Goodbye, My Wretched Love

Chapter 67

Chapter 67 Improvisational Performance

Arslan bowed to the audience but said nothing.He sat down silently, a still and composed figure in front of an equally serene piano.

Despite nearly every seat in the vast hall being occupied, the venue was silent.

Arslan took a deep breath, raised his hands, and began to play.

A soft, beautiful melody filled the hall.

The audience stirred as many of them could not hide their astonishment.

This was not the music that was meant to be played at this recital.

What Arslan played was Liszt's Sonetto 123 del Petrarca.

This dreamy piece was from Années de Pélerinage Book Il, Liszt's piano assemblage.

Its inspiration was derived from the collection of lyrics the poet Petrarch wrote for Laura.His beauteous words were filled with the wistfulness and yearning he had for her love.

It unfurled in Lizst's melody like a gentle breeze in a quiet forest sweeping through the music hall.

As Arslan's fingers danced with ivory keys, the shadowed faces of the audience relaxed in the gentle embrace of the music's tranquility and comfort.

Yet confusion crept into their minds.

Arslan had deviated from the concerto that was originally planned to be played which had never happened before.

Why was he performing Sonetto 13 del Petrarca in the opening? Did he decide on this piece for a particular reason? However, regardless of curiosity gnawing in their minds, the hall remained soundless apart from the bewitching melody that floated from the piano.

After the last few notes of the romantic song finished, the piano faded into quiet.

In this brief moment, Arslan suddenly turned around, gazed at somewhere in the audience, and broke into a smile.

Then he turned back to the piano, raised his hands once again, and began to play another piece - Schumann's Traumerei.

The piece resonated with old-age romanticism and its light tune sweetly pulled the crowd into an innocent and ethereal world.

In 1838, Schumann, hopelessly in love, wrote to Clara in a letter, "I remember that you once said to me that I gave you the impression of being a spoilt child.

Affected by your words or not, I was struck by inspiration and wrote 13 intriguing pieces on the spot."

These thirteen pieces became known as Schumann's "Scenes from Childhood". NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

The seventh was Tréumerei, one of his most charming euphonies.

Judging from Arlsan's music choices, the audience began to draw conclusions.

Then it was the third concerto that their suspicions were finally confirmed! It was Beethoven's Sonata Quasi una Fantasia! It was the final piece to the puzzle and quite possibly the most obvious - Beethoven wrote this love concerto for the woman he once loved deeply! The first chapter chimed slowly and softly, the loneliness of a lovelorn boy weeping between its notes.

A melancholic melody, like the desolate glow of the moonlight, lured its listeners under its spell.

The second chapter stirred awake, brisk, and pleasant as if it memorized the unforgettable moment they fell in love.

It was akin to a sole flower suddenly blossoming in the abyss and subsequently withering, only to impart the transient image with an eternal impression.

Then, ultimately, the third chapter sounded.

The whispering of gentle breezes began to bellow as a violent storm.

It was fervid and uncontrollable, desperately surging to express Beethoven's conviction to love without hesitation.

Then at the moment of culmination, it unexpectedly turned gentle.

Claire sat at the edge of her seat.

Although she had listened to and obsessed over Arslan's recitals on many occasions, this was her first time hearing them in a musical hall.

To her, there was no one else in the hall.

It was as if her soul were being cleansed as the music washed over her.

Arslan's performance was breathtaking and she did not want it to end.

At this point, Arslan had grinned in Claire's direction for the third time when Haylee and Nathan eventually noticed.

Both glanced at Claire questioningly.

At the same time, Darren, who was sitting in a row behind them, frowned slightly.

Sierra, whom he was attending the concert with, shifted in the seat next to him.

The lights in the music hall had been dimmed for the performance hence neither Sierra nor Darren realized that Claire, Nathan, and Haylee were sitting in the front.

This, too, was Darren's first time at Arsian's show but he soon took a dislike towards the famous talented Piano Prince.

The pianist kept ogling at the audience as if he were repeatedly winking at someone and it was getting on Darren's nerves.

Darren did not consider himself a romantic at heart.

Perhaps it was because he was consumed by his work that he did not have time for romantic things.

Ergo, he was not keen on concerts let alone accompanying Sierra.

It had almost slipped his mind that he had an arrangement with Sierra today.

He did not think of it at all until she reminded him of it.

Arslan's performance was certainly entrancing but Darren found himself being rather absent-minded.

His thoughts drifted to Claire and, consequently, he thought of Cecil who had lunch with her and went to the high-end club with her.

Darren also recalled the day he went to the film set - Claire had been chatting with Cecil then, too.

Did that woman completely disregard her reputation? Or did she entertain every admirer she met? The more he thought about it, the more miserable he became.

It reminded him of how he felt when every venture capital rejected him in the early stages of his business - not entirely the same, but similar.

However, as irritable and despondent as he felt, he was not discouraged.

Because he knew that every company that had initially rejected him came to regret it sooner or later.

Time proved it.

They had long since been repenting for their mistakes.

Now he bristled with anger and all sorts of emotions every time he discovered Claire with a different man.

It bothered him that she had an effect on him and he didn't know how to fix it.

He'd rather do business, it was far easier.

Darren remained withdrawn for most of the show.

It was only at the end that he was pulled out of his thoughts.

He sighed silently in his heart.