a sin.
To put it simply… we’ve gone from audience to listeners.
Even Chaerin’s personal fan, who was sitting next to me and cheering for her, was so entranced by the sound of the keys that they were staring blankly at the stage.
Even Home Mama momentarily forgot that the performer was Do-hee, closing their eyes to listen to the sound of the instrument, only realizing when they opened their eyes.
‘…So this is why people listen to classical music.’
The piece was so famous that even someone not well-versed in classical music like her could recall the title immediately, making it even more impactful.
Just how excellent the performance was.
The classic sounds I used to hear from a tiny speaker in my room felt completely different compared to experiencing it live, as if the waves vibrating through my body were on another level.
‘It wouldn’t be bad to check out a classical concert once…’
During my school years, I was bored to death listening to classmates play instruments.
The feelings I experienced back then were a simple, “They play well, that’s cool, should I learn the piano too?”
But I never fully immersed myself…
Perhaps Do-hee’s musical talent surpasses what the fans think.
The nuances in her delicate hand movements and the dynamics of the performance lingered long after the recital ended, making it hard to shake off.
And it was also Do-hee who shattered that lingering feeling.
‘Huh? Is it not over yet?’
Do-hee thought the performance was over and started a new one.
And gradually, various session prelude was added.
‘Ah, this…!’
When the sounds of different sessions created a lyrical and pure idol-style orchestra prelude, the spotlight illuminating Do-hee’s piano in the center of the stage turned off.
The headlights on either side flashed, naturally drawing the fans’ attention to the side stages.
There stood two members, Seo-yoon and Ye-eun, wearing fluttery outfits that matched Do-hee’s attire, holding microphones.
‘Ah, this is why she wore the yellow dress!’
They gracefully walked toward the center of the stage and, in sync with the prelude, softly let out their clear voices.
– Gently turning my eyes,
As the wind colors me,
I’m falling into a dreamlike state.
A song performed during the third theme evaluation with a cute concept.
It was ‘Sneaky.’
– My heart is like a small bug,
Moving with a light run,
A secret tremor, a tiny desire
Is wrapping tightly around us.
And then the highlight part.
Do-hee stopped playing the piano, stood up, and repeatedly made heart shapes, cheek hearts, and cute gestures that looked like she was hugging herself, in sync with the cute choreography and lyrics of the older sisters.
‘What the… is today a day off in heaven?’
Where did the powerful piano-playing figure go? The dazzling idol-like cute appearance broke the Home Mama’s mind, who clutched her dizzy heart and screamed, cheering.
*
After finishing the stage and changing outfits, we waited.
The vibrations of the cheers echoed all the way to below the stage.
“Looks like they’re doing really well over there too, huh?”
The previous stage we performed on received good reactions, but since it was a cute yet poignant song, it seemed like the dance unit consisting of Chae-rin, Hana, and Sara Unni was definitely lifting the atmosphere.
“I should’ve done that…”
“It’s okay. You, Do-hee, are the cutest.”
I wanted to ignore it, but seeing Kim Seo-yoon trying to hold back her laughter made my irritation burst out.
“Ah, come on.”
“Huha, why? It was really cute! Admit it?”
Kim Seo-yoon could never get used to it.
“Just focus on the stage. Next is the older sister and Ha-rang Unni, right?”
Kim Seo-yoon rested her hand on my shoulder and fidgeted.
“Maybe it’s because of you that I feel relaxed? Human calming pill, Do-hee, wow~”
I really couldn’t stand this.
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