Although the concert is scheduled for tomorrow, in order to welcome this celebrity-filled feast, the Coburg Theater, which has always been worried about renting out stages, chose to close its doors for a day to dedicate the concert hall to the occasion, regardless of financial interests.

From the decoration of the theater, to the lighting on the stage, and even the seating order of the band, there are strict regulations.

However, no one can criticize the Corburg Theater for its nitpicking after watching tomorrow night's recital list.

Take a look at the brightest stars of British music on the stage.

Ignaz Moscheles, Felix Mendelssohn, Cipriani Potter, John Field and John Kramer.

There is only one reason why so many heavyweight pianists can gather here, and that is that tomorrow night will be the official end of the absolute leader of the British music scene, Mr. Muzio Clementi, the father of the piano.

The absolute idol of Romantic pianists such as Beethoven and Czerny, and the outstanding musician who held a piano duel with Mozart at the Vienna Palace and tied with him, will officially say goodbye to the music industry tomorrow night to better enjoy his retirement.

Outside the theater at this time, two young men on English thoroughbred horses walked from the streets, talking and laughing.

If Arthur had been here, he would have recognized one of them as his generous friend, Lionel Rothschild.

The other was a young man wearing a white ruffled shirt and a black tuxedo with a burgundy bow.

His name is unknown, but judging from his communication with Lionel in Yiddish, the gentleman is believed to be a Jew from Germany.

The young man, supported by the servant, turned over and dismounted, and handed over the reins to the staff in front of the theatre who was responsible for guarding the horses and carriages.

He spoke: "Lionel, I really didn't expect fox hunting to be such an interesting thing. ”

As a member of the hunting club, Lionel's dismounting movements were obviously much smoother than those of his companions.

After a morning of hunting in the suburbs, Lionel was in good spirits, and he breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "Felix, your grandfather and father were both well-known bankers in Germany. With such wealth, have you never had any other recreation than to play the piano? ”

When Felix Mendelssohn heard this, he was embarrassed and said, "Although my family is quite wealthy, my mother is still very strict with me. She trained me to play the piano and organ from the age of four, and in addition to that, Greek and painting. As for hunting and the like, it was strictly forbidden in the Mendelssohn family's homeschooling.

My parents and grandparents had a bit of an old-fashioned view of hunting as frivolous. Throughout my childhood, they were bent on making my behavior more classy, like a decent, erudite, and elegant aristocrat. ”

When Lionel heard this, he couldn't help but quip: "It seems that every wealthy Jewish family is the same in this regard." Since we left our dilapidated ancestral home in Frankfurt's Jewish neighborhood, we have begun to try to make our appearance as good as possible.

My grandfather, Meyer, hated his status as a poor little antique dealer, and my father, Nathan, hated the word nouveau riche. That's why we, the third-generation members of the Rothschilds, have to go to college after we all go to college.

According to my father, the older generation of Jews called this the promotion of the personal and academic tastes of the younger generation in order to better integrate into high society. ”

When Mendelssohn heard this, he couldn't help asking, "I think I've heard you mention that you seem to have studied at the University of Göttingen with your cousin Antony, right?" Why don't you go to a university in England and go to Hanover, Germany? ”

Lionel was not shy about it, and he explained as he led Mendelssohn through the doors of the theater.

"You don't understand, Felix. Universities in the UK are not like Germany, where schools are mostly church-based. Oxford and Cambridge are only accessible to the Anglican Church, while the equally established Durham University is a paradise for Catholics.

When I was in college, the University of London, which recruited students regardless of religious beliefs, had not yet been created, and if it weren't for that, I wouldn't have had to travel all the way to Göttingen to study.

But now that Britain has the University of London, my brother Natt and his brother Nath will be able to enroll in the nearest university. The only question now is whether Nat will need to do a transitional study at Harrow or Winchester before enrolling at the University of London. ”

Mendelssohn said with a smile as he walked: "First receive home education, then go to a public school, then go to university, and then go on a study tour in Europe for two or three years after graduation." Your Rothschild's educational line is really getting closer and closer to normal British upper-class families.

