The cool club, retro-fit 60s decor, sophisticated clientele and exotic live music were in stark contrast to the entertainment of the following night on board a de-commissioned boat - permanently moored on the river Elbe - but there was no less enjoyment on the second night.
The day had been another busy one for the group, all attending a lunch-time concert in the glass and steel man-made wonder - the Elbphilharmonie - affectionately known by Hamburgers by the moniker Elphi. Sited on the river, the building was breath-taking, not just in its size as one of the largest concert venues in the world but also its architectural scale and design aplomb, looking for all the world like an enormous cruise liner sailing down the Elbe river.
---
The main auditorium or Grand Hall - which could seat over 2,000 - placed the performers at the centre of pods of seating - ranged in rising tiers - the whole lot over-looked by a sound reflector looking uncannily like a sleek space ship. Seon-jae was scheduled to play in the Kleiner Saal - Small Hall as part of an initiative giving a platform to emerging new artists from around the globe for a private group of just under 200 guests - all patrons of Elphi. As In-seo had murmured to Hye-won - as they waited for Dieter and Ciara to join them in the foyer that morning - after 20 years in the music business, there really wasn't anyone with influence that Dieter didn't know or whose arm he couldn't twist to get recognition for artists he admired and wished to promote.
When they were given a tour of the Grand Hall - and its smaller sister, the Recital Hall - the scale and majesty of these spaces made Hye-won worry for Seon-jae, though when she asked him if he was nervous to play in such an impressive, purpose-built building - knowing that the audience were all very knowledgeable music-lovers - he shrugged and raised his shoulders, giving an insouciant grin, as if to say - music is music - it's still just me and the piano.
And so it was, for he played with all the confidence and natural flair that had stopped the breath in her chest on the first day she heard him. His chosen piece was Liszt's piano transcription of Danse Macabre - Dance of Death - if such a masterful rendering of the capabilities of a full orchestra for the possibilities inherent in 10 fingers could really be called a transcription. Though only just over 10 minutes long, the music was endlessly dramatic and inventive and the technical skill required to play it, exceptional. Seon-jae's playing was by turns wild, gleeful, inspired.
Watching on screens in the green room, all the company were quite emotional watching Seon-jae play with such zest and style. Hye-won was subdued, as she tried to absorb how much Seon-jae had grown as a musician since that first day. Technically, he had matured more than she could really grasp but it was his powers of interpretation that most affected her as she listened to him intone the tolling bell of midnight, conjure the figure of the Devil tuning his grotesque fiddle, ring the din of the dancing skeletons' bones and signal the sweet melodies of the dawn chorus, as evil night gave way to innocent dawn and natural order was re-asserted. He is an artist now, not a shy boy or unsure student but a true artist.
Judging by the warm reception his playing was receiving, this audience of sophisticates evidently agreed with Hye-won's assessment. Seon-jae was required to take numerous bows and return to the stage to play an encore to satisfy this enthusiastic swell of recognition of his genius and chose to play again the Stücke I - Piece I - from the previous night - Robert's gift to the young and adored Clara - the melancholy beauty of the playing providing the perfect contrast to the madness that had preceded it. And clearly, the audience knew and appreciated this fully too, as calls of bravo and - mehr - more - rang out. Seon-jae bowed, smiling calmly, then departed the stage to make room for the next artist, a young Japanese violinist, who walked on-stage, also with elan and composure, and proceeded to amaze with her a cappella rendition of Bach's First Violin Sonata, known to be devilish in technique and tone.
When Seon-jae re-entered the green room, the assembly - which included other international musicians who had yet to play, as well as those who had preceded him - burst into modest applause to mark what had been a stellar performance. He smiled in acknowledgement of their appreciation and walked to where Hye-won sat, unsure that her legs would support her, at that moment. He quietly stood beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder, smiling into her eyes, as she gazed up at him unable to speak for emotion and all was right with his world and with hers.
---
Such a momentous triumph could not pass un-marked and indeed, a drinks reception was provided so that patrons could meet the artists - or as Dieter put it: 'it's a little perk for all the support they provide'.
Seon-jae hadn't wanted to attend but Hye-won whispered: '10 minutes, love, anyone can stand anything for 10 minutes,' and indeed, it was quite painless, with the grandees seeming cowed by this handsome genius and - bar a warm clap when the artists entered - the reception was a tame affair and the company were able to leave before Seon-jae felt too restricted.
