Entertainment: Is this how you play music?!

Chapter 342 Before meeting God, meet Li Can first.

"How about we eat first, bro, and then get some drinks?"

The translator asked Li Can in a low voice.

Outwardly, nothing seems out of the ordinary, but in reality, one's inner self has become a broken record.

Please, please, please!

"Okay, let's do it together then."

Li Can nodded with a smile, then saw Hardy extend his hand to indicate the direction. Walton understood and waved to one of the members in the following group, after which one member disappeared into the main group.

Meanwhile, at the Imperial Hotel, the head chef was on high alert, leading his team to prepare for tonight's welcome banquet.

Vienna sausage, Vienna beef stew, roast pork, Kaiserschmarrn, Tafelspitz.

In addition to iconic local delicacies, a series of Chinese dishes were also prepared in advance, fearing that they might not suit Li Can's taste.

Although it hasn't been made yet, it's clear that another group of temporarily hired, highly paid Chinese chefs are ready, judging from their Xia-style appearance and skillful use of classic cleavers.

typical.

Step into the Imperial Hotel.

The welcoming team lined up in two rows greeted them politely. The luxurious decor and spacious dining environment made Li Can vaguely feel that this might not just be a place to eat. At least, besides dining, the huge venue was large enough to accommodate an entire large song and dance troupe.

“This collaboration is actually quite challenging, as it is a truly cross-cultural endeavor. Furthermore, the timeframe is tight, so we may need to work overtime.”

Li Can successfully became the submissive man.

They were all smiles at the dinner table, but the first thing they talked about was working overtime.

If Wang Yung-chang were to see this scene, he would surely slap his thigh in anger and exclaim that it was just right.

"Of course, no problem, my friend."

Hardy smiled and nodded, agreeing on the spot.

Cooperation is not a contest, where one wins and the other loses. On the contrary, it is a matter of shared prosperity and shared loss.

If the collaboration between Li Can and the Vienna Philharmonic fails to achieve the explosive success anticipated by the industry and audiences, both parties will inevitably face equal criticism, resulting in a negative impact.

Before Li Can arrived, Hardy had already spoken with the band members.

We must approach this performance with the utmost professionalism and top-notch skills, humbly learning and carefully studying the other party's culture and ideas to ensure its successful completion.

VAI is no ordinary band; this band is absolutely outrageous.

Even if you are a top international musician, you still need to undergo two consecutive rounds of curtain-opening performances and assessments under the supervision of a professional judging panel of more than 26 people, including the orchestra's principal.

After two years of internship to become a full-time employee, one can apply after working for three years. This time, the judges will vote on the application, and it will be a long and arduous process to become a full member.

No mistakes are allowed during this period.

Even becoming a full member is no exception.

Perhaps, during a rehearsal or performance, unintentionally making a wrong note could lead to the risk of losing one's job.

Being fired by Wei Ai was a huge blow. He may never be able to return to that level again in his life and can only move down to other bands.

Not to mention being late, leaving early, or not taking things seriously; matters involving professional attitude are often much more troublesome.

The reason is also very simple.

The Viagra is one of the world's three major orchestras. It has no shortage of talent, masters, or top musicians.

You can be replaced if you're not careful, and you can be optimized if you're not attentive.

Even a percussionist who seems to have little competition has a very high rate of depression due to the immense pressure of performing.

At this level of curl.

It would be an absolutely phenomenal existence no matter where it is placed in the world.

Anyone who appears in Vai is a war god who rises to power by stepping over the corpses of countless people.

How much do Golden Hall and V&A value this collaboration?
Key staff members and musicians need to have a basic understanding of Chinese phrases.

Especially the musicians.

Ordinary musicians need to be familiar with the Chinese terms related to music, while principal musicians must have a deep understanding of the various descriptive words about color in the Chinese context.

Even with a translator, this requirement was still made.

Wei Ai's attitude and level of cooperation far exceeded Li Can's expectations.

The dinner was underway; it was 8 p.m.

However, the musicians of Wei Ai had already adjusted their biological clocks in advance, all of them going to sleep early to rest and recuperate, waiting for the inspection the next day and the next practice cycle.

