I am a literary giant in Russia

Chapter 204 Even with tears welling up in her eyes, she didn't let a single tear fall.

Music expresses something that cannot be described in words, yet it is impossible to remain silent about it.

—Victor Hugo
If we were to summarize Chopin's musical style in a general and simple way, it belongs to the early Romantic style, characterized by rich emotions, individuality, and melody as the dominant element.
As a genius musician, Chopin obviously had his own artistic concepts and habits. In an era dominated by Romanticism, it was unlikely that he would choose the works of musicians like Schoenberg, Stravinsky, and Debussy, who subverted traditional listening habits.

This is clearly unacceptable to most people in this era.

Which pianist's works can evoke the spirit of Romanticism in Chopin, while also allowing him to see something new on that foundation?
That, of course, was Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff, the last master of Romanticism.

Of course, the sheet music that Mikhail presented was mainly for piano, and it was indeed incomplete.

As for questions like "How could a beginner who has only been learning for a short time possibly do this?", I'll say it again: go talk to C.P. if you have any questions!
Let future generations think what they want, speculate what they want; Mikhail just wants to use this opportunity to gain some fame and political influence.
Mikhail did not intend to make the score public. Sometimes mystery is important. At most, he would let a few people, such as Liszt, see it. If it could inspire them, it would be a blessing for future generations of music students.

Thinking of this, and seeing that Chopin was still thinking about something after reading the score, Mikhail reached out to take the score back. But as soon as he reached out, Chopin stopped him and picked up the score again to look at it carefully.

To be honest, this piece of music is not perfect for him. In fact, some parts of it are too noisy and not refined enough. But there are some things that make him feel fresh. And most importantly, it is incomplete!
In some places, he just started to feel something, but then it all stopped!

Just as Chopin was feeling a bit uneasy, the other guests not far away, as well as George Sand, who knew Chopin very well, had expressions on their faces that looked like they had seen a ghost.

Since they didn't hear the conversation between the two, what they saw was that a Russian who claimed to have been exposed to music for less than a year pulled out a sheet of music and handed it to Chopin, the genius pianist who held a prestigious position in Parisian high society. And what happened? Chopin was completely captivated!
Chopin, due to his personality and the fact that he was somewhat distracted by the score, did not take the initiative to explain anything to anyone. He even went to the piano and played a few sections of the score.

Since many of the guests came specifically to hear Chopin play, there must be true connoisseurs among them. Therefore, after listening to several of Chopin's performances, some people didn't know how to describe their feelings.

How could such a beautiful melody be born in such a barbaric place as Russia? And it even seems to have a touch of their unique characteristics?
Besides focusing on the music, many people also paid attention to Mikhail. Even if he didn't compose the piece, why would the composer ask him to do it? Wouldn't it have been better to use other, more suitable methods? Why go through the trouble of finding a layman to help?
But regardless of what others think, Mikhail finally had some free time and returned to his beloved tea and snack area.

However, this time Turgenev did not come with him. Instead, he quickly walked into the crowd, facing the same person who had previously spoken with Mikhail about music. He then said something like this:
"Oh! It's just a sheet of music, nothing to worry about!"

“Mikhail met a composer friend sometime during the day, and this composer friend gave him an incomplete score. As it happened, he showed it to Mr. Chopin today. Isn’t that a coincidence?”

"Perhaps it's because this composer friend felt that Mikhail could understand him, otherwise why would he have given him such a piece? But as you can see, Mikhail is unwilling to show off too much, perhaps because he feels that it would hurt others!"

Mikhail: “.”

The more I listen, the more uneasy I feel. Turgenev, are you sure you're not getting me into some new trouble again?
Thinking of this, Mikhail naturally found an opportunity to pull Turgenev back. Although Turgenev was somewhat unsatisfied, he was indeed satisfied after seeing the ugly expressions on some people's faces. However, before leaving, he still gave others a meaningful look.

Mikhail: “.”

No wonder Old Torres always wanted to duel you later.
After all that had happened, Chopin, who had been lost in his own world, finally came back to his senses. With a complex expression, he handed the sheet music to Mikhail and began to speak:
"Your friend who signs as CP is very talented. He seems to be making some bold attempts? I can't comment without seeing the complete sheet music. So when will I be able to see the complete sheet music? If I do see the complete piece, I wouldn't mind recommend him to my circle."

I must admit, this piece of music gave me a lot of inspiration.

Upon hearing this, Mikhail didn't react much, but sincerely said, "I look forward to you composing more and better pieces. As for the sheet music, I'll talk to him about it, but I don't know exactly when it will arrive."

"That's it."

Upon hearing this reply, Chopin's expression immediately darkened, and he said with a hint of complaint, "Then please forward this to your friend as well. Why show someone his piece without providing the complete score? Such behavior is unethical; it's like a couple deeply in love meeting, only to have one of them abruptly leave."

"I will pass it on to him."

Mikhail replied without batting an eye.

Having a vest feels really good!
As the two were speaking, the other guests strained their ears to listen, but when they heard the details, they looked at each other in bewilderment.

Could Chopin really recommend a piece of music to his own circle based on just an incomplete piece?

Even though Chopin himself wasn't particularly sociable, his circle was undoubtedly the most elite in the entire European music scene!
Half a song is enough?

