All-rounder Artist

Chapter 1587: Chapter 1285 Butterfly Lovers

Three consecutive pieces with distinct styles have already made everyone understand the quality of this concert; it is destined to become a classic!

And at this moment.

The concert continues.

After the performance of Canon, Lin Yuan spoke again:

"The next piece has a poignant love story behind it.

Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a woman named Zhu Yingtai who loved to chant poems and read books, with the heart to go outside to study. But at that time, women couldn’t show their faces in public, so she disguised herself as a man with her maid Silver Heart to go to study in a distant place.

On the way, they met a scholar named Liang Shanbo and his servant Shijiu.

Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai hit it off at first sight and traveled together to the academy to study..."

The story Lin Yuan is telling is "Butterfly Lovers."

The reason for mentioning such a story at the concert is that the next piece is called "Butterfly Lovers"!

It’s about the story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai transforming into butterflies.

In fact, many musical works have stories behind them, to varying degrees.

Some are made up; some are true, while others are simply imagined by people after appreciating the work, based on their understanding.

Lin Yuan is impressive in this.

After all, the story of Butterfly Lovers is one of the four major folk love stories in our Celestial Dynasty.

Its widespread popularity is solely because it is moving enough.

"...Later, Liang Shanbo passed away. Zhu Yingtai pretended to agree to the marriage with the Ma family but requested that the wedding procession must pass through South Mountain and allow her to get out of the sedan and pay respects to Liang Shanbo.

When Zhu Yingtai got out to pay her respects at the tomb, a storm, with a mournful wind, suddenly arose.

In the midst of stunned onlookers, Liang Shanbo’s tomb cracked open. Zhu Yingtai saw this and unhesitatingly jumped in, and the tomb immediately closed again.

Soon, a pair of butterflies flew out from the tomb, shadowing each other."

In the narration.

The entire audience listened attentively.

When Lin Yuan finished speaking, the sound of plucking strings followed naturally by the flute, as if the audience found themselves high in the clouds, peering down at a hazy scene below.

And then.

The orchestra resounded.

The clouds were parted by unseen hands, and the view of the world below gradually became clear from blurred.

The audience seemed to see during the three years at the academy how the friendship between Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai deepened.

Laughing.

Frolicking.

Caring for each other.

The violin, tender and everlasting, distant and lingering.

The cello, deep and full-bodied, accompanied harmoniously.

The two instruments, the violin being Zhu Yingtai and the cello being Liang Shanbo, a duet of deep affection.

Doubt.

Unease.

Determination.

As the leading voice, the violin gradually dominated the melody, with a deep, tender, and introspective tone, pushing Zhu Yingtai’s emotions to the fullest; this woman has thought a lot about the obstacles she and he will face together.

Be brave and love!

Is it Zhu Yingtai who has strengthened her heart, or is it the audience who has sent their heartfelt blessings?

The melody suddenly turned lively!

The flute became bright and clear!

The cello danced in movement!

As if the two were on a spring outing in the bright and sunny March.

Yet, good times together are always followed by moments of parting.

After the joy comes the lingering sadness in the eighteenth farewell.

The theme was played slowly, as if with hesitant steps that ultimately had to leave, but the violin and cello duet remained tightly intertwined, inseparable.

The audience was silent, inexplicably heart-wrenching.

Even though they were listening to music, the story before them became increasingly clearer.

Especially when the orchestra suddenly surged like a mighty wave, the audience seemed to feel an infinite resistance.

Was it the father’s opposition?

Was it the difference in social standing?

Facing this strong resistance, the violin fiercely battled!

The conflict between the two gradually escalated, culminating in a final crescendo that filled the venue with immense sorrow!

Liang Shanbo has died.

As if the notes could speak.

This is the message the music delivered to every listener.

At this moment, the violin wept and lamented, its sharp broken staccato and fragmented notes expressing despair as in Zhu Yingtai’s heart at this moment, ashen.

Finally.

The final movement.

With cries, kneeling steps, and music’s repetition, it was like a flashback of memories.

Gradually.

The tears dried up.

Amid the furious low gong of grief, Zhu Yingtai leapt, and the music simultaneously soared to its peak!

Transforming into butterflies!

The final part of the piece!

Under the light and ethereal strings, the eyes of all in the audience were red!

People seemed to see the pair of butterflies that Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai had transformed into, freely and joyfully flying among the flowers, never to be separated!

It was bright spring.

It was twittering birds and blooming flowers.

It pierced the cold and hopeless darkness with a glimmer of warmth!

At this moment.

The audience felt as if years had passed in a different world!

Many hardly noticed that the piece had played for a full twenty-five minutes!

Their greatest sense was watching a dreamlike, sorrowful love story and listening to a piece both desperate and full of hope.

The entire room was silent.

In the silence, sobbing suddenly emerged from an unknown corner.

And as the sobbing seemed to spread to more corners, it was quickly engulfed by thunderous applause!

"Ah!"

"That was stunning!"

"So moving!"

"Did you feel as if the music spoke, perfectly recounting the story he narrated before—"

"Butterfly Lovers!"

"It moved me to tears!"

"When he told the story, I listened as a narrative, but with the music, I felt like I became part of that story."

"Every instrument is telling a story with endless words!"

"The use of the violin and its emotional expression have reached a masterful level!"

