07-11-2025, 06:25 PM
It was Friday and the week was drawing to a close. It had been a very stressful week for Johannes. He had practically flown across Germany from one customer to the next, only to have to pull the wool over his eyes because his colleagues hadn't done what the customer wanted. With a lot of talking and some hands-on work, he was able to calm the customers down. But that's just very tiring, and that's why Johannes was looking forward to the evening. He had managed to get a ticket for a concert with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra a long time ago. Since it's one of the best orchestras in Munich, demand is always high, and you practically had to try to get a ticket on the first day of advance sales. This time, Johannes was lucky, and the ticket was a very good seat. But he deserved it. Johannes worked hard to treat himself to exactly this kind of pleasure.
A smile came to his lips as he looked at himself in the mirror and tied his tie. He was really looking forward to this evening. He hadn't had the chance to hear the orchestra in a long time. Since his last relationship, he had learned to love and appreciate classical music. This kind of music often gave him back the energy he lost through his hectic professional life, and it allowed him to simply relax. This love of music is the only thing he has kept since his separation. Unfortunately, he had simply focused too much on his professional goals after that and completely ignored his private life. But he also didn't want to have a new partner in his life so quickly; for that, he first needed to get some distance and end the relationship internally.
Perhaps he'd meet him at the concert tonight, because the program was exactly the kind his ex-boyfriend liked. The first piece was Dvorak's Cello Concerto with a young, previously under-the-radar soloist, and after the interval, there was a Beethoven Symphony. Both pieces that Johannes loved, as did his ex-boyfriend.
His tie was perfect, his jacket quickly put on, and then Johannes made his way to the Gasteig. He still had an hour until the concert started, but firstly, he didn't want to rush, and secondly, he enjoyed starting an evening like this with a glass of Prosecco and watching the audience. You never know who might be going to a concert, and you can see all sorts of different people. Johannes only had to take the subway for two stops, then he had to change to the S-Bahn and travel to Rosenheimer Platz. This usually took him no more than twenty minutes, and today he managed the journey in just as long. The Gasteig, Munich's cultural center, was, as always, bathed in a warm yellow light, and the setting sun completed the picture with a sunset like a kitschy postcard. On the way from the S-Bahn stop to the concert hall, Johannes felt himself opening up and enjoying this dreamy evening atmosphere. Since there was still plenty of time, he simply took his time on the walk, breathing in the still warm early summer air and gazing at the sunset. It had been a perfect evening so far, and the concert could only be the highlight.
Johannes walked through the entrance and headed for the Käfer stand, which is located right behind the box office. There was already a flurry of activity, as many people consider a concert evening a social event, where they can show off their skills and meet new people.
Johannes took his glass of Prosecco and sat down at one of the bistro tables that were always set up there. He sipped the sparkling drink and felt it make his already good mood even more sensitive. His eyes wandered around the hall and looked at the audience that would be sharing this evening with him. To his left, at a distance, stood several older men in their suits, paired with their companions, dressed in fashionable evening wear, chatting together. Johannes had often noticed that some women didn't necessarily dress in keeping with the times or their age, but in this small group, he realized that these women had captured the taste of the times, and it suited them very well.
His gaze continued through the anteroom and then his eyes fell on a young man who had just come from the box office, beaming with joy, holding a ticket in his hand. Johannes thought to himself that this man looked very neat and had a charisma that immediately appealed to him. From a distance, he estimated that the man he was observing was in his late twenties or early thirties. His clothing was also well-chosen. He wore a burgundy jacket, a simple white shirt, and black trousers. The tie was the same color as the jacket, but it was broken up by small stripes that livened it up a bit. The young man tucked the ticket into the inside pocket of his jacket and looked around himself. Apparently, he was a stranger here, or he was looking for someone, that was how Johannes interpreted the stranger's searching gaze. Suddenly, their eyes met, and the stranger's lips curved into a smile. Embarrassed by this encounter, Johannes reached for his Prosecco glass and took a sip. His eyes, however, continued to observe the young man, who was still smiling at him in a friendly, almost provocative way. Johannes nodded at him, placing his glass on the table. Then the first gong sounded, signaling the concertgoers to gather and take their seats in the concert hall.
The stranger returned Johannes's nod, but instead of approaching him, he moved toward the entrance to the concert hall. Johannes's eyes followed him, and he noticed how elegantly, yet not arrogantly, he moved as he climbed the stairs to the entrance. Just before he was about to disappear from his sight, the stranger turned around once more, looked at him with his button brown eyes, and gave him another very charming smile. Then he was gone.
