He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 153

153. The Voice of God

◈ Late June 1781, Johann Christian Bach’s Residence.

“I stopped by to ask you to take good care of Lord Patrick before I leave.”

It was Patrick’s first lesson.

Theo visited Bach’s practice room with Patrick.

“I should be the one asking for your consideration. Lord Patrick is a valuable person who will sing my songs, haha.”

Theo was scheduled to depart today for Manchester for a month.

It was to inspect the expansion of the textile factory in Manchester.

While Patrick was in the restroom, Theo cautiously asked,

“But, Mr. Bach?”

“Yes.”

“I certainly thought Lord Patrick might be good at singing when I first heard his voice, but I didn’t feel he was as much of a genius as you say.

Can Lord Patrick, who lacks experience and basic skills, really handle your opera? He’s a friend who has never even seen an opera, let alone sung properly.”

Bach smiled at Theo’s question.

“Lord Sanderson, sometimes there are geniuses in this world that we can’t even imagine. Like that young boy Mozart did a decade ago.”

“Ah, Mozart….”

The person who had a significant influence on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s early musical development was Johann Christian Bach, who was sitting in front of Theo.

In 1764, when the Mozart family visited London during their European tour, Bach first met 8-year-old Mozart at the palace.

Bach, who was a famous musician in London at the time, recognized young Mozart’s genius at a glance and taught him diligently for over a year.

This is why Mozart’s early piano sonatas and symphonies are said to reflect Bach’s musical style.

“As I mentioned last time, I created this difficult opera for my late father.

He was born in the Holy Roman Empire (a region encompassing modern-day Germany and surrounding countries) in the same year as Mr. Handel, but unlike Mr. Handel, my father passed away without properly making his name known to the world.

But I am proud that my father made better music than anyone else in the world.”

Bach’s father, Johann Sebastian Bach, mainly composed church music rather than popular music, and never left Germany due to his religious ministry and work.

Although his musical depth and ability were recognized within Germany, he did not gain international fame compared to Handel, who was the same age, due to his unpopular tendencies.

Of course, after the 20th century, he would be called the ‘Father of Music’ and receive much higher praise than Handel, but in the 18th century, as his son Bach said, almost no one in Europe outside of Germany knew Johann Sebastian Bach.

Bach, who followed in his father’s footsteps as a musician, was always concerned about his father, who passed away without receiving proper recognition.

“I don’t know why I keep thinking about my father these days. So, I stayed up all night writing an opera that my father never made, imagining what it would have been like if my father had been alive.”

The opera was called ‘The Pilgrim’s Journey’.

Bach poured his heart and soul into creating his own masterpiece, imagining his father, who mainly created songs with strong religious tendencies.

But there was no one to sing this difficult song.

While working enthusiastically on the opera after a long time, he became so caught up in his passion that he ended up creating a song that humans could not sing.

Bach still visited many singers, hoping for the best.

But his expectations were soon dashed into despair.

Eventually, a major revision of the original song was inevitable for the performance.

However, the more he tried to revise it, the more he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was moving away from the opera he envisioned for his father.

“That day, when Lord Sanderson brought Patrick and I heard his voice, I was truly thrilled.

This song, which might never have been released to the world… this opera for my father, which needed the voice of God, not a human… I knew instinctively that it could be released to the world through his voice.”

Mr. Bach, who seemed thirsty, drank tea repeatedly and continued.

“I have taught so many tenors and sopranos and worked with the best castratos [male singers castrated in boyhood to retain a high vocal range]. Some of them have become very successful in Italy and other parts of Europe, gaining immense popularity and making a lot of money.

But during the many performances with them, I have never been thrilled. I just felt joy and gratitude for the good performance and for performing my song well. Because they are professionals, so am I. But….”

“…….”

“But, just by matching the pitch with the piano, that sound coming from Lord Patrick’s mouth… haha… unbelievably, I felt chills all over my body from head to toe.

I’ve been doing music for over 40 years, and I was so moved by that rough, unrefined sound that he was just humming as a test… haha.”

Bach paused, suppressing his overwhelming emotions as if the feelings from that time were rising again.

“Lord Sanderson. Don’t worry. As someone who has guided many singers, I guarantee that Lord Patrick… has the voice of God.”

“…The voice of God?”

“Yes, that’s right. Of course, he doesn’t know how to make a sound right now, so he won’t be able to bring out that jewel-like voice right away. He will need a period of intense practice.

But, you don’t have to worry about the performance at the Marquis’s birthday party in a month at all.

I believe that the opera performance in December for Christmas will be a great success if you prepare and practice well for half a year. Please attend that day and confirm my words, haha.”

* * *

Theo said goodbye to Bach and went down to the first floor to get his hat, where he ran into Patrick, who had just come out of the restroom.