The rest of the day was their own and they had separated to pursue some of their own interests - Ciara sneaking away to an assignation, presumably with her new-found friend - and Dieter and In-seo having arranged to meet some old friends, whom Dieter affectionately called the OGs - Original Gangsters. Seon-jae had jokingly asked if Hye-won would mind if he spent some time rehearsing: 'it might only be 10 minutes but it's 10 Liszt minutes,' and she had laughed and then lightly thumped his shoulder that he should even think he needed to explain.
She had enjoyed the hotel pool and sauna and when he returned from the rehearsal rooms, they used their free time for another wander in the park where they had played the previous night, where - lying her head comfortably in the nook of Seon-jae's shoulder - she took a snooze under the shade of a tree, waking feeling refreshed and ready for a fun evening.
And so they had ended up in this quirky steel venue, transformed from sea-going vessel to land-locked restaurant, with cosy decor and friendly wait-staff, though this was not Dieter's motivation for bringing them here. He had told them there was a long-standing and well-loved weekly jazz session - hosted by the house band - at which audience members who wished could perform their party pieces.
The atmosphere was lively as the group enjoyed a meal together, joined by Ciara's new friend, Elke - a politics student - who seemed quite smitten with Ciara's charms. Seon-jae sat with his arm along the seat behind Hye-won and his gaze never moved far from her. And with good reason, as she looked as pretty as he could ever remember seeing her, wearing a figure-skimming mid-green dress in smooth satin with thin shoulder straps that showed her porcelain skin and lots of it. He was probably unaware of it but, in a mint-green shirt, skinny tie and beige summer blazer, he had the look of a famous actor or singer on some personal R&R time with friends and the frequency with which other customers were sneaking peeks at the group confirmed this. He, though, saw no-one but his girl, letting his eye skim along her slim frame, shown to perfection in the sleek draping of the dress. Her eyes were shining and the slick of eye-liner she had drawn for the pure drama of it was both sexy and sweet at once and his smile told her so every moment.
Food finished, Ciara and Elke decided to move on to cocktails of a lurid colour and probably an even worse flavour, though the men - probably wisely - opted for another beer, Hye-won having her favourite - chamomile tea. The group chat broke a little at that stage, as Ciara and Elke sat back and got very cosy together, the 2 men chatted quietly and the couple had some relatively private time. Seon-jae leaned his head towards Hye-won, sipping her steaming tea - the mug cupped in both hands - and gave a light inhalation, as the vapour wafted towards him: 'ah, that's one of my favourite scents.'
She looked surprised: 'really?'
'Yes, because it is the scent of you since you came to Freiburg and I lost my mind.'
She tittered a little, though her gaze was sorrowful: 'I have really turned your life upside down haven't I, love?'
She saw a flare in his eyes and he looked as cross as she could ever remember seeing him: 'don't say that.'
There was a moment of stiff silence when their eyes searched each other for understanding - hers for him to see that she worried that his life would have been simpler had he never met her and his for her to realise that - without her - his life would have been meaningless. She caved first, the simple truth being that she didn't want him never to have met her and she told him this, though first she leaned to him and put her head on his shoulder: 'please don't be angry, my darling boy, I don't believe that you would have had a better life if you hadn't met me but it just might - might I said, not would - have been...simpler?'
He placed his hand lovingly around her cheek where it curved away from him: 'simpler? Maybe that's one of the best things about how much we adore each other - it's so simple because neither of us has any interest in anyone or anything else. We are our own world. Isn't that the simplest life of all?'
Her heart pounded her blood in her ears, as the self-less devotion of his words - spoken in a low murmur close to her ear - burned through the final layers of any reserve she might have had. She turned her mouth into his hand and placed a long, heart-felt kiss inside his palm, uncaring that it ended with a loud, pecking noise that had Ciara grinning at the 2, before returning to Elke's smiles. Hye-won turned her head upwards to meet Seon-jae's down-turned eyes, the angle giving his features an exquisite, hard-to-look-at allure. She paused to appreciate the moment, the lyrics of the song from the night before running through her mind: 'well first, like last night's song, you look so young and beautiful right now, it hurts my eyes to see you,' and she placed an open palm in front of her eyes, as though shielding them from the sun.
