Chapter 551: Breaking up a Couple

Even if he only has one representative work in his life, with this one work alone, Sir Arthur Hastings is enough to become one of the pinnacle figures of opera art. This is not only a global work spanning Eastern and Western cultures, but more importantly, its birth saved a pair of star-crossed lovers and saved the life of a great musician for the world.

——Heinrich Heine

"Oh, by the way, the concert, I almost forgot about the real thing!"

Liszt, whose face was shiny after drinking, took a swig of beer, laughed loudly and said: "If I don't handle this matter properly, my dear little Eliza will definitely scold him again when I get back to Leipzig. Old father."

Having said this, Liszt scratched his bald head, thought for a long time, and finally turned his gaze to Mendelssohn aside: "I'm sorry, Mr. Mendelssohn, which scene of the play does Eliza want to use as her story?" Debut performance?”

Mendelssohn, with a drunken look on his face, took over and said: "Beethoven's "Fidelio"."

"Fidelio!"

Disraeli, who studied opera a lot, exclaimed: "Oh my God! Did Miss Liszt plan to choose such a difficult repertoire when she just debuted? The aria of Leonora, the heroine of "Fidelio"' Anch'io dischiuso un giorno' must be sung well by a soprano with a full voice and a strong sense of power. Are you sure Miss Liszt can really master this singing tune?"

Mendelssohn pushed back the messy hair on his forehead and said with a breath of alcohol: "Benjamin, don't worry, the role of Leonora was not prepared for Miss Lister. The person who played Leonora was Robert ·Mr. Schumann’s girlfriend, Miss Clara Vick. By the way, Arthur, have you heard of Robert Schumann? He is a piano genius of the same level as you, my first time. When I met Schumann, I saw your shadow in him. Moreover, the two of you should have learned piano at about the same time. You both started learning piano performance in 1830, and it only took you three years to improve your performance to Europe. First-class. What kind of people are called geniuses in the music industry? Arthur, guys like you and Schumann are geniuses!"

Arthur replied humbly: "Felix, maybe Mr. Schumann is a genius, but I am far from a genius. However, if you are so keen on discovering geniuses in the music industry, I have someone who can Recommended to you. Jacques, violinist at the Paris Conservatoire. · Offenbach, although I only met him once at a dinner party at the Kaido Sai Mansion, this young man left a very deep impression on me. The young man told me that he admired you very much and that he especially liked you. Overture to Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Mendelssohn couldn't help laughing when he heard this: "Aha! "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is indeed my proud work. Well...it's a good thing you didn't mention it, but it inspired me a little bit when you said it. "

Arthur asked: "Huh? What's wrong?"

Mendelssohn pinched his chin and thought: "Arthur, actually the situation we are currently facing is a bit complicated, and I don't know how to tell you. Because what we are facing is not just an ordinary opera performance, this is This performance is about whether lovers can finally get married."

"Lovers eventually get married?" Arthur turned his head and looked at Liszt beside him: "Is your daughter planning to elope with some bastard?"

Liszt waved his hands happily and said: "This is none of my business. This is the emotional entanglement between Mr. Schumann and his girlfriend."

Dirichlet on the side intervened: "Sir, if this was just an ordinary performance, then Felix wouldn't have the trouble to come to you. After all, he himself is a famous pianist in Europe."

Arthur was confused by what they were talking about: "So, what is going on? Aren't you here to play the piano for me?"

Mendelssohn replied: "These are two different things. Miss Liszt is a fan of yours, so the girl hopes that you can agree to attend her debut as a pianist. As for Schumann, the matter between him and his girlfriend is very complicated." It’s complicated. To put it simply, his girlfriend’s father doesn’t agree with his daughter’s relationship with Schumann because he thinks Schumann is not worthy of his daughter.”

Krupp, who was already drowsy at the side, braced himself up and said, "Why? Didn't you say that Mr. Schumann is a top-notch pianist in Europe? Isn't such a son-in-law good enough? This old man is too picky!"

