Exam Questions (Part 2)

Several elderly gentlemen in elegant black formalwear slowly entered the hall.

All the students rose in salute until the teachers took their seats in the front row.

Dean Gould walked to the podium at the front.

"Ladies and gentlemen, good evening!"

His rich voice rang out. The carbon-electrode microphone did not pick up sound particularly well, but it was loud enough.

"I believe that during every June graduation season, what excites me most and what I look forward to most is the graduation concert."

"Saint Leniya University does not have the longest history—only a little over 140 years so far. Yet its music academy has produced several world-class masters of art, as well as a great many influential musicians."

"Let me think. Of the three representative figures of the Bengeist period, aside from Master Gilels, the other two both came from here. Master Meyer premiered the First Symphony at the academy's 791 graduation concert, while Master Karatani premiered the Fifth Piano Sonata at the 814 graduation concert. Later, Master Niemann's First Piano Concerto, premiered in 898, became the first Romantic peak of his artistic career..."

"To leave behind a work at Saint Leniya University's graduation concert, I believe, will be the honor of a lifetime for all of you!..."

"...Now then, students competing in the Large-Scale Works Selection, please come onstage and begin your improvisations. Accept the fairest judgment of all the professors!"

Dean Gould's speech ended quickly, but its purpose had been achieved. It left everyone filled with longing and anticipation.

Indeed, if not all of them, then many of the great musicians here had risen to fame after making a stunning debut at a graduation concert.

The Empire bestowed noble titles upon artists of outstanding merit. Like scientists, artists were among the most highly respected groups. Whether old aristocratic families or emerging business owners, all yearned to have their names dedicated in a master's work, considering it a family honor.

Human lives lasted only fifty or sixty years before death, but art was eternal. Masters might sleep beneath the earth, yet people across the world commemorated them every day, performed their music, and found inspiration and comfort in the spiritual world.

The final tally for this year's Works Selection Competition was that 182 people would take part in the submission contest for small solo or chamber works, while 22 would compete for large-scale works.

"Black Envelope Number One, Roberta Moum, fourth-year composition department." A staff member's voice rang out.

A tall, skinny man in black formalwear went onstage. After saluting, he opened the envelope, took out the sheet music inside, and stared at it blankly for a while.

"Play and demonstrate the material before you, Maugham, then you may begin."

Dean Gould had returned to the chief judge's seat and gave him a gentle reminder.

Maugham finally came back to his senses. He nodded, thanked the judges, then walked toward the nine-foot black Boesius Piano and removed his gloves.

Nervously, he extended his left hand and played a four-bar melody in the middle-low register. It was in C major, entirely on the white keys, bright and serene in sound, poised and generous, with two ornaments.

A distinctly Kashunichi-style theme. And the piano's tone is beautiful, Fan Ning silently assessed.

Kashunichi lived from 621 to 685 of the New Calendar. Born in the Holy Kingdom of Janus on the Western Continent, he was a representative master from the late period of medieval music, which spanned roughly New Calendar 430 to 700.

This era resembled the Baroque period from Fan Ning's previous life. Its music was either solemn and sacred like a church or lavish and elegant like a royal court, filled with intricate ornaments and often written in polyphony.

Homophonic music and polyphonic music were relative concepts. The former could broadly be understood as melody plus accompaniment, while the latter consisted of two or more independent melodic lines intertwining and developing in staggered layers, creating a harmonious beauty of motion.

In small works, the distinction between the two was relatively clear, but large-scale works generally employed a combination of both approaches.

"This first question is already difficult," someone whispered.

"Homophonic music is somewhat easier to improvise, but how are you supposed to improvise this?" Group Leader Cecil from the third-year group pondered.

"If I got this question, I'd force an accompaniment onto it and then improvise using homophonic methods, but the style probably wouldn't be quite right." Murich, the piano department's group leader, also fell silent...

The melody developed under Maugham's left hand. In the fifth bar, his right hand added a newly created melodic line. While preserving the original theme's bright, graceful lyricism, it brought a touch of rhythmic drive, creating contrast.

