Have you ever been a celebrity? Why are you writing about entertainment?

Chapter 156 Despicable Foreigner
"When I go up to play the piano later, go and turn off the power."

"I?"

Qi Luoan pointed to herself with slight surprise, then looked around. She had never seen such a request before…

"In the sudden silence and darkness, only my piano music flows out quietly like moonlight. How about that?"

Starlight piercing through the clouds in the darkness—that's the protagonist of a literary novel.

"That's great, the scene and emotion blended perfectly, and the audience was completely captivated." Qi Luo'an rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "Then let me ask you, if I were in jail, could you get me out?"

“I can visit you in prison every year.”

"Then what are you talking about?"

Are you willing to risk your life for the sake of the show? How could this kid even think of such a thing? He'd die if he tried it. He dares to say he wouldn't even dare to think of it himself.

Yu Wei was obviously joking; there's no point in talking to someone who hasn't even seen "Armor Hero"...

Inside the venue, the lights dimmed, and the host's voice rang out in the darkness: "Welcome to the closing performance of the 50th Louvre International Film Festival!"

The male and female hosts, as usual, rambled on with the usual platitudes that no one wanted to hear but had to say. Five minutes later, they got to the main topic that everyone was eager to hear.

A group of dancers silently walked onto the stage and began a modern dance performance entitled "Secrets of Film".

The group, dressed in silver-white clothing, shimmered like grains of light in an old movie under the dim blue lamplight.

Their body language imitates the various stages of filmmaking: shooting, editing, and screening, transforming the abstract process of filmmaking into a concrete dance language, which Yu Wei found very novel.

While it has a strong artistic feel, it lacks aesthetic appeal and is only good for those seeking novelty.

"I feel he didn't dance as well as Comrade Xiao Chen."

The "Little Chen" that Qi Luoan mentioned was naturally her mother, Chen Jinyi. Yu Wei only knew that Aunt Chen was a host, but she didn't expect that she could also dance.

Why don't you learn?

"I'm tough as nails."

"I see it."

The two bantered back and forth, making Lü Zhou and Zhang Yang, who were standing nearby, feel uneasy. They were really carefree; with an international performance just around the corner, they still had the mind to joke around.

The other guests naturally took note of Yu Wei's movements. He was the true protagonist of the day, and everyone's attention was focused on him.

Everyone else was a familiar face; they saw each other all the time and knew each other's abilities perfectly well. But they couldn't tell the difference about this outsider.

Adapting a classic is just a flash of inspiration; we'll have to see the real work for ourselves to know its true quality.

There's an old Chinese saying: "Let's see if it's a mule or a horse."

Logically speaking, someone who dabbles in everything should be an expert in nothing. He writes scripts and plays the piano, so he's probably a jack-of-all-trades and master of none.

But at that moment, he was still laughing and joking with his friends, which was really puzzling...

Following closely behind was the first special performance, where the veteran director of a mildly freakish psychological film took the stage and unexpectedly presented a puppet show.

The exquisite puppets recreated classic movie scenes on stage, leaving Yu Wei in awe. This generation of filmmakers is truly multi-talented.

This trip has been quite an eye-opening experience, and I even got to see a puppet show.

However, Yu Wei's smile soon faded, because the next performance was by the "City Symphony" team.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are honored to welcome two stars of the contemporary piano world, Laguerre Hamilton and Alessandro Costa, for their first-ever two-piano collaboration on stage!"

Cooperation, is it?

Yu Wei thought Hamilton meant to test his skills yesterday, but it turned out to be a righteous two-on-one...

Despicable foreigners!

This surprised the other guests and audience members as well, as both of them were well-established pianists, though not yet masters, they were highly respected seniors.

Is it necessary to go toe-to-toe with a young person who can compose music? Wouldn't that be too harsh?

Actually, the audience was overthinking it. Hamilton and Costa weren't trying to outplay Yu Wei; they just wanted to play their own pieces well.

The duet performance is part of the plot of "City Symphony," and as the best short film of the year, they should have given their best performance.

As for Yu Wei, they naturally paid attention to him, but only to observe his skill level; a competition was out of the question.

This kid is already very impressive. At their age, they're still struggling in various competitions, and they don't even have the chance to step onto the international stage.

The concert hall lights slowly focused on the two Steinway grand pianos, where Hamilton, dressed in a black suit, stood with a solemn expression.

Costa, dressed in a silver-gray suit, lightly touched the piano keys with his fingertips, ready to begin.

The opening piece was Liszt's "Pathétique Concerto" for two pianos, with Hamilton opening with somber chords, each note carrying the weight of the Romantic era.

Costa responded with light arpeggios, as if a Mediterranean breeze were brushing across the strings, the two pianos initially maintaining a clear distance for dialogue.

"That's amazing?"

The two were already exceptionally talented, and their incredibly harmonious teamwork attracted even a complete novice like Lü Zhou, who had absolutely no musical talent.

The left ear is filled with Hamilton's deep, resonant piano music, like the tolling of bronze bells, while the right ear is surrounded by Costa's crystal-clear notes—a truly refreshing experience.

In Yu Wei's eyes, these two torrents of music are colliding and intertwining, and will eventually merge into one.

As he mastered more and more songs, his musicality improved significantly. In particular, after mastering "Castle in the Sky," Yu Wei's piano skills also improved, a truly wonderful feeling.

Mastering a work is a process of moving from lines to surfaces. It is foreseeable that these works will intertwine and weave together to form a surface in the future.

The premise is that there are enough works; his current reserves are at most a net...

Just as Yu Wei had predicted, subtle changes began to occur as Schubert's Fantasy in F minor unfolded. Their body language gradually synchronized, with them bending over to emphasize the accents, tilting their heads back to breathe the musical phrases in unison, and even the rhythm of their pedaling becoming consistent.

