He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 156

156. The Eve of the Showdown

Bach kept muttering the song Tae-oh had recommended.

“Under the shadow of happiness… under the shadow of happiness….”

A scene from the movie ‘Farinelli’ shows Farinelli singing under the direction of his brother, Riccardo.

In this scene, the audience reacts enthusiastically to the protagonist’s fantastic high notes. The song featured is ‘Under the Shadow of Happiness (Ombra fedele anch’io).’

After a moment of contemplation, Bach nodded and opened his mouth.

“Hmm… ‘Under the Shadow of Happiness (Ombra fedele anch’io)’ from Idaspe… isn’t that the song made famous by the renowned castrato [a male singer castrated before puberty to preserve their soprano or alto voice] singer, Farinelli?”

“Yes, that’s right. I thought it would suit Lord Patrick, who can hit high notes, quite well.”

Farinelli had stayed in London for about three years, performing there some 40 years ago.

And after his last performance in 1737, he was no longer seen in theaters.

Even in 1781, when Tae-oh was active, Farinelli was still alive, but almost no one among the general public remembered him, now in his late 70s.

In an era without recording technology, the operas Farinelli sang in London during his youth remained only as legends passed down by word of mouth.

A faint smile spread across Bach’s face.

“Yes, yes. Why didn’t I think of that song? That aria [a long, accompanied song for a solo voice, typically in an opera or oratorio] would be perfect for Lord Patrick! Haha.

Farinelli was known to produce a range from C3 to C6, spanning from the ‘C’ in the first octave to the ‘C’ in the fourth octave, with unwavering timbre and volume.

Therefore, to perform that song well, a consistent and stable rise and fall of high notes must be guaranteed in the refrain.

Although Lord Patrick may not reach the same high notes as Farinelli, he can maintain and control his voice stably at a considerably high pitch, so he can produce a similar sound. Even singing just similarly would make the performance a great success.”

“How high can Lord Patrick go?”

“Well, so far, he can easily manage at least the second octave, and with a little more practice, the third octave shouldn’t be too difficult. He’s on par with most castratos.

Of course, it’s impossible to produce the same natural high notes as Farinelli, but if an ordinary man can produce a similar sound, the party will probably be turned upside down, haha.”

At that time, professional singers naturally mastered the second octave, and sopranos aimed to reach ‘A5’ in the third octave.

But for an ordinary man to approach the natural sound of the third octave in less than a month was truly remarkable.

“I don’t know much, but to be at the level of an opera singer in just a month… that’s amazing.”

“Yes, it’s truly a great talent. So, I think he can perform the high-pitched parts of the opera I composed this time without much difficulty if he practices for about four months.

Although he hasn’t sung the whole thing yet, I’ve tried having him sing only the difficult high-pitched parts as a test, and he didn’t struggle much.

Of course, since he’s an amateur, he needs to distribute his energy well to sing the entire song, and the high notes are still a bit unstable, but I think it’s entirely possible if he learns a few more tricks.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Haha, but by the way, Lord Sanderson, I heard you don’t know much about music, so how do you know about Farinelli? It’s a legendary story from before you were even born?”

“I once heard a moving story about Farinelli’s life and musical activities. That story remained in my head. Then, it suddenly occurred to me how it would be if Lord Patrick sang this song.”

“I see. But, this… it feels like it’s too good to just be heard at a birthday party. But it will also be the most important moment in Lord Patrick’s life, so I must help him well.

By the way, Marquis Perry must be very pleased? He’s mentioned several times that he regrets never having heard Farinelli’s opera in person. Haha, he’ll fulfill some of his wish at this birthday performance, haha. Lord Sanderson, you’ll be coming that day, right?”

“Yes, of course. I’m very curious. I wonder what aria will be performed.”

“You can look forward to it. Haha-“

Tae-oh felt a strange excitement.

He was thrilled at the thought of being able to experience the emotion of opera firsthand in the era when Farinelli lived.

In the movies, audiences who listened to Farinelli’s songs were so overwhelmed with excitement that they even fainted. He wondered if that was really the case.

Moreover, Farinelli’s voice in modern movies is artificially created.

That is, it was a fake sound created by digitally synthesizing the sounds of a countertenor [a male singer who sings in the alto range using falsetto], who produces a higher range than a typical male tenor, and a female soprano.

However, in modern times, there is no proper transmission of how castratos sang, what their training methods were like, or what their vocalization was like, so there was bound to be a difference from reality.

Tae-oh was very curious about the aria sung by Patrick, who was said to surpass ordinary castratos.

‘I wonder… what kind of sound will Patrick deliver?’

◈ A few days later. Near St. James’s Palace in London, T&S Coffee Branch No. 3.

Tomorrow was finally Marquis Perry’s birthday.

In the meantime, Patrick had been diligently practicing the song ‘Under the Shadow of Happiness (Ombra fedele anch’io),’ which Bach had arranged to suit his voice.

Tae-oh was eager to visit the practice room and listen to the song, but he held back, not wanting to put pressure on him.

Instead, on the last day of practice, he invited the two to his outdoor cafe, Branch No. 3, in central London to commend them for their hard work while enjoying the fragrant aroma of T&S Original coffee beans.

“Lord Patrick, have you finished practicing now?” Tae-oh asked.

Patrick Bogart let out a short sigh.

“Ha- Yes. I did try my best, but I still feel like it’s not enough…. I wish I had just one more week to practice.”

