Entertainment: Is this how you play music?!

Chapter 352: What is the song title "Quit the Internet"?
Seeing everyone's curious expressions, Li Can couldn't help but smile.

This is similar to learning a language. No matter how well you learn a foreign language, the intuitive feeling is not as strong as your mother tongue. This is especially true for classical music performance. When placed in the context of musical language, it is the deepest level of wordplay, and it is unlikely to transcend cultural boundaries.

At least no international master would spend more than ten years studying the basic cultural ideas and planning their own identity for a particular performance style.

Even if we actually did that.

He was even a "fake foreigner" who grew up in the Xia Kingdom and was immersed in Xia Kingdom culture and art.

But in terms of cultural identity, there is no difference anymore.

Ironically, while the threshold for cultural and ideological identification is extremely clear in performance, it is completely different from the perspective of appreciation.

Quite the opposite.

From an appreciation perspective, there is surprisingly no barrier to entry; it consists entirely of the simplest and most intense emotional stimuli, enough to trigger the audience's imagination.

Freeman's praise stemmed from this.

The technique isn't difficult, appreciating it isn't difficult, but playing it is incredibly difficult. And to make matters worse, it's locked to a specific region in China.

This shows that Li Can truly incorporated Chinese folk music into this work, expressing authentic Eastern art in a completely Western musical style.

On the surface, it seems difficult for Western performers to play "The Butterfly Lovers," which may limit the spread of the piece.

But the real significance is to become a qualified trailblazer, so that other ethnic cultures and arts can have more similar perspectives when creating works.

It's important to understand that within the realm of world music, Western classical music is only the most influential mainstream, not the entirety.

Many people can benefit from it.

But will this impact the status of Western classical music? Not at all. With the infusion of more nationalistic and culturally diverse works, Western classical music will also radiate a unique vitality and expansion.

After all, not everyone can achieve such a profound and subtle expression of Xia culture.

"It's really an interesting work."

"Haha, it's really interesting. If Mr. Li hadn't played it with such feeling, I really wouldn't have imagined that there were so many expressive details in it if I only looked at the score."

“Hey, that’s normal. When it comes to culture, differences and geography often have a greater impact.”

Wharton and the musicians from the Golden Hall had a pleasant discussion.

There was absolutely no dissatisfaction or regret in his words.

Within these differences, each has its own emphasis and strengths, which is quite common in the field of art.

It's simply because Li Can's song was so emotionally unconventional, maximizing the difference in emotion, that Walton found it hard to accept at first.

But once the reasons were clarified, it was actually a happy thing to be able to hold such a meaningful exhibition of works in the Golden Hall.

In an instant, the atmosphere at the dinner table became much more cheerful.

"Li, based on your schedule, when can we expect to begin rehearsals and preparations?"

Freeman asked curiously.

Although they are both rehearsals, their nature is quite different.

After basic practice comes advanced improvement and complete refinement.

Only after sufficient polishing will rehearsals begin. Rehearsals mean that the performance can be put on at any time.

"I predict it will be in November."

After a moment's hesitation, Li Can spoke.

"Two months is enough to complete the phase of the task, and we can start the whole preparation in November. However, this is based on the current progress. In reality, it should be delayed. There is a lot of cooperation between Xia Guo and Austria, so there may be performances. Even if there are no performances, there will be a long holiday. I also need to go back to China to handle some business."

"It's been so long."

Freeman sighed.

Although I'm also in the industry, I know that this speed is already very fast.

But I still feel very uncomfortable.

Freeman never thought he could snag tickets to the New Year's Concert; watching a recording wouldn't be quite the same for a maestro, so the only feasible option was...
He used connections to sneak into rehearsals.

Just like today, I won't bother anyone. I'll just sit there quietly and listen.

But right now, rehearsals are clearly just an advanced process; if you really want to experience a performance-level level, you'll have to wait.

Ants crawl.

After lunch, Freeman did not disturb Li Can.

As usual, Li Can gave rehearsal instructions, while Freeman watched quietly.

I stayed in Vienna for two days before finally deciding to leave.

Even after leaving, Freeman could never forget that stunning glimpse.