"Well, this evening is off to a very promising start," thought Johannes. He finished his glass and made his way to his seat. When he reached the entrance to the concert hall, the second gong sounded. The concert would begin soon. The ticket inspector looked at Johannes's ticket and let him in without hesitation. The hall was already bustling with activity, and Johannes went to his seat. His seat was simply fantastic. He was sitting in the 10th row, right in the middle of the hall, and thus had one of the best seats there was. He sat down and once again let his gaze wander over the expanse of the hall. Maybe I'll see him sitting somewhere, he thought to himself, but that was almost impossible, because the hall is huge, and it would be a coincidence if I did see him. In the background, he heard the third bell ring. That meant the concert was about to begin.
“Excuse me, may I please pass?” a voice suddenly said to Johannes.
"Of course," said Johannes, standing up to make way for the stranger to take his seat. And when Johannes saw who it was, his lips curved into a smile and he felt his face turn red. It was the young man he had seen downstairs earlier, and who had had a brief but intense flirtation with him.
“Good evening,” said Johannes shyly as the nice young man sat down next to him.
"Good evening," the other replied. "There's no need to be embarrassed. I thought our little flirtation earlier was very nice. May I introduce myself? My name is Jürgen." He held out his hand to Johannes, who took it and squeezed it tightly.
"My name is Johannes. And what a coincidence. Of all the 1,600 seats here, we're sitting here together."
"Yes, that's very interesting, but apparently fate has kindred spirits for both of us," his eyes gazed deep into Johannes's, and a charming smile reflected on his face. The scent of a good men's cologne reached Johannes's nose, and he realized that he, too, often wore that scent himself.
A really nice man, thought Johannes, and his voice also sounded very expressive and had a lot of warmth in it.
“That’s what it looks like,” Johannes replied, smiling back.
Meanwhile, the orchestra musicians had already taken their places on stage and tuned their instruments. The hall was filled with the usual commotion so shortly before the start of a concert. The lights were dimmed, the audience fell silent, and the musicians waited for their maestro and the evening's soloist.
Jürgen leaned slightly over to Johannes and whispered in his ear. "I wish you a wonderful concert, Johannes."
"I'm with you too, Jürgen. It's been a very nice evening so far."
The door on the left side of the stage opened, and to the applause of the audience, the conductor and soloist entered the stage. The two artists thanked the audience for the applause and took their seats. Chi Chang, the soloist's name, tuned his instrument with the concertmaster and signaled to the conductor that he was ready.
The maestro raised his baton, and the orchestra prepared itself. Now Dvorak's Cello Concerto was being played, and Johannes was eagerly awaiting it. He particularly loved the beginning of this piece. In his personal opinion, the interplay between the wind instruments and the orchestra was a successful harmony.
Then the orchestra began to play, they had chosen a tempo that Johannes hadn't expected; the maestro conducted it faster than he was used to from his recording, but it was excellently chosen. And the orchestra seemed to be in a special mood that day, for the music sounded very emotional and exuberant. It transported the listeners into a rapturous dream. Johannes closed his eyes and let himself fall into the music. A pleasant relaxation spread through him, beginning in the middle of his body, and he was transported from the world. The orchestra spurred itself on, and in the introduction to the piece, even the short wind solos sounded like a masterpiece in themselves, and the tension rose to unexpected heights until the soloist's entrance.
The conductor reduced the orchestra's volume but not its intensity, and then the cellist's inimitable tone rang out. He closed the arc of tension that the orchestra had built up for him up to that point and let his instrument resonate with a very warm tone. A firework of pleasant feelings ran through Johannes and he thought he was floating on a cloud. Chi Chang played as if from another world. Not only did he master the technically difficult passages of the piece as if they were cast seamlessly, but he also made the very emotional middle section a piece of reality. The instrument sang in such a way that every note touched one's heart. Never before had Johannes felt so deeply immersed in the music at a concert, conjuring up images of happy childhood days. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and every soothing passage of sound sent a slight shiver down his spine. Removed from the world, Johannes let himself be carried by the music and kept his eyes closed throughout the entire piece. By the time the climax of the third movement arrived, Johannes had already returned deep into his childhood, and even as the audience celebrated the artist with a standing ovation, it still took Johannes a long moment to return to reality. No, he had never experienced anything like this before. He had heard the piece many times before in concerts and knew it by heart, but he had never been so moved, so moved. A tear left his eyes and rolled down his cheek without him even realizing it. Only after an eternity did he recover and join in the audience's thunderous applause.
