1894, early summer, Berlin.
The first three movements of "Symphony No. 2 in C minor" premiered under the baton of Richard Strauss, and the music reviews were almost all criticism and abuse.
At the end of the same year, Mahler personally conducted all five movements. During the period, he felt unwell and fainted after the performance. There was less fierce opposition to this concert. Although a large number of music critics still refused to attend, the attendance rate was certain.
The audience cheered with dignity and courtesy.
The plot is very unscripted. Strictly speaking, this symphony did not attract much attention until at least fifty years after Mahler's death. It is absolutely impossible to write the protagonist in this way. It is okay for the author to fill in the role.
"" has been written for more than 8 months now, and the second volume spans 35W-118W words.
To be fair, the rule of book cutting for an author like me, who has just started to rush into the market, is that in addition to around 15-25W when it is on the shelves, the other peak period should be during this period.
Anyone who has written a book will know that this is absolutely a law-level rule. Now I have experienced it myself, especially around the 70th chapter of the second volume.
How to describe that state? It means that as soon as you sit in front of the keyboard, the whole screen and your mind are filled with "write you mb".
Many master-level authors said when sharing their experiences: "Don't read reviews when writing a book, just read the data."
I know how they would criticize people in that situation: "You are so fierce, but the subscriptions are getting higher and higher. You can teach people to write books and not give them away."
But my comment style here sometimes looks like this:
"You wrote it like this, no wonder the data is so bad."
What the hell can I say.jpg
It's gauzy.
My Writer's Assistant has been uninstalled so far, except for the temporary reinstallation a few times when I was editing the article, which alleviated a certain amount of blow.
However, the writing experience of two volumes has given me a more valuable practical gain:
"Choose the preface of the volume and let it become the spiritual support for completing the volume."
When I was first designing the preface of the second volume, it was easy to think of finding it in the lyrics of Ma Er’s chorus, but I struggled for a long time as to which line to choose.
If you look back at the premiere movement V, you will find that each of the eight stanzas has its own tear points.
From the perspective of the characters in the book, when they are afraid of death itself, they will care more about one and eight; when they have suffered a major change and are afraid of losing what they have, they will care more about two; when they are in a frustrating and adverse situation in life, they will care more about it.
Care about four; when suffering from illness or aging, you will care more about five, six, and seven
But in the end I chose the third verse:
"Believe it:
Your birth was not in vain!
Your survival and suffering are definitely not in vain!!”
For the minor characters in the book who doubt "the purpose and value of existence", they will care more about hearing this sentence, and then it is also for a young author like me.
I am able to write this now. First of all, I would like to thank myself for choosing this preface.
Maybe, I can still use this method to persist in the future, maybe.
Let’s share some of the true mental journey of writing, and then let’s get to the point and summarize the plot.
…
In terms of syllabus design, the second volume is already the longest. It was originally estimated to be about twice as long as the first volume to correspond to the huge length and organization of "Symphony No. 2 in C minor". Of course, the actual length still exceeds 10W. Character.
My treatment of the dual main line structure in the "Resurrection" volume is not as obvious as in the "Giant" volume. In fact, the parallel relationship occupies a more prominent position.
Of course, I have never written a book before, so I am just trying based on my feelings.
The most important node in the structure of the second volume is the five sections of death, which correspond to the stages in which Fan Ning composed the five movements of "Symphony No. 2 in C minor".
The first movement is Vierne's birth to death. Its composition is based on the French organist Louis Vierne (1870-1937). It may be very unknown, but I chose it intentionally.
Because the talent, willpower and influence of artistic masters are close to gods, beyond the reach of ordinary people like us, and also beyond the reach of the protagonist who was a young composer at that time, so I want to lower the level of his admiration.
In fact, every musician has a life of struggle, not only people like Beethoven, Chopin or Brahms, but more musicians are tributaries in the long river of history, and their artistic careers are equally tragic.
This place is far away from Fan Ning's era, but it aroused his leisurely fascination with his musical inheritance, aroused his desire to think and explore the "view of death", and the proposition was initially proposed.
This line of Vienne was laid down at the beginning of the second volume. The mysterious aspects of the connection include the appearance of interpersonal relationships it leads to, the retracement and positioning conspiracy used by the apostle, the secret door of the original site of the Turner Art Museum and the small town of Watznai. Miss Purple Bean Cake and Miss Scarlet, Vincent’s possible purpose of going to the Harvest Art Festival
So writing about those experiences is really not a word count. Even if you are not interested in the artistic career and fighting spirit of musicians, it is still the main line of the mysterious plot. Also, the ghost train incident is not without beginning and end, and the secret door exploration is not forced to end. Si's provocation and making enemies are not forced intelligence reduction, and the protagonist forgetting to bring his keys when facing Mr. F is not a sign of low IQ. Please stop complaining. I deleted some comments. I'm sorry, but I'm really sad.
The second movement is the death of the poet Bassani. Although he is the author of the original text of the "Ode to the Resurrection" in the plot, the creative prototype is not just the poet Klopstock (Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock, 1724-1803).
When I was writing this part of the plot and Bassani's artistic career, I was also thinking about Kuffner (1780-1846), the author of the choral text "When Love and Power Are United" in Beethoven's "Choral Fantasia". ), I thought of the mystical poetry of William Butler Yeats (1865-1939), and also thought of the "Duino Elegy" of Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926).
As Fan Ning said, for him, this was a person who died well and admired from a distance, which avoided heartache and left only a touch of sadness or haze.