He smiled, beatifically - as though she had no business saying such things, with her looks - though the broad smile lit his features even more and she could only shake her head slowly, knowing her sanity was lost forever. She spoke again: 'well, to answer the question in the song. Yes. Yes, I will love you when you're no longer young and beautiful, though in my mind, you will always be the man who is looking down at me right now. A man who is so kind and so tender that I like to wake at night sometimes, just to lie quietly in his arms and feel the waves of happiness run over me that I am so lucky - so incredibly lucky - that he fell for me. And yes, I will bring him to heaven with me because there is no way that I can be without him.'
His poor heart was melted and his eyes were tearing up, like her own, so she rescued him, in the way that she knew best and he loved best. She leaned in closer and let her mouth fall slightly open and the tip of her tongue dance on the very furthest corner of her lips: 'all that grace, all that body, all that face, makes me definitely want to party,' and - leaving her tongue to madden him - she winked, a slow and knowing wink that brought a rumbling moan from his depths - as she knew it would - and then her own smile was beatific.
---
When the music began, the group - and most of the customers - pulled themselves from their post-dinner slumps, for what everyone knew would be a fun night. The band were obviously well-known by the regulars and played some lively numbers to get everyone in the mood, with plenty of brass fanfares and stomping piano, in lively up-tempo beats. This was obviously a well-known beginning that all knew would give way to a more inclusive jam session, as within minutes, customers were joining the band for quick huddled chats and then - with varying levels of musical talent but endless energy - an improvised collaboration between the band and their guest performer ensued. Varying standards were performed - German-language favourites especially popular - but with a fair smattering of world-wide hits too. My Way made an appearance with a melodious rendition by a dapper, elderly gentleman, which Ol' Blue Eyes himself would have had to approve of. Other tunes that were delivered and received with great success were well-known solos from musical theatre and there were even a few folk tunes. Hye-won looked to Ciara enquiringly - what about it? - to be met with a laughing shake of the head, though Hye-won saw Elke say something that was obviously along the same lines and get a slightly less determined turn-down. Little flirt, she just wants to be begged. Hye-won was, of course, right and enough pretty pleading on Elke's part had Ciara mock-reluctantly make her way to join the band for a quick chat and then belt out Memory from the musical Cats to rapturous applause from everyone and especially from Elke, who looked mesmerised by the force of nature that was a performing Ciara.
As Ciara resumed her seat, she winked over at Hye-won and her ulterior motive was patently clear and it had very little to do with music or musicals. Hye-won giggled to herself and Seon-jae looked to her for an explanation but she just whispered that she would tell him later, as she continued to smirk to herself at Ciara's shameless nature.
She saw Dieter speak quietly to In-seo and she saw In-seo hesitate for a fraction of a second before - with a look that yelled - why not? - walked with Dieter to join the band. When Seon-jae saw the development, he turned in amazement to Hye-won: 'does Professor Jo play non-classical?' to which Hye-won just smiled, as she remembered student nights out, which had ended with impromptu music sessions, at which In-seo had been known to both play and sing.
In-seo, of course sat to the piano, the stool happily relinquished by the band's keyboardist, while Dieter was going to be the belter for this number. What followed knocked everyone for six, as In-seo's obvious keyboard brilliance was well-matched by Dieter's gravelly rendition of the lonesome Georgia on my mind. As he honestly sang - other arms reach out to me, other eyes smile tenderly, still in peaceful dreams, I see the road leads back to you - Seon-jae recalled how unhappy Hye-won had been at the open interest which the bar girl had shown the night before and he turned towards her to see that she was watching him with what looked like just the same moment in mind and a smile of understanding passed between them - no other arms, no other eyes, our own world.
When the 2 friends finished their moment in the spotlight, no-one wanted them to leave and they were persuaded to play one more and chose the jazz standard Fly me to the Moon. As Dieter sang - you are all I long for, all I worship and adore - Seon-jae couldn't help himself and he tipped Hye-won's head back to take her lips with his, so she could feel the passion that ran through him. Though unexpected, Hye-won responded intensely to the kiss and for brief seconds to a background track of seductive jazz grooves, the couple were suspended in their own intense bubble.
Though the audience tried valiantly, nothing would persuade Dieter and In-seo to try for the hat-trick. When they returned to the table, their friends all gave them an extra, private clap and Hye-won exuberantly lifted her clapping hands above her head, as she smiled over at In-seo, for the umpteenth time in her life giving thanks to the universe for his wonderful friendship.