Chapter 249 (2/2)
“I’ll ask her to contact you, so wait. If she calls today, it
means she’s been waiting for your call.”
President Stern was positive that Laura would call, and started
looking at women in bikinis again.
The phone in the hotel room started ringing as it
neared midnight.
“Jun? Wow. I was really surprised that you called me first.”
“How are you?”
She called that day. Had she really been waiting for him to
contact her?
“Oh, I’m in the middle of an opera in London. Once the London show
is over, I have asolo concert in Frankfurt.”
Since releasing an album with Jun Hyuk, Laura is considered the
most powerful rookie soprano and is ranked at the top of casting.
When he heard how busy she is, he could not get himself to bring
up his opera. How could he ask her to take on a supporting role when she is
someone who needs to be doing solo concerts?
While Jun Hyuk hesitated, Laura became frustrated and spoke up
first.
“What is it? Didn’t you leave a message to call you because you
have something to say to me? I’m sure you didn’t call to ask how I’m doing.”
Laura knows that Jun Hyuk does not have the personality to call
just to ask how she is. She thanked him many times because he basically brought
her success, but he had only ever responded gruffly.
“It’s just hard to say because it’s a bit of an unreasonable
request. Your schedule is so full…..”
“It’s okay. Tell me. Didn’t you call because of the opera?”
He felt much lighter because of what Laura said.
“Do you want to audition at all? No… There’s no reason to
audition.”
“I want to, but how could I reach out first? All sopranos around
the world are going out.I assumed there wasn’t a right role for me
because you weren’t calling me.”
“Honestly, it’s almost all filled up. There’s one role, but it’s a
supporting role.”
“Supporting role? Is it the chorus…..”
“Oh, no. Would I have called you to join the chorus?”
Jun Hyuk rushed to explain the role to her. He told her how
important it is although it is a supporting role.
“Let me know once the show schedule comes out. And send me the
score right now.”
She blurted out her response without even the slightest hesitation.
“What? You’re accepting?”
“Of course. Did you think I would turn it down because it’s a
small role? Who was it who helped me get here? I always repay my debts. And I’m
telling you in advance that it’ll be the same going forward. Tell me any time,
no matter how small the supporting role is. If you call, I’ll go.”
Jun Hyuk ended the call and felt he had let go one of his big
worries.
‘She’s more loyal than she seems.’
***
“How much time is there for me to practice on my
own?”
“Excuse me?”
“How much time is there left until rehearsals?”
“There is about 2 months.”
When Jun Hyuk picked up the ringing phone early in the morning,
Argento’s questions poured through.
“Fine. Then will you be able to direct for me for 2 months? At my
house?”
Jun Hyuk bolted up from his bed and adjusted the phone.
“Of course. That’s actually what I wanted to ask of you.”
“What? Well, it seems like you’re really out to get me. Ha ha.”
Jun Hyuk went to check on his schedule with President Stern.
“2 months is too much. You can’t just cling to Argento. Starting
in a month, you need to check on everything including from the singers, stage
sets, to the lights. You’ll be so busy you won’t even have time to lift your
head. End it in a month.”
“I see. Then I’ll spend that time at the least at Argento’s house.”
President Stern went through his entire schedule and stated firmly
that he cannot stay with Argento for more than 1 month.
“We’re almost done working on the songs, so it’ll be enough time
for the cast to practice on their own.”
Jun Hyuk packed a bag that day and went into Argent’s mansion.
After spending just 1 day with Jun Hyuk, Argento began exercising
again. He realized right away that this young composer would push his limits to
get what he wants. And those limits were only getting higher.
***
After 1 month, the major cast and officials for
the Godfather opera gathered in Milan, and the stage in La Scala Teatro was
full of advanced equipment.
La Scala Teatro was remodeled under Toscanini’s direction in March
of 1946 and there is an orchestra that is well-tuned to Toscanini.
They had the most rigorous conductor they met since Toscanini, and
was not able to spend a single day comfortably.
How long has it been since there has been a premiere at La Scala?
Everyone memorized and practiced the scores that they were seeing for the first
time, but Jun Hyuk, the young composer and conductor, did not seem to know
satisfaction.
They thought the opera would have the feeling of the movie because
they heard that the movie’s main theme song would be used, but the movie theme
song was just an intermezzo.
The opera Godfather is a true Italian opera that expresses the
tragic beauty of death.