Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Unexpected Problem (5)
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“This week’s exam topic is, ‘Create a 16-measure arpeggio.’ You may create one from scratch, or you may reinterpret an existing score.”
Erdi continued his explanation.
“There are three criteria for evaluation. First, whether each note’s harmony is original, and second, whether it is stable.”
Everyone held their breath, waiting for his next words.
“Lastly, it’s technique. Since you are creating the pattern yourselves, your performance must be flawless.”
Tempo and scale were free.
“I will distribute a few scores for your reference. They should be helpful.”
I had no part in Erdi’s exam.
It meant I didn’t know what assignment he would give the students either.
I heard about it for the first time today.
‘An arpeggio creation assignment? Not bad.’
It wasn’t particularly difficult. Anyone could do it if they had the ability to interpret a piece’s structure and harmony.
If they had gained experience through my and Victor’s lectures, they should be able to handle it easily.
On top of that, was there anyone here who didn’t understand the basic patterns of arpeggios?
It was a task they could easily take on.
However.
‘Simple as it is, even the slightest lack shows.’
Arpeggios are based on very fundamental techniques, and if those are lacking, problems with speed and accuracy are inevitable.
This is, in a way, similar to knife skills in cooking.
Truly, it’s the foundation of foundations.
What’s important in an arpeggio is the precise movement of the fingers and the timing.
The so-called ‘touch.’
In knife skills, the most important thing is cutting ingredients to a uniform size, isn’t it?
That’s the only way to guarantee taste and texture.
And speed.
No matter how accurate you are, you cannot be too slow.
You have to catch two rabbits at the same time.
Moreover, Erdi said he would evaluate originality as well.
If you just loosen any random chord to make an arpeggio, you’ll lose points in the creativity section.
‘An exam that checks depth of theory, performance proficiency, and individuality all at once.’
A good method.
It’s only 16 measures.
A week is plenty of time.
It’ll be fun.
He distributed the reference scores to the students.
That concluded the orientation.
A week passed like that.
>
As soon as morning classes ended, I rushed to the advanced class where Erdi was.
I couldn’t miss this interesting spectacle.
Everyone was already gathered.
The exam seemed to be already in progress.
I quietly went to the back row and sat down.
“It’s Miss Wendelin’s turn.”
“Yes.”
At Erdi’s call, Beatrice walked slowly to the front.
She immediately began to play.
A diatonic scale, a simple 8-measure pattern.
Up to this point, it sounded almost too stable, but then she gradually introduced changes by mixing in seven tones.
On top of that, she played with the rhythm by subdividing the notes.
‘Oh, my.’
Good.
Erdi, who had been listening to her performance, took out a score sheet and wrote something down.
Then he gave his evaluation on the spot.
“Using the basic scale while mixing in seven tones was highly creative.”
I thought the same.
If this were modern Earth, maybe not, but here, they were just starting to learn the standard system of piano performance.
Utilizing seven tones was a huge step forward.
“Emotion was well-expressed during the process of introducing changes. I would like to see you try more complex harmonies or patterns next time. I see the potential to take it a step further.”
“Th-thank you.”
Beatrice blushed, seemingly not expecting to receive such praise.
“You did well. Let’s move on to the next turn.”
I came in mid-exam, so I didn’t know how many students had been tested so far.
I was curious about Azabella and Dirk.
Have they already finished?
I was just thinking that when...
“Mr. Wendelin, please come up.”
“Yes.”
This guy’s timing for appearances is always impeccable.
Dirk trudged over to the piano.
“Please begin when you are ready.”
“Yes.”
He wiggled his fingers lightly.
‘Hmm.’
The first few measures were fine, but as it went on, slightly unstable notes were mixed in.
He was maintaining the basic pattern to some extent.
But, how should I put it.
‘The speed is slow.’
On top of that, his touch seemed inconsistent.
Some notes were strong, some were weak...
If they had been harmonized tastefully, it might have been fine, but it was a very tense performance.
It felt like crossing a bridge that was about to collapse, its legs trembling.
As he reached the final measure, he slammed the keys down hard, as if he had made a firm decision.
Erdi, looking at him, tilted his head.
“Overall, it is quite lacking in the technical aspect. I felt instability in several notes. The rhythm was also uneven.”
Dirk had no answer.
“Do you know why?”
Erdi asked him.
“Because my hands can’t keep up with my head.”
It was quite blunt.
“Are you talking about basic skills again?”
Dirk replied with a dissatisfied expression.
But Erdi ignored him, folded the score sheet, and handed it to him.
“Mr. Wendelin, do you skip the beginning of a book and turn to the next page? Can you say you have truly read a book that way? You wouldn’t know the content at all.”
“If I already know the content, I can skip it.”
“It didn’t seem like you knew it. And it wasn’t original. Your evaluation today will not be as good as you thought.”
Erdi completely ignored Dirk with an expression that said, ‘And what are you going to do about it?’
When did this guy’s guts get so big?
As they say, the position makes the person.
Anyway.
With Dirk’s performance, all the exams were concluded.
‘What a shame.’
I came too late, so I only saw two people.
Erdi went back on stage and unfolded the score sheet.
“I will announce first place.”
To be honest.
I could guess who it was, so I wasn’t nervous at all.
“Miss Azabella Viviant.”
With this, Azabella was confirmed as the representative of the advanced class.
There was no special gift for becoming the representative.
However, she stood up as if she was very satisfied and gave a slight bow.
Applause erupted simultaneously.
But.
The warm atmosphere did not last long.
