Curly's name was Paroken, a very unPolish name, and he had many identities at the Chopin Academy, such as a self-proclaimed piano technician, but in fact an observer.

As a veteran, Paroken has been with the Chopin Institute for 31 years since he joined the company at the age of 24.

This means that he has witnessed a total of 6 Chopin competitions.

At the same time, he also participated in 6 sessions.

This brings us to his main work.

There are quite a few research departments in the Chopin Institute.

There is a department that studies the playing styles of each contestant.

There is a department that studies the resumes of each contestant.

There is even a department that studies how each contestant selects the repertoire, which mainly focuses on the psychology of the performers.

Although Paroken's research interests are also related to the performer, his research focuses on the piano, the piano chosen by the players.

From the beginning of each round of each competition, he has to start paying attention to the players' pianos.

In the last and 16th editions, among the 158 contestants who passed the DV audition, 76 chose the Steinway D, more than 30 chose Bösendorf Emperor, Fazioli and other series of European aristocratic brands, and the remaining nearly 50 people all chose Asian brands YAMAH and KAWA.

A single set of data doesn't seem to explain anything, but if you compare this set of data with the previous session, you can find the problem.

In the 15th edition, 85 of the 162 players who passed the DV audition chose the Steinway D, and more than 50 of them chose other European aristocratic brands, while only 27 chose Asian brands.

From the intuitive data, it can be seen that with the development, the players' eyes on the selection of pianos are no longer limited to the traditional European old brands.

Even if it's just a small data change, there are problems behind it that can't be ignored.

It is this trend that Paroken wants to study after this small variable.

From an ordinary piano tuning to the position of chief piano technician of the Chopin Academy, Parocan has been working on this problem for thirty years.

In this long-term process, although he has accumulated a lot of subtle experience, he is still surprised when he faces the data of the 160 finalists of the 17th edition.

"Truly an unexpected statistic. ”

The data in front of me is clearly listed.

Steinway & Sons Type D: 52

Emperor Bösendorfer: 8 people

Fazioli F-308: 13 people

YAMAH-CFX: 50 people

Kawa-SKEX: 17 people

There are also a fragmentary 15 people who chose other brands.

Each of the instruments listed is a top-level performance product of the company.

Paroken knows that Asian piano brands have gradually emerged in the past two decades, and it can be seen from the pianos used by the finalists in the last three editions that it is no longer the era when European brands dominate the competition.

But.

This year, Yamah has not only completely sat on an equal footing with the European leader Steinway & Sons in terms of data, but also took his younger brother Kawa to give other second-tier big names in Europe a head-on blow.

This knife is really ferocious, which is a little difficult to accept.

But.

Data is data.

Just as a plastic hammer can produce the same FFF force effect as a mahogany hammer, Kawa slapped a European factory in the face four years ago with global test data.

Paloken studies data and respects it more.

So he is neutral in the face of data, he doesn't care about the market and which one is strong or weak.

From the heart, as a piano technician, he knows that the development of piano craftsmanship from parts to the whole is inseparable from the deepening of music and technology by generations of pianists.

And the new pianos that have been updated from generation to generation have made more pianists successful.

It's a virtuous cycle, and you don't have to go about the chicken or the egg.

Therefore, he hopes that the players will show their style on the field, and at the same time, he also hopes that the players can have more choices under their fingers.

Sighing, Paloken put away his work diary and finished the day.

Tomorrow his work will be even more complicated, and for the preliminary round in a month's time, he will have to start another job. Single

For example, responding to invitations from several piano manufacturers.

Not a private invitation.

Leaving the office, a staff member happened to be approaching.

"Vice President. ”

The staff stopped at an appropriate distance and said respectfully to Paloken.

...

At this time, at an inconspicuous small station in Norway, Old Porter received the young couple Shen Qingci and Liao Linjun.

The three of them laughed and got into a car.

Half an hour later, the car was also parked in a small and inconspicuous place.

From the surroundings, it looks like a small workshop, and the fragrance of peach wood exudes all around.

"Come on, listen first, Liao's idea seems to be valid. ”

Old Potter said, leading the two into the door of the small workshop.

...

Tokyo Yamah Piano Factory.

Nobuyuki Tokai was accompanying five skilled workers overnight to test the latest CFX.

...

The headquarters of the Fazioli factory, which has always been suppressed by Steinway.

Ferré, the piano tuning master of the Royal Italian Conservatory of Music, had just put down his hammer while he was surrounded by ten staff members.

As the head of a research project jointly developed by the Academy and Fazioli, he has been busy for more than two years.

Picking up the pen, he jotted down the last set of data.

...

The bigwigs seem to be busy.

Of course, Qin Jian was also very busy in the last few days of the year.

In addition to practicing the piano and rehearsing programs every day, I also have to accompany my mother to buy New Year's goods, accompany my father to participate in some entertainment that I can't refuse, and so on.

Although the time is a little squeezed, it is still fulfilling.

On the afternoon of the last day before Chinese New Year's Eve, Qin Jian rushed to the Municipal Cultural Center with Fang Xiaoyu to participate in the last rehearsal.

When Qin Jian came in, it happened to be just in time for a show to end, and when the director saw Qin Jian coming, he hurriedly stopped what he was doing and responded with a smile, and even the scene that was noisy just now quieted down.

It's a bit like a big-name celebrity admission.

However, in Fang Xiaoyu's words, the master is the star of Yangcheng.

Qin Jian is certainly not a star.

As for the director, he is not a real director, but a staff member of the cultural center who is responsible for arranging the program process of the Spring Festival Gala.

At best, he is an older staff member, but his qualifications are not at all in front of Qin Jian.

What's more, he is still counting on Qin Jian's finale show to support him, for so many years, he has never seen such a tall show.

If the party is held beautifully, he can get a lot of benefits.

After a few polite words.

"Why don't you come to the next show first?" said the director in a flattering tone.

Qin Jian shook his head and smiled, "No, Director Liu, just come in order." ”

Originally, he was not in a hurry, and Qin Jian was also stuck in time, so there were few shows left for him at this time.

Wait, wait, after all, everyone comes in order.

"Okay. The director said, turning to signal to the staff on the stage, "Next show." ”

The interrupted rehearsal continued with excitement.

It wasn't until Qin Jian's show appeared that the scene was quiet again.