He glanced furtively at Jürgen, who was standing next to him and also joined in the storm of applause.
"What a wonderful evening," thought Johannes. "A unique concert so far, and then this beautiful man next to me. I never would have dreamed of something like this."
After minutes of applause, the artist did not return from his booth and the orchestra musicians also left their seats to go into the break.
“Would you like to have a drink together at the bar outside?” asked Johannes and Jürgen answered in the affirmative.
They both silently walked toward the exit and reached the bar in the lobby. The line wasn't too long, so they didn't have to wait long to get their drinks and sit at one of the tables in the back of the lobby.
“Wasn’t it beautiful how Chi Chang played the concert?” asked Jürgen.
"I know this piece really well. I've heard it many times in concerts, but this interpretation, yes, it was unique." Johannes briefly lost himself in thoughts of the concert, and a shiver of well-being ran down his spine. "A star has risen in the firmament of cellists."
"I think you're right, Johannes. He played fantastically, and his instrument is a sensation. It has such a warm sound that reaches deep within you. I don't know of, nor have I ever heard, a comparable instrument."
They talked about the previous piece throughout the entire interval, repeatedly gazing deep into each other's eyes and smiling. The intermission signal reminded them to return to their seats, for they had lost track of time and had to hurry to get there in time. The orchestra had already taken its place, and the moment they sat down, the auditorium was darkened again. The maestro returned to the stage to the applause of the audience, bowed, and immediately picked up his baton. The musicians picked up the tempo, and Beethoven's symphony filled the hall. This interpretation, too, was fantastic, and it almost seemed as if the orchestra was spurred on to peak performance by Chi Chang's solo performance, trying to build an even more brilliant climax, which was virtually impossible. Johannes was immediately entranced again and didn't even notice how Jürgen tenderly placed his hand on his and held it. Only when the symphony was over did he notice it, and he was delighted. Even before they both joined in the applause, they looked deeply into each other's eyes, and it was as if they had known each other forever and loved each other very much.
This was also the beginning of a new phase of life for both of them, which gave them both the longing for love, affection and trust.
What an evening for Johannes, Jürgen, and Chi Chang. None of them could have imagined in their wildest dreams that this evening would have such a decisive impact on all of their lives. But life often throws up such coincidences, and that's the wonderful thing about it. That's why we live and hope that fate will one day fulfill our dreams.
A smile came to his lips as he looked at himself in the mirror and tied his tie. He was really looking forward to this evening. He hadn't had the chance to hear the orchestra in a long time. Since his last relationship, he had learned to love and appreciate classical music. This kind of music often gave him back the energy he lost through his hectic professional life, and it allowed him to simply relax. This love of music is the only thing he has kept since his separation. Unfortunately, he had simply focused too much on his professional goals after that and completely ignored his private life. But he also didn't want to have a new partner in his life so quickly; for that, he first needed to get some distance and end the relationship internally.
Perhaps he'd meet him at the concert tonight, because the program was exactly the kind his ex-boyfriend liked. The first piece was Dvorak's Cello Concerto with a young, previously under-the-radar soloist, and after the interval, there was a Beethoven Symphony. Both pieces that Johannes loved, as did his ex-boyfriend.
His tie was perfect, his jacket quickly put on, and then Johannes made his way to the Gasteig. He still had an hour until the concert started, but firstly, he didn't want to rush, and secondly, he enjoyed starting an evening like this with a glass of Prosecco and watching the audience. You never know who might be going to a concert, and you can see all sorts of different people. Johannes only had to take the subway for two stops, then he had to change to the S-Bahn and travel to Rosenheimer Platz. This usually took him no more than twenty minutes, and today he managed the journey in just as long. The Gasteig, Munich's cultural center, was, as always, bathed in a warm yellow light, and the setting sun completed the picture with a sunset like a kitschy postcard. On the way from the S-Bahn stop to the concert hall, Johannes felt himself opening up and enjoying this dreamy evening atmosphere. Since there was still plenty of time, he simply took his time on the walk, breathing in the still warm early summer air and gazing at the sunset. It had been a perfect evening so far, and the concert could only be the highlight.
