Chapter 382

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Chapter 382: "Dedicated to Theresa"

Bai Wei sat down in front of the grand piano.

Far East University has no shortage of money, but it’s strange that the vocal room doesn’t have a piano, even though it hasn’t started reaching every household yet.

For many people, they can only watch and not play. Far East University also doesn’t have any foreign teachers who can play the piano because it’s too difficult.

Learning piano playing often takes too much time and is only studied by professional musicians. Musicians of this level wouldn’t come here to work as foreign teachers.

Why not go to the Vienna Golden Hall and become famous by giving a concert?

Traditional Eastern vocal teachers have no contact with this instrument, so the piano was just left gathering dust after being bought.

Bai Wei playing the piano keys in black and white, listening to the sounds, pretty good, even though it’s been a while since he played accurately, but the sound hasn’t changed much.

This time, helping Xue Hanlei with a small favor, afterwards she couldn’t refuse her own request. Well, it’s business.

Bai Wei first tapped on the keys and played a simple and sweet "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

This caused a lot of friendly laughter.

The students here all know that this song isn’t difficult at all.

A simple and lively introductory piece, a piece that beginners can quickly master, with a simple and cheerful melody, originating from an 18th-century French nursery rhyme, later adapted by Mozart’s hands, and for over two centuries, became a widely popular children’s song.

All piano music starts from simple to complex. As an introductory song, this piece is very simple.

Bai Wei was just feeling for the touch, moving his fingertips. After all, it’s been a long time since he played. In his previous life, he preferred painting over playing the piano. The paintings he created were his own original works, while the music played on the piano was all copied. Although he wrote down many pieces, he never released them. The prince doesn’t have to worry about not being able to afford food, so there’s no need to pretend to be a musician and plagiarize Beethoven.

His hand speed started to increase. After playing the simple beginning of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," he seemed to regain his familiar muscle memory. Opening his eyes, he was ready to move on to the next stage of variation.

The melody was as smooth as flowing water, like the rhythm of a fun tapping game.

He started playing a variation of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". It was a version composed by Mozart, with twelve variations. The whole piece lasted between eight and nine minutes. The melody of the first variation was transformed into "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". So, people jokingly said that at the beginning it was little stars, then it turned into shooting stars, then a comet, and finally a super large meteorite, increasing in difficulty.

Bai Wei wasn’t confident that he could finish playing, but suddenly, after joining in the tapping part of this music game, he found enjoyment and began to show extraordinary performance. Although he played a few wrong notes consecutively, it didn’t hinder him. Instead, he played with even more freedom.

The crowd listening went from laughter to silence, and then there was complete silence, their faces filled with astonishment.

Piano playing requires technique, it’s not a random mess. The faster the tempo, the more dazzling it becomes, overwhelming for the eyes.

It can be said that playing the piano itself is a kind of performance. So, even in a concert hall, like the Golden Hall in Vienna, the piano can be played as a solo instrument.

This is an accomplishment that any other instrument finds difficult to achieve. Symphony requires dozens, or even hundreds, of people to form an ensemble, while piano pieces can be performed as a final act, to fully demonstrate its uniqueness. The best way to present the piano is by placing it sideways, allowing the audience to see the pianist’s hands from the side.

It was obvious that this group of students were witnessing a pianist’s performance up close for the first time. They were speechless with astonishment. The piano is called the king of instruments. Since its invention until now, its wide range of sounds and complex techniques allow it to play and adapt to almost any piece of music. There is no piece of music that it cannot play, only something that the ten fingers of a human cannot play. There can also be elements of performance and showmanship, which are advantages that other instruments find difficult to achieve.

The simple and light melody began with the start of the first variation, gradually becoming more difficult and harder for him to understand. In the fourth variation, the left hand had to reach a stretch of ten notes, and the changes in the notes seemed unpredictable. The seventh variation started with an octave scale, suddenly intensifying the atmosphere. The eighth variation was in the key of C minor, appearing more solemn. The ninth variation returned to C major, and the notes suddenly became light and quick.

After several variations, the music presented distinct stages, ultimately returning to the main theme quietly. These variations, however, seemed lovely, with the sound of the music flowing happily and naturally, and the simple and sincere theme remaining unchanged.

The vocal teacher’s eyes twitched… Did this young person intentionally come here to show off? This technique, this proficiency, oh my…

He was almost immersed in the pleasant sound of the piano, the notes flowing from his fingertips. For every music lover, it was a supreme enjoyment.

After a few minutes, Bai Wei withdrew his fingers, exhaling a breath. This variation piece had a difficulty level of Grade 8 or 9, beyond what someone like him, a rookie, could play. To be able to complete the performance was already an extraordinary achievement. However, there were still issues, like lacking emotional expression and making mistakes while playing… This piano had helped him greatly, not only recalling the sheet music but also rediscovering the feel of playing the game of notes.