——This kind of "reminiscence" state of mind is very conducive for artists to explore humanities, explore the divinity of the "Gothenburg Variations", and explore the judgment of artistic works in the long history, as well as the relationship between serious music and poetry and literature.
Just like Bishop Mill's evaluation of Bassani in the article: "Everyone must follow his inner free will to produce the truth again and again, otherwise he will wither. Bassani pursues the truth throughout his life, even if it is not the ultimate truth, but at least it is
He will not be judged as disqualified by history."
The matter of chorus is too serious for art, because almost every musician who writes a vocal symphony has been influenced by the essential influence of poets, literary giants and philosophers on their outlook on life. Almost every one of them.
If in a different world, an artist adds a chorus to a symphony, he must explain where the profound humanistic soil comes from, where the creative impulse in his heart comes from, and what kind of social ideological trends he understands from.
Philosophy, how he thinks about the relationship between literature and music, rhyme and rhythm, rather than simply being inspired or copying everything.
So I can’t write about Bei Jiu, at least not within the current framework. My understanding of Kant and Hegel is very superficial, and I have very little exposure to Schiller’s poetry. Without my help, the protagonist will appear in front of outsiders.
If the circle cannot come back, it is extremely unreasonable for me, and the pollution characteristics of the "old days" are destined to cause trouble when Fan Ning copies a work of Bei Jiu's level (someone has already guessed it from the hint).
If you have any books that feel better about Bei Jiu, you can recommend me to study them, because if you can write about Ma Ba in the future, you can learn from how they set the stage and explain it.
The mysterious plot related to this stage is the setting of the "grid" at the core of the book, as well as the setting of the relationship between the Seeker and Gnosis, the spread of abnormal areas and the artistic career...
The death in the third movement is the Santa Ramburg subway accident, which has no specific prototype. Although there are some specific minor characters, such as the death of Mark, Huxley or Sternikai, it is mainly used to depict the confusion and loss of control of the group.
Fan Ning discovered that death is completely impermanent and has no additional meaning. As the saying goes, "Life is small and death is random." He began to try to find an answer that "can not only redeem the dead, but also comfort the living."
Hence the candlelight dinner at St. Euverney Manor and the discussions he and Roy had about "a deeper narrative perspective".
The mysterious plot related to this stage first uses the "disaster" to introduce a series of characters in the Special Inspection Hall, and then follows the "climbing path" settings of the seven doors, mobile phone text message reminders and Fan Chenxun's foreshadowing, impressionistic paintings
The foreshadowing of the faction and the "Gate of Seven Lights", the hint of pollution in the "old days", the key clues of the "Gate of Lights and Shadows", the preliminary situation of other source gods, the further promotion of the apostle incident, etc.
The fourth movement is the death of Ms. Hamilton. The branch line of the labor case is taken from the first volume and then connected with her. The prototype of its creation is Alice Hamilton, the pioneer of industrial toxicology and the mother of American occupational health and safety.
1869-1970).
What "Primary Light" expresses here is not only the Gnostic mystical thought of "returning to the light", not only the self's lament for the world...
The sentence she wrote on the title page, "The world is in a great dilemma! People are living in great pain!" also contains more compassion for all mankind.
That’s why there is the “like rebirth” of music’s salvation, the “light and blood in life” of the Kodaly teaching method, and the “laborers, farmers, prostitutes and gentlemen and ladies enjoying music together” through the popularization of art.
Fan Ning finally received the inspiration of "resurrection" at her funeral.
Maybe my humanistic care is not enough. Several people criticized the protagonist for not having empathy. Fortunately, after this branch line in the outline, there will be "Kapron Art Fund", "Performance Theater Chain" and "Old Days".
"Conservatory of Music", if you still insist on getting to that time, I will strengthen it.
The final fifth movement is the Death of Capron.
Fan Ning had an "expected accident" on the eve of the premiere. Kaplan took over the baton to complete the final song and gained redemption. This ending was decided at the beginning of the book. It was really not me who caused the mistake. It was really not me.
It’s a complete mess. I’d like to apologize to those who don’t like this plot. I was in a very low mood at that time and it was the most uncomfortable days of having a fever.
His creative prototype is Gilbert Kaplan (1941-2016), a business tycoon, money maker, and money-playing enthusiast. This amateur who embarked on the music path because of his obsession with Mahler's "Second Symphony"
As a conductor, he does have many anecdotes to admire or touching moments to remember.
For example, he earned more than one million (USD in the 1960s) from "Institutional Investor" in his 20s, and sold it for a high price of 75 million US dollars 20 years later; for example, he took a plane to listen to Mahler everywhere,
At the London Symphony Orchestra, the girl sitting next to him became his wife; for example, he bought all the Mahler manuscripts and historical materials that he could photograph, studied them day and night, and paid money to reprint and share them with the art world and musicology circles; for example,
A series of master conductors have enjoyed his high-end financial services.
The most awesome thing is that in 1998, this guy also visited China with the title of "Representative of the American Trade Mission"
Kaplan died of cancer 7 years ago. I think his biggest (and most unlikely) wish before his death was to hear Mahler's teachings in person, or even conduct the premiere of Mahler's music in person.
"Second Symphony".
That's how this character came into being.
When writing about him, I couldn't help but think of the deaf Beethoven who conducted the Ninth Symphony, the late Maestro Abbado who conducted the Maison II at the Lucerne Music Festival,
To be continued...