Freeman was pleasantly surprised by the unique Eastern aesthetic quality in Xia Guoyue's music.

Music, regardless of its system, ultimately leads to the same conclusion at its peak.

It was precisely this similarity yet difference that kept Freeman tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

Immediately, they began searching for Li Can's other works, not even letting go of pop music, and further, they began to pay attention to other folk art works of the Xia Kingdom.

Of these, some are readily apparent, but many others require the immersion in local culture to truly appreciate their depth.

Just as foreign poems are likely to lose their rhythm and linguistic beauty when translated, ancient Chinese poems cannot be truly translated into stunning foreign languages.

This unique aesthetic made Freeman hesitate for only a second before he made up his mind to go to Xia Kingdom to find out more.

For that one second he hesitated, it was simply because he didn't know where to go first; the next second, Freeman made his decision.

Hire a high-quality French translator from Xia Guo to travel with us and give us some "travel" advice.

After making his preparations, Freeman began aimlessly searching for information on his phone.

It can only be said that big data push is indeed common abroad.

The story of Lee Chan's addiction to games seems to be more widely circulated overseas, after all, there's also Henry, who is addicted to games with Lee Chan.

Freeman couldn't help but grin from ear to ear at the similar humorous references.

"Hmm, game music, huh?"

Freeman was taken aback.

I came across a video about a game.

This is a video praising a game called Black Monkey by a YouTuber with millions of followers.

"Oh my god! This is really amazing, bro. Before, I was just curious, but now I'm totally sold!"

"Chinese game developers, you're amazing! You're our saviors!"

Savior?
Freeman became interested.

Soon, the streamer and the various comments on the screen made it clear what had happened.

"My God, look at Lighthouse Games, a French game, or maybe an Italian game, the female character design is absolutely hideous!!"

"Asian games are all about aesthetics! Dude! I don't understand diversity, I just want to see pretty female characters!!"

French games?

Freeman, being French, looked displeased.

I wouldn't know this if I didn't follow games.

It wasn't until the streamer posted pictures of female characters from Western games in recent years that Freeman couldn't help but sigh.

I felt insulted, but he was right.

The video the streamer compared was Black Monkey's recently released PV, "Spider Cave".

The several unique yet equally beautiful female demons are simply irresistible.

What Westerners find most difficult to accept is...

Even an old lady perfectly embodies the saying "beauty lies in the bone, not the skin." Through her aged appearance, one can still understand that if she had retained her youthful charm, she would have been a beauty that could topple kingdoms.

I am afraid of comparison in everything.

If you ignore characters like Black Monkey, the so-called diverse female characters in Western games, which are gradually becoming generic and even uglified, don't seem particularly jarring.

But when you compare them like this, the sense of disappointment immediately becomes apparent.

I couldn't hold it in any longer.

Only after tasting the delicious food can one realize what kind of shit they had been eating before.

"Come on! Let's keep watching! Brothers, we can finally find new wives in the game!"

The streamer excitedly clicked on Black Monkey's latest promotional video, "The Cave of the Spider Silk," and began to enjoy it.

But it's only opened by this little bit.

The faint prelude that accompanied the music sent a shiver down Freeman's spine.

"Huh?" "No?"

"This feeling? It's so familiar! Li Can?"

Freeman's eyes widened as he listened more intently.

The twenty-second intro brought Freeman back to the magical feeling he had when listening to "The Butterfly Lovers".

"It's in G minor! But..."

It feels like I've experienced this subtle texture somewhere before.

Freeman immediately thought of someone he knew.

"This is way too much like Li Can!"

After his first reaction, Freeman immediately checked the game information.

He immediately realized what was going on.

Xia Guo Games, Li Can, who is addicted to games.

It really is this game.

"It really is him! That familiar feeling!"

Freeman immediately became interested.

Familiar expressions! A familiar blend of East and West!

The G minor scale, the piano, all Westernized.

Yet it evokes a unique and wonderful oriental charm.

Li Can really loves using this kind of tactic.

Compared to serious music like "The Butterfly Lovers," the promotional music for this game is definitely a more popular and commercial work.

