All right. I write this now because if I don't, I'll never get around to it. College is now officially torture for me which means that this story has been getting postponed for a few millenia now. This isn't the best story that I have written but I did want to finish it.
I am planning (or at least the bunnies in my head) to write a MUCH better one but that one will have to wait until I write my thesis paper (ahh!!!)
Thanks for the patience and nice reviews though I'm not too proud of such a story.
Rachmaninoff Indeed
Review by Nancy do you define the power of Rachmaninoff's piano concerto #2? Well, both Shinichi Chiaki and is orchestra as well as the new pianist Megumi Noda has shown us exactly what it means. Not only were they perfectly in sync with one another from the very beginning but Miss Noda, who has constantly shown her exceptional skill with difficult pieces, gave the audience a band new look to her music. Playing as if possessed, she ran along the piece with an ungodly speed and yet every note and every intent of the composer's will was heard throughout the hall. I was not surprised to see people in tears as they came out of the building; I was one of them as well.
For someone as young as Miss Noda to understand the deep darkness Rachmaninoff felt and in return be able to mirror that to the audience is proof that she is the next great pianist. Shinichi Chiaki has also shown himself to be worthy to bear the title of the main conductor of the Vienna Orchestra. To match Miss Noda's passionate playing with his own was not only a great task but he was able to maintain the intense emotion from overpowering the audience with his gentle conducting, a great difference from his previous works where he left the audience stunted by the harsh emotions behind his selected pieces.
The piece begins with the utter depression Rachmaninoff felt after receiving the horrible feedback after his first piano concerto. He went into a state of despair and depression which are reflected in the start of his second piano concerto and a feeling that shook us in our seats as Miss Noda made us feel the full extent of her own personal pain----
Shinichi turned off the laptop and stared off into space, too tired to keep reading. It was a great review after another, page after page of compliments. Shinichi felt proud of course but the reviews couldn't quite put their finer down on what had happened between them. Shinichi had been true to his word. He had conducted how he felt, gently accompanying Nodame's piano and directing her when she became too out of control. The orchestra realized that they couldn't take their eyes off Shinichi lest they would be completely lost and they were glad to have taken their conductor's words as true. They had memorized the entire concerto in just a few days.
But they had entered their own world by then. She put every tear she had cried into the first notes and every sleepless night into the first movement. The second movement was more of a self discovery, trying to find out where they were and where they fit. The piano was the main attraction in the second movement, playing dreamy, cloudy like chords of unearthing the reality of what had become of Nodame and Shinichi. And she was quite apparent of how much Shinichi was also putting his all into his conducting—not that he rarely did. Shinichi prided himself in putting a piece of his soul in each piece but this time, he poured everything he had into the music. He weighed heavily against the outpour of notes and lyrics that flowed out of both of them. Almost in a spiritual stance, they ricocheted off one another, in pain, in anger, in sorrow and even in love, the perfect harmony of her piano and his orchestra send shivers up their spine. It made her eyes blur against the white keys and her stomach tighten into a knot. Yes, she could feel what he was trying to say. She hit the low D sharp in anger. He couldn't stop her though. Again, the lower notes rang heavy through the air of the second movement and the flurry of keys afterward were reckless with emotion. Yet he calmed her with the flow of violins and the soft accompaniment of the rest of the orchestra, soothing her aggression with a gentle touch.
Shinichi sighed. He hadn't heard or seen her since that day but he would today. It was the day of her concert and though he wouldn't be face to face with her, it was better than nothing. Those damn feelings, he realized, were getting the better of him. He had the ticket in his pocket and had been nervously handling it all day. He was sure that she felt his true intentions; she had responded as powerfully as he had. The reviews were proof of that.
His plan for the night was planned out. 'Code mission: Mongoose Surprise Attack' was already under way. Shinichi wasn't as weird as Nodame. He didn't have a brighter idea than to play his strengths which were of course his good looks, his way with words (harsh as they may be) and in the end, if he had to force her to understand and see the way he saw it. He wouldn't say mushy words like 'I need you' or 'you complete me' because he'd rather kill himself than to do that.
His hands had blurred the words on the ticket when he handed it to the nice looking fellow by the entrance of the hall. Ignoring the weird smile the guy gave him, he went in and tripped his way to his seat. Hair slightly disheveled and his usual attire wrinkled, he sat down amongst the big crowd who chattered excitedly like a thousand bees in a colony. He didn't have to wait much for the recital to start.