“Lord Sanderson? Are you going to Manchester now?”

“Yes, I’m about to leave right now.”

“I don’t know how to thank you for taking the time to care about me when you’re so busy.”

Perhaps because of Bach’s praise, Theo no longer saw Patrick as ordinary.

“Lord Patrick. Then keep practicing hard in the meantime. Mr. Bach seems to have great expectations. If you work hard as he says, you will make a very good impression on Miss Olivia.”

Patrick replied cheerfully, unlike his usual self.

“Yes! I will definitely make it happen! No, it will definitely happen!”

“It’s so nice to see you so confident and manly. Did you gain courage from Mr. Bach’s praise?”

“No. That’s not it. I still feel like he’s overestimating me.”

“Yes? But why do you seem so motivated?”

“Didn’t Lord Sanderson say last time that Olivia Perry would become Mrs. Smith? That really motivated me.”

“Ah… I was just saying that. Do you have a sense of rivalry with Lord Smith?”

“I don’t know. To be honest, Arnold Smith is definitely a manly and wonderful friend, but he seems to have ignored and treated me carelessly since I was young.

He teased me about my voice, which didn’t get thicker even after puberty, and said a lot of hurtful things. Even now, I sometimes wake up from nightmares of those days in a cold sweat.

Looking back now, I think that friend may have made me more ashamed of my voice and made me close my mouth.”

Theo had always wondered what courage a person with such a timid personality had to come for marriage counseling.

He felt that simply having a crush was not enough, but today that question was resolved.

He gained courage when his friend Arnold Smith approached the woman he had a crush on.

“I don’t blame that friend now. He must have been young and immature at the time, and I was also wrong for not fighting back and continuing to avoid what I didn’t like.

I was deprived of all the memories of my childhood that should have been enjoyable due to that friend’s excessive teasing and my bad personality.

But I don’t want to lose even Olivia, who I really like, to that friend. I will definitely steal Olivia’s heart.

Mr. Bach, the best musician of our time, recognizes me… and above all, Lord Sanderson, the greatest intellect in England, supports and encourages me from behind, so I feel strong and courageous.”

Having been recognized by Bach, his voice, which had been a source of inferiority for his entire life, seemed to be becoming a source of positive confidence.

“Haha. Yes, that’s right! I will be cheering you on from Manchester as well. Please show me a changed 모습 [Korean word for ‘appearance’ or ‘state’] when I return.”

“Yes, Baron! You can look forward to it!”

* * *

Clatter. Clatter.

In the carriage heading to Manchester, Theo pondered Bach’s words.

‘The voice of God….’

Bach is a genius when it comes to music, no matter what anyone says.

There must be a reason why such a person praises him so much.

‘But was there such a great song among Bach’s operas in the 18th century?’

A strange thought suddenly occurred to him.

Bach, both father and son, are giants in the music world.

If a person with such talent was praised as the voice of God, it should have been in Theo’s mind, who was very interested in history.

Just as you know the names of Monet or Leonardo da Vinci even if you don’t know art, if he was praised as the voice of God, it should have been recorded in history.

‘Could this also be because of the changed history? Things would have changed since I came to the 18th century, and meeting Patrick Bogart and introducing him to Mr. Bach by chance would also be a different development from history.

Perhaps Bach’s song ‘The Pilgrim’s Journey’ may have been a song that never appeared in the world because there was no one to sing it….’

Theo was already curious and looking forward to Patrick’s appearance at the Perry Marquis’s birthday party.

◈ A few days later. Manchester, Paul Osborne’s Residence.

Theo received a warm welcome at Mr. Osborne’s house, which he had visited after a long time.

In particular, the affectionate 모습 [Korean word for ‘appearance’ or ‘state’] of Lord Colin Peterson and Lady Catherine Peterson was a very happy thing as the person who connected the two.

Mr. Osborne was enjoying a happy life day by day with his reliable son-in-law and daughter, and his lovely grandchildren.

* * *

After dinner, Theo shared a car[carriage] with Lord Peterson in the study and talked.

“I looked around the newly expanded factory with Mr. Osborne this afternoon. Lord Peterson, you have prepared so well?”

“I’m glad you liked the new factory. I looked around the factory near the canal for transportation efficiency, and fortunately, a good place came out.”

“It’s luck, but I think you have a unique eye for the economy. I am so grateful that Lord Peterson handles things so well even though he is far away. I am just surprised by the explosively increasing income every year.”

“Oh, no. Without the CEO’s investment, I couldn’t have dreamed of operating such a factory, and I would have been spending my time at clubs and having economic discussions, haha.”

Hearing the words ‘economic discussion,’ Theo suddenly remembered and asked.

“By the way, Lord Peterson. I remember you were worried when I first met you a few years ago, saying that there was an intellectually valuable intellectual. You said he always stood out during club discussions, and it would be really nice if someone would be his patron….”