But this way of expressing Eastern beauty using Western music is just too similar!
"G min, Bb/F, Eb Maj7, D7 Oh my god, can such a chord progression really have an oriental feel?!"

Within seconds, Freeman had already forgotten how this broken chord progression created an oriental feel.

The next second, a deep sound effect slowly rose, and the music seemed to pause for a moment before the main melody began!
"I know that! That's blank space!"

Freeman's eyes lit up.

Finally, I've encountered a problem I know how to solve!
Freeman wasn't completely ignorant about Eastern art; he only had a general understanding.

Such a unique preference for "leaving blank space" is easily noticed.

It's like leaving room for a sense of anticipation before slowly getting to the main point, as if the matter is about to end.

This perfectly matches what Li Can said: "People from Xia don't like to make promises they can't keep at once!"

"What song is this?"

In the video, the game streamer was completely captivated by the fairy, causing the music to play intermittently.

This made Freeman feel very uncomfortable, so he quickly started looking for relevant music.

Black Monkey's new PV has been released for two days now.

The works and promotional focus of these PVs were determined long ago, and the works that have appeared in the public eye now are "old works" that were completed several months ago.

Thanks to thorough preparation, the music was simultaneously uploaded to all platforms.

Freeman didn't spend too much time on it; it was just an ordinary afternoon.

Since the song currently does not have an English title, finding a Chinese title would be too difficult for Freeman.

I specifically found the song in a bunch of square characters that looked like paintings.

Internet Addiction Treatment

"What does it mean?"

Freeman tried using translation software.

When it was translated into French, Freeman was dumbfounded.

"Quitter le net? No, no, no"

But after being translated into English...

Freeman even began to question the meaning of life.

"Quitting the net, is that right? That's clearly not correct!"

Whether it's French or English.

After being translated by software, they all convey the same meaning.

[Leave the Internet]

God the hell is quitting the internet.

Is quitting the internet such a sad thing?

The opening few chords immediately evoke a sense of melancholy; only a fool like Freeman would find this translation accurate.

They couldn't hold it in at all.

Because it uses foreign music software, many foreign users have already expressed their frustration with the abstract machine translation in the comments section.

Even when the song is uploaded to external websites, it doesn't have an English title or lyrics. The guy who found it is a true fan.

We need English!

Could you please provide a French translation?

[His "Exit the Internet"—the machine translation of its concept makes me really want to quit the internet.]

"."

Unlike the guys who broke down.

Freeman has connections.

It just so happens that it was around 7 p.m., and the rehearsal at the Golden Hall must have ended, and they were most likely having dinner.

So Freeman immediately made a phone call to Li Can.

His very first words left Li Can completely baffled.

"Li! What should be the real translation of 'Leaving the Internet'? Are there any Chinese lyrics?"

"what?"

Li Can was dumbfounded, completely unaware of what Freeman was talking about.

Because the communication is in English, even the most abstract person would find it difficult to connect the new PV of Black Monkey.

After all, the PV had been completed long ago, and they even delayed pushing forward with new promotions for two months. Many things had already been put on hold.

Only these "lyrics" served as a slight reminder to Li Can.

"Lyrics? What lyrics? Which song are you talking about? Quitting the internet? (The internet)"

Li Canhu's body trembled.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, he was even more stunned and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"You're not talking about 'Internet Addiction Treatment,' are you? Huh?!"

The phrase "戒网" (jiewang) is written in Chinese.

Clearly, the communication became even more explosive.

Now it was Freeman's turn to be dumbfounded.

Fortunately, Li Can realized the problem in the next second and spoke up directly.

"Is that the promotional song from the Black Monkey's promotional PV?"

"Yeah!!"

"."

For a moment, Li Can fell silent.

Only after Freeman's reminder did Li Can realize that it was yet another pun that was commonplace in China but completely incomprehensible abroad.

How to explain it?
Since the beginning of time.
Li Can shook his head.

To understand the essence, let's start from the perspective that the French excel at.

"Um, Freeman, what do you think love is like?"

"what?"

Freeman was stunned and automatically filled in the blanks in his mind.

Could it be that.
Is love like the internet—illusory yet real?
(End of this chapter)