A Capable Maid

!’

She tried her best to avoid slipping up as she said, ”It wasn’t bad.
It’s magnificent… and it sounds complex…” For some reason, somewhere in heaven, she could hear Mozart’s pure soul laughing at her, but still, she said it without hesitation.  

However, Vahan’s reaction was surprising.
”Really? How strange.”

”Yes?”

”Wasn’t it frustrating to hear?”

“…!”

Marie looked surprised.
How could he say that to his own music?

‘Unless?’

Vahan said lamentably, “Actually, this isn’t the piece we wanted to perform.
I didn’t even compose it.
It’s from the previous conductor.”

“Ah…” She knew it, it wasn’t his work. 

Marie asked tentatively.
“Then why don’t you use your own?”

These days, it was common for conductors to play their own pieces.

‘Is something wrong?’

Marie shook her head.
At her question, Vahan bit his lip for a moment, then he said, ”Well…”

At that time, a member who overheard their conversation exclaimed, “Maestro! Let’s use your composition instead of this pretentious piece!”

”Yeah! We want to play the Maestro’s music too rather than this vain music!”

Vahan put on an sheepish expression.
”No way.
You know my symphony is unfinished.”

“So what if it’s unfinished? The symphony’s great.
Let’s just play the ending by ear and use that instead.
The audience will like Maestro’s composition a lot more.”

”That’s right!”

Marie looked puzzled at their words.

‘How can they like an unfinished symphony? How good is it?’

In fact, unfinished compositions could not be performed.
She didn’t understand how certain they were that it’s good despite being incomplete. 

The members exclaimed, “I can’t do this frustrating symphony any more! It’s too much, let’s just play yours once to boost the morale.”

“Yeah, we want to play maestro’s song!”

“That’s right!”

The young conductor, Vahan, went up to the podium with a troubled face.

“Since the piece is too draining, let’s play mine just once for a change of mood.” 

He raised his hand.
All the members, who had been talking loudly, picked up their instruments and straightened their postures. 

“The Country.
Symphony No.
1 in G major, first movement.
Begin.”

Soon his hands fell, and the performance began.
Marie, who was listening, covered her mouth in shock.

 ‘Ah…!’

***

It wasn’t a complex piece like the one they performed previously.
It had a wonderful melody.
First, the viola sent a gentle breeze.
Then, the violin and contrabass exploded with the sound of cool water with their high and low notes.
At the end of the refreshing sound of the string instruments, the timpani produced a low drumbeat, all collectively presenting an imagery of the country side.

‘It’s relaxing.’ Marie muttered to herself. 

It was a soothing and pleasant symphony that felt completely different from the previous piece.

‘Perhaps because they haven’t practiced it yet, there are a few mistakes.’ It was so good that the mistakes didn’t bother her at all. 

‘I feel comforted by the music.’

It just felt so comforting that it reminded her of the soothing sensation of looking at the ebbing river or sky.

‘I want to stay like this forever.’

It’s as if she were watching the flowing river, making her wish that this type of feeling would never stop.
Under Vahan’s direction, the orchestra continued to produce various sounds.
It became a cool breeze, an endless river, and a wide sea.
The complementary tones brought comfort and peace to the listener.  

‘Amazing.’ It was while she was thinking this when Vahan suddenly lowered his hand and frowned.

He said, ”Stop.”

”Vahan?”

”We can’t go any further from here.”

The members spoke in disappointment, “But it’s so good.
Can’t we just polish the theme and end it with a climax?”

Vahan shook his head.
“No, I think I need to develop another theme to finish it properly, but I can only come up with a faint idea, and nothing more.
I think I’ve already hit my limit.”

”I think that’s enough already.
What more is there to develop?”

Vahan replied briefly, ”Life.”

“Life?”

”Yes.
There’s skill in this symphony, but no life.
I want to melt life into it, and bring genuine peace and comfort to the listeners.”

The members grumbled in disappointment.
“It’s a shame, though.”

Vahan sighed.
“If anything, I’m the one who’s disappointed the most.
I wish I could finish it, but I can’t.
I’d sell my soul to anyone who could help me.” 

Thus, Vahan and the members put aside their dismay and began practicing the complex and problematic composition.

Looking at them, Marie thought, ‘What a pity.’ 

To set aside a good composition like that… How great would it be if it was completed? The people who would’ve listen to it would’ve been delighted. 

‘I want to hear it.’ While thinking this, her eyes suddenly widened. 

‘H-Huh?’ 

Something incredible was happening: a melody coming out of nowhere! It was flowing in her head and no one but her could hear it. 

‘W-What is this melody?’ 

Realizing the identity of the melody, Marie’s eyes swayed.
‘This is the pastoral scenery I heard about earlier!’ 

It wasn’t just humming in her head.
As if reading a sheet music, she accurately recognized the notes and beats of each part.
Moreover, it was not just the pastoral scenery; there was another theme hidden beneath the main melody.

It’s the theme of “life” that Vahan said earlier!

‘1st, 2nd, 3rd movement…!’ 

Even when the part Varan had written was over, the melody didn’t stop.
The melody stretched out on its own to form the 2nd and 3rd movement.
Then, the theme repeatedly transitioned and eventually ran its course.

The process was not problematic either.
The piece flowed naturally, as if unwinding a ball of yarn.  

t/n: lord, the author is getting dragged in the comments.
a bunch top comments were like this: 

[+119] Temporary concertmaster… I don’t know if you’ll see my comment, but the concertmaster is not the Maestro.
the concertmaster is elected among the performers and is mainly the first [chair] violin so calling the concertmaster Maestro is a huge mistake…

[+25] Additionally, when the actual members address the conductor, they don’t call him Maestro… Many people call them teacher* (it’s actually seonsaengnim, for lack of a better word.
not necessarily a word just for teachers but any professional, like with sensei, where you can use it on doctors, etc.)… I know you’ve been doing a lot of research, but there’s a few errors ㅠㅠ

[+13] Why on earth is the concertmaster in charge…

so… the asterisks earlier indicate that Vahan is actually saying that he’s the substitute concertmaster bc the former concertmaster took a leave etc.
it’s also annoying how in some parts she used conductor anyway, as if they’re interchangeable (nope).
mind you, these comments were written in 2016, when it was still ongoing.
the fact that the mistakes are still there is sending me… so anyway, i took it upon myself to just edit those out. 

also, when the author started defining fugue, i got so confused with the music jargons i just googled its meaning and copy pasted it lol.

anyway, i thought this was set in a different universe, but i guess not, if they kept making references to european countries even outside her dreams.
but in what empire are they exactly??? do they have their own fictional continent??? well if they’re in our universe but with a fictional empire/continent, i imagine it’s the same as the princess diaries with its fictional country genovia (thought it was real for a sec ngl)