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墨書 Inktalez
A month later, Cheng Yuping called Qiluo Ling, and from her tone, it seemed she knew a bit about the content of the song Devil's Lament.
Qiluo Ling eagerly arranged to meet her, and the meeting place was still that coffee shop.
When they arrived at the café, it was the same as before; Qiluo Ling ordered a Mocha Coffee, while Cheng Yuping ordered a Cappuccino.
After they met, the two exchanged a few casual pleasantries. Qiluo Ling felt anxious inside, eager to get to the point, but she tried hard to conceal her excitement and nervousness on the surface.
"I have seriously inquired about some significant figures in the music industry, such as professors from the academy, folk musicians, and renowned music media personalities," Cheng Yuping said lightly, as if she could see through Qiluo Ling's thoughts.
"Thank you for your efforts. Did you find out anything about that piece of music?"
"No," Cheng Yuping shook her head and continued, "The whereabouts remain unclear; however, I did hear some rumors about this piece."
"What rumors?"
"Before discussing those rumors, I want to ask you a few questions."
"Go ahead."
"First, are you sure you only heard this piece in a dream?"
"Yes."
"You haven't heard this piece in reality?"
Qiluo Ling hesitated; she had actually heard that music twice in total.
The first time was in a dream where the Jew had played, and the second time was when the man known as the Demonic Music Messenger had also played in the countryside. Although the second instance wasn't entirely a dream, it was still a state of hallucination, not quite reality.
Thus, Qiluo Ling nodded.
"The melody of that piece is exceptionally sorrowful, right?"
"Yes," Qiluo Ling nodded.
"And the person who played this piece is Jew, correct?"
Qiluo Ling looked at her in shock.
"How did you know? I never told you about Jew."
"I not only know that the performer is Jew, but I also know that everyone who has heard this piece in reality has died."
"What do you mean? I don't quite understand."
"I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. What I meant to say is that in 1947 in Shanghai, someone had heard a young Jew play this piece called Devil's Sorrow live."
"And then?" Qiluo Ling was excited; indeed, this piece existed and wasn't just her imagination.
"At that time, there were four audience members present to hear his performance. It is said that his wife had passed away and his child was missing, so he was extremely heartbroken. The piece he played was filled with such sorrow that it was unbearable for ordinary people, so..." Cheng Yuping hesitated.
"So what?"
"These four people returned home and all died within a week."
"All died? How did they die?"
"Two committed suicide, one died in a car accident, and the other was murdered."
"How could this happen?" Qiluo Ling couldn't believe it.
"Perhaps this is the negative effect of music. People in the world are never stingy with their praise for the positive influence of music, yet they turn a blind eye to its negative effects. Have you seen the movie 'Budapest Love'?"
Qiluo Ling shook her head.
"This film is a romantic collaboration between Germany and Hungary, telling the story of a delicate love triangle disrupted against the backdrop of war. In the film, the young and talented András creates a poignant song 'Melancholy Sunday' for Ilona's birthday. This piece opens the listeners' hearts, its melancholy deeply touching those who understand it; several characters in the film commit suicide after hearing this song."
"But that's just a movie; the plot is fictional, right?"
"No, this play is based on a true story. The song 'Melancholy Sunday,' also known as 'Black Sunday,' was born in France in 1932. Its composer is said to be Lurans Charles, a self-taught Hungarian musician. It is said that 'Melancholy Sunday' was created by Lurans Charles after he broke up with his girlfriend while in extreme sorrow. It is recognized as one of the three most banned songs in the world."
"Why is it called a banned song?"
"Because during its existence of 13 years, those who listened to it frequently committed suicide. The number of suicides reached hundreds. The suicides left notes stating that they could not bear the incredibly sorrowful melody. Additionally, countless guitarists and pianists who played this piece subsequently stopped performing."
"Really? Is it that terrifying?" Qiluo Ling exclaimed.
"Of course. Records show that the first person to commit suicide was a British officer who was quietly resting at home when he inadvertently began listening to a record of 'Black Sunday' delivered by the postman. After listening to this piece, his soul was intensely stimulated, and he could no longer calm his emotions. Soon after, he took out his handgun and ended his life. The police conducted thorough investigations and concluded that he indeed committed suicide, but that 'Black Sunday' was an indirect killer! They warned people not to listen to this music because even police officers nearly committed suicide while listening to it! This incident then caused a sensation throughout Europe; people found it unbelievable, terrified yet curious, and many who considered themselves psychologically strong began to collect and personally experience it out of curiosity."
