From Now on
What Wagner Tells? How to relate to Wagner from
Now?
Reviews of Wagner by Maruyama, Furtwängler and F-Dieskau
Relation of Music and Ageing and The Five Senses which remains
until at one’s End
Epilog
Attached Documents
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
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----
however, I often think, if Beethoven did not compose "Pastoral
symphony", we would never know pleasure from that music. I enjoy
fresh impression always whenever I listen to it. If Schubert did not
write down beautiful melodies of "Unfinished symphony", millions or
billions people would not know them, forever ----
Seiji Ozawa (1981, talk with TohruTakemitsu)
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Music Shelves（Aug. 2012）
Pal (Oct. 21, 2003- )
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Prolog
Finally,
I came to the age of 65 in 2012. I was tossed about by the angry waves during
my life time. I had been contacted with many music and they encourage and
console me, quite a lot. At the age of forties and fifties, I was really busy
at many urgent and accurate works. However, I concentrated myself to listen to
music when it was possible. With favor of music, I could pass through these
hard days without suffering serious illness.
Here, I
describe my "Personal History of Music". In some chapter, I
write about composers and about performers at another page. All of them
come from drawer of my memory. I hope this writing will become a small
record describing about personal history of music by a Japanese who lives at
this time.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
1. Birth - 10 years old
(1947-1956)
Birth,
Kindergarten, Elementary School Age
I was born on February 22nd, 1947 at the hospital of postal services (current:
NTT Japan West Osaka Hospital) which locate at Momodani, Tennouji-ku, Osaka,
Japan. I was born there because of my father's work at postal administration.
For some few years, our family moved in Osaka city, several times.
Later, mother told me about our hard life of extreme food shortage after
the World War II.
My memory starts from 4 years old, while our family lived at Kamitoba,
Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto city (old address). Our home was surrounded by
fields and many cows and horses were used for cultivation and transportation.
Presently, this area (Kamitoba, Minami-ku, Kyoto city) has been changed
quite a lot with wide industrial roads and factories. To the kindergarten,
I went on foot carrying strawberry-jam bread in my shoulder bag.
It was about 1 km for one-way. The kindergarten was owned by a Buddhist
temple. One day, our mischief was found by principal and as a punishment,
we were closed at storage house in dark, for some time. We all cried
with full exhausted voice.
At that time, there was no culture to learn piano or violin for boys around
our neighbors. I do not have special memories to music when I was
elementary school ages. We learned old Japanese songs at school and I remembered
several popular songs and theme songs of Yujiro movie from radio.
At the lower grades of elementary school, I played "Haru-no-ogawa
(a spring stream, a Japanese nursery rhyme)" and at the upper grade,
I played "Gold and Silver", a waltz by F. Lehar at school concert.
However, I do not remember what instrument I played. I grew up at
an ordinary environment for Japanese boy, as a primary baby boomer.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
2. The Teens (1957-1966)
Junior High
School Age, Sudden Encounter to Music
In April 1959, I entered to a private junior-high and high school in Kyoto
which was organized by the Catholic Church. The school started to
win some good results at entrance examinations to university. There
was no violence at school, and many students came from upper or middle-class
families. My junior-high school environment was very different to
that of my elementary school age in the country. My school records
was not good almost at every time, however, I spent my school life as an
ordinary student.
During
summer vacation night at the age of 13, I was studying with turning on midnight
radio, as usual. At that night, a special encounter to music came to
me. All of a sudden, I felt as if I was in a dream. It was a march
from the Nutcracker Suite, a famous valley music composed by P. I. 
Tschaikovsky. Especially, I was shocked with delight and rhythmic
melody of introductory part by woodwinds and brasses. This was my
very birth of curiosity to music. （♪：▶ チャイコフスキー：組曲《くるみ割り人形》第2曲.「行進曲」 - YouTube )
Since then, in my life, great part of my interest went to music.
I still remember quite clearly about a moment which took place to me more
than 50 years ago. Since then, my interest to music had been focused
to composer (or performer) intensively. Basically, I did not listen
to music randomly whatever came along. So, when I recall my personal
history of music, related memories come one after another, in connection.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Stereo Experience
I still
remember my first strange Stereo experience. At that time, all radio
broadcasting and music records were in monaural, however new "Stereo"
recording system which can be heard three-dimensionally was developed.
Then, gradually stereo LPs and playing equipment for stereo records were sold
in the market. At that time, stereo records were very expensive and each
product had large "STEREO" sign to discriminate to old monaural
records.
My first "stereo" experience was following: prepare two medium
frequency radios and set up them at a few meter distance then tune one
radio to Asahi broadcasting and another to Mainichi broadcasting (to my memory, this program held for one hour on every Sunday 1 pm). I sit at vertex of equilateral triangle. After test signals
of metronome, sound of nature and newly recorded stereo music were broadcasted.
As these recording had been collected for special stereo effect, sounds
moved frequently from right and left. This was experiences of new
three-dimensional sound for us all.
Crash of
thunder from the sky, rushing sound of steam locomotive approaching from a
distance and succeeding rattling monotone of freight trains, ---- Jazz sessions
transferring from piano, saxophone and drums one after another were quite
stimulus for listener. Gradually, the times went to stereo LP age.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
High School Age
I finished junior-high school in March 1962. In those days, I had
only a medium-wave (monaural) radio. I wanted eagerly to have new
equipment for stereo sound. I asked my father to buy a stereo record
player, earnestly. He kindly bought a one box type record player
(made by Victor co.) (At that time, there was a few broadcasting for classical music.
I remember one radio program called "Ongaku-no-Izumi (Music Fountain)"
on Sunday morning from 8:05 to 9:00 by Mr. Keizo Horiuchi as commentator.
This is a long-lived program which continues even now.)
Gradually,
LP records became common products, however they were still expensive for high
school student. Some publishing company produced comment books of music
in series with Sono-sheet (thin and soft record made by vinyl) as
supplement. These books were sold at reasonable prices. Of course,
Sono-sheet had fairly poor sound however I got good chance enjoying music
easily.
I
remember followings:
l Beethoven: Symphony No.3, Otto Schmitt, Hamburg Symphony Orchestra (Diskco.)
l Beethoven: Symphony No.5, Otto Schmitt, Hamburg Symphony Orchestra (Diskco.)
l Bizet: Carmen-selection, Shizuko Kawasaki (soprano) et al., Gaetano Komeri,
Tokyo
Philharmonic Orchestra（Victor
publishing co.)
l Test record of record
player: Dvorak, Symphony No.9 (from the New World) introductory part
of the last movement, Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Mozart,
Turkish march
(arranged for Jazz style) (Victor co.) and so on.
I listened
to them over and over again until Sono-sheets were worn.
Soon, I became 3rd grade in high school and the entrance examination to
university came before long. I had to concentrate for the examination
however music were so appealing, I listened to music when I had a time
to listen music. At that very good timing, there held Tokyo Olympic
game in October, 1964. I watched almost all of the games of Japanese
athletes, and my consciousness to the examination lacked concentration.
My LP
collections at that age were followings:
l Dvorak: Symphony, from the New
World, Arturo Toscanini, NBC Symphony Orchestra (Victor)
l Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No.1,
Sviatoslav Richter, Herbert von Karajan, Wien Symphony Orchestra
(limited import LP from oversea, I bought it from my
friend (classmate) whose father was a professor of Biological Science at Kyoto University.
That LP was my most valuable treasure (foreign-made LP!!) (Deutsche Gramophone)
l Tchaikovsky: Ballet suite, Swan
Lake, Ernest Ansermet, Suisse Romande Orchestra (London)
l Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos, Jascha Heifetz , Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch, Boston Symphony Orchestra (Victor) etc.
All these
valuable LPs were bought by my parents. Although, LPs became as one of
the most valuable tools for music appreciation, some noises caught by needles
and it was necessary to turn over record at every 30 minutes, and surface must
keep clean all the time. In compare to present time, we needed rather
complicated process for listening music.
At that
age, I was devoted myself to Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky’s music has
imposing and melancholic characters and it might appeal to my mentally unstable
adolescent mind. I was overwhelmed ---- by solemn introduction and
Russian folk music in the piano concerto and splendid and ever-changing
melancholic melody in the violin concerto.
Here, I
think back my favorite music at my teens. I had an understanding that
"Tchaikovsky is a perfect expressionist!" And, my music choices were
leaned toward Tchaikovsky. However, beyond a doubt, I was excited by
beautiful and dramatic music of him. I cannot explain well why I had such
impression at that time. In Tchaikovsky's music, there contain nostalgic
feeling with sweet, excitement and romanticism. It can be said as Russian
gloom. In any case, I met his music at my teens. It was a supreme
bliss experience for me and I earnestly accepted his music with my own
understanding ability. I contacted only one aspect of music, but I
believed that it was everything. May be, I had an unstable mind which
needed to concentrate to something.
At my
young age, I did not like unfamiliar music (Jazz and so on) and monotonous
music (Bach and others). Also other Russian composer’s music such as
Rakhmaninov, Prokofiev and Shostakovich did not come to my sight, yet.
Favorite
music at Junior-High and High School Age:
Beethoven: Symphony No.6 (Pastoral), No.8 and No.9 (Choral), Piano Concerto
No.5 (Emperor), Brahms: Hungarian dances (No. 5, No.6 and several others,
orchestra arrangement), Tchaikovsky: Serenade for strings, Mendelssohn:
Violin Concerto, Grieg: Piano Concerto No.1, Schumann: Piano Concerto,
Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen, Smetana: Symphonic poem "Moldau", Händel:
Water Music, Variations of theme of blacksmith (cembalo), Rimsky-Korsakov:
Sheherazade, etc.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Kyrie leison----
I went to the Junior-High and High School owned by Catholic Church.
There were class of Religion and we learned Doctrine of Christianity, Life
of Jesus Christ and the Gospels, etc. I still remember clearly the
Mass music which was written in Latin. We sang them with organ accompaniment
by Father. I remember clearly the words and melody of the Mass music,
Kyrie, Gloria, Agnus Dei, Credo, Sanctus and so on. Probably, the
Mass music would be sing even now in many church in the world, however
I do not remember the title and composer of the Mass music. （♪：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aah_ITLw3R8）
Many years later, I recognized that most of famous Mass music by Mozart, Verdi and Bach (B-minor) were written by the same "Latin". This may be a common understanding for Western peoples however it was a big surprise to me. After High School, I had no chance to sing or listen to the Masses. Somehow, I still remember melodies and words of the Masses, clearly.
