Description
This melody is the forty-fifth destination in the collection of the series "Ragtime at the Red-Light District." This piece occurs at Helsinki’s Kallio District.
The main character in this piece is a 32-year old lingerie designer. Every year, this person is always traveling to create new ideas based on either the latest trends or old-school techniques. The goal for this creation was simple: make every woman special, no matter the woman. Helsinki was no exception, and in nine days, the main character had so many ideas to create a new lingerie line. The journey started after noticing classic styles of clothing that several young families wore at both the beach resort in Aurinkolahti and the city’s park Eläintarha. Then, the main character became even more inspired by traditional clothing. Many patrons wore at both Uspenski and Helsinki Cathedrals.
Finally, the main character needed a touch of discipline and restraint on his lingerie line and so decided a trip to the Military Museum of Finland would suffice. For nine hours, this person feverishly completes a string of 25 new pieces of lingerie – all pieces designed in a hybrid of a cubist and classical style in various shades of black, red, and pink, with 25 percent each made from lace, spandex, polyester, and silk.
Excited by this accomplishment, the main character hoped to showcase his new line at a women’s inside Helsinki Olympic Stadium, where HJK Helsinki hosted a UEFA Europa League playoff match against Belgian club Zulte Waregem. Unfortunately, the main character received much criticism from many people and even from a few hardline male chauvinists who threw beer and vodka at the main character, an incident shown live nationally. Heartbroken, humiliated, and embarrassed, this person walked with dejected spirit on the streets of Helsinki.
The main character had walked four hours before arriving at Kallio District, where a group of 25 local women stood nearly a business entertainment parlor. The women were pleased to see such a devoted person specializing in his craft and shared in his pain of rejection. One woman advised the main character not to worry because the hardline bullies had always ridiculed them, but the women, working and single struggling to make ends meet, have still managed to overcome adversity. So, the main character then said, “Each of you ladies, please accept the creation that I crafted. It wasn’t intended for you to be beautiful to a man but intended for you to be beautiful to you inside. Be luxurious and feel rich.” The women became flattered, and the main character would stay with the women for the next 36 days, creating more lingerie that the women would feel liberated and special.
This piece had a format of 4AABB4CC4DB’4CC. Frederic Chopin’s “Waltz in D-flat Major,” Ludwig van Beethoven’s Opus No. 19 and Felix Mendelssohn’s Fantasie ou Caprice Op. 16 No. 1 was the basis for this piece. Chopin’s influence is felt in the A and B sections, while Beethoven’s influence is evident in the C section.