"Music can also be a language!"

"The transformation into butterflies at the end made me completely break down in tears!"

"This is one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever heard!"

"I forgot I was at a music concert, it felt like watching a movie, or experiencing a lifetime."

"Only Xian Yu’s music can give such a strong sense of imagery."

Some people are communicating.

Some people are lamenting.

Some people are assessing.

Some people are just shedding tears.

...

But at the location of Yang Zhongming and others, the expressions of several top Maestros were unanimously shocked.

Yin Dongdao: "The use of the violin was genius."

Ye Zhi mused like autumn: "The duet between cello and violin metaphorically represents the protagonists, expressing the theme of love, a very exquisite arrangement."

Lu Sheng: "The melody has been engraved in people’s hearts."

Abigail also pondered and spoke: "We are all trying to tell stories with music, but none of us does it as well as he does. This concert is something I might remember for a lifetime."

"Ol’ Yang."

Zheng Jing suddenly spoke.

Yang Zhongming looked up: "Hmm?"

"Do you think after today’s concert, he will surpass you?"

"He has already surpassed me. ’Butterfly Lovers’ is one of the best violin concertos I’ve ever heard, not to mention his classic works are far more than just this one."

"I meant in terms of the music charts ranking."

"That depends on his performance tomorrow. After all, I’m still third. It’s not easy to leapfrog ahead of me."

"Are you talking about that symphony?"

"Yes."

Yang Zhongming spoke.

Ol’ Yang always tends to overrate Xian Yu subconsciously. He likes this young one, or rather, this child.

However, every once in a while, Xian Yu always breaks Yang Zhongming’s understanding, making him realize that perhaps he still underestimated him.

Until today.

Until this moment.

For the first time, Yang Zhongming realized:

He might no longer be able to look at Xian Yu with the eyes of seeing a younger generation.

"Why do I suddenly feel as if my own child’s suddenly grown up?"

Yang Zhongming found this inexplicable thought amusing, and his mouth gently lifted. This concert was a dual enjoyment of mind and senses for him.

One must know.

At Yang Zhongming’s level, music that he can completely enjoy is becoming increasingly rare.

Speaking of which.

For everyone at the Golden Hall today, this concert was a top-level enjoyment.

An unprecedented musical feast!

...

After performing "Butterfly Lovers," Lin Yuan spoke:

"It’s about time, there’s one more performance today, please enjoy."

The final performance was a saxophone performance.

The piece’s performer was Lin Yuan himself.

Obviously.

Lin Yuan’s saxophone skills aren’t the best, at least not as masterful as his piano. But overall, it reached the standard for stage performance.

Especially with this piece.

His performance itself has a special meaning.

Because this saxophone piece is called "Home"!

The title was secondary, it was just seeing this piece’s instrument appear on the screen, Zheng Jing’s expression inevitably became a bit peculiar:

"Little Fish couldn’t have done it on purpose, right?"

The last two works of today’s concert, one was a violin concerto, the other a saxophone piece.

The former is one of Yang Zhongming’s areas of expertise.

The latter is one of Abigail’s areas of expertise.

Xian Yu seemed to be using these two timeless classic pieces to tell everyone that he also has "some understanding" of these.

"If it’s not on purpose, it’s intentional."

Abigail raised an eyebrow and then quietly listened to today’s last piece.

...

On Earth.

At the mention of the saxophone, people would think of "Home."

And at the mention of "Home", people would associate it with the instrument saxophone.

In fact.

It is precisely the beautiful melody of this piece that is known worldwide, making the rather niche instrument saxophone earn the favor of countless music enthusiasts.

It is worth noting that:

This piece is also used on Shanghai buses and subway stations to notify passengers to alight at the terminal station, and has been included in the music textbook of the People’s Education Press.

At this moment.

This saxophone classic from Earth was played on the stage of the Golden Hall.

The melodious and clear saxophone produced a mysterious, lingering ambiance.

The pure and melodious sound effect, combined with the lyrical high notes, makes the layers distinctly clear, instantly affecting countless people.

The soft, non-harsh sound quality carries a kind of rich penetrative power.

It seems as if this piece was born for the saxophone, the texture of this instrument gleaming, full of brass flavor, its lingering sound thoroughly elicited!

That’s a sense of reality.

Beautiful, graceful, without extras!

Especially the sound of the sagra and golden hammer heavy metals within, delicate yet firm, extending into the distance, giving people infinite beautiful thoughts and longings.

Listening carefully, it feels like the taste of home.

When this piece ended, apart from the applause as usual, no one in the audience moved, even though Xian Yu was on stage, bowing to everyone, announcing the concert’s end for today...

"How was it?"

Zheng Jing looked at Abigail.

Abigail smiled wryly: "Wasn’t Xian Yu letting me win at the last Blue Songlympics? If he had presented this piece then, the saxophone project’s championship would have gone to your Qin Continent."

Zheng Jing: "..."

There wasn’t much further pondering over this matter. Perhaps Xian Yu hadn’t written this piece by then, who knows, but reflecting on the pieces from this concert, Abigail couldn’t help but sigh: "After listening to ’Home’, my first thought was, I don’t want to go home, I want to keep listening, see how many more surprising pieces he can bring out."

It wasn’t just Abigail.

Almost everyone on site, after listening to "Home," didn’t want to go home.