Several
weeks ago in this year, there held alumni of the Junior-High and High school,
after a long separation. To that party, our teacher, Mr. T (81 years old)
was invited. He was in good health condition. During the party, I
had no chance to talk with him. Several days later, I wrote an asking
letter to him of my pending question about the Masses at school age. I
understood that he had been a pious Christian. Soon, I received a kind
letter and learned that the Masses title was "De Angelis", in
Gregorian chant. Also, a copy of the music score of “Kyrie leison” with four ruled line, unfamiliar for us was enclosed. By
internet search, I could catch familiar melody of the Masses, immediately.
Kyrie,
Gloria, Agnus day ---- my memories were correct.
In addition, I also learned that the Masses did not sing by Latin language
at church in Japan anymore from some dozen years ago. The Pole gave
an official message to the whole world that all Gregorian chant should
be sung with their native own languages. Since the message, the Masses
have been sung by each own native language (of course, by Latin in Vatican!).
My teacher told that he needed some time to adjust the Masses in Japanese,
because he had sung the conventional Latin Masses, for long time.
I was
surprised the message of the Pope to change words of the Masses. The
Masses in Latin have been sung more than thousand years in the whole world by
believers. I am not a Christian, and I have no intention to cut in
however, I wonder some important belief might be disappeared by this
change. Anyway, finally the Masses which I had missed for long time
returned to me.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
“Rohnin“ Time, Abstinent from Music!
As a
matter of course, I failed in the entrance examination straight out of high
school. I was forced to start a “rohnin”
student, a person out of school, at least one year. I owed my parents a
great deal both materially and spiritually, however I had been convinced that
my “rohnin” time was
really a good experience for my lest of life.
I promised
"No Music" and sealed Sono-sheets and LPs, in large envelopes.
I also sealed record box and playback equipment, as well. I kept distance
from radio and carried out "No Music". I devoted myself to
study for the examination, intensively. This experience for the
examination gave a good training of self-confidence. My age of 18 to 19
years old was a tough year with concentration and hard work.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
3. The Twenties
(1967-1976)
University Student Age
Ｍy student life at university started at when I was 19 years old.
During my campus life, it was at the midst of a revolution storm of universities
which took place around the whole world. My life was also unusual.
We had only a half classes during whole four years. I had learned
science subjects by independent studies from voluntary instructors or senior
students.
Also, I was active at Wandervögel Club and spent many time at outdoors
and enjoyed nature all year around. As a student, it was necessary
to have part-time job to keep studying and out-door activities. I
experienced many part-time jobs, such as tutor, costumed parade as soldier
at Kyoto traditional festival, worker of railway track maintenance, proctor
of entrance examination of national civil servants, assistant of house
cleaning, and so on.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Beethoven: String Quartet
(the Complete)
I got my
first sizable money by part-time job. I wanted to get orthodox music
records with my first earnings. I did not mind whether I knew the music
well. I wanted to get music which has been recognized as a genuine
first-class music. After several thinking，I chose the String Quartet (the complete) by Ludwig van Beethoven. According to explanatory booklet of music, the style of string quartets had been started and established through Haydn and Mozart.
Then Beethoven completed the world of string quartets through his hard
work. Among Beethoven’s 16
string quartets, there exist various kind of music. While young,
Beethoven composed music with a feeling of youth enthusiasm and, at his old
ages he reached to an awakened mental state (spiritual awakening). All of
Beethoven's music transition has been condensed in his string quartets. Beethoven’s string quartets (the complete) have been recognized as a most
delightful work in chamber music.
Beethoven
has been told the first composer who injected “will” into
music. In music history, it is considered that music stands on
self-reliance from Beethoven's symphony No.3 (Eroica). We have many
chances to listen to Beethoven’s symphonies. On
the other hand, there was a limited opportunities to listen to his string
quartets on radio broadcasting or concert. In the world of string
quartet, did he also established “will” to stand on self-reliance? May be，”Yes”. If so, what kind of world did he create at string
quartets? I thought that the music performed only by four players might
be strained for well-harmonized ensemble.
It was
also important to me that string quartet could be listened to small playback
equipment at turn down volume.
I
selected,
Beethoven:
String Quartets (the Complete) (16 Music + Grosse Fugue),
Barylli
String Quartet (10 LPs, monophonic) (Westminster) (\10,000)
Walter Barylli (1921-
) a genuine Wiener, was leader of Barylli string quartet and he performed first
violin. He also played concert master at the Wien Philharmonic
Orchestra. Barylli string quartet was mostly active during 1950s and its
name was remembered well as a most outstanding chamber music group in
Wien. At that time, string quartets such as Julliard, Smetana, Haydn and
Amadeus were well known at excellent performance. During university
student years, I concentrated to listen to Beethoven’s string
quartets mainly by Barylli group.
Beethoven's string
quartets are classified into three groups from the view point of composed year
and music characteristics (the 1st, 2nd and 3rd groups).
The 1st group
consists of six string quartets of opus number 18. The 1st group composed
when Beethoven was 27 to 30 years old. We have a fixed idea that
Beethoven is a strong-willed person. The image come from his symphonies
of “No.3 (Eroica)”, “No.5”, “No.6 (Pastoral)”,
“No.7” and “No.9 (Choral)”. From these symphonies,
we have an image that he is a strong and powerful person.
My first
discovery from the quartets of the 1st group was its young and lovely musical
motifs. For my ears, the 1st stage quartets sounded almost same to those
of Haydn works. I found characteristic similarities to his early works of
piano sonatas and No.1 and 2 symphonies, too.
There are
many trials in his 1st string quartets. Various kinds of emotions appear
in the music and every expression is friendly. It is surprising that
Beethoven wrote such cheerful expressions while he was young. It is
difficult to believe that such friendly music also come from the same
Beethoven.
The most memorable string quartet at the 1st group is No.4. Especially,
the first movement, Allegro ma non tanto, C-minor is amazing. From
the beginning, unstable and a kind of strong motif expressed which was
characteristic to adolescent youth. The strong first theme with powerful
motif, we can understand by intuition that he would reach to symphony No.5,
certainly in near future (yes, symphony No.5 has the key of C-minor, same
to that of the 4th string quartet). （♪：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZGv6fiaJAE）
It was my pleasure to find source of overwhelming force of Beethoven among
his early string quartet. I was impressed that the music started
to stand by itself with “Will”. The 4th
string quartet was composed when he was 27 to 28 years old. This was
about ten years before that he composed the 5th symphony. I could find
vivid Beethoven's youth in the sound of string quartet, so far.
The 2nd
stage contains five string quartets. The 3 string quartets (No. 7, 8 and
9) of op. 59 was donated to Count Rasumovsky and “Harp” (No.
10, op. 74) and “Serioso”
(No.11, op. 95), all these music of the 2nd stage were composed at his second
half of 30s (1808 to 1810).
These
five string quartets of the 2nd stage had mature theme with typical Beethoven's
identical style. All of his music at this stage such as, piano sonatas
and symphonies were composed with grand design same as string quartets.
They are all tough, strong and famous piece of music. These we see
steadfast Beethoven with original characteristics.
For
example, the string quartet No. 7 (Rasumovsky No.1, op. 59-1) was composed in
1808. At that time, he had already composed the 3rd symphony (Eroica) in
1804 and at the same time, he also composed well known tunes such as “Appasionata” piano sonata, the 5th symphony, the 4th piano
concerto, the violin concerto and so on. In fact, at the Beethoven’s planning sketch notes, there appeared several motives of the
string quartets with many other famous motives of symphonies, piano sonatas and
so on.
The motif
and the exposition of theme of the string quartet sound like to that of “Eroica” and scherzo at the 2nd movement, also somehow sound like similar to
his symphonies which composed later. At the 4th movement, Russian dance
rhythm appears, but without doubt this is a Beethoven’s
Russian dance. As a whole, the 7th string quartet is a substantial work
which reflects Beethoven’s overflowing energy.
The 9th
string quartet (op. 74) was composed at the same time with “Pastoral” (the 6th symphony) and “Emperor” (the 5th piano concerto). This string quartet is named “Harp” because almost of the 1st movement is
played by pizzicato. Solemnity and cheerful expression remind that he
composed it at his highest creativity. In any case, those five string
quartets stand as masterpieces and are comparable to symphonies and piano
concertos of the same period. Unfortunately, popularity of music genre of
string quartets is rather limited in comparison to symphonies and piano
concertos, so the chance that the masterpieces of string quartets come to topic
among people is not much.
The 3rd
and the final stage of string quartets contain six music, No. 12 (op. 127), No.13-15
(op. 130-132), No. 16 (op.135) and Grosse Fuge (op.133). They were
composed while he was 52 to 56 years old, the year before of his death.
Many of these string quartets were composed after the 9th symphony (Coral), and
they reflect obscure life of his late years, solitary expression and
philosophical view of life. There is no enthusiasm which was expressed at
“the
9th symphony” and the world of “austere refinement” is coming close.
Among such mature tone, we see relieved feeling which twinkles like a toy
fireworks in a split second.
For example, at the 3rd movement, andante molto adagio of the 15th string
quartet (op.132), describe a scene watching disappearing candle flame quietly.
Playing time of this movement takes about 20 minutes. The theme expresses
affectionate kindness. This might be a resignation which Beethoven
reached. This movement and the 3rd movement of the 9th symphony,
adagio cantabile, give the same impression, a kind and healing impressions.
This movement symbolizes a closing movement of Beethoven’s colorful
string quartets.
I still
keep the 10LPs of Barylli String Quartet at home which were produced almost 50
years ago. My record player was broken long time ago, so I cannot hear
them since then. Instead, I listen to the CDs of string quartets by The
Taneyev Quartet (recorded 1971-88 in Czechoslovakia, Boheme Music) and Alban
Berg Quartet (recorded 1978-83 in Switzerland, EMI). I like both of their
clear performances.
My
favorites at that age were Beethoven’s string quartets as well as instrumental
pieces with dramatic and gorgeous sound. I was mainly an ardent admirer
of the romantic school music. I also heard Bach sometimes but not
impressed much and the opera world was out of sight, at all. In addition,
I had no interest to jazz music, yet.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Bach: Brandenburg Concertos (LPs borrowed)
During
high-school age, there was a teacher who liked classical music. Mr. T
taught Japanese language to us. At school, our daily life was focused to
concentrate for the entrance examination to university. So, we solely
kept our teacher-student relation as the first priority.
However,
during his class, he sometimes went off his subject to “music”, so I knew that he and I might have same favorites. After I
finished the entrance examination, I visited school to express my thanks to his
good guidance for the examination and then talked about music.
He talked
“Now,
I am listening this LPs most. Do you like them?”