Cheng Yuping took a sip of coffee and continued, "One middle-aged American man, after listening to the song 'Black Sunday' for several days, committed suicide. In his suicide note, he wrote, 'Please use this song as the mourning music for my funeral.' Following that, similar suicide reports came one after another, from Europe to America to Asia, causing panic around the world. At that time, a very prominent figure in Europe insisted on having a musician play 'Black Sunday' at a concert he attended. The pianist initially refused, but under pressure from the curious audience's demands, he had no choice but to perform it. After the performance, the pianist vowed never to touch the piano again! The celebrity who made the request subsequently disappeared from public view."
"Is this song still around?"
"It was destroyed back in 1945. Since the spate of suicides, all countries around the world began to destroy any materials related to 'Music.' Its composer felt very guilty at the end of his life. He said he never expected this piece of music would cause such a disaster for humanity; that was not his original intention."
"Weren't you talking about three forbidden songs? What are the other two?"
"Yes, the three forbidden songs refer to three pieces of music in Western music history that have been cursed by God. Besides 'Black Sunday,' there are 'Confession Song' and 'Thirteenth Eye.'"
"What about 'Confession Song'?"
"The composer of 'Confession Song' is American. It is said that it was completed on his death anniversary. A seemingly ordinary religious penance song led to thousands of suicides and was thus nicknamed 'Demonic Song.' The victims were mostly devout believers who, while confessing their sins to God, could no longer bear the punishment and retribution inflicted by their painful reality. They chose to end their suffering lives. The believers believed in the existence of heaven and gladly accepted God's call back. In the singing of 'Confession Song,' death became less frightening; the earlier it came, the sooner it meant liberation. The believers eagerly left their earthly hell for their ideal heaven."
Qiluo Ling felt a chill run down her spine, goosebumps covering her body.
"'Thirteenth Eye' is said to originate from primitive tribes in Africa; it is a mysterious piece of music whose composer's intent is no longer traceable. It is said that in the mid-20th century, people from a tribe in Cameroon collectively committed suicide after listening to this piece. For this reason, 'Thirteenth Eye' was banned from being performed, and officials worked together to destroy all collected manuscripts. However, a small fragment of the score survived by chance. Later, around 1991, a well-known musician secretly bought and collected it. After playing and singing it at home, he tore up the score in his hands and then jumped out of the window. Since then, all news related to 'Thirteenth Eye' disappeared along with the score."
"Is the piece I found called 'Devil's Sorrow' also cursed like them?"
"According to my investigation, 'Devil's Sorrow' also belongs to a category of melodies that are very beautiful yet melancholic; those with weak willpower cannot psychologically endure such sorrowful music. The only fortunate thing is that the young Jewish man only played it once and never again; by stopping in time, he avoided causing a greater tragedy."
"I find it hard to understand why just one piece of music can have such a significant impact on people. Are there other indirect reasons?"
"You've raised a good question. For example, besides being sorrowful in style, there are certainly external factors as well."
"What is the reason?"
"For example, why do some people commit suicide while others do not? First, there are individual differences. Some people have a very high susceptibility to psychological suggestion and can easily accept related stimuli; once they accept these stimuli, their bodies will activate all defense systems to enter a heightened state, leading to corresponding reactions."
"Is there also an environmental influence?"
"You are absolutely right. For instance, the era when the piece was composed coincided with World War II. That period was indeed very special; economically, it was during the Great Depression, with many people unemployed and struggling to make ends meet. Politically, wars were frequent, and people were displaced, losing their homes and families. After experiencing all this, many would become individuals with strong psychological suggestibility. It can be said that the music might just be a trigger; the real reason for their suicides lies in their inner suffering."
"Then why am I fine after listening to 'Devil's Sorrow'?"
"I already mentioned that you have only heard it in dreams and not in reality, so its impact on you is diminished."
"Haven't you heard any other news about 'Devil's Sorrow'?"
Cheng Yuping shook his head. "Since then, no one has heard that piece again. Then that Jewish man disappeared, and we have not heard of that piano piece since."
The two fell silent, sipping their coffee.
"Actually, I still don't understand why music has such a significant impact on a person's thoughts and emotions," Qiluo Ling murmured as she stared at her cup.
Cheng Yuping thought for a moment and said, "This touches on the realm of philosophy, which I don't know much about. Fortunately, I have a senior who is a professor at a university; he is currently researching the influence of music on human thoughts and emotions. Coincidentally, I will be passing by his school the day after tomorrow. I can introduce you to him then so you can hear his insights."
Qiluo Ling nodded.
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