Because their feelings were so complex, for the rest of the time, some people practically surrounded Mikhail. Some were eager to know who the composer was, some inquired about the mysterious composer's life, some wanted to see the score, and some even asked directly:
Are you really not the composer himself?

“Of course not.” Faced with a variety of complex requests, Mikhail chose to refuse almost all of them: “He is a very shy person, unwilling to let others know about himself, nor willing to let his incomplete works be shown to everyone, but sooner or later he will appear.”

Of course, if anything happens to me, you'll really have no choice but to come to this cold, desolate place and ask me.
And so, aside from dealing with these people, Mikhail finally heard Chopin play at the end of the salon.

Frankly speaking, Mikhail's musical cultivation was only average. Although he had been exposed to many things and remembered a lot, music requires long-term immersion and training. Therefore, Mikhail's assessment of Chopin's performance was:

Like a demon lord descended from heaven, a true god of war on earth, this Chopin is awesome!
Cough
It definitely sounds good.

In short, Mikhail intended to remain silent and nod with a smile during this evaluation segment, but unexpectedly, Chopin looked at him with a questioning gaze after his performance. Therefore, Mikhail could only slowly speak under the watchful eyes of others:
"Exquisite yet unpretentious, lyrical yet not sentimental, sorrowful yet not wailing. One can feel the rich, complex, and crystal-clear musical texture. It's as if a deep gray sorrow is set against a sapphire blue background. Even with tears welling up in one's eyes, the tears do not fall."

Ok?
Upon hearing this rather poetic evaluation, not only did the eyes of the other listeners present light up, but even Chopin himself seemed to reveal a reserved smile.

Seeing Chopin's reaction, Mikhail could only resolve to cultivate his musical sensibilities in the future, after all, he had at least heard Chopin play in person.
Fortunately, his assessment was subtle and meaningful enough that Mikhail did not need to elaborate further.

When the salon came to a complete end, Mikhail was the first to stand up and say goodbye to everyone present.

Seeing that Mikhail was about to leave, many people present undoubtedly turned their attention to him again. Although they had been paying attention to Mikhail when he first arrived, some things were obvious: the way they looked at him now was quite different from when they first arrived.

It can only be said that some people are truly better off meeting you than hearing about them. Just when you think the rumors about him are already exaggerated, you find that he is even more exaggerated than the rumors suggest after you meet him!

It was precisely because of this change of perspective that some people who initially thought Mikhail's clothes were strange and impolite now found them exceptionally elegant. So much so that several people specifically asked Mikhail before he left which high-class tailor had made the clothes.

Mikhail replied, "The tailor might not be available for a while, and the shop's location is also changing. I'll let you know when I have more concrete information."

In plain terms, Mikhail plans to repackage and upgrade the old tailor Olivier's shop and expand it further. After all, it's better to fleece the nobility than to take advantage of them, and perhaps the more expensive the price, the more high-end they will perceive it as.

After settling these matters, Mikhail and Turgenev were truly ready to leave.

Even though Chopin, out of modesty, didn't participate in the traditional "seeing him off from afar" scene, George Sand undoubtedly noticed that he frequently glanced in a certain direction.

George Sand: "???"

Where did your initial attitude go?
Has it changed that quickly?

After Mikhail and Turgenev were completely out of sight, the excited Turgenev wanted to pull Mikhail aside and say something more, but when he turned his head, for some reason, Mikhail suddenly became listless.

Just as the alarmed Turgenev was about to ask Mikhail if he was ill, Mikhail spoke up, "Ivan, I'm going to find another restaurant to eat something. Do you want to come with me? If not, you can take the carriage back first."

The pastries at the Parisian salon were exquisite, but they weren't enough to fill you up. Moreover, mindful of his pride, Mikhail didn't really eat much.
Turgenev: “?”

“Let’s go, Mikhail. I’m not hungry, but let’s find a place to sit for a while longer.”

After the two found a restaurant, ate something, and chatted for a while, Mikhail, who had recovered, said goodbye to Turgenev and soon returned home.

Mikhail had found a really nice place to stay for his mother and sister, basically one room per person. When he returned, his mother and sister were sitting in chairs in the living room, seemingly lost in thought.

Mikhail's sister, Dunya, seemed to be deep in thought, while his mother, Prikhlya, appeared somewhat worried. Shortly after Mikhail entered and sat down, Prikhlya finally couldn't contain herself any longer, looked at Mikhail, and said with concern:
“My dear Misha, you see, in such a foreign land, just adapting to the climate and dealing with people is exhausting enough, how can you even think about doing anything else? Besides, let alone Russia, even in France, what woman would think about doing business?”

Upon hearing this, Dunya, who had been pondering something, looked up at Mikhail.

To be honest, due to the influence of her education and environment, this girl's consideration in this regard has always been a vague wish. To a large extent, she even had this wish because she wanted to do something for Mikhail. However, with Mikhail's support and encouragement, this wish now seems to be more concrete.

In response to his mother's words, Mikhail replied, "Don't worry, Mom, I know everything you're saying. Don't worry, Dunya will only have a little exposure to some things; I'll find others to help with the rest."

For France these days, some things are certainly too shocking, but since such a desire has been made, why not give it a try?
(End of this chapter)