Peterson tilted his head for a moment at Theo’s words, then quickly clapped his hands and said.

“Ah- you’re talking about Dr. Scipio Marshall!”

“Scipio Marshall… but is he a doctor?”

“Yes, that’s right. He used to lecture at the university until a few years ago.”

Peterson’s expression was dark as he trailed off.

“He’s not at the university now?”

“Yes… unfortunately, that’s the case.”

“May I ask why?”

Peterson’s mouth revealed the sad story of Dr. Marshall.

Scipio Marshall was born a black slave.

He was put on a slave ship by a British merchant from Africa, but instead of going to the colonies in the Caribbean or North America, he was given as a gift to a count in southern England.

Although he was a black slave, the captain, who noticed his young and handsome appearance and intelligent eyes, did not sell him to the colonies and handed him over to the influential Marshall Earl in southern England as a birthday present.

The Marshall Earl at the time, who carefully examined his bright appearance, gave him his 성 [Korean word for ‘family name’ or ‘surname’] ‘Marshall’ and freed him from slavery and even had him study.

In fact, this was due to the Marshall Earl’s curiosity.

The Earl was experimenting to see if blacks could gain knowledge like whites if they were educated.

At the time, the dominant view in white society was that blacks and people of color had intelligence no different from animals and that education would be ineffective.

Thanks to this strange curiosity of the Marshall Earl, Scipio was able to seize a great opportunity that was not given to ordinary black slaves.

Scipio Marshall, who had a natural brain and perseverance, did not miss this precious opportunity given to him.

He studied harder than anyone else and quickly learned English, French, Greek, German, and Latin to a high level in a short period of time.

The Marshall Earl, who initially gave him the opportunity out of simple curiosity, was greatly impressed by Scipio’s intelligent and passionate 모습 [Korean word for ‘appearance’ or ‘state’] compared to his sons, who were addicted to gambling and entertainment and could not come to their senses.

After that, the Marshall Earl became his official sponsor and fully supported him until he studied at the university.

Eventually, Scipio became the first black man to major in natural philosophy, which included mathematics and physics, and even received a doctorate and stood on the university lecture hall. He was also very interested in economic issues and often wrote papers and enjoyed discussions related to economic trends.

In this very conservative university at the time, Scipio, a black slave, had to suffer from various forms of racism and ostracism, but all of this was possible because he had the strong background of the influential Marshall Earl.

However, his luck ended there when the Marshall Earl, who had been supporting him, suddenly passed away from a heart attack.

The sons of the Marshall Earl, who had always regarded him as a thorn in their side, cut off all support to Scipio as soon as the Earl passed away, and the university did not assign him any classes.

Eventually, Scipio, unable to endure the hardships of life, came to Manchester to find a job, and now he is barely making a living by taking on the management work of a small factory with the help of Lord Peterson.

Throughout listening to his sad story, a historical figure did not leave Theo’s mind.

‘Amazing. It’s so similar to Anton Wilhelm Amo’s life?’

Anton Wilhelm Amo.

Born in 1703 in the region corresponding to modern-day Ghana in Africa, he was put on a slave ship by a Dutch merchant and sold to a lord in the Braunschweig region of Germany.

The German lord at the time had him study unlike other black slaves.

So he went to law school at the university and even received his first doctorate in philosophy as a black man and lectured at the university.

However, he suffered from various forms of discrimination and attacks because he was black, and when the lord who had been sponsoring him died, he eventually left for his hometown of Ghana in Africa in 1747 and ended his life sadly.

When I was in modern times, I felt sorry for his story, but it was surprising that there was a very similar story in England.

I even wondered if Anton Wilhelm Amo from Germany had appeared in England now because history had changed.

“I think Scipio Marshall is a really valuable talent. The current factory owner also initially disliked Marshall because he was black when I first introduced him, but now he can’t say anything because the factory’s profits have increased dramatically.”

“Does Scipio Marshall work at a factory near here?”

“Yes, it’s a factory about 10 minutes away by carriage.”

“If you have time tomorrow, could I meet him in person?”

“The Baron? Yes! Of course, it’s possible. But why are you trying to see Marshall?”

Theo explained the educational business plan in detail and said that he was looking for someone to be the principal of the school.

Peterson was greatly pleased with Theo’s words.

“Then, Marshall is really perfect as the headmaster. You’ll know when you meet him tomorrow.”

He is a person who Peterson, who is knowledgeable in economics, actively recommends, and he is a doctor who has even lectured at a university.

Moreover, he seemed to have the ability to not only be a scholar who is knowledgeable in theory, but also to use his knowledge practically in reality.

Perhaps he was the most optimized talent as the head of the new specialized educational institution that Theo was planning.