Chapter 165 It Can Only Be My Voice

After pondering for a moment, Fang Che asked, "Gu Ci, do you see any other parts that need adjustment?"

Gu Ci shook her head. "Let's stick with these for now, and then we can modify the formation."

With that, Gu Ci outlined her arrangements.

Her focus was primarily on the number of additional musicians needed and the successors for the section principals who had just left.

Everyone realized once again that the successors pointed out by Gu Ci were all individuals in their respective sections whose skills were second only to, or even on par with, the previous principals.

While the standard size of a symphony orchestra is usually around 70 members, Gu Ci had now reduced the total headcount to under 60.

If they really followed the formation Gu Ci had just specified, they would only need to recruit 6 more people, which significantly lowered the difficulty of finding talent while guaranteeing high quality.

Fang Che nodded and made a note. "Leave the recruitment to us. Since the pianist is optional and we can drop them if we don't, are you sure we only need two more for the first violins?"

This time, the string section had suffered the most departures.

In particular, the first violin section, originally configured for 12 players, had lost 4 members all at once.

Yet Gu Ci's intention was to recruit only two more.

This meant directly changing the 12-person configuration to a 10-person one.

Gu Ci nodded. "To perform this movement, the formation I just mentioned is more than enough."

Seeing this, Fang Che said nothing more.

"Then it's settled," Gu Ci picked up the full score and walked towards the conductor's podium. "Let's run through it once."

The crowd froze, their emotions falling out of sync.

"Wh—what, already?" Didn't they need to carefully ponder and interpret this movement first? Didn't they need to do some other preparatory desk work?

For instance, their former conductor, Maestro Song, before rehearsing any piece, would study the full score thoroughly—conducting in-depth analyses of the compositional background, the composer, the era, the sections, the structure, formal analysis, modulations, harmonies, the entrance of every new voice part, dynamic marks, emotional shifts, and so on and so forth—before ever bringing them to a real rehearsal...

Moreover, to put it mildly, their lineup wasn't even complete yet!

For Gu Ci to start rehearsing with them right away, was that really okay?

Gu Ci placed the score on the podium, then seemed to remember something. She tilted her head and asked calmly, "Do you all still need a moment to prepare?"

Fang Che instinctively straightened his spine and answered honestly, "Preparation isn't really necessary; we've all practiced our individual parts pretty well... but..."

***

But what was it again?

Swept along by Gu Ci's question, Fang Che completely forgot what he had wanted to say just a second ago!

"Then that's good." Seeing that everyone was still standing blankly in place without moving, Gu Ci raised an eyebrow slightly. "What are you waiting for?"

"Oh, oh, oh, nothing, right away!" Dazed, Fang Che grabbed his violin and sat down in the first violin principal's seat.

Following Fang Che's movement, the rest of the orchestra members walked in twos and threes toward their respective positions.

Gu Ci kept the beat, set a pitch to indicate the tempo, and then, at her signal, the music began.

Barely five minutes in, a major error occurred within the crowd.

The principal of the second violins stopped playing altogether, frowning deeply. "Gu Ci, I think the emotion you're trying to express here is wrong. Maestro Song previously told us that the main melody of this movement should be one of fierce struggle. What you're making us convey right now is clearly incorrect!"

As soon as these words were spoken, quite a few people instantly put down their instruments and chimed in.

"That's right, Maestro Song previously told us about Berman's major transformation during this period, which is the theme this movement is supposed to express... What you're having us convey, Gu Ci... is way too far off, isn't it?"

"I think so too... This isn't what Maestro Song told us before..."

"Gu Ci, why don't you just follow what our conductor told us previously?"

Gu Ci glanced at them, then made a "stop" gesture.

"Everyone's interpretation of a movement differs, which naturally leads to different expressions. However, I think I forgot to mention one thing," Gu Ci slowly lowered her baton and looked at the crowd. "Since I am your conductor now, I must tell you..."

"From the moment I stepped onto this podium, there can only be one voice in this entire orchestra, and that voice is mine."

Gu Ci's calm and unquestionable words clearly echoed in everyone's minds, sending an involuntary shudder through them.

Suddenly, the members of the orchestra recalled that even when Gu Ci faced their misunderstandings earlier, she hadn't shown the slightest bit of anger.

However...

From beginning to end, Gu Ci had never changed a single decision she had made!

And furthermore... in the end, every single one of her decisions had proven to be right!

So, why on earth had they thought for a second that Gu Ci was easygoing, that they could negotiate with her, or even alter her mind?

When the music started again, the group was slightly out of focus at first.

***

Yet very soon, they pulled themselves together with utmost concentration, because...

"The flutist with glasses, don't blow the key signature as natural."

"First violin section, third row, the person in white—your pitch is too high."

"Second violin section, too heavy."

The second violin principal frowned again and couldn't help speaking up, "I believe our volume is just fine! It blends very harmoniously into the entire piece."

Gu Ci nodded. "Under the current formation, that is indeed the case. But once everyone is here, your section's sound will be too heavy."

Hearing this, the second violin principal closed his mouth.

"Continue."

"Timpani and snare drum, the pitch is too low."

"Violas, did you forget to make your entrance?"

"Double bass, you..."

With Gu Ci's calling out of each correction, everyone's hearts leapt to their throats once more.

The feeling was no different from being singled out by a teacher in school to have your mistakes corrected.

Granted, musicians in any orchestra are practically yelled at by their conductors more than once during rehearsals.

Yet... the mere thought that the conductor pointing out their mistakes and scolding them was a young girl even younger than most of them filled everyone's hearts with a subtle sense of surrealism.

And... none of their previous conductors had ever been able to scold them with such pinpoint accuracy during a first rehearsal!

After nearly every section had been reprimanded by Gu Ci, everyone gathered every ounce of their focus, no longer daring to indulge in distracting thoughts.

Gradually, they became more and more immersed. It was as if they were being led by Gu Ci's every command into a wondrous realm, as if they had traveled back to that era, and under Gu Ci's guidance, they could feel the surface calm of Berman's music conflicting sharply with the fierce turmoil and torment within his soul!

Had Gu Ci actually managed to bring them completely into the music in a single rehearsal?