The musicians' self-discipline was far stronger than imagined. They were so precise with their daily schedules that they were down to the second. And when it came to such an important collaboration, they slept in perfect order.

Li Can only wanted to go to Dog Bar, but the band had a lot more to consider.

After dinner, Li Can, accompanied by Hardy, went to Dog Bar.

But after walking only a few steps, Li Can suddenly realized...

I seem to be more famous than I imagined.

Almost every few steps, residents would greet Hadi and his group, waving their arms. When they saw Hadi, they were extremely excited, their words even making the translator, who had seen all sorts of situations, blush a little.

What did they say?

"They said they wanted to be your drummer."

"Alright, that's enough, please stop talking."

Li Can felt a chill run down his spine.

As it turns out, there is no such thing as a cold and solemn nation; people will get excited in front of their spiritual idols.

Just like the process of cooperating with Vienna.

What are the cultural differences?
As long as you are strong enough, and your country is strong enough, cultural differences simply don't exist.

Others will adapt to you on their own.

"Li! Are you coming to perform at the Golden Hall?"

"Li! We support you!"

"I'll swear to you, Li!"

Along this route.

Li Can even encountered a fan who greeted him in broken Chinese.

Enthusiastic.

As the capital of Western classical music.

Classical music has an incredibly strong presence in Vienna.

Even for many older people, they might not recognize the name Li Can or the DP band, but they would certainly know the name "Ode to Joy".
I know that perfectly well.

Vivienne Westwood has performed "Ode to Joy" at the Golden Hall more than once. For the classical music world, this is the most popular piece of the year, and any classical music lover knows it by heart.

Even the financial statements clearly mark the city of "Vienna".

Regardless of the orchestra's version, the "Ode to Joy" album sold over 10 copies on its first day of release in Vienna.

It seems like very little.

However, if we consider that the total population of Vienna is only 1.7 to 1.8 million.
The sales of 100,000 units on that day are enough to demonstrate the locals' fervent passion for classical music.

"Li, this is the passion of Vienna."

Hardy smiled appropriately and spoke up.

They laughed and marveled at the wonderful coordination of the passersby.

This wasn't actually a script, but it was incredibly effective.

“The performances of ‘Ode to Joy’ are almost always sold out. Even some locals sometimes organize their own musical instruments for entertainment. You are really famous here.”

As they were talking, Hardy led Li Can to the entrance of Dog Bar.

Finally, they saw the dog bar they had been longing for. At this moment, not only did Li Can feel that his life was complete, but even the translator seemed to feel that he had achieved a platinum-level achievement.

[Dog Bar Check-in]

The bar is indeed not very big.

But just like the bar's name suggests—"Tonight, be as free as a dog."

Once inside.

Hardy was no longer as cautious as he had been when he received him. His demeanor became noticeably more enthusiastic and natural, and there was even a hint that he wanted to let loose.

"Oh! Isn't that Li?!"

"Hey! Li! Look this way! Are you here to perform?!"

The bar wasn't crowded, but not long after Li Can and his group sat down, they heard someone waving and shouting next to them.

This is a piece of Chinese written primarily in English. [Is this a joke? Wow, what a joke!]

Turning his head, he saw a middle-aged man who looked to be in his thirties or forties raising his glass to welcome him.

"Yes!"

Li Can waved with a smile.

"Golden Hall, Vienna Philharmonic, New Year's Concert, would you like to support me and contribute a ticket?"

"Come on, Lee! You're so funny."

The middle-aged man rolled his eyes, and a burst of laughter immediately filled the bar.

Tickets to the Golden Hall, especially for the New Year's Concert.

Who the hell could possibly snatch that?

These are the most difficult concert tickets to buy in the world, far exceeding the difficulty of purchasing tickets for some so-called international superstar concerts.

Tickets for the New Year's Concert were purchased even more readily than season tickets.

Season tickets are already booked up for almost twenty years in advance.

It has outlasted many older music fans.

In the past, there were often empty seats in the audience during performances because fans had passed away.

Later, follow-up services were strengthened to connect with ticket-buying families, and seats for deceased fans were made available for resale.

It's truly like "stepping over someone else's corpse" to attend a concert.

Believe it or not, this has even rekindled the hope of many music fans, shortening the waiting time by at least ten years.