"well……"

Mendelssohn sighed and said: "Schumann did have a chance to become a great pianist. But he learned the piano too late. In order to quickly improve his piano skills, he whimsically hung his fingers with a thin rope. He practiced piano secretly on the ceiling in an attempt to improve his flexibility and strength in touching keys. However, this wrong practice method not only failed to help him improve quickly, but also hurt his hands. "

Dirichlet added from the side: "What's even worse is that the father of Schumann's girlfriend was his piano teacher. The old man originally valued his disciple very much and taught him all he had learned in his life, and firmly Think he will have a bright future. After Mann injured his hand, the old man was very angry when he learned the whole story. He thought Schumann's behavior was simply stupid. Schumann's eagerness for quick success had ruined his own bright future, and the old man refused to entrust his daughter to such a man. Sexual young people.”

Disraeli sighed after hearing this: "This guy is really unlucky. As a piano player, both of his hands are disabled, and his girlfriend also broke up because of it. But I still don't understand, there is Arthur in this What's going on?"

Mendelsohn said: "Yes! Of course! Although Schumann's hands were ruined, his genius brain was still there. Although he said goodbye to piano playing, Schumann did not stay away from the music career. He He continued to compose for two years. The pieces he wrote were not only recognized by me, but also by Chopin, Liszt, and Mr. Heine.

I asked Schumann to take the music score to Mr. Wicker. I firmly believed that as long as he could see the music written by Schumann, the master and apprentice would definitely be able to reconcile. But Mr. Wick had probably given up on this former disciple, so he didn't even give Schumann a chance to meet him. However, although Mr. Vick is unwilling to meet Schumann or read his music scores, he has a habit. "

Disraeli asked: "What habit?"

"Mr. Vick loved his daughter, Miss Clara Vick, very much. He devoted his lifelong love for the music industry to cultivating Miss Vick. And his training was rewarded. Miss Vick not only played the piano She is extremely talented and has a naturally good voice. Mr. Vic has always been proud of his daughter's achievements. No matter it rains or shines, no matter where the venue is, he will always be there whenever his daughter performs. ”

When Mendelssohn said this, Arthur already realized what he was planning to do.

"Felix, do you mean to...compose a new musical with Miss Clara Vick as the heroine?"

"I really have you, Arthur!" Mendelssohn slammed the table, stood up excitedly and said, "You and I really thought of getting together!"

Arthur held his forehead with one hand and replied absently: "This is not like thinking about being together. Felix, you have obviously been waiting here for me."

Mendelssohn pretended not to understand what Arthur said. He had always believed in his old friend's musical talent, but he also had a deep understanding of how lazy this guy really was.

In Mendelssohn's view, Arthur was obviously an outstanding figure who could be famous in Europe with a little effort, but this guy didn't like to deal with pianos very much.

And among the many friends who knew Arthur, Mendelssohn was not the only one who thought so. Faraday also privately lamented to Mendelssohn: "If Arthur's first job had not been to Scotland Yard, but to It would be nice to be at the Royal Society.”

Mendelssohn insisted that Qingshan would not relax and insisted: "At the end of the year, Miss Vic will be invited to perform in Russia, and when she comes back, she will be engaged to the son of a banker in Leipzig. Arthur, if time Without such urgency, I wouldn’t have come all the way to Göttingen, but I guess the next performance might be Schumann’s last chance.”

Arthur saw that Mendelssohn was so anxious to get angry, so he couldn't refuse him.

In any case, Mendelssohn once came to his aid in his time of need. Now that the other party is asking for help, it would be unkind if Arthur just sits back and ignores him.

The only problem now is that he is currently out of service with the Red Devils in arrears.

I'll let him look for the soul for a while, but it's really hard to find.

Arthur was thinking about how to get credit from the Red Devil, but Mendelssohn was still promising him the bright future of opera.

"Arthur, if you join us this time, me, you and Schumann, the three of us will definitely be able to compile all the repertoire before the performance. Moreover, I guarantee you that this time we will adapt the opera You must be interested. What we are going to adapt is Goethe's famous play "Turandot, or the Princess of China". I still remember that you told me before that if you were asked to adapt "Turandot", you could do it. Do better than Mr. Goethe.”

As soon as Disraeli heard "Turandot", the great writer who was one of the "British" fashionable literary troika immediately couldn't sit still.

"What? Did you originally plan to adapt "Turandot"! Felix, you told me earlier! Arthur, I can definitely help you with this! And it's not just him, I can also participate. Our editorial department had previously When I was short of drafts, I once considered using "Turandot" as a story prototype for a second creation. "

Arthur also came back to his senses at this time: "Change "Turandot"?"

Speaking of "Turandot", this is indeed a bad deal.

