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墨書 Inktalez
On March 16th, Qiluo Ling arrived at the airport, preparing to head to Shanghai.
Since she arrived too early, she waited for a long time in the airport's waiting hall until the announcer's sweet voice came over the intercom: "Attention passengers traveling to Shanghai: Your K2C flight is now boarding. Please take your personal belongings and present your boarding pass at Gate 5."
Qiluo Ling did not rush to board; it was only when the announcement urged passengers to board for the second time that she dragged her luggage to Gate 5.
Her seat in economy class was located at the back of the aircraft, next to the aisle.
Having just passed the traditional Lunar New Year, March is typically a low season for domestic flights, and today is not a weekend, so there were not many passengers in economy class, scattered sparsely throughout the cabin.
Feeling bored, Qiluo Ling turned her gaze to the window beside her. The plane had not yet taken off, and on the adjacent runway, staff were busy inspecting it.
With just a few minutes before takeoff, a young woman hurriedly walked into the cabin, dragging her luggage along the aisle until she reached Qiluo Ling's side.
She had long hair and was approximately 1.65 meters tall. She placed her luggage in the overhead compartment and then nodded slightly at Qiluo Ling.
Qiluo Ling politely leaned slightly in response, and the young woman took the window seat on Qiluo Ling's left.
The weather was gloomy, with faint light streaming through the transparent window, casting a glow on the young woman's profile.
The plane began to take off, and Qiluo Ling felt it slowly and smoothly lift off from the ground, with the powerful engines producing a loud noise.
Looking out of the window, Qiluo Ling saw the surrounding buildings shrink and pedestrians disappear; she felt an unreal sensation as if her presence was gradually fading away.
As the plane ascended slowly, it pierced through the clouds, revealing dazzling sunlight above them.
The young woman gazed out of the window for a while before taking a book from her handbag and reading it intently.
Qiluo Ling tilted her head slightly and noticed that the magazine the young woman was reading was an English version of Rolling Stone. Her English wasn't very good, but she was familiar with those two words. She had heard of Rolling Stone magazine, which is an American publication focused on pop culture and music.
Noticing Qiluo Ling's gaze, the young woman turned her head and smiled. "Are you interested in music too?"
"Yes, but I know very little about it."
"This magazine is great; it's dedicated to reporting on rock music and pop culture. It was founded by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason in 1967 and is published biweekly. The magazine defines itself as not just reporting on music but also covering everything else that music encompasses."
"In 2006, Rolling Stone collaborated with Hong Kong's Wanhua Media to plan the publication of the Chinese Version of Rolling Stone. That same year, Wanhua Media partnered with Audio-Visual World magazine publisher to launch the first issue of the Chinese Version of Rolling Stone. The cover featured a photo of Cui Jian, a leading figure in Chinese rock music. The first issue of the Chinese Version sold very well, with all 125,000 copies printed selling out. However, after the joy of sales victory, the Chinese Version of Rolling Stone was ordered to cease publication by Shanghai Audio-Visual Publishing House," the young woman said with some regret.
"You seem to know a lot about this; are you a music major?"
The Young Woman smiled and said, "You guessed it right; I am a professional music critic."
Qi Luoling's interest was piqued, and she asked, "Do you have any research on Piano Piece?"
"My piano skills are at an amateur level ten; I have a good understanding of Piano Piece."
Then the Young Woman enthusiastically introduced Qi Luoling to the history of piano development and famous pianists: from Bach and Handel in the Baroque period to Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven in Classicalism, and finally to Schubert, Chopin, Liszt, and others in the Romanticism period.
In conclusion, the Young Woman sighed deeply and said, "This music is simply Devil's Music! It is a masterpiece in music history!"
"Devil's Music?" Qi Luoling felt a question arise in her mind and asked, "Why is beautiful music referred to as Devil's Music?"
"This is a form of praise; it refers to pieces that exhibit superb technique. They contain numerous technical challenges and represent a high level of challenge for performers, requiring them to possess exceptional skills."
However, the young woman added mysteriously, "But there are many legends about the piano, especially regarding works from the Renaissance Period; some pieces are indeed related to demons or death."
"Why did this appear during Europe's Renaissance Period?"
"After the 11th century, with economic recovery and development, the rise of cities and improved living standards, people began to pursue secular pleasures. They were extremely disdainful of Christianity's religious authority and its hypocritical asceticism. The spiritual state they sought was: enjoy life while alive; who cares what happens after death? Thus, there was a legend that one could sell their soul to the devil in exchange for everything they desired."
"Ah?" Qi Luoling exclaimed.
"Have you read Goethe's Faust?"
Qi Luoling nodded.
"John George Faust was an alchemist, astrologer, and magician during Germany's Renaissance Period. The Faust story from the 1580s was based on him. It is said that Faust longed for a life of pleasure and ease while diligently researching secret arts to find ways to summon demons. After he summoned a demon, he made a pact with it, mortgaging his soul in exchange for 24 years of service from the demon. Unfortunately, after 16 years he regretted his decision and wanted to terminate the contract. Anyone familiar with the Faust story knows well what happened next: he was brutally killed by the demon."
"So there are also those who sell their souls to demons for beautiful music?"
"Of course. There are many, such as Robert Johnson, who is one of America's greatest blues musicians and ranked fifth on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the '100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.' According to legend, Johnson, who wanted to become a master guitarist, was guided to a crossroads where he met the devil. The devil tuned his guitar and taught him extraordinary skills in playing."
"Nicolò Paganini is one of the most outstanding violin masters in history. Paganini could draw three octaves on four strings with one hand, a feat that even by today's standards seems nearly impossible. The Witch's Dance is one of his most famous works, and listeners believed that Paganini had allied with the devil to showcase his extraordinary skills. Some audience members even claimed to have seen the devil assisting Paganini during performances. Due to his refusal to make a final prayer to a priest at his deathbed, rumors spread widely in society about his alliance with Satan."
"Then there's Tartini, an Italian composer and violinist who created over 400 works and was one of the most influential instrumental composers of his time. His piece, Devil's Trill Sonata, has a rather bizarre story behind it, beginning with a dream of Tartini's. It is said that Tartini dreamed of the devil appearing before him and asking to become his servant. At the end of their lesson, Tartini handed his violin to the devil to test its skills—the devil immediately began to play, showcasing such exquisite technique that Tartini was entranced. Upon waking, he quickly recalled and recorded this sonata, striving to capture what he had heard in the dream. Although Tartini's performance of this sonata received a good response from the audience, he lamented that what he played was a far cry from what he had heard in his dream."
"For example, there is the famous Requiem incident involving Mozart. After completing the Requiem, he passed away at a young age. The reason he composed the Requiem was that one night, a cloaked figure covered from head to toe came to commission him. In many legends, that person is said to be the devil."
"Is this true or just hearsay?" Qi Luoling asked in shock.
"I'm not sure," the Young Woman said seriously. "But I only know that Demonic Music is extraordinarily beautiful, and playing it comes at a high price."
Qi Luoling fell silent, deep in thought.
After talking for so long, the Young Woman seemed a bit tired; she slightly closed her eyes and rested her head against the top of her seat.
Two hours later, the plane landed smoothly at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport.
As the plane was about to land, the Young Woman handed her a business card that read: Cheng Yuping, Music Review Editor of Music Research magazine. She smiled at Qi Luoling and said, "My phone number is on the card; if you have any questions about music, feel free to reach out."
Qi Luoling politely exchanged her mobile number and expressed gratitude for Cheng Yuping's enthusiasm before they parted ways at the airport exit.
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