The sound waves from the two pianos merged in the air, seemingly forming an impenetrable wall of sound, creating a very immersive audiovisual experience.

Wow, that's a combined attack technique...

As the music ended, the lingering notes from the two pianos blended and dissipated in the silence, plunging the hall into a ten-second absolute stillness.

This was not a polite pause, but rather an overwhelming shock. The moment the two masters looked at each other and smiled, a storm of applause suddenly erupted.

"Don't you think that eye contact is a bit...?"

Under Qi Luoan's strange gaze, Yu Wei frowned immediately. How come there is Sichuan Opera abroad? No, it seems that this place is the place of origin.

"No, no, no."

It's quite normal for musicians to appreciate each other, right? Yu Wei, anyway, wasn't in the mood to think about it too much; in two more shows, it would be his turn to go on stage.

"A despicable outsider, actually resorting to such tactics to inflict psychological harm on you?"

Qi Luoan spoke with righteous indignation, making it seem to anyone who didn't know better think she had actually done something wrong. However, Yu Wei could tell that she was joking to ease the tension.

The two performances passed in a flash, and the rest of the team tactfully left Yu Wei undisturbed, allowing him to quietly adjust his state.

Even though the map had changed, they still had complete trust in this kid.

"Next, please welcome Yu Wei, the screenwriter and lead actor of 'The Tuner,' who is also a writer and singer, to perform a piano piece!"

This opening speech was completely different in style from the previous one, and the audience even doubted whether they had heard it correctly. How could he have more titles than two people combined?

Does anyone really know so much?
But in any case, the moment finally arrived, and the whole audience erupted in cheers as they greeted Yu Wei as he went on stage.

They were eagerly anticipating what this mysterious young man from the East would do next; some had good intentions, while others certainly harbored malice.

Yu Wei nodded in acknowledgment, without the lavish opening of others, simply sitting quietly and casually touching the piano keys.

Compared to the flamboyant maestro, his quiet demeanor made him seem like he was giving a piano lesson…

Yu Wei's fingertips gently touched the piano keys, and the ethereal melody of "Castle in the Sky" flowed out quietly like a spring.

The piece is actually called "Clouds Under the Moonlight," but because of the movie's popularity, many people are used to calling it "Castle in the Sky."

In the initial section, he deliberately controlled the force, and his touch on the keys was soft and delicate, as if there was a thin veil between his fingertips and the keys.

The opening notes unfolded slowly in the silent hall, as if telling a distant and beautiful story.

The expectant and slightly critical gazes of the crowd gradually changed. They widened their eyes slightly and involuntarily became immersed in this dreamlike melody.

The ethereal and pure melody, tinged with a touch of melancholy, yet always carrying a yearning for beauty and hope, instantly captivated everyone's hearts.

They didn't even have time to think about whether they had heard the piece before; they were quickly drawn into its ethereal atmosphere.

If Hamilton and Costa's piano playing is an impenetrable wall, then Yu Wei's piece is like a dream.

There's absolutely no need to defend against it, because it's unblockable; it's a magical attack...

Viewers who were staying up all night watching the live stream in China instantly woke up: They're back, they're all back, the music world's pastor is back.

No, his current job title should be International Pastor, and his purification range has been greatly enhanced!

Yu Wei brought not only a refreshing piano piece, but also outstanding technique.

His left-hand arpeggio accompaniment was stable and smooth, providing perfect harmonic support for the right-hand melody without overshadowing it.

The melody of this piece is simple and the rhythm is soothing, but the coordination of the left and right hands is a challenge. The main melody of the left hand and the arpeggio accompaniment of the right hand need to be practiced in layers so that they complement each other.

Qi Luoan listened quietly from below the stage, and couldn't help but recall the joke Yu Wei had made before going on stage, saying that his two hands were equivalent to two people, so it didn't count as one against two.

At the time, Qi Luoan thought he was telling some dirty joke, who would have thought he was actually serious...

Yu Wei's coordination with his left and right hands is comparable to that of two perfectly in sync partners.

As the piece progresses into the middle section, the melody gradually becomes richer, and Yu Wei's right hand begins to produce leaping notes and ornaments, with her fingering dexterity and accuracy rapidly improving.

At the same time, the accompaniment texture in the left hand becomes more complex, with frequent chord changes and rapid, smooth transitions.

Playing the piano with both hands coordinated is not difficult, but the level of proficiency shown by the finger movements unfolding instinctively without conscious thought still greatly surprised them.

Yu Wei's performance demonstrated exceptional technical control.

The melody contained a joyful childlike innocence, as well as a touch of compassion. As they listened quietly, beautiful images unconsciously appeared in their minds.

In this performance, they witnessed a perfect fusion of technique and art; the music was beautiful, and the technique was impeccable.

Yu Wei leaned forward slightly, his eyes focused and deep. Through delicate control of his strength, he kept the melody of his right hand clear and prominent.

The left hand, meanwhile, is subtly hidden on the keyboard to avoid overshadowing the keyboard.

Hamilton and Costa exchanged a glance as they watched Yu Wei on stage, whose coordination with both hands was gradually reaching its peak.

No matter how well they coordinate, it can't compare to two hands...

As for the music, their technical skills were completely countered by Yu Wei's dreamlike melody; their technical prowess paled in comparison to the emotional resonance it evoked.

Moreover, Yu Wei's skills are also top-notch.

No matter how strong their ensemble wall was, it couldn't withstand the opponent's magical attack...

Whether it's the coordination or the musical style, they were perfectly targeted.

Despicable foreigners!

(End of this chapter)