As a well-known theater resident play in Europe, "Turandot" is very popular whether in London, Paris, Rome or Vienna.

However, due to the limited understanding of the East by European people at this time, the plot of "Turandot" does have many flaws in Arthur's opinion.

The plot of "Turandot" is not complicated. The heroine of the story, Princess Turandot, is the daughter of the Chinese Emperor Kangxi. This princess is beautiful and noble and has many suitors. However, Turandot hates marriage very much. In order to reject the suitors, she put forward a cruel condition to all suitors: any prince who came to propose must answer three riddles she posed. If you cannot answer, you will be executed. The story revolves around this nonsensical reason.

Perhaps in the eyes of Europeans, such a plot is reasonable and has a mysterious oriental color. But in Arthur's opinion, this story can happen anywhere, but it should not happen in China.

If no one told him the background of the story, he would probably think Turandot was an Arabian or Greek princess.

Because of this, Arthur brought up "Turandot" and talked about it in an internal meeting of the editorial department of "The British". Even though he was always cautious, he could not avoid boasting to Mendelssohn about the adaptation of "Turandot".

However, if you put aside the story background, "Turandot" is indeed a very exciting play.

After all, if it wasn't a classic play, how could "Turandot" have been popular in theaters for 200 years?

Even those who have not gone to the theater to watch "Turandot" can still hum the famous aria "Nessun Dorma" and the famous Chinese folk song "Jasmine".

Um?

"Nessun Dorma"?

"Jasmine"?

Arthur's frown gradually relaxed.

Although composing music alone is not easy, it is not difficult for someone who has taught himself piano for three years.

Moreover, he remembered that Mendelssohn had just mentioned that Schumann’s girlfriend, Miss Clara Wieck, was a female singer with a full voice and a wide range. Therefore, it would indeed be a good idea for her to star in "Turandot". Couldn't be more appropriate.

But when Arthur thought about it, there was a new problem before him.

"Nessun Dorma" is the famous song and representative work of Pavarotti, the world's number one tenor. The young and energetic Pavarotti became an instant hit by starring in "Turandot".

Mendelssohn was still persuading him earnestly: "Arthur, the adaptation of "Turandot" is really your fault..."

But before he finished speaking, he saw Arthur raising his palm to interrupt him: "Felix, I can participate in the adaptation of "Turandot", but I have a request."

"Request?" Mendelssohn was stunned for a moment, then said ecstatically: "Of course, you don't have to worry about the wages. If "Turandot" can be successfully adapted, I can guarantee you that this scene will not only be performed in Leipzig. , and it will also appear at the Paris Opera, the Royal Concertgebouw in London, and even the Musikverein in Vienna!”

"No."

Arthur took out the staff from Mendelssohn's bag. He bit the tip of the pen and recalled with a frown: "Felix, I'm not talking about money. I'm not short of money, but I'm still a little bit artistic. You have just told me about Miss Clara Vick's ability. She fully meets my requirements for playing the female lead Turandot. However, the male singer who plays the male lead Calaf can do it well. Arriving at F5?”

"F...F5?" Krupp stared blankly: "What is F5?"

Disraeli was stunned when he heard this: "Damn it! Arthur, what kind of music are you planning to write?"

Liszt, who was very drunk, raised his glass and cheered: "It seems that Sir is planning to take action!"

Mendelssohn stared at Arthur with a solemn face: "Are you serious?"

Arthur nodded slightly: "This is my only request. The male lead must not only be able to reach F5, but he must not be able to do so reluctantly. He must be able to reach F5 easily."

Mendelssohn thought for a moment and replied: "There is no such tenor in Leipzig. I can find a tenor who can reach D5. But F5... even if I move to Vienna, it is probably difficult to find such a guy."

"Really?" Arthur regretfully put the pen back into his jacket pocket: "Then there's nothing we can do about it, sorry, Felix."

"But... if you are really so confident, this won't be a problem." A fanatical and excited smile suddenly appeared on Mendelssohn's face: "I will set off for Paris tomorrow, and there happens to be someone who can arrive there. F5 tenor.”

"Huh?" Arthur took out the pen again: "Is there such a person in Paris? Who are you talking about?"

Mendelssohn stood up while holding on to the table: "Who else could it be? Rossini's royal tenor, the star of "Cinderella", "Otello" and "The Lady of the Lake", the king of tenor Giovanni Rubi ”