Johannes walked through the entrance and headed for the Käfer stand, which is located right behind the box office. There was already a flurry of activity, as many people consider a concert evening a social event, where they can show off their skills and meet new people.
Johannes took his glass of Prosecco and sat down at one of the bistro tables that were always set up there. He sipped the sparkling drink and felt it make his already good mood even more sensitive. His eyes wandered around the hall and looked at the audience that would be sharing this evening with him. To his left, at a distance, stood several older men in their suits, paired with their companions, dressed in fashionable evening wear, chatting together. Johannes had often noticed that some women didn't necessarily dress in keeping with the times or their age, but in this small group, he realized that these women had captured the taste of the times, and it suited them very well.
His gaze continued through the anteroom and then his eyes fell on a young man who had just come from the box office, beaming with joy, holding a ticket in his hand. Johannes thought to himself that this man looked very neat and had a charisma that immediately appealed to him. From a distance, he estimated that the man he was observing was in his late twenties or early thirties. His clothing was also well-chosen. He wore a burgundy jacket, a simple white shirt, and black trousers. The tie was the same color as the jacket, but it was broken up by small stripes that livened it up a bit. The young man tucked the ticket into the inside pocket of his jacket and looked around himself. Apparently, he was a stranger here, or he was looking for someone, that was how Johannes interpreted the stranger's searching gaze. Suddenly, their eyes met, and the stranger's lips curved into a smile. Embarrassed by this encounter, Johannes reached for his Prosecco glass and took a sip. His eyes, however, continued to observe the young man, who was still smiling at him in a friendly, almost provocative way. Johannes nodded at him, placing his glass on the table. Then the first gong sounded, signaling the concertgoers to gather and take their seats in the concert hall.
The stranger returned Johannes's nod, but instead of approaching him, he moved toward the entrance to the concert hall. Johannes's eyes followed him, and he noticed how elegantly, yet not arrogantly, he moved as he climbed the stairs to the entrance. Just before he was about to disappear from his sight, the stranger turned around once more, looked at him with his button brown eyes, and gave him another very charming smile. Then he was gone.
"Well, this evening is off to a very promising start," thought Johannes. He finished his glass and made his way to his seat. When he reached the entrance to the concert hall, the second gong sounded. The concert would begin soon. The ticket inspector looked at Johannes's ticket and let him in without hesitation. The hall was already bustling with activity, and Johannes went to his seat. His seat was simply fantastic. He was sitting in the 10th row, right in the middle of the hall, and thus had one of the best seats there was. He sat down and once again let his gaze wander over the expanse of the hall. Maybe I'll see him sitting somewhere, he thought to himself, but that was almost impossible, because the hall is huge, and it would be a coincidence if I did see him. In the background, he heard the third bell ring. That meant the concert was about to begin.
“Excuse me, may I please pass?” a voice suddenly said to Johannes.
"Of course," said Johannes, standing up to make way for the stranger to take his seat. And when Johannes saw who it was, his lips curved into a smile and he felt his face turn red. It was the young man he had seen downstairs earlier, and who had had a brief but intense flirtation with him.
“Good evening,” said Johannes shyly as the nice young man sat down next to him.
"Good evening," the other replied. "There's no need to be embarrassed. I thought our little flirtation earlier was very nice. May I introduce myself? My name is Jürgen." He held out his hand to Johannes, who took it and squeezed it tightly.
"My name is Johannes. And what a coincidence. Of all the 1,600 seats here, we're sitting here together."
"Yes, that's very interesting, but apparently fate has kindred spirits for both of us," his eyes gazed deep into Johannes's, and a charming smile reflected on his face. The scent of a good men's cologne reached Johannes's nose, and he realized that he, too, often wore that scent himself.
A really nice man, thought Johannes, and his voice also sounded very expressive and had a lot of warmth in it.
“That’s what it looks like,” Johannes replied, smiling back.
Meanwhile, the orchestra musicians had already taken their places on stage and tuned their instruments. The hall was filled with the usual commotion so shortly before the start of a concert. The lights were dimmed, the audience fell silent, and the musicians waited for their maestro and the evening's soloist.
Jürgen leaned slightly over to Johannes and whispered in his ear. "I wish you a wonderful concert, Johannes."
"I'm with you too, Jürgen. It's been a very nice evening so far."
The door on the left side of the stage opened, and to the applause of the audience, the conductor and soloist entered the stage. The two artists thanked the audience for the applause and took their seats. Chi Chang, the soloist's name, tuned his instrument with the concertmaster and signaled to the conductor that he was ready.