But wouldn't it be a bit of a mistake to go to university at the University of London? After all, it was only a school that had just been established for a long time, and their level of education had not yet been formally tested. And I heard that there doesn't even seem to be a degree, right? ”

But wouldn't it be a bit of a mistake to go to university at the University of London? After all, it was only a school that had just been established for a long time, and their level of education had not yet been formally tested. And I heard that there doesn't even seem to be a degree, right? ”

Lionel just smiled when he heard this: "Felix, you are an outstanding pianist, but you don't understand politics. In my opinion, the Royal Charter of the University of London will soon be completed, and there are many scholars there, and the schools where Mr. Bentham can stand should not be inferior in education to Cambridge and Oxford.

And most importantly, the fact that the University of London is now producing a large number of outstanding graduates is a testament to their high level of teaching. ”

When Mendelssohn heard this, he asked curiously, "Outstanding graduates?" Forgive me for being so lonely, Lionel, can you remind me of any scholars or celebrities there? I had been in the Apennines, Florence and Rome for a while now, and I knew nothing about what was going on in Britain. ”

When Lionel heard this, he just put his finger between his lips with a smile on his face: "Shhhhhhh If you want to know who is at the University of London, you don't need me to answer, you just need to listen quietly. ”

Mendelssohn frowned, completely unaware of what his friend was mysteriously doing.

But when he held his breath and the antechamber fell silent, he suddenly heard a burst of music coming from the theater's performance hall.

Mendelssohn's eyes widened, and he fixed his eyes on Lionel for a long time before he commented: "This is a madman." ”

"That's right. This is indeed a madman, but at the same time a genius. ”

Lionel was amused by Mendelssohn's expression.

"Felix, the first time I heard this piece, I had the same reaction as you. This "Bell" is simply a joke with people, from the B2 section to the end of the piece, all of them are octave major chords, and a piano plays the feeling of a hundred bells ringing in unison. Everywhere you can see high-speed fingers and hands jumping in reverse, and they play so fast.

To be honest, if I hadn't known who the player was, I would have thought that it was Mr. Muzio Clementi himself sitting at the piano, and that he was probably the only one in the piano world who could be so obsessed with technical difficulty. ”

When Mendelssohn heard this, he was surprised: "Isn't the performer Mr. Clementy?" I thought he was the only one who liked to include this super-fast sixth and octave in his songs. Wait......"

Mendelssohn suddenly closed his mouth, and after listening for a while, he suddenly spoke.

"This is Paganini's 'La Campanella', played by the Scottish Yard police officer, Arthur Hastings?"

Lionel nodded slightly, "Remember what you just said?" Felix and Mr. Hastings graduated from the University of London. ”

When Mendelssohn heard this, he couldn't help but cover his forehead and said, "Is the University of London so successful in music education?" With that said, it seems that the Royal Academy of Music, with Mr. Moscheles and Mr. Potter, has to work harder. ”

Lionel smiled and said, "That's not true, I personally think that the birth of a character like Mr. Hastings is random. In a short period of time, no school will be able to shake the Royal Academy of Music's leading position in music education in Britain. ”

Mendelssohn was tickled by the bell, and he was now eager to give it a try.

"Now I seem to understand why Mr. Moscheles insists on inviting Mr. Hastings to the concert," he asked, quickening his pace. In terms of musical style alone, there are indeed similarities between Mr. Hastings and Mr. Clementy.

Mr. Clementy would be pleased to be able to meet a young man who would carry on his legacy before he retired. A future Clementi, huh...... Listeners will be happy to see the title as well. ”

When Lionel heard this, he smiled and complimented: "One is the future Clementi, the other is the future Bach, and I am really glad that I have booked four tickets in advance to witness these two talented pianists on stage at the same time." ”

Mendelssohn smiled and waved his hand, and modestly said, "I have only compiled a part of Mr. Bach's manuscript and tried to imitate his style." As for Mr. Bach's greatness, that is something I can never match. ”

The two talked all the way to the theater auditorium, and as their boots stepped on the crimson carpet of the theater, Arthur's hand clasped the last note as forcefully as a knife unsheathed.

The hair on his forehead was slightly scattered and scattered, and the sunlight from the skylight slowly tilted and shifted, finally falling on Arthur's eyes.

Mendelssohn and Lionel stood in place and couldn't help but applaud: "Outstanding song." ”

(End of chapter)