I borrowed two LPs of Brandenburg concertos by Johan Sebastian Bach. “Can I enjoy them?” I had some hesitant
feeling. Later, Bach became to my most favorite and closest composer,
however at that time, I had pretty poor impression, namely “there are no accent on his music and very flat”, “rhythm are monotonous --- “, and so on.
For me
all his piano, violin, cello music and also cantatas were very flat with weak
appealing to emotion. I was thinking that Bach might be a composer of too
old style with poor emotion. I forgot who played the Brandenburg
concertos on his LPs. However, I think they might be played by a
first-class player at that time. I slightly remember jacket photos of LPs
with colorful stained glass window in a church. They might be products
from PHILIPS?
Recently,
I called to Mr. T about his LPs. He told that he had already disposed and
did not keep them at his side. He also talked that the Brandenburg
concertos were not so popular at that time in Japan, so he estimated that the
LPs might be recorded by Karl Münchinger with Stuttgart, probably. I tried to
find the old LPs based on his suggestion, but it is not cleared yet.
Brandenburg
concertos (BWV 1046-1051) consist of six concertos. Each concert was
composed for different musical instrument ensemble, so we receive quite
different impression from each of them. Fortunately, my bigoted fixed idea against
Bach music ---very flat--- went out. I understood that every concerto has
a very clear-cut personality.
Orchestral
sounds were quite colorful. Fanfare with wind instruments were cheerfully
active and dancing melodies were rhythmic and lively. Under the
guidance of my teacher, I finally entered into one section of Bach's music joy. After this epoch, I left Bach for a while however I met him again by
“St. Matthew Passion”, after 7
years later.
The
Brandenburg world was typical court music by instrumental performance with
cheerful march and dancing music. This cheerful music and serious passion
music of Jesus which was composed based on the Matthew Gospel are very
different. In any case, during one month, I kept the two LPs at home and
enjoyed them with original LPs. I made copies of all music with old
open-reel tape recorder. Sound quality of tape
recorder were far inferior to the original LPs, however I enjoyed them again
and again. Some unresolved sounds were covered with my memory and
sensitivity.
Among the
six concertos, the most favorite is the No.5. In this concerto, cembalo plays
active part almost as solo instrument through whole music. Especially,
solo play of cembalo at the cadenza part of the 1st movement is attractive with
melodious running sound. I also like No. 4
concerto. It sounds a kind of concerto for flute and violin with lovely
and spiritual ensemble. With this introduction, I knew Bach music even
though it was still a very little.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Pictures at an Exhibition
There was
a memorable LP which I must write during my university age. It was a
middle size LP (25cm diameter) with monaural recording. There was no picture
and only several Russian languages were written at monotone yellow cover
jacket.
While I
was a student of general education curriculum course, I studied Russian
language so I could pronounce some words although Russian letters were strange
and unfamiliar for us. During my student age, the world polarized
competitively into two lofty peaks, the United States and the Soviet
Union. The Soviet Union was keeping very strong influence to allies and
neighboring countries. Also, in our campus, we could see red flags
everywhere to express approval to Marxism-Leninism.
It was
written as “КAPTИHKИ C BЫСТАBКИ” in Russian, this meant “Pictures at an
Exhibition”. This music was composed by Modest
Petrovich Musorgskiy and the pianist on the LP was Sviatoslav Rikhter, a
pianist of Japanese dreams. This LP was sold by Nauka, a store
specializing in Russian publishing and goods. This was limited imports
from the Soviet Russia and we could buy it by only \1000. We could buy
the record of Richter, a living national treasure pianist who seldom appeared
to Western music world. (This is a product to serve
for laborers by laborer nation! This record was different to common
records sold by commercial company of Western capital!!)
Especially,
this information was known well among students, I thought we might make line in
front of the bookstore at several days before of the sale day. I decided to
join among the line at the small Russian bookstore near campus.
----
however, the bookstore received an announcement that arrival of the luggage
would delay because of some troubles of custom clearance. The line was
broke up by issuing numbered tickets. Fortunately, I could get the
desired LP, “Pictures at an Exhibition” of made in USSR, several weeks later.
Here, I
would like to describe about “Pictures at an Exhibition”. This is a piano suite consists of 10
music. Musorgskiy composed this suite in 1874, based on his impression at
posthumous picture exhibition of Hartmann, an architect and a painter, a very
close friend who died young. Musorgskiy described his
impression very clearly from each picture with colorful sound. ”Promenade” is a famous melody of slowly
walking from one picture to the next one, at an exhibition hall. As this
suite contained rustic, impressive and large scale beauty, many musicians tried
to arrange the original piano suite to orchestral arrangements.
Among
them, the arrangement by Maurice J. Ravel, a French composer's trial as a study
at his student times in 1922 had been recognized as the most well known
work. This Ravel's orchestration work made reputation of this original
piano music well-known still more. To tell the truth, I heard the suite
when I was at high school student age. I tried to listen to the music
with large expectation because of its great reputation, however to my great
disappointment, this was heard only as gibberish and noisy music at my first
trial.
I
remember clearly, I could not have touching impression. “It almost
sounds like Jazz music!!” I wrote in my diary
something like this. Several years later, when I tried to listen to this
suite again, I first noticed keen colorful sense of this suite. Since
then, its expressive and individualistic music became more intimate to me.
Beginning
from “Promnade”, then “Genomes”, “Vecchio Castle”, “Ballet of the Little Chickens”, “A Market Place in Limoges”, “Catacombae”, “The
Bahatyr Gate of Kiev” ---- I could experience number of
dramatic sound in series.
To play
this suite by piano, considerable ability and physical strength is
needed. Richter's performance was one of the most outstanding play of
this music, and he expressed delicate emotion and dynamics in these passages
where needed. This LP became one of my best treasures and enjoyed it for
long time, since then. I bought several another CDs of the suite.
Personally, I prefer piano suite more than Ravel's orchestral
arrangement. Maybe this is due to my first encounter to this suite.
CD:
Piano: Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) (1965 and 1983, from London), Jenö
Jandö (1988, from Naxos)
Orchestra: Ernest Ansermet, L'orchestra de la Suisse Romande (1960, from
Aile), Zubin Mehta, The Los Angeles Philharmonia Orchestra (1967, from
London), Charles Dutoit, Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal (1985, from
London), Herbert von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker (1985, from Grammophon)
Guiter: Kazuhito Yamashita (1981, from RCA)
Rockband: Mekong Delta (1996, from Billet Proof)(this play is fairly interesting!)
Synthesizer: Synthesizer arrangement by Isao Tomita commanded the world
at that time. His “Picture at an
Exhibition” had a considerable very good
reputation. However, I had listened to only some of them from his best
album. I would like to listen to the Tomita's whole arrangement in
series.
Accordion：James Crabb,
Geir Draugsvoll (1996, EMI classics)
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Incidental talks: mimicry Koto play
It was an
experience when I was at the first grade of master course student at
university. I had a good friend, Mr. K. at the same department of
different research subject. We went together to mountain climbing of
Japan Alps and other places, several times. I also knew that he play
flute.
By the way, there were two kotos, a Japanese zither with thirteen strings,
at my house. My grandmother of mother's side was a well-known instructor
of the Ikuta school of Japanese koto in Osaka, and she raised many fellow
pupils at her school of koto and samisen, a three-stringed Japanese banjo.
When I was a child, during summer vacation, I used to stay at grandmother's
house for pretty long period. I became familiar to the sound of koto
and samisen, naturally. My mother had been taught some lessons from
grandmother and also appeared at koto recitals, several times.
By some chance, I was asked from Mr. K. about playing duet music for koto
and flute. For myself, I had once experienced to play “Roku-dan”, traditional koto music by Yatsuyashi-kengyou from the beginning to the
end, although it was really primitive and unreliable in technique.
I remembered one famous peaceful duet piece with koto and flute, “Haru-no-umi (sea view in spring)” by Michio Miyagi.
Originally, this music was composed for koto and syakuhachi, a vertical
bamboo flute. However, for syakuhachi part, there is an arrangement
for flute player. The tuning of koto was not normal tune, however
transpose several strings were needed to play.
My mother had the score of koto part. Also, I had a record of “Haru-no-umi” which was performed with koto by Michio Miyagi, composer himself and flute
by Prof. Masao Yoshida, chair of flute at Tokyo University of Fine Arts.
I remembered of this fine music from the beginning to the end, fairly well.
To our joint practice, he came to my house, because we have no means to
carry koto to outside. The slow part at the beginning started without
problems and we could make a good start as an amateur play. Gradually,
heavenly rolling gentle seas ---- the scene change to the sound of waves
hit the body of a boat ---- soon, we both became difficult to follow the
music.
We felt necessity of more individual practice, so we had trained separately.
We planned secretly to perform the music at our laboratory on a new year's
day. However, we could not complete it because it was very hard to
go through the most difficult ending part. We thought to find another
chance, but fortunately both of us became rather difficult to find shared
time to practice because of our primary laboratory studies. But,
I felt keenly that there is great difference between professionals and
greenhorn amateur player like me. My mother who had some-experience
for koto play never gave me approval, and she also said “More practice!!”
Since
then, I and Mr. K. did not see each other, because we went to totally different
filed. He is still active at his academic position. I want to see
him again if I could find a chance. Hopefully, we would not try to play “Haru-no-umi”, once more ----.（♪： ▶ Japanese Koto 春の海-Haru no Umi (Spring Sea) Composer-作曲者 Michio Miyagi-宮城道雄 - YouTube )
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4, 5 and 6 (Pathetic)
I
described that I liked Tchaikovsky's music very much such as, several ballet suites, violin
concerto and piano concerto while I was Junior-High and High school student
days. When I became to the university student, I could buy some favorites
by myself. I wanted to have orthodox Tchaikovsky's symphonies with deep
weightiness. So far, I listened to the pathetic symphony (No. 6) by radio
several time, however I did not listen other symphonies, in my past.
At that
time, high reputations were given to the three symphonies issued by Grammophone
which were recorded at London and Wien by Evgeny Mravinsky with Leningrad State
Philharmonic Orchestra in 1960. I bought the three LPs at the same
time. Leningrad State Philharmonic Orchestra belonged to the Soviet
Union, and they were well known of their most refined ensemble sound,
especially for their strings in the world. In these three Tchaikovsky’s symphonies,
there contain anxiety feelings, dreary expressions with sobbing. And
during in its large volume performance, we find some empty and unsatisfied
feeling among them. They are very different to Beethoven's symphonies
with hard “Will” for battle.