There were even two modulating sequences midway through, with altered notes bringing differences in the piece's color.

Fan Ning was somewhat shocked. Improvised polyphony? The music students in this world were far more formidable than he had imagined.

Why did they possess such great Inspiration and talent?

Maugham's performance style was fairly orthodox and suited the characteristics of late medieval music, though there were some wrong notes and rhythmic contrapuntal mistakes.

The music stopped at the twenty-fourth bar. Maugham took out a handkerchief and wiped away his sweat, saluted, and left the stage. It was obvious that he had been very nervous.

The time really had not been long—just over forty seconds—and it had not ended on a complete phrase or section, such as sixteen or thirty-two bars. Still, it was already quite remarkable.

Many members of the audience, including several professors, showed approval in their eyes.

The average score was announced quickly: 16.5 points. The full score for the first round was 20.

These professors really like keeping scores down. This should be quite a high score, though it'll depend on the later comparisons, Fan Ning thought.

Perhaps because Number One Maugham's performance had been so eye-catching, the next few contestants performed only averagely: 15.0, 15.4, and 15.6.

"Number Five, Edward Murrich, fourth-year piano department. Number Six, Caloin Van Ning, please prepare."

After this group leader sat at the piano bench, he unhurriedly opened his envelope.

Then he smiled faintly and struck six bright, warm notes in the high register with his right hand.

"Three notes to a group, so it should be some kind of triple-meter rhythm?" Though Fan Ning could not see the sheet music, he quietly considered it. The material is a neat, recurring figure. If it is to develop appealingly, it depends on the improviser's next harmonic direction... Hmm, the melody also needs some adjustment, otherwise it'll be too rigid.

After demonstrating the material, the piano prodigy lifted both hands from the keyboard, adjusted the distance of the bench, tested the resistance of the pedals, then brought in a powerful triple-meter accompaniment in the bass with his left hand.

His right hand joined at once. The evenly spaced six notes were adjusted to varying lengths and turned into syncopated rhythms crossing the bar lines, developing into a waltz melody overflowing with passion and elegance.

"It reminds me of that wonderful dance we attended last night."

"The melody is so beautiful. I never imagined a simple D-major tonic chord could be transformed into something so enchanting." Two ladies in the audience sighed in heartfelt amazement.

Even the listeners carrying composition assignments had already opened their questions, yet they were in no hurry. Opportunities to watch a genius perform were simply too rare.

As they referred to the performer's musical Inspiration onstage, they also organized their own creative thoughts.

After the mood eased slightly, the piece entered its middle episode and shifted to the parallel minor, adding a trace of gloom. Several more modulations clearly followed, creating a lingering contrast.

"My God, his modulations are so natural and captivating—and they're improvised. I'd have to think for ages just to write them. He shifted to the parallel key first, right? What came afterward? It sounded like he changed keys several times." A female music student behind Fan Ning asked softly.

"After B minor, he went from B-flat minor to A minor, then A major—chromatic descending harmonic improvisation, preparing the dominant function for the theme's return. That's very Romantic, completely different from those gaudy, trashy pieces of street music." Without turning around, Fan Ning casually offered his assessment.

"How are your ears made? You're incredible."

The old Caloen could hear it, Fan Ning on Earth could hear it, and now I'm Caloin Van Ning. Of course I'm even stronger, Fan Ning thought, folding his arms.

The main melody of the question reappeared beneath Murrich's hands. The music returned to elegance and splendor, its emotion gradually rising until it ended in a forceful blaze of magnificent, bright chords.

Warm applause broke out from the professors and audience alike, expressing their complete affirmation of this improvisation.

The score was announced: 17.9 points!

Very high, but well deserved. In an improvisation lasting over two minutes, Murrich had formed a structurally regular binary form. In terms of completeness, he far surpassed the previous contestants, and his melodic development techniques and mid-piece modulations were all astonishing.

"Number Six, Caloin Van Ning, musicology department!"

The crowd fell into an eerie silence, with no transition whatsoever, making people wonder whether their hearing had failed them.

Everyone turned, their gazes falling on Fan Ning in the back rows.

Including... the professors in the front row.