The audience’s tense emotions began to soften. It was like an army setting off on a long expedition, pausing to rest along the way, looking back at the rugged and stirring years of the past.
At the 58-second mark, the piano faded, and the brass instruments entered with three heavy accents, one per second, sculpting a sense of solemnity and gravity while creating a feeling of urgency that shifted from slow to rapid. The piano gradually deepened the frantic background rhythm, and the slowly thickening soundstage signaled the underlying anxiety everyone felt regarding the battle that was about to unfold. Even with long preparation and sufficient effort, there was no guarantee of victory.
What should be done to leave no regrets? Should one fight with all their might, or hold something in reserve? Would those bright, longed-for futures arrive on schedule?
Chapter 178