I thought
his music mostly synchronized and accepted well by the people who have worries
in their mind. It is also generally appraised that Beethoven's works are
manly, on the other hand Tchaikovsky's music are quite feminine.
However,
I think Tchaikovsky's music is based on delicate sensibility of himself and
Russian climate might influence to his music style to exhibit feminine like
feeling. I got rather strong mental influence because I had listened
Tchaikovsky's music intensively during my early twenties. Gentle
feelings, weak heart, easily moved to tears ---- and so on. I cannot
explain well, however, I spent my early 20s years rather quietly without
becoming spiritless.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
No.4 Symphony
From this
symphony, I imagine cold Russian winter. Gorgeous and brilliant colorful
sound are attractive similar to his ballet music, “Swan Lake” and “Nutclacker”.
The motif of the 1st movement has been compared frequently to the famous motif
of Beethoven's 5th symphony. But, both are very different.
Tchaikovsky's motif simply expresses uneasy and restless feelings, without
facing strictness.
At the
3rd movement, all strings are played only by pizzicatos throughout the movement
and its melodies are like reptiles crawl along. High techniques are
required to play this part, especially to put breath together of each string
player. Throbbing effects of pizzicatos switchover from contrabass,
cello, viola, 2nd violin and to the top of 1st violin are outstanding to
exhibit remarkable stereo recording. I still think that this recording of
Leningrad orchestra is one of the most excellent one, although it was recorded
more than 50 years ago. I would recommend you to listen to it once, if
you do not experience it yet. As far as I remember, it had been well
recognized that the level of strings of Leningrad was the finest in the world.
The 4th movement
is a disappearing music as composer describe as “False, then another false, all are
in false”. We can never have stirring feeling
after this music. Attractiveness of this symphony exists in delicate
sound color change from thin black to dark black like a sumi-e, an Indian-ink
drawing.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
No. 5 Symphony
Among
Tchaikovsky's six symphonies, the first three works were like study works and
we practically have no chance to listen to these music. The No. 4, 5 and
6 symphonies have been recognized well as Tchaikovsky's masterpiece. He
is the first symphony composer in history from Russia. Among them, I
listened to the No. 5 symphony most frequently. His works often have been
reviewed containing nihilistic ideas and more often covered with deep
sorrow. This impression might be evolved from his colorful sound with
melancholic taste. However, each of these three symphonies has different
melancholic taste.
At No. 5
symphony, the 1st movement starts from descending depressed subject by
clarinet, as if we look into the bottom of hell. Tchaikovsky explained
that this subject explain “fate” and express his
sensitivity of fatalism. This “fate motifs” appear in every movement and give non-compromise and non-tolerant
feeling through whole symphony.
Then, the
1st motif plays by clarinet and bassoon then gradually grow thicker sound with
adding strings however its sorrowful feelings do not heal. Soon the 2nd
motif appears. This is a very beautiful melody however it cannot change
sorrowing feeling. Then, string pizzicatos appear here and there.
Tchaikovsky’s pizzicato arrangement exquisite with transparent and throbbing
sound.
The 2nd movement starts from solo horn which imagines something like faint
dawn came after dark night. This melody moves as if it swings our
heart. Horn is the best instrument to express this kind of gentle
feeling. I believe this is the one of the most beautiful melody among
many music by horn. Then, this motif takes over strings and then horn and
other woodwinds change to accompaniment part. The switchover from one
instrument to another is admirable, indeed. We can enjoy quiet feeling
among silence atmosphere. Before long, strong sound with wind instrument
play the “fate motif”, however immediately strings
deny it and then again the beautiful theme play by horn. But, once again
this peaceful moment is stopped by the “fate motif” and finish the movement with full of sorrowful feeling.
The 3rd
movement is written in waltz. This is waltz however it is far from music
at gorgeous ball room. The progress of waltz sound is similar to that of “Swan Lake”, most friendly and well-known waltz music. It sounds like a
folk music reflect Russian climate. At the ending part, again the “fate motif” appears and then finishes the
movement.
The 4th
movement. As can be imagined, the final movement composed the “fate motif” as axle. In conclusion, the impression from this whole
symphony is “start from nihilistic and end to nihilistic” and this music never overcomes to enemy with positive mind.
However, it is very impressive to listen to lovely and sad and painful
emotion. At its ending, the “fate motif” appears with changed keys, however it never encourage our heart.
During writing this sentence, I re-listened to the No. 5 symphony by Mravinsky,
several times. To my regret, it sound monotonous somehow, differs
from when I listened at my 20s. At that time, my No. 1 choice was
the No.5 symphony, without doubt.
I would
like to re-listen to them again, at another time. Is this change of my
dulling sensitivity against “nihilistic acceptance”
by passing too many days??
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
No. 6 Symphony (Pathetic)
The two
greatest well-known symphonies in history would be the No. 5 symphony by
Beethoven and this Tchaikovsky's the No. 6 symphony, “Pathetic”. However, both have totally different very opposite
impression.
The
Beethoven’s No. 5 symphony is a music exhibiting struggle to win victory
against non-compromising and severe fate. This symphony was composed at a
crucial time during French revolution, that is, a first people's revolution to
change basic social structure of European world. Beethoven might be composed
this music based at his personal motivation, however also closely reflect
social background at that time. In contrast, Tchaikovsky's symphony, “Pathetic” exhibits deep Russian color same
to his previous the No. 4 and 5 symphonies, and do not exceed his personal emotion.
However,
this music has high level of completion with clear transparency. I think
this emotion would meet to the feeling of many Japanese mind.
The 1st
movement starts with a very fine small volume of woodwind. Then, the
motif expresses by various variations and this motif gave deep emotion to the
listeners with soft and sorrowful expression. This motif change several
times by different instruments and this variation with exquisite change is
really amazing.
The 2nd
movement is a music sounds like a Russian waltz but could not become completely
waltz itself. I feel pathetic feeling here and there. While taking
resting, we see farmers working slowly far at a distance. Sometimes,
there are calm atmosphere with a soft sunlight.
The 3rd movement has dramatic energy. Several month ago (May, 2012),
I listened to this symphony at Osaka Symphony Hall which conducted by Ken’ichirou
Kobayshi with Osaka Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, I went to the concert by invitation
of my music friend. This is my first experience listening to the
No. 6 symphony, on live. Among this performance, especially the latter
half of the scherzo and marching, I was deeply impressed at its explosive
rising energy.
For the few days after the concert, the music resounded in my brain repeatedly. This part of music should be played powerfully even though it sounds rough-planed. Among powerful play, I feel occasionally empty vacant expressions in the music, all of these mixture make this music as a superb work.
At the
4th movement, music changes dark, suddenly. Two subjects evolve from the
bottom of pathetic feelings. Both subjects are pessimistic at all.
Gradually, sorrow feeling cover whole of the movement. At the end of the
music, volume of sound became smaller and smaller and diminishes and completely
disappear as candle fire goes out.
After
these three symphonies, gradually I kept distance to Tchaikovsky. After
university life, my living environment changed a lot when I joined to adult
society. During my life in adult society, I had contact to many different
new peoples of different background. By searching new music, my interest
to music moved to different direction, but this does not mean I get tired of
Tchaikovsky.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Join to Adult Society
People
around me changed all at once when I joined to adult society. There was
no easy human relationship in compared with my student time. I started to
work as a research chemist in a research institute, and I commuted with rather
casual clothes different from a typical business man wearing business suit and
tie. Our research institute located at rural area, so I could spend my
time in a rather relaxed environment.
At these
periods, I had almost no positive action exploring new music, but I got music
information from several residents of company dormitory. At that time, a
new product “walk man”, a portable music reproduction
machine came to the market. And also, cassette music tape came to the
market at rather cheap price and it had good sound quality. We could
listen to music anytime and anywhere from these cassette tapes, somehow
different from LP records. The T.P.O. (Time, Place and Occasion) of
listening music had been changed, dramatically. The world of music
underwent change supported by several new technologies.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Bach: St. Mätthew Passion, Cantatas and so on
At the
dormitory of our company, there lived a senior person named Mr. S. who was 3
years older than I. The room of Mr. S. was a treasure room of many
religious LPs. He was a Christian. I talked with him about present
status of our company life and how to deal with difficult problems coming
in. Mr. S. was basically a shy person who likes “sake” and music very much however he talked to me, favorably. I
still had quite a distance from religious music however we gradually talked
about his favorites. I do not remember well why he rent me the LPs but he
recommended to listen to Bach's “St. Matthew's Passion” as one of the most profound music. It was a product of Archiv
Gesellschaft and he said “Listen this music, please.”
As I had
a preconceptions to Bach's music, so at the beginning, I felt a rather high
barrier, however I copied all of them to cassette tapes to listen them
repeatedly. The borrowed LPs were contained in a hard box case and priced 10,000
yen. This was a very expensive price for a new employee. At the
jacket, there was no photo and only written information was given in Germany,
such as composer’s name, music titles and performer's name.
This was simple however I smelled a unique noble tone as a symbol of serious
genuine German music. Many LPs of Archiev Gesellschaft sold such
simple letter cover information at reasonable high prices. However,
for me religious German music was still something special as if I was standing
at the other side of the river.
The LPs
were recorded in 1958, conducted by Karl Richter with Munich Bach-Chorus and
Munich Boy Chorus, and Munich Bach-Orchestra. Soloists were Ernst
Haefliger, Keith Engen, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and so on. I was not
familiar these soloists at that time, however these were the recognized leading
singers at that time. As you know, Richter was a most well known German
classical music director and conductor after the World War II and also known as
an authentic musician at that time. He was a famous organist and
cembalist, as well.
As for
the St. Matthew Passion, he did the first recording in 1958, then he recorded
(including DVDs) several times with same chorus group and orchestra (Among
these several recordings, the first one in 1958 is evaluated highly even now
with its fresh and condensed performance! Richer was only 32 years old when he
did the first recording of this music (Richter was born in 1926)).
I tried
sometimes to listen it from the copied cassette tapes. However, this is “passion” music. There were no lively and healthy melody in them, and
chorus and soloist music continued, on and on and on ----. After 20
minutes, I almost lost my good sense of direction and sterile feeling appear
and I was far from appreciating something from this music. It was really
boring however I thought it might be a result of my lowest sensitivity to this
music. I was a kind of patient of passion anesthesia. I decided to
turn around to face to face to this music again, because this music have been
evaluated as “one of the highest achievement of Bach
music”.
There were two countermeasures. One is to understand exactly
what is written about the passion of Jesus Christ in the Gospels of
Matthew. Second. This passion music has symmetrical structure like
a giant cathedral. It is necessary to have exact understanding of whole
structure of this music. That's all.