Bach shook his head at his uncertain answer.

“Lord Sanderson, you don’t need to worry. Even if he makes a few mistakes, people will probably cheer wildly! Haha.”

Bach’s face was full of confidence.

“Lord Patrick? If the teacher is this confident, I don’t think you have anything to worry about?”

“The teacher doesn’t know Lord Arnold’s skills. Lord Arnold is really… at the level of a singer.”

The three were talking about tomorrow’s performance when someone approached and spoke.

“Oh, isn’t this Bach?”

Bach turned his head to identify the person, and a subtle expression of annoyance appeared between his eyebrows.

“Oh, it’s you, Jake. How have you been?”

The moment Tae-oh heard the name ‘Jake,’ he seemed to know who he was.

Jake Martin.

If Tae-oh’s memory was correct, he was currently the most popular young composer and show planner at the London Opera House.

If Bach was a setting sun, Jake Martin was one of the rising young star composers.

“By the way, Teacher? I heard that your student will be singing an aria at Marquis Perry’s birthday tomorrow. Is that true?”

His deceitful eyes and the corners of his lips hinted at sly mockery.

He was pretending not to know, even though he already knew the story.

But Bach didn’t seem to care much.

“Well, that’s how it turned out. It seems I’ll be performing after your show.”

“Haha- How about you go first? I’m worried that if I go first, your performance will be overshadowed. Moreover, I’ve heard a bit about the person who’s singing the aria… Hehe.”

He didn’t finish his sentence, chuckling, leaving unspoken what he had heard.

He must have heard something about Lord Patrick Bogart.

‘…….’

Come to think of it, Lord Patrick’s expression wasn’t very good either.

Feeling a sense of unease, Tae-oh glanced back and saw a sturdy young man smirking at a distant outdoor table.

Judging from Patrick’s emotions, he could roughly guess who it was.

‘…Speak of the devil. That must be Lord Arnold.’

Arnold Smith’s expression was full of composure. There was no sign of tension about tomorrow’s performance.

Jake Martin continued, speaking to Bach as if he was worried.

“But I recently heard from Philip that you composed an opera with a lot of third and fourth octaves and are desperately looking for a singer to sing it… Haha. I wonder if you’ve found one?”

“…….”

“But oh, Teacher. Why did you compose such an unreasonable piece? You already don’t look well, so please let go of your greed for composing and take care of your health. What opera are you talking about now? Who would sing such a song, and which theater would accept it… It’s really a pity.”

His continued mockery was quite irritating.

Tae-oh couldn’t stand it any longer and interjected.

“Hey! We were having a conversation, weren’t we? Shouldn’t you just say hello and leave? Isn’t that the least you can do?”

“What?”

“Are you Jake Martin?”

Martin was offended that a stranger was picking a fight for no reason and even called his name and surname without honorifics [without using a title like ‘Lord’ or ‘Sir’].

“…That’s right. Do you know me?”

“I heard about you from Lord Maxwell of Southwark.”

Lord Maxwell was the earl with whom he had built a friendship while treating his second son, Lord Christine Maxwell, who suffered from mental illness.

He wasn’t as much of a music enthusiast as Marquis Perry, but he was supporting several musicians, including Jake Martin.

Jake Martin’s expression suddenly changed at the mention of knowing the Earl of Maxwell, who was supporting him.

He had thought of him as an insignificant aspiring singer with Bach, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

“Ah, is that so? It seems you have a relationship with Lord Maxwell?”

“That’s right.”

“Excuse me… what’s your name…?”

“Teo Sanderson.”

“What?!

Martin’s complexion, which had been consistently arrogant and sarcastic, changed in an instant.

“Lord… Lord Sanderson, you say?”

Tae-oh nodded silently.

“Ah… it’s… an honor to meet you, Lord, Lord Sanderson.”

He was about to become an earl, not only possessing enormous wealth but also emerging as a hero who saved King George, and recently even made the true Duke heir of the Edwards family, making him a real power broker.

Moreover, he had heard directly from the Earl and Countess that they regarded Lord Sanderson as a lifelong benefactor for healing the Earl of Maxwell’s son, who was suffering from madness, and even successfully holding his wedding.

Even if he said just one word to the Earl of Maxwell, the support he was receiving could be cut off immediately.

Realizing his mistake, Martin changed his attitude towards Bach by 180 degrees.

“Teacher! I didn’t know it was a meeting with such a noble person and wasted your time with unnecessary words. I’m really sorry. I’ll leave right away. Then, have a pleasant time. And I look forward to a great performance at the Marquis’s birthday party tomorrow. Goodbye then.”

“Yes, have a good performance too. I’ll see you at the party tomorrow.”

“Yes, yes! Teacher!”

Martin bowed politely to Bach and Tae-oh and hurriedly returned to his table as if fleeing.

Bach smiled bitterly as he watched his retreating figure.

Tae-oh looked at Patrick, who still had a dark face, and asked.

“Lord Patrick, is that young man sitting next to Jake Martin Lord Arnold? The one you mentioned who had been subtly bullying you since childhood?”

Patrick, slightly embarrassed, nodded weakly.

“Yes, that’s right. You’re very perceptive, as expected.”

The two, who had been somewhat uneasy about tomorrow’s performance, had now adopted a more determined stance.

‘…….’

Their motivations might be different, but I could feel a strong desire not to lose.

‘Whether their desire to win will be excessive and become poison, or whether it will become medicine, will all be revealed tomorrow.’