The applause rang out as the performance ended.

Many students’ eyes sparkled, and some young girls holding shakuhachi (Japanese flute) blushed. The way he played the piano just now was so elegant, absolutely stunning for both literary and music-loving girls.

Bai Wei’s piano playing was undoubtedly professional. The perception of soulful power and the smooth control of his body made playing the piano without any difficulty, even in a state of intense concentration. The only thing to focus on was how to release emotions.

He didn’t seem to be playing the piano but rather toying with it.

Xue Hanlei couldn’t help but have this thought.

"Where did he learn that?" Xue Hanlei asked, confused.

"I am also curious about this question," Yun Wuxin’s voice suddenly sounded cold.

The dragon maiden’s back suddenly felt cold. She glared at Yun Wuxin and said, "You scared me to death!"

The fairies ignored the dragon maiden’s cute and cunning behavior.

"When did you arrive?"

"Just two minutes ago."

"How did you know?"

"I met some other students from the Ming Country on the way. They told me. Maybe they were afraid you would get into trouble. Yun Wuxin frowned, "He is a warrior. He spends all his time taking care of his younger sister, practicing martial arts, and attending classes. He doesn’t have time to learn piano. The technique just now is obviously not something he could learn in a short time."

"Warriors have a good control over their bodies. It might not be too difficult for him to learn to play," Xue Hanlei guessed.

"He practiced hand techniques and fist techniques. Martial arts focus on wrist and arm strength, practicing hands and feet, but not including fingers… because fingers are too weak and easily injured." After Yun Wuxin analyzed it briefly, she looked puzzled and said, "I really don’t know where he learned to play the piano."

"Oh, it’s not over yet?" Xue Hanlei saw Bai Wei and the vocal teacher exchange a few words, then placed her hands on the piano keys.

Everyone else immediately sat down, and Yun Wuxin also sat down immediately, although her snow-white silver hair was still too eye-catching.

Bai Wei thought for a moment and began playing the next piece.

"This song…"

"I think I’ve heard it on TV, but it seems different from the beginning, huh?"

The students whispered to each other.

Bai Wei played "Dedicated to Elise," a piano piece.

This song was originally written by Beethoven when he was in his forties for a female student named Teresa, titled "Bagatelle in A minor." The manuscript with the inscription "Dedicated to Teresa" was left with Teresa, while Beethoven didn”t keep a copy himself. So this piece remained undiscovered until later, when someone found it among Teresa’s belongings, but mistakenly wrote "Elise" instead of "Teresa." Thus, "Dedicated to Teresa" became "Dedicated to Elise."

Everyone knows it is common for misunderstandings to occur when people get names wrong in history.

Bai Wei gave this piano piece as a birthday present to the third princess, whose name is not Elise but Theresa.

So initially, no one knew the name of this song. Bai Wei kept the manuscript in his own little house, and the song didn”t spread at that time.

However, it later became known, although it only circulated among the nobility. Bai Wei played this piece without any pressure.

The cheerful song ended.

The vocal teacher led the applause, clapping his hands until they turned red, shouting ‘bravo’, as if he too were a piano enthusiast.

Bai Wei walked towards Xue Hanlei, whose cheeks were turning red, amid the applause and gazes of the crowd.

"Your teacher promised not to let you fail, thanks to this piece."

"Hmm, thank you," Xue Hanlei didn’t show too much excitement, instead, she seemed a bit uncomfortable, avoiding eye contact.

Bai Wei naturally noticed the ethereal presence of the Ming Country fairy, like a cooling air conditioner, before he could speak, Yun Wuxin asked first.

"The song just now, was it dedicated to Elise?"

"Yes, have you heard it too?"

"It’s a world-class masterpiece, of course I’ve heard it."

"There’s nothing special about it, anyone can learn the song."

"No… this song is incomplete," Yun Wuxin said.

Thousands of wild horses galloped through Bai Wei’s mind instantly… incomplete? Clearly, it was just a three-minute piano piece with a simple rondo form. What kind of strange being could turn this into an incomplete song? Can’t they complete it themselves? This level of difficulty is moderate, much easier than a rhapsody!

"The incompleteness is severe, only a small portion of the original tribute to Elise remains, the rest is unknown," Yun Wuxin’s voice was gentle and paused between each sentence, "The versions we have now are all completed separately, your version is different from all the others."

Bai Wei’s expression remained unchanged, "…with so many versions, it’s impossible for you to have heard them all."

Yun Wuxin was silent.

Bai Wei thought he had fooled her.

Yun Wuxin continued, "But, the version you played on the piano is identical to the one my sister played."

Bai Wei almost twisted his neck. His expression went through a cycle of shock, confusion, more shock, and more confusion, until finally settling on a simple word, "Ah?"