As you
know, St. Matthew passion was composed based on the description according to
the Matthew Gospels of the chapter 26 and 27 in the new testaments about the
passion of Christ (he was crucified carrying human original sins). In the
music, the sentence from the Gospels read aloud just as described. In the
music, the story start from foresight of the passion and the Last supper,
Marching to execution ground and the Situation at execution ground are
expressed minutely, in detail.
The whole are composed totally with 78 chorals, arias and recitatives.
Among them the Coral No. 63, “O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden----” is the
arrived conclusion at the top. In the passion, talks of Jesus are
expressed with accompanied orchestra, evangelist read testament with organ
accompaniment, recitatives and arias played with several solo instrument and
basso continuo and more importantly, corals appeared at regular intervals and
they gradually increase the seriousness according to the music develops.
The key point of this music is to understand the cooperation of drama which
proceeds to extremity of execution of Christ and the accompanying seriousness
of music.。（♪：▶ Bach - St Matthew Passion BWV 244, no. 54 O Haupt Voll Blut Und Wunden
- YouTube )
(The Matthew
Passion, Coral/Piano score) (N0.63, Choral and
evangelist talk)
At first,
it was truly hard to understand. Then, very slowly but gradually, some of
music, such as the first introductory overture by orchestra and several arias
and chorals became familiar to my ears. Partially, I felt its solemnity
and beauty.
To
understand German language more clearly, I bought a full score book for vocals
and piano. On the textbook, I wrote the words by evangelist and meanings
of Chorals, in Japanese. I kept almost one year to listen to this music
while I was at home. It took almost 3 hours to listen to the whole music
however after one year later, I could distinguish what part was playing only by
listening its introductory part of the music.
(Karl Richter, 1958)
It is
commonly said that “Bach, father of music is really great!” It
is true. Once we get familiar to his music, we will never forget its
spiritual and inspirational music. All of them are deep and perfect,
indeed. St. Matthew Passion was performed in 1729 for the first
time. However, this music took so many times and needed many performers,
so there had not many chance to play it in regular bases. And
surprisingly, this music was forgotten from the memory of peoples before long.
Just 100
years later from the first performance, Felix Mendelssohn who lived in Leipzig,
same town where Bach also used to live, discovered this Passion by chance and
he tried to play it again. The real value of this passion music was
recognized again just after 100 years late If Mendelssohn did not discover and replay
that music at that time, we would never know the presence of this great
music. We would appreciate several mischievous tricks of history.
Well,
here I would like to change subject. Mr. T who was an instructor of my
jazz and joined to the company at same period, he introduced many important
introductory educations for jazz music. Later, I will write about Keith
Jarrett. Keith was also introduced by Mr. T. As return from me, I
impertinently recommended him to listen to the St. Matthew Passion when I
became familiar its greatness a little. “There is a new world where we had
never seen before. Listen to it by all means.”
He was
really a jazz enthusiast from the very beginning, but he kept listening to the
Matthew initiatively for about a half year everyday at his dormitory.
At the
beginning, he also told “I do not understand, at all!” However, I
responded, “Patience, Patience first, now!!” And, several months later, he told some positive impression about the
music. After one year later, there came The Stuttgart Bach Chorus
and Orchestra conducted by Helmuth Rilling at Osaka Festival Hall and they
performed complete of the St. Matthew Passion. We went there to listen
to it.
Of course, we shared deep impression from the performance, this was a kind
of an end of sharing the Matthew between us. Since then, we do not
have a conversation of the Matthew and about Bach so much, we sometimes
remembered our youth time and “At that time, you----”. This is a
common story of edged person. These above are really old good
memories. After the Matthew, I transferred my interest to Bach to
unaccompanied cello sonatas and Goldberg variations and so on.
(A
postscript) Last year (in 2011), I had a chance to visit Leipzig and went to
St. Thomas Church where Bach spent his latter half of his life with family and
kept composing great number of memorial music. I visited to the grave of Bach in
the Church where was my long hearted desire. After visiting the Church, I
spent one and half day at the Bach archives house adjacent to the Church and
where I watched many collections of Bach’s handwritten
score and listened to many Bach's music such as the Matthew and others at
special audio room. The collected music of the
Matthew at the archives house was Richter's play in 1958. I was really
pleased to know that.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
The
Cantatas
Bach's
St. Matthew Passion and other several passions are really magnificent large
volume of music on the other hand he composed more than 220 cantatas for many
memorial days of church. These cantatas were composed for small
orchestra, several soloists and choir and these cantatas could play in some
dozen to thirty minutes. Each cantata has different words to celebrate or to relieve for
special memorial prayer, even though it performed only by small number of
players. And in the cantata, there appears many famous tune and melody
which touching to our heart. During listening to the
Matthew, I sometimes enjoyed cantatas because sometimes the great Matthew was
too heavy to stomach and ear.
Recently,
I bought the complete of Bach cantata CDs, and I pick up some from my
collection to relieve myself. It is like to gaze breathtakingly at a
pretty flower in field. There is an outstandingly bright music titled “Christmas
Oratorios” to celebrate the birth of Jesus
Christ. All the music in the Oratorio is sparkling, and the impression of
the Oratorio is very different to that of the Matthew. This is a series
music which performed every day from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day. I listened to this music for the first time at the Shukugawa
Church in Nishinomiya conducted by Takeharu Nobuhara with Telemann association.
I went to the church to listen to the music without any background knowledge. I was really astonished at the rhythmic introduction of timpani like a cheerful laughing voice. I took off from the roof. There is such a cheerful shout in Bach's music!! The excitement of the sudden encounter to this music still remains clearly in my mind. This is really a good restful music and I listen to it frequently when I am tired with working although it is not a Christmas time.（♪：▶ Karl Richter - Weihnachts-Oratorium, BWV 248 (Part One) - Johann Sebastian Bach - YouTube )
I touched
some of wonderful Bach's choral music during at my age of 20s and early
30s. However, still I listened to only a part of his choral music, so
far. There are a number of other respectful and well-received choral
music by Bach. I believe I must continue to explore his choral music
while I have my own willpower and hearing concentration. Still, treasure
hunting wandering will be continued further from now on.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Paganini: Violin Concertos
Niccolo
Paganini was an Italian violinist from Genova in the early 19th
century who overwhelmed European musical society. He composed a number of
excellent violin music, all his music composed to appeal his amazing violin
performances with transcendent playing techniques which were developed by
himself. This kind of anecdotes often exaggerates than original
stories. When he played his violin concerto, he passed the only partial
score to orchestral members and he never opened the solo violin score part to
any person, at all.
To
gorgeous miracle sound like a magic, audiences and orchestra members were
filled with admiration. (As you know, accompanied orchestral sounds are
rather simple.) He was known as a notorious character to keep secret his
playing technique, so he was rumored to be in a league of Devils who sell his spirit
to violin.
When
I was a high school student, I once listened to Paganini’s violin concerto and
the music gave me a strong impression like to look at reflecting sunlight on
the surface of the river.
At that
time, there sold only a few LPs of his concertos. I bought the No.1 and
No.2 violin concertos by Yehudi Menuhin with Rome Symphonic Orchestra (by
Angel). It was an uncommon red color transparent LP. I was immersed
in high spirits with singing and jumping energetic sound. At a slow
movement, Menuhin’s singing was also resounded deeply and I was almost intoxicated by
his clear violin tones.
The final
movement had brilliant clear Italian melody with hopping ups and downs. I
thought this was a Paganini's young spirit itself with skillful art his
original way of playing violin with multiple stopping, and pizzicato and so
on. This is a music which would never come from Germany, the other side
of the Alps, with dark and deep forest.
At the
last movement of the No. 2 concerto, theme “La Campanella (Bell Rondo)” appears which became famous after Liszt's arrangement to piano
music of Etudes d'execution transcendente d'apres based on Paganini’s melody. A lovely violin sound accompanied by tinkling of a
bell has charming attractiveness to that of Liszt's piano edition. This
music composed by Paganini keeps freshness even now and influenced greatly on
many composer of the latter half of the 19th century. His
contributions of introducing potential of violin are immeasurable.
After I joined to
adult society, I knew Capriccio (op. 1) by Paganini. This is a collective
volume of music for solo violin written for every 24 keys. They change
tone so rapidly, and I became dizzy with such gorgeous changes.
Occasionally, I listen the performance by Itzhak Perlman (EMI), usually I do
not have good wish for this music except my mental condition
is “High”.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
4. The Thirties (1977-1986)
Music Recording to Cassette Tapes
At that
time, cassette tapes were becoming popular devices for music recording instead
of open reel recording. Cassette tapes were cheap and easy to handle for
beginner. To enjoy cassette tape music, I bought a new cassette deck and
recorded many kinds of music from FM broadcasting. Sound qualities from
cassette tapes were inferior a little to that of LP records at dynamic range
however cassette tapes were satisfactory for daily use.
It was
notable technical innovation for musical lovers. For music information,
weekly magazines such as "FM Fan" and "Weekly FM"
collecting music schedule of FM broadcasting of a week at book store or
kiosk. These weekly magazine was essential to plan recording strategy of
a week. In the magazines, details of music title, playing time, performer
and performed place were described.
To our
research institute, there was someone who brought large quantity of new empty
cassette tapes that company’s name were not printed. I bought them
at extra cheap prices. It was suspicious somehow, but sound qualities
were same to that of market products, so my cassette libraries increased to
500-600 tapes in a few years. I kept these cassette tapes for several
decades with special care in some cardboard boxes however the music world has
been changed to CD and DVD, as time passed by. Although, these recorded
cassette tapes were my personal musical heritage, however I thought that I
would never listen to them anymore. Recently, I disposed all cardboard
boxes not to leave any troubles to my family.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Keith Jarrett: Köln Concert
I was
introduced from Mr. T. a jazz pianist whose name was Keith Jarrett, several
years later since I introduced him the St. Matthew passion. So far, I had
nothing to do with jazz music. "Recently, a jazz pianist whose name
is Keith Jarrett did a challenging performance playing his heart feelings by
piano in front of many audiences at a concert hall. So, there were no
titles and program at the concert. Of course, his mental condition of
that day would influence to the performance, directly. ECM produced that
live performance which was played at Köln, West Germany. Please, try to
listen it and let me know your comment what you felt from them." I
borrowed 2 LPs.
The stage
setting at Köln concert was quite simple. At the concert hall with full
audience, there set a piano and several microphones to record his performance,
that's all. There was no other information except “today's
performer is Keith Jarrett”. The produced CDs
also had no titles and there given only playing time, Köln, performance day,
playing number and time.