“Not only Miss Viviant, but everyone else did well. It was your first exam, but no one seemed nervous.”
Then Azabella raised her hand and asked.
“Does that mean everyone passed today?”
Erdi had originally declared that he would expel any student who fell short in the evaluation.
But if everyone met his standards, there would be no dropouts.
“There is one person.”
Of course, that couldn’t be the case.
I could also guess who it was.
I had only heard two, but I didn’t think the other students were worse than them.
“Mr. Dirk Wendelin.”
Just as I thought.
Dirk’s face turned pale.
His confident attitude was gone, and he stroked his chin with a trembling hand.
“Mr. Wendelin’s attitude and preparation for this exam were... frankly, so problematic it was disappointing. Don’t think of it as a mistake. If it’s repeated, it’s your skill level.”
“...”
Dirk did not answer.
Erdi continued indifferently.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Wendelin will return to the basic class starting tomorrow and learn the theory from the beginning.”
Dirk clenched his fists tightly.
It seemed his pride was hurt.
His shoulders trembled violently.
His expression was not visible, but it was probably flushed red.
It was so obvious.
He received a much lower score than the students he had been looking down on, and was suddenly expelled from the advanced class.
“That is all for today. Reflect on your own achievements, and please rest comfortably until the next lecture.”
Erdi cleaned up his things and went outside.
I followed him.
>
“Damn it!”
Dirk slammed his fist against the wall.
Beatrice tried to stop him, but it was no use.
“This wretched academy, there’s nothing helpful here.”
“Watch your mouth. It’s your own fault for not practicing properly.”
Dirk shot a fierce glare at Beatrice.
She flinched slightly.
“They’re all a bunch of incompetent fools. They don’t recognize my superior skill.”
“There’s nothing we can do about it. From now on, in the basic class...”
“Why should I? I’m going to tell Father and drop out right away.”
At Dirk’s declaration, Beatrice looked at him with wide, surprised eyes.
He was talking about voluntarily leaving the academy he had worked so hard to get into, beating out a high competition rate.
‘He’s too angry to judge the situation properly.’
Embarrassment is only for a moment.
If he studies diligently again, it shouldn’t be too difficult to re-enter the advanced class.
Beatrice tried to persuade Dirk all night, but he ended up sending a letter to the southern estate anyway.
And a few days later.
“I heard your father is coming here himself. Haha! It seems he wants to negotiate with the professors.”
Dirk thought to himself that he would make them pay for ignoring him.
And this news soon reached Anton’s ears as well.
>
“The head of House Wendelin?”
“I heard Dirk sent a letter.”
“If he wanted to leave, he should have done so quietly. Is he going to cause trouble until the very end?”
“What can we do? The situation will be resolved once we explain it. We haven’t done anything unjust.”
I nodded at Victor’s words.
He’s right.
Dirk’s father or grandfather, what are they going to do when they get here?
Your son was in the wrong.
However.
What happened after that was far from my expectations.
“My son has caused you a great deal of trouble.”
The head of House Wendelin came to the lounge and bowed his head deeply.
‘Is this man really Dirk’s father?’
He had a kind face, unlike his son.
Moreover, every movement was full of dignity.
“Although he is a lacking child, I ask that you, Professor, guide him well.”
His attitude was so courteous that I was at a loss for words.
I couldn’t help but end up praising Dirk.
“...No. Rather, his skill is quite extraordinary.”
“He must have relied on that skill and acted out again. I know my son well.”
“Ah.”
Right then.
Dirk burst into the room without knocking and greeted his father without any sense of the situation.
“You’ve arrived? Then I’ll submit my withdrawal form right away...”
“Enough!”
“...Pardon?”
At his father’s stern gesture, Dirk stepped back in confusion.
“If you leave this place, do you think the North will accept you? You fool who knows nothing of honor.”
As Dirk stared blankly, the scolding continued.
“Count Herring is deeply disappointed. I sent you to the academy to build connections with the artists of the capital, and you are ruining the family’s future with that pride of yours.”
So there was that kind of circumstance as well.
Dirk couldn’t say a word.
“I heard everything from Beatrice about what you’ve been up to. Don’t even dream of coming back until you graduate.”
And the final counter.
“If you truly want to drop out, go ahead. But the family will no longer protect you.”
How could a problem child like Dirk be born from such an excellent person?
“Well then.”
As if he had said everything he needed to, he gave me a slight bow and left the room.
Dirk’s shoulders trembled.
I don’t feel any sympathy.
The situation has come to this entirely because of Dirk’s own responsibility.
The only thing I can do for him is...
A word of encouragement that probably won’t be of much help.
“...You still have a chance.”
As long as he doesn’t give up himself.
The choice is his to make.
He has indeed betrayed everyone’s expectations, but he hasn’t committed some heinous crime.
He can still turn back.
Just as I was thinking that...
“Enough. I’ll drop out.”
As they say, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
It’s good that he’s consistent.
If he had thought about his future even a little, he would have swallowed his pride for the moment and continued at the academy quietly.
It seems this guy values his immediate pride more.
I didn’t bother to persuade him any further.
Dirk gave me a quick glance with a stubborn, strange look in his eyes, then turned and walked out.
The sound of his footsteps grew more distant.
>
“That’s what happened.”
I explained the situation to Victor and Erdi.
“That’s unfortunate.”
“We can’t force him if he says he doesn’t want to.”
It’s better to focus on the remaining people instead.
However, since this incident might make the academy’s atmosphere gloomy...
“For now, let’s try holding an event to bring everyone together again.”