Nodame soon came out wearing a simple normal looking dress when Shinichi had expected yet another Anne of Versailles character. She looked tired, almost lonely as she bowed to the audience and turned to walk to the piano. Shinichi was not used to seeing her so plain, so tired, but he knew once those notes started to play, Nodame would come out. As always her gaze rose to the heavens, as if asking or pleading for something before she placed her slender hand son the keys.
Her first piece, one of the hardest for any piano player was Beethoven's Hammerklavier. The piece starts with a series of fortissimos B-flat major chords and windles down a road of notes that return to the beginning. It is a strange piece; composed by mostly sad, sorrowful melodies interjected with a sort of happiness in between. It is exhausting and tiring to play the entire piece and it takes a huge amount of emotion to play it without seeming untrue to yourself. But she manages to touch everyone's heart the moment she starts playing and Shinichi doesn't miss the tremble in her pout as she strikes the final chord of the third movement and moves on to the fourth.
He looks around him and is not surprised to see the audience completely enthralled by the display on stage. Many of them are crying, too many are holding back their tears, and many just seemed to be stupefied. She is, after all, a different entity when in front of the piano. She becomes the piece itself; the notes pass through her body as if carry the emotions to everyone else. She plays the notes and much as they play her and as his vision get blurry and her last chords strike, the audience lets out an audible multi-headed sigh that makes Nodame chuckle on stage. She breathes in and out, cleansing herself before she starts another piece.
This one is lively,inhumanly quick Chopin's Heroique polonaise, and her toothy grin is as shiny as the notes she plays. It has a dance like tune to it with a reoccurring theme that disappears and appears suddenly. The harmonic notes send a thrilling chill up the spine and his legs starts tapping with the music without his notice. Her smile is a lot brighter after her last song and her hair seems to wink at the audience. He notices that she has bathed recently. The thought makes him chuckle.
The theme reappears suddenly well into the fourth or fifth minute and her chuckle is heard echoing with the music, possibly the most beautiful thing the recital hall has ever heard. It transports everyone into a world that's as exciting and as hyper as she is but Shinichi can't help but wonder what goes on through her head as she shakes her shoulders as she laughs at the music or rather, with the music. Her enjoyment infects everyone.
The song ends but everyone is happy and energetic. She rises and bows to everyone, accepting the microphone a man below the stage hands her.
"I am sorry," she starts in French, "that I must end the night with a sad song. However, I hope that when you leave the recital hall, you will know that I have come to a conclusion that will affect me rather closely and you have all helped in making this decision."
She bows again and Shinichi all but slides down his seat. He dreads her last song cause somehow he knows what her decision will be once she starts to play.
His eyes close slowly as his ears recognize the first few notes and he gulps the huge knot in his throat. A frown appears on his handsome face and red tinted eyes open to see her look down upon the keys as she plays another Chopin. His eyes fill with unshed tears as he mutters the song's name.
'Tristesse'
"Shinichi."
The wind carries his name toward him.
"Nodame can't stay," she tells him sadly, taking his hand in hers. He's unable to meet her eyes.
"The concert is very important," she continues, "It can help my career a whole lot!"
Shinichi nods heavily. He sighs, expelling the air like toxic. His hands reach out and grab her behind the neck, pulling her closer to him. He presses her face against the fabric of his shirt and she all but faints on the spot. He smelled good and he felt good. She wondered if she could sneak in a hand under his shirt at this moment of weakness. She smiled idiotically at the thought.
"Will you come back home?" he asked hoarsely from somewhere in her hair. Nodame felt her knees buckle. Pugi, she had returned to her old, hentai self in a matter of seconds just by hearing his voice and she realized that she had missed all of this. No matter how much she hurt, times like these were definitely worth it. Even if all she had were times like these, she would certainly be happy. Already after a few seconds in his arms and it already felt like a weight had been taken off her shoulders. Nodame wasn't settling; she knew how he felt but even she needed a reassurement every now and then.
"I will," she answered and heard him sigh deeply against her hair.
"I'll tell you one of these days," he promised, holding her tighter out of embarrassment or something else.
"Just wait."
Nodame laughed.
"Been waiting for six years, I can wait a few more."
He pulled her hair to silently quiet the thought and pulled away.
"I'll treat you to dinner," he said roughly, holding her hand secure in his. She gasped and jumped up and down.
"I want sushi and crabs and urchins and those little desserts that melt in your mouth—"
Shinichi smiled widely as he heard her blather on about food and other things that he wasn't sure about. He let go of her hand and held her around her waist which he quickly wished he hadn't since she wiggled and jumped and laughed against him but he held her all that much closer and basked in the night of Paris with a woman he couldn't imagine himself without.
"—and then when I tried it, it smelled like Shinichi's feet—not that I would know from stealing your shoes and smelling them constantly…"
Bye!