Performer
plays piano according to his inner conversation with himself, so he himself
cannot replay again even if he wants to perform it again. Of course,
there are no piano score. For performer, it is a mostly psychologically
strained instant act and he plays with a mind of "once-in-a-lifetime
chance."
At the CD
jacket, following information was described.
１ Köln,
January 24, 1975 Part I 26:15
２ Köln,
January 24, 1975 Part IIa
15:00
３ Köln,
January 24, 1975 Part IIb
19:19
４ Köln,
January 24, 1975 Part IIc
6:59
I started to listen to the music. This was mysterious however sounds
were very comfortable to my ears. I doubted whether this was really
an impromptu music. There seemed exist some motifs like sonata music,
and some part sounded like development part into variations or cadenza.
The music went on very smooth however this was not a music prepared or
practiced before performance. Total tune, chord and discord was different
to that of classical music however, total artistic air was different to
those of jazz pianos.
I understood by intuition that this music was rather close to that of impromptu
by Schubert. Schubert was very good at improvisation play and after
his play he wrote down the music to score. In the jazz world, this
kind of ad-rib play called improvisation. Improvisation is an important
genre of jazz performance. Anyway, I first knew the name "Keith
Jarrett" by this excellent performance.
I enjoyed
carefully this new piano performance, again and again. I thought this
kind of impromptu music could be play only by a pianist who understands the
essence of piano and has gentle and stable heart in his body. This music
does not have solidly built beauty like Beethoven's music. However, from
his performance, I appreciated soft feeling and warm impressions, every
time. It is fresh always. Now 2012, it has been passed already 37
years since his performance, but it sound new still now. I would like to
describe little bit more in detail what I accept from this music. I know
wordy writing is not necessary at here, but ---.
Among his performance, especially Part I is really superb --- flow of emotion, switchover from gentle feeling to intense temper, and then returning to calm feeling ---. Of course, this music has jazz and modern sound flavor, and at the same time, we can accept improvised excitement of romantic school composer. This very best performance brings universal feeling whenever I listen to it. This cannot replay even by player himself because this is really a transient play.
But, I remembered all the stream of the music rather clearly after listened
to this music several times. As this Köln concert became so
famous, later a Japanese music lover wrote down a piano score of the music.
I found the music score when I went to Keith Jarrett Trio concert at Osaka,
Japan and bought the music score with impulsively. Of course, from
the music score no piano sound come out.
After
this encounter, I visited Köln two times, one time by business trip in 1990 and
another time by personal trip, recently. It had already passed 15 years
after Keith's performance at Köln. I did not visit the concert hall where
he performed the music however I had a kind of envious feeling to the peoples
who live in Köln without any reason. At my two visits to Köln, I was
really overwhelmed the great Gothic style Church rising into the sky which
locates in front of der Hauptbahnhof von Köln.
I accepted a very nice introduction from Mr. T. I sent back my comment "This is a modern version of Schubert music. It is really a miracle, today." Later, when I became at 50s, I met to Keith’s new recordings again who entirely
changed from his old performance. I would like to describe them
later. Anyway, I really had no words to Mr. T. for his kind introduction
of the very best music at my best appreciation timings.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Study Abroad at
University in the USA
When I
was 37 years old, I had a chance to study abroad at Cornell University,
Department of Chemistry（Prof. J. Meinwald lab）which locates at local
town, Ithaca, New York state. Cornell University is a well known
university as one of the Ivy collage at east coast of the United States.
During my
stay in the USA, I brought no material of music. The only one music which
I brought there was a cassette tape of "Best album of Seiko Matsuda"
which was given from Miss N-san with message of "Please listen them when
you miss Japan." This was a hit collection tape of Seiko Matsuda, a pop
idle singer, during some 10 years from her debut. I was healed deeply
with her soft voice when I had some loneliness at distant place.
Of
course, I knew the name of Seiko Matsuda. She was one of the eminent
young pop singer in Japan in these days however I had almost no chance to
listen to her songs, earnestly. After return to Japan, I sometimes
re-listen her characteristic soft and sweet voice with nostalgic feelings
("The setting sun at Seychelles", "Red sweet pea",
"Blue coral reef", "Sweet memories", and so on.)（♪：▶ 赤いスイートピー - 松田聖子 - YouTube）（▶ 松田聖子／SWEET MEMORIES - YouTube）
Digression:
I knew
the following CD after I returned to Japan. There is a duet album of
Seiko Matsuda with Placido Domingo, world-wide famous tenor singer. Do
you know this album? This is an album "Goya --- his life through
songs" by CBS-SONY in 1989. On its jacket, several well known an
avant-garde painter Goya's leading pictures are shown and song which match to
each picture is sang by two singers one by one. This is an earnest
program and a new challenge.
Of
course, both singer's singing volume and experience are quite different
however, their professional spirits trying to complete the album is
admiring. As a duet, they sing "Until we love each
other". In addition, Seiko Matsuda sings "Once, I used to love
you" and "Journey to sky" as solo singer.
There are
two memorable scene of music during my stay at Cornell University.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
The
First Scene
A film
"Amadeus" was newly released during I was there. This is a
movie describe about Mozart's life through Salieli, a court musician who had a
hostile intrigued feeling against Mozart. Of course, Mozart's excellent
music appeared here and there in the film. There was a free preview
showing in campus. Of course, there were no Japanese subtitles.
During my
American life, I kept away from (classical) music. I was deeply impressed
with many Mozart's famous music pieces and his unfortunate life. This
film received a number of Academy prizes but this was certainly a natural
consequence. After returned to Japan, I had several chances to watch this
film, and at each time I find some new discoveries from it.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
The
Second scene
When my research came into action, I had periodical research discussion
at every Wednesday afternoon to report week progress and further research
plan, taking about one hour with Professor Meinwald at his room.
From his room, I sometimes heard flute music pieces. I asked to the
several neighboring students however they replied "This may be boss's
hobby." The students were indifferent to boss's hobby which had nothing
for them.
Especially, against too old-fashioned music!! This was a most common individualistic
reaction for young Americans, at that time. For students, rock music
was their first favorites and they liked powerful beat sounds very much.
While, our professor drew a clear line between student's favorites of rock
music and there were no communication of music between them.
I knew it
later that he liked to play woodwind instrument from his high school age, and
he enjoyed ensemble with his wife's harpsichord at his home. On some
Wednesday afternoon, there were little progress and I talked to the boss,
"I have no items for discussion, today." I could not recall memory clearly but anyhow, we started to talk
about Mozart's opera "Marriage of Figaro". This might be an
influence of the film, "Amadeus". “My most
favorite aria is ---.", "Conversation between Figaro and Susanna are
melodious, light and clever!" and "How lovely Zerlina is!", and
so on, ---- we talked about Mozart's opera written in Italian which were not
familiar language for both of us.
We had
talked about 2 hours. When I returned to my bench at working room,
students jeered me "What did you discuss? Did you have any fruitful
talk?" It was really a good chance to recognize each other what kind of
music we had been sharing in both independent past.
Since then,
I was taken care of courtesy about music from the boss. I was invited
often to home concerts at music favorite friend's private house and through
music I knew several personal friends who lived in Ithaca.
One time,
I had a chance to listen the Brandenburg concert by J. S. Bach by a small
orchestra which was composed with Professors and stuffs of Cornell
University. Of course, our boss played flute. (The year 1985,
during my stay at Cornell, was the 300th anniversary year of J. S. Bach
birth. There were many memorial concerts in the world, and there was such
a music performance at Cornell, too.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
5. The Forties (1987-1996)
My Story of
Clavichord Construction
While I
was in Ithaca, I was invited to home concert several times and I watched
homemade harpsichord and clavichord which were constructed from instrument
kits. Actually I listened to fresh sounds from these homemade
instruments. I decided to construct an instrument in Japan then I ordered
to send a kit of clavichord, an original keyboard instrument to Japan.
After I arrived to home town, I challenged to construct an original instrument
from kit in my holiday time. During construction and after completed the
instrument, I met several person who relate music. I wrote a note
then. This was a kind of cross section of my personal history of music.
I
contributed this memory to monthly journal of the Kinki Chemical Society of
Japan (December 1991 issue) (amended some words, new photos attached).
Followings are quotation from the article.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
“Mr. Carl Fudge,
an attractive American, and encounter with Clavichord”
Followings
are writings of personal items. I had a chance to stay abroad in a
private University, famous as an Ivy school, to engage in chemistry research
for two years (1984 to 1986). I was at late thirties, and these two years
were full of ups and downs and experienced a number of pleasant and sometimes
bitter memories.
When my
staying time left only a few months, I thought to buy buck some souvenirs to my
close friends and relatives. There was such plausible souvenir
information during Japanese people stayed in the USA for some periods. I
almost could conclude my research before a deadline and also bought several
souvenirs to friends, I thought "What shall I get back for my memorial
stay in the USA?" During my stay, I had many valuable important
experiences and got some unforgettable acquaintances. These were my pride
memories and personal properties. I asked advice to my research colleague
in the same laboratory who liked music (present: Prof. Richardon, Williams
collage MA.)
＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊
I was
introduced a man who lived at suburbs of Boston where was eight hours driving
from my country town. He was a rather old person named Mr. Carl Fudge.
This man has been manufacturing and selling harpsichord and its older keyboard
model, clavichord more than 30 years. He seemed to be a person who did
not make big profit by producing old keyboard instruments, but a person who
pursuits his sound. And, he also made kits of keyboard and sold them to
person who wanted to make. I basically favorite wood carvings to make
small furniture and kid’s toys, and I felt immediately
thought, “This is it!” Then, I
send a letter to him.
Soon
after, I received a letter without stamp. “Let me know your interest more in
detail, concretely.” He seemed to be a rather odd
fellow, so I thought. After several letter exchanges, I thought this kit
might work even to an amateur worker like me, and also I was interested in his
way of life and decided to order a clavichord kit (large size). I like
music. I let him know my home address in Japan for luggage destination
and paid＄1,700. I spent a considerably large
amount of money for my souvenir. Without seeing Mr. Fudge, I returned to
Japan, soon.
＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊
About six
months later after I came back to Japan, I received a box of clavichord kit
which was rather large size than I imagined. I kept a small working space
in my house and started to construct the kit. However, the instruction
manual for clavichord kit was written in English (not surprising!) with many
figures and signs and was impossible for me to understand at first
glance. Here, I would like to explain briefly about clavichord, an
ancestor of keyboard instrument.
Clavichord
is a keyboard instrument which was widely used from the 16th to the
beginning of 19th century, especially at Germany and Spain. The structure of this
instrument was most simply made among any other keyboard instrument and
the sound is quite small and cannot be used for concert hall performance.