The maestro raised his baton, and the orchestra prepared itself. Now Dvorak's Cello Concerto was being played, and Johannes was eagerly awaiting it. He particularly loved the beginning of this piece. In his personal opinion, the interplay between the wind instruments and the orchestra was a successful harmony.
Then the orchestra began to play, they had chosen a tempo that Johannes hadn't expected; the maestro conducted it faster than he was used to from his recording, but it was excellently chosen. And the orchestra seemed to be in a special mood that day, for the music sounded very emotional and exuberant. It transported the listeners into a rapturous dream. Johannes closed his eyes and let himself fall into the music. A pleasant relaxation spread through him, beginning in the middle of his body, and he was transported from the world. The orchestra spurred itself on, and in the introduction to the piece, even the short wind solos sounded like a masterpiece in themselves, and the tension rose to unexpected heights until the soloist's entrance.
The conductor reduced the orchestra's volume but not its intensity, and then the cellist's inimitable tone rang out. He closed the arc of tension that the orchestra had built up for him up to that point and let his instrument resonate with a very warm tone. A firework of pleasant feelings ran through Johannes and he thought he was floating on a cloud. Chi Chang played as if from another world. Not only did he master the technically difficult passages of the piece as if they were cast seamlessly, but he also made the very emotional middle section a piece of reality. The instrument sang in such a way that every note touched one's heart. Never before had Johannes felt so deeply immersed in the music at a concert, conjuring up images of happy childhood days. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and every soothing passage of sound sent a slight shiver down his spine. Removed from the world, Johannes let himself be carried by the music and kept his eyes closed throughout the entire piece. By the time the climax of the third movement arrived, Johannes had already returned deep into his childhood, and even as the audience celebrated the artist with a standing ovation, it still took Johannes a long moment to return to reality. No, he had never experienced anything like this before. He had heard the piece many times before in concerts and knew it by heart, but he had never been so moved, so moved. A tear left his eyes and rolled down his cheek without him even realizing it. Only after an eternity did he recover and join in the audience's thunderous applause.
He glanced furtively at Jürgen, who was standing next to him and also joined in the storm of applause.
"What a wonderful evening," thought Johannes. "A unique concert so far, and then this beautiful man next to me. I never would have dreamed of something like this."
After minutes of applause, the artist did not return from his booth and the orchestra musicians also left their seats to go into the break.
“Would you like to have a drink together at the bar outside?” asked Johannes and Jürgen answered in the affirmative.
They both silently walked toward the exit and reached the bar in the lobby. The line wasn't too long, so they didn't have to wait long to get their drinks and sit at one of the tables in the back of the lobby.
“Wasn’t it beautiful how Chi Chang played the concert?” asked Jürgen.
"I know this piece really well. I've heard it many times in concerts, but this interpretation, yes, it was unique." Johannes briefly lost himself in thoughts of the concert, and a shiver of well-being ran down his spine. "A star has risen in the firmament of cellists."
"I think you're right, Johannes. He played fantastically, and his instrument is a sensation. It has such a warm sound that reaches deep within you. I don't know of, nor have I ever heard, a comparable instrument."
They talked about the previous piece throughout the entire interval, repeatedly gazing deep into each other's eyes and smiling. The intermission signal reminded them to return to their seats, for they had lost track of time and had to hurry to get there in time. The orchestra had already taken its place, and the moment they sat down, the auditorium was darkened again. The maestro returned to the stage to the applause of the audience, bowed, and immediately picked up his baton. The musicians picked up the tempo, and Beethoven's symphony filled the hall. This interpretation, too, was fantastic, and it almost seemed as if the orchestra was spurred on to peak performance by Chi Chang's solo performance, trying to build an even more brilliant climax, which was virtually impossible. Johannes was immediately entranced again and didn't even notice how Jürgen tenderly placed his hand on his and held it. Only when the symphony was over did he notice it, and he was delighted. Even before they both joined in the applause, they looked deeply into each other's eyes, and it was as if they had known each other forever and loved each other very much.
This was also the beginning of a new phase of life for both of them, which gave them both the longing for love, affection and trust.
What an evening for Johannes, Jürgen, and Chi Chang. None of them could have imagined in their wildest dreams that this evening would have such a decisive impact on all of their lives. But life often throws up such coincidences, and that's the wonderful thing about it. That's why we live and hope that fate will one day fulfill our dreams.