"Li, I hope to see you at the concert before I go to see God!"

The middle-aged man downed his drink in one gulp and began to make his own hellish joke.

This immediately elicited bursts of laughter.

Everyone has some experience with the struggle of scrambling for tickets.

Immediately, someone started making a joke.

"Oh, God asked me what my wish was after I died, and I said I wanted a ticket to Li's concert. God immediately brought me back to life, saying that even he couldn't get one."

"Not necessarily. God could just take Li away."

"What a joke, the East is not under God's jurisdiction."

"Oh no, this is terrible. I did good deeds my whole life, and now I can't find Li in heaven."

"Hahaha!"

Normally

These people wouldn't joke like that.

But just like the bar's name suggests.

They need to be as free as dogs.

If you still don't dare to say anything, then wouldn't you have wasted your time drinking this wine?

"Li! May we request to use your composition as music for our ascension to heaven?"

I heard someone ask that.

Li Can's abstract power also began to be unable to be suppressed.

"Huh? That's so exciting? I have a lot of rock music in my work."

"Hahaha! If you don't walk steadily, you'll tumble and roll your way to heaven!"

"I'm afraid of being shaken awake, hahaha."

Looking at everyone, Li Can laughed heartily.

He looked at the middle-aged man who had first mentioned the concert tickets and began to speak.

"You don't have to wait to see God; you can hear it today."

Hardy's horrified expression.

Li Can took a big gulp of vodka from the bottle.

Damn it, it went straight down a bit.

Then he stood up with a smile and pointed to the piano in the center of the bar.

"Boss, can I borrow this for a moment?"

"It's an honor for us."

The surprise the boss saw was truly unexpected.

"my God!"

The other customers in the store couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

The bartenders were absolutely brilliant.

Without anyone needing to emphasize it, a soft towel was brought out along with comfortably warm water to help Li Can adjust his condition.

"Oooo!!"

Cheers erupted throughout the hotel.

Of them, Hardy was the most boisterous.

This is hardly the vice president of a musicians' association.

This is practically the vice president of the Rock Association.

"Li! What music will you bring us?"

The bar owner pulled out his treasured video camera, ready to film.

Turn off the background music in the bar and be ready to record at any time.

Just after Li Can sat down on the piano bench.

The entire bar fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Some guests carefully moved the wine glasses on the table to the center, seemingly afraid of accidentally interrupting the performance.

Even the slightest movement becomes very careful, trying not to make a sound.

"The Blue Danube"

"Oh oh oh!!"

The Danube River is the mother river of Austria.

From another perspective, Li Can's behavior is like an internationally renowned pianist playing a piece of music about the Yellow River in a bar in Xia Country.

Just mentioning the name is enough to win over the audience.

The piano began to play softly.

Hardy could tell that Li Can had drunk quite a bit and was a little tipsy.

His piano technique was incredibly solid, but it was clear that he had become more unrestrained due to the effects of alcohol. However, it was precisely this unrestrained technique that added a touch of freedom and romance.

"Ta-da, ta-da, ta-da."

As the piano notes poured forth.

The audience was pleasantly surprised.

Even Hardy's eyes lit up!

He even mentally labeled Li Can as "Austria's best friend," planning to increase the emphasis of cultural exchange with China in the Golden Hall after returning, and to gain a deeper understanding of Eastern art.

The reason is simple: it's a matter of reciprocity.

In Li Can's performance, the classic triple meter of the waltz was expressed in a slightly different way.

This feeling is subtle; by slightly rushing the beat in a two-beat sequence, the rhythm of the music becomes more difficult to control.

This is because when dancing to a waltz, the backward step is often faster than the forward step.

Such practices are not uncommon internationally, but they are not very common.

because
This kind of handling is just so damn Austrian!
This is the soul of the waltz in triple meter within the Austrian musical genre!
True friendship is hard to find, like the flowing water and towering mountains.

Li Can's interpretation, imbued with the spirit of Austria, is the best gift to give.

Communication, cooperation, and personal relationships.

It's nothing more than reciprocity.

Deeply moved by the thoughtful gift, Hardy is already thinking about how to reciprocate in a way that matches the sentiment.

(End of this chapter)