Keyboards are very light and sensitive, so to get clear sound from the
instrument we must play it with peculiar touch. With peculiar touch
play, we can listen to heavenly pianissimo sound to moderate mezzo forte.
Also it can give vibratos sound. It has a rectangle box structure of about 150cm length, 50cm width and 15cm depth, small instrument does not have legs. The second son of great Bach, C. P. Bach developed various playing methods and wrote a well-known clavichord practice book. Many music had been composed for this instrument, such as the well-tempered clavichord, Book I, II by J. S. Bach and so on.
(“Standard
Dictionary of Music” [Ongaku-no-tomo, publishing co.,
Japan])
Well,
in the kit box, there contained several thin boards, large and small wood
blocks, metal wire for strings, large and small size nails, and many other
miscellaneous items. Almost of these materials needed further fairly
amount of work, and they were far from so called “hobby-kit”
which can be made by only fixing with quick-drying glue. The value of
this
(Figures of
instruction manual with a lot of know-how)
kit existed in the instruction manual, where written so many details for constructing good instrument. Soon, I understood that I must understand every detail of its description as exact as possible and at every situation
during constructing it, I needed a sense to think about my original invention which did not describe in the text.
Each wood
block are connected each other to the next one by the continued grain pattern,
we cannot substitute it to new one once I make an un-restorable damage of
it. Namely, even a small mistake influences greatly to the result of
whole work. I myself had not seen the real instrument of clavichord in my
past and had no memory of the sound of the instrument, well. However, the
great Bach, by using this instrument, for this instrument, composed many
imposing keyboard music ---- “I want to join to music, even in a tiny small
corner”. This was my motivation for
challenging. Anyway, I started to walk like a toddling baby.
＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊
It took
just one year to complete (completed in 1988). I worked for it on
available Saturday and Sunday. First trials were concentrated to process
63 arm parts which had a few different shapes to the next arm. Each arm
carry keyboard at the edge. It was a process to shave one by one by hand
with a sharp knife. It was almost an endless process while I was immersed
in the process. However, there were several small improvements while
working and I could have happy weekend without fatigue. I read the
instruction manual again and again in detail from necessity with the closest
attention. This instruction manual contained many words with profound
meaning. I thought this manual might be made by taking notes of what Mr.
Fudge told about each manufacturing process. So, many parts described in
colloquial sentence. Here are some of examples:
“When gluing
soundboard (thin wooden sounding board on the surface of clavichord), special
care is needed, especially weather and humidity of your place. As this
handling are going to glue two different kind of wood material (absorbent,
elasticity and hardness), it is better to do gluing at the most humid day at
your district. Otherwise, it is difficult to keep balance of sound
resonance so we cannot expect excellent clear sound. If you are a
resident at East Coast (of USA), I recommend you should pass this process at
typically humid summer.” Fortunately, I did this
work at early July, most humid season in Japan.
One more
example: “Keyboard must be well balanced subtly between fulcrum from the front
and the rear. To make sound with delicate soft touch of keyboard, the
center of gravity should locate at rear part a little.” He writes down 22 notes of keyboard setting for over 14
pages. As this instruction describe too detail, so I was rather getting
sick and tired of it. However, as a conclusion, he says “Do which ever works better for you”.
In this
instruction manual, there appear so many superlative degree notices, such as “This is most
important!!” “Special care is needed at here” and “Your mistake at here is
irreparable!!” and so on.
His talks
were quite attractive with “fever”, sometimes in
strict words and sometimes with jokes. I received strong impression how
he liked “Clavichord instruments”. My works went forth slowly with the manual instruction and I
had many talks with unseen Mr. Fudge during instruction.
“If possible, in
a future, I want to visit and report him how I worked with your kit.” I kept on working with such comfortable feeling. In the
meantime, taking one year, my clavichord was completed by fixing 126 strings to
the instrument. This is a clavichord based on a model by G. C.
Schiedmäyer who lived in Nürnberg (1787 year made), at the time in the French
Revolution.
＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊
By the
way, I cannot play piano. At home, I played several chord sounds of
clavichord just for comfort. Sometime later, a unique opportunity
came. Prof. Dr. Lichtenthaler, a leading figure in sugar and nucleic acid
chemistry at Darmstadt Institute of Technology would come to Kyoto, soon.
I had not met the professor himself personally yet, but I have been told that
he plays piano almost as a professionals. I asked to Professor Tamio Ueno
to arrange playing my clavichord by Professor Lichtenthaler. It would
become a best maiden play by a great chemist.
At party
in Kyoto, he accepted my sudden offer and played the great cadenza part from
the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 and the first music of the Well-Tempered
Clavier, Book II in front of many audiences in chemistry. I have listened
to both music many times in my past, but since then these music became more
intimate for me. That night in Kyoto was a special day for my
clavichord. I felt happiness to be a member of chemist’s circle.
＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊
Well, here
story changes to present year (annotate: year of 1990). This June, I had
a chance to attend a scientific meeting held in New Hampshire, and I stayed in
Boston before and after the meeting. From Boston, I called to Mr. Fudge,
hesitantly. First, he did not understand who was calling. However,
after few words, to my happiness, he recalled his memory as “Clavichord-Japanese
man is on the phone”. I asked him my possible
visit to his office at next Sunday. He accepted my visit without any
hesitation.
＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊
His
office and residence was located in a quiet residential area with green
trees. Its building was old and large. This was used to be a
schoolhouse for kindergarten. He bought and used it as it was. He
was living alone in such a large house.
At first,
he also had hesitation how to keep up with me who suddenly came from the Far
East. He was wearing work cloth and jeans of patches. Mr. Fudge was
looked as an ordinary old worker in a small factory in a town. He
received me in an unaffected manner and he spoke slowly and gently.
Several pieces of furniture at the living room were looked plain and I received
an impression that he was spending his life in a simple style.
First, I
visited his work place. There were many uncommon and strange tools for
wood working, and I took them in my hand one to another. Also, in the
room, there were number of Italian harpsichords in work and the same clavichord
which I worked with. All of his working tools and working place were
quite interesting and inquiring. As I asked many questions and comments
to him enthusiastically, he replied with smile, “Well, please do not bring back
know-how to your home.” We opened up to each other,
soon.
I
brought several photos in the manufacturing process and the completed
clavichord. During construction, I needed two pieces of woods to fix
firmly at definite angle and maintain the angle for some period. To this
purpose, I made a special clamp which can keep at variable angle. This
was made by my original idea and fastened tightly and worked well without
giving any damage to wood materials of clavichord body. He told that “This kind of
invention is quite necessary at every occasion. How to
correspond each problem will decide the result of amateur work as well-made or
poorly-made instruments. I think you did quite nicely.” I was
praised. Then we talked how did I work bridge and how installed tangents
----, and so on. We talked on various subjects about technical skills of
woody handicraft.。（♪：KeithによるClavichordの演奏、Book of Waysより、https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xb38mtI7Vk）
Then, we
moved from work place to living room. I introduced myself first, and
explained by what reason I was interested in manufacturing clavichord, my music
experience in the past and present situation of classical music in Japan and so
on. He explained his personal history and why he came in this old music
instrument world. While he was young, he was interested in to become
independent as a performer however, soon he interested in manufacturing these
old musical instruments especially keyboard instruments, too. For a
while, he tried to keep his activity both as performer and manufacturer.
Now, he is working as keyboard maker by profession but he was worried for a
while which way he should go. However, he told that he was quite
satisfied with his past work and present life style. He played some short
piece of music with his most favorite harpsichord. He kept this
harpsichord at hand since he made it. This instrument had sound he was
looking for through his life. It sounded elegantly and pretty, indeed.
Actually,
he visited to New Jersey for ten days and returned to Boston the day before
yesterday of my visiting day. He was invited to that place to support and
advice for recording of whole music of the Well-tempered Clavier, Book
II. I asked who was a performer of this music.
To my
surprise, he told that his name was Keith Jarrett!! As everyone knows, he is
one of the best jazz piano players in the world and he is a right performer to
whom I have the deepest sympathy and respects. Recently, he broke new
original and the greatest ground through his original solo concert activities
---- almost, like fantasy world by F. Schubert’s. As classical keyboard
music performer, he recently issued the Well-tempered Clavier Book I and
Goldberg variations by J. S. Bach. Now, I knew that Keith Jarrett and Mr.
Carl Fudge got acquainted with each other very well. Their relation might
be genuine. This story made me surprise from the bottom. Our talk
moved from Goldberg variations, recording activity with Keith Jarrett and his
most painstaking Harpsichord work which now displayed at the Association of
liberal arts, Boston and so on. We had wide variety of conversations.
(Amendment:
The description at here that K. Jarrett recorded the Book II by clavichord was
a mistake. He recorded the Book II with Harpsichord and release it from
ECM (recorded May, 1990, ECM/POCJ-1955/6). K. Jarrett’s improvisation
performances with clavichord have been issued as titles of BOOK OF WAYS “The Feeling of Strings” (recorded July,
1986, ECM/J58J 20191/2).
He cooked
spaghetti with ordinary materials and we had a simple dinner. Before
meal, he prayed. We ate quietly with listening LP of some baroque music
by clavichord. His daily life might keep continued slowly and quietly
like this. Also, he told that he will return to Kentucky soon. In
Kentucky, his father live alone and recently it was getting difficult to have
good communication with his father over the phone. To take care of his
father, he was thinking to return his homeland with resigning present
work. He was a quiet man but seemed carrying many things. I asked
his future activity plans. His earnest wish was to repair a broken organ
in a church. Was he going to do in Kentucky? or will he come to Boston,
all the while? How will he get repairing funds? Is it a volunteer work? He also
told that he would not work for harpsichord and clavichord, any more. He
was looked not always wealthy enough, but he looked keeping his own life style,
earnestly.
I stayed
at his house over 5 to 6 hours. This was really a memorable visit to
me. He sent me to the nearest railway station and by taking night train I
arrived to Boston town almost at midnight.
＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊
Presently,
it is said that American societies are heavily wounded by collapse of divorce
and spread of drugs. Certainly, in the U. S. A., I have seen that they
have many possible active futures but still they are struggling hard in search
for which way to go.
(Left)
Clavichord, completed
(Right)
Mr. Karl Fudge
I was
surprised to see Mr. Fudge’s quiet life. I have not seen such an
American, in my past. He looked a person who live not in present day but
looked a skilled worker who lived in the 18th or 19th
century, at the time when clavichords were invented and used popularly.
