KOCM

161-165

Chapter 161

The magnificent song filled the theater's music hall. Brilliant lights focused on the stage, highlighting the famous opera's orchestra.

Dozens of people sat in neat rows. The small violin, medium violin, large violin... all pulled their bows; the small and medium trumpet, trombone, clarinet... they, too, all played together, and the forceful but not entirely solemn 《Ave Maria》 rose melodiously.

As an early representative of classical romanticism, 《Ave Maria》 was one of Schubert's songs. The master was born in Vienna, the music capital, and achieved his life's glory inside the city.

Many people knew Mozart's life was short; he lived for only 35 years, but he left behind thousands of world-famous songs. Few people knew that Schubert lived——

For only 31 years.

In those very short 31 years, this grandmaster of music wrote over 600 songs, 18 operas, 10 symphonies, and more.

God was never fair. He preferred his beloved humans and devoted endless effort into geniuses such as Mozart and Schubert, letting them bring such heavenly music to the world, only to pity them and bring them back to heaven early.

And this 《Ave Maria》 had inherited the love the Vienna people had for the waltz. Its melody was gentle, like a mother gently touching her child's cheek, delicate and soft; it was like the rocking of a small cradle.

The older audience of Palisade Theatre, who had listened to 《Ave Maria》 for over a decade, were naturally familiar with the song. They even understood that Wallace liked to insert a small piece with the first violin section at the end of the first part, and they also knew the female vocals were unique to the Palisade Theatre.

But this time, no one expected... the concertmaster would refuse to take his seat!

An older gentleman sitting in the front row pulled a face and looked through his thick glasses at the young man standing on stage, not playing his violin. He was gray-haired, and he had both the hands clasped on a cane in front of him. If anyone in the theater saw him, they would all exclaim, "Oh! Dear Mr. Delonte!"

Delonte was a loyal member of the Palisade Theatre's audience, a born and bred Viennese. He started coming to the Palisade Theatre at his parents' knee when he was four and had enjoyed their performances each week since then.

The older gentleman was in his 70s, and his body wasn't fairing well. Even he didn't know how many times he had come to the theater, but he was here now as an old man. His seniority even overtook that of Wallace's.

And right now, Delonte's eyes were fixed on the young man slightly to the left on the stage.

Over the past few months, the theater orchestra's performances were quite good, but though he rarely saw the newly appointed concertmaster, Delonte couldn't help feeling a bit suspicious about Qi Mu.

Such a young child, could he really serve as the Palisade's concertmaster?

And now, this adaptation of 《Ave Maria》 made Delonte pay even more attention to the handsome young man. He wanted to see how capable this child who looked weak enough to tip over in the wind was, and what kind of 《Ave Maria》 he would produce!

Delonte's gaze was scorching hot, but Qi Mu hardly noticed it. He listened carefully to every voice of the instruments behind him, from the subtle timpani furthest from him to the violins closest to him.

Wallace's baton dipped, and with another slide of the string instruments' strings, Qi Mu raised his hand and set his bow on his own. He looked up at Wallace beside him.