Boston is a place where is most close to Europe geographically and
culturally. Such nature of the locality with Puritanism might bring such
a person like Mr. Fudge. In the USA, there are various kinds of
peoples. I felt tolerant depth of America with remembered gratitude, “This is America!!”
＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊
When I
have a time in future, I want to challenge harpsichord building taking at least
five years. It is becoming difficult to play with his kit, anymore.
If possible, after learning some know-how, I want to build it by my original
own way from the start point. And, I want to play some music with my
clavichord.
Next,
time I want to visit him at Kentucky, if possible. I want to hear his challenge
to organ, since then. Mr. Carl Fudge, he is 60 years old. He might
be called “Gendai-no-Meisho” (A Master Craftsman of
Today), in Japanese. Mr. Carl Fudge, he was really an attractive
American.
(Footnote:
all the music captioned here were composed by J. S. Bach)(This sentence was
described in September, 1990)(Photos of working process were given by Mr.
Fudge)
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
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Bach, again: The Well-Tempered Claviers and the Goldberg Variations
The Well-Tempered Claviers
Several
years later after returning from the USA, at age of middle forties, I tried to
listen to Bach’s music again. Bach’s keyboard music
has been said that almost all pianist and harpsichordists play them with their
real earnest. I thought that it would be wasteful without appreciating
these treasures in my remaining life.
At my twenties, I focused to listen to the St. Matthew Passion however
still I had distance to masterpieces for solo instruments such as keyboard,
violin, cello, pipe organ and so on. To say the truth, I was thinking
that The Well-Tempered Claviers were only as monotonous and boring pieces
which had been recognized as the Old Testament of keyboard music.
Basically, church music such as The St. Matthew Passion and Cantatas for
the Mass in church was composed for large organization of orchestra, vocal
soloists and chorus members.
On the
other hands, background of composition of clavier, violin and cello music for
solo player might be different in compared to those of large scale church
music. I estimate those solo music were composed for informal space where
to express his thanks to titled men or neighboring family members who love
music. They were spontaneous voluntary music and differ from the music
based on request of the church or influential man.
The solo
music do not have gorgeous sound volume however they have relaxed sense with
cheers and some others have reflective deep thought. These are music for
small family concert or music comfort Bach himself by playing alone. I
thought to haul in Bach’s solo music which was not familiar so far. The score of the
Well-Tempered Claviers do not describe any playing tempo and expression.
How to understand and express these music are entrusted to performer.
In those
days, it was not necessary to describe tempo or expression of the music,
because Bach himself was composer and performer, as well. As a result,
according to performer’s interpretation the music has various different expressions.
And also, each performer plays the music by his most favorite instrument, such
as piano, harpsichord, clavichord and guitar, and so on. We can enjoy
diversity from various kinds of instruments and performance.
First, I
bought two CDs by Helmut Walcha (harpsichord) (1960, EMI) and Glenn Gould
(piano) (1962-71, CBS/SONY). I started to listen to them in turn.
But, to my regret in this music, there is no light cheerful tone or popular
melody in the Book I and II (I have known only the first C major prelude in the
Book I written by changing broken chord. This music is used as an
accompanied melody of Gounod’s “Ave Maria”). To say the truth, I felt that I was in Zen practice.
First, I
started from the Book II. While, I was listening piano or harpsichord
performance in turns, I became familiar to some music in the Book II, little by
little. After one year, I could recall introductory melody of the next
music when former music finished. It was a small advance. If I
continued to listen to the Book II music solely with piano or harpsichord
performance, I might be frustrated from its monotony and simplicity.
Later, I decided the piano performance by Sviatoslav Richter as a standard text
(1973, recorded in Soviet Russia, Melodia/Victor). I copied this Music to
cassette tapes and carry on my car, and I concentrated to “Richter’s Book II” for a while. The reason
that I became prefer to Richter’s performance was based
on my following own imagination. He places at a high ceiling and good
reverberation room like a playing room of castle and he plays the music with
sincere and tranquil mind. All these music are restrained performance
with moderate rhythm and balance. Some pianists play this music at fast
tempo like quick wind but I enjoyed Richter’s calm and
self-possessed performance. By watching the music score, it can be also
understandable through visually, however I do not watch score, usually.
And when I see its score, I usually do not listen to the music. I think
when we listen to music it is important to concentrate to the sound
itself. Especially, this is important to concentrate for listening to the
music with such minute and highly finished work.
Both the
Well-tempered Clavier Book I and II are composed of different 24 keys from C
major to B minor. At the beginning, subject theme exposed at Prelude then
succeeded to Fugue. At Fugue the musical motif developed variously from
one voice, two voices and three voices and more voices on occasion, and the
musical motif grow well then come to the end in good harmony. Motif move
around from left to right hand and on the reverse way. When we focus to
listen to each sound from left hand and right hand, we can understand music
composition more clearly. This is the reason that Book I and II have been
said as the old testament of keyboard music. This is a magnificent
structure built by J. S. Bach in 1722 (Book I) and 1744 (Book II).
As a
result, I started to collect other performer’s play of the Book I and/or
II. Basically, I keep Richter’s performance at
the center and I sometimes listened to other player’s
performance (Book I, 12CDs, Book II, 14 CDs). The oldest one was Edwin
Fisher’s play (1933-36, EMI), and also I have Keith
Jarrett’s performances (Book I, by piano and Book II,
by harpsichord). Both are stable performances (1987 and 1990, ECM).
One more, I like Andrash Schiff’s clear performance,
too (1985, London).
Bach
music inspire listeners sensitivity and many arrangements or improvisation have
been tried by solo player and sometimes by trio or quartets. This Bach’s music
ever-changing to various play and have been used as theme in film, jazz and
tango and so on ----. It looks that Bach’s
original music inspire to performer’s impulsive playing
activity.
There are
excellent arrangements based on the Book I. MJQ (Modern Jazz Quartet) is
a well known jazz quartet in the USA, since 1960s. In MJQ, John Lewis was
the central figure and in charge of piano play in the quartet. His
playing style is moderate and gentle, different from a typical jazz piano
player to hit keyboard strongly, but he keeps melody and rhythm steady.
Lewis
organized a new group, different to that of MJQ members, to make an new
arrangement based on the Book I with jazz flavor (---- not simply jazz styles,
but sounds like a new music creation based on the Book I)(1984-89,
Philips). The players who joined to this group were violinist, violist,
guitarist and John Lewis himself. First, piano introduce Prelude almost
same to that of the original texts, then various kind of Fugue introduced at
very different arrangement depend on each Fugue.
In
general, they play seriously and soulfully. While listening to their
play, changing the original melody sublimate to more simple and indifferent
way, I become to a sweet but irritating feeling. I expect that the music
should be developed to my desired direction but it won’t go there, so
soon.
But,
sooner or later, the music develops and reaches to my desired goal like as if
the scales had fallen from my eyes. “That’s fine.
Yes, it is!!” I introduced this music to my friends and
they all expressed their thanks feelings by different expressions. Total
playing time expand about three times than the original play (to my regret,
Lewis’ challenge ended only by the Book I, hopefully, I
wanted his challenge succeed to the Book II, but ---).
There are
many persons who encountered such experience by Bach’s music both
from original performances and/or arranged play. I think this kind of
sensitive feeling arise because the essence of Bach’s
music are deep-rooted at “simple beauty”.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
The Goldberg Variations
In
addition to The Well-Tempered Claviers, I listened to one more Bach’s clavier
music, frequently. It was the Goldberg Variations. It has been
widely recognized that the performances of pianos by Glenn Gould as an
outstanding one. Clear-cut performances with his distinct originality are
valuable.
But, I like harpsichord performances by Keith Jarrett, as the most.
From recording information, I knew that this music was recorded in a snow
covered small wooden hall at the foot of Mts. Yatsugatake, Nagano, Japan
in January, 1989. He stayed in the snow covered wooden hall for several
days only for recording this music. We can feel a chill in the air
from his performance.
It is also said, when keyboard player play this music, they challenge to
play this music with full concentration. Keith Jarrett completed
the performance quite nicely. Some ten years later, in early summer
season (maybe, in 2000), I visited the hall which locate silently at the
foot of Mts. Yatsugatake, Kiyosato. It was a place that there was
no other visitor and I could hear only gentle winds and bird’s singing from forest of fresh young leaves. There is a young Japanese
harpsichord player Miss Mayako Sone. She plays very young and high-spirited
Goldberg. Her teacher was Scott Ross. His centripetal plays
were excellent however to our regret he passed away with all the promise
of manhood just before him. His death is a great loss to us.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
T-shirts
This is a
digression. I forgot when it was, but it was at the end of the
year. I talked with my music friend Mr. T. to make some kind of music 
T-shirts for
fun. There were many design ideas. As a conclusion, we decided to
figure out to design something relate to Mozart. Then, we thought to
print some memorable Mozart’s music on the front center on T-shirt.
If there
are too many notes, it would be difficult to read what music do they meant and
if it ran so fast, the music end so soon, this is another problem. So, we
started to choose moderate tempo music from Mozart’s complete piano sonatas. As it was a new year holidays and I had
some time allowance, I
listened the whole Mozart’s piano sonatas with watching their score. The player was Glenn Gould.
Among them, I choose piano sonata No. 8, A minor, introductory part of
the 2nd movement, K. 310. Its expression marks describe “Andante
cantabile con espressione”. I decided to copy the first seven measures. It took about
35 seconds by Gould’s fast play. Those 35 seconds would be an allowable limit to
gaze into a person’s breast?!
At the top
line, I wrote “WAM” (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) by large German letters, and at the second line
“my favorites” was written at Gothic
letters, we wrote “c. WAM-Kobo（我夢工房）” (copy right, WAM factory)
at right end.
At first,
we made several T-shirts only both for our families. However, sooner or
later, this T-shirts had a good reputation in our research institute. As
a result, we increased same T-shirts production over 100. In our research
institute, we were fairly free to wear plain jacket or T-shirts while on
working, then there were several people wearing our T-shirts at bench
working. When we met them at cafeteria in lunch time, we had really
embarrassed feeling. As we set up the sales price to get profit of some
hundred yen per sale, we did not make any loss. For a while, the profit
was kept in a drawer at laboratory desk for funds of next venture investment
however we were getting busy with our own research work, so we could not take
further action. Few months later, we had a petit buorgeois party with
wine and food to celebrate our successful dissolution.（♪：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3TWEXIkndg）
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
6. The Fifties (1997-2006)
When I
became at the age of 50s, my works became extremely busy, however interest to
music also increased in proportion to tough working. During 50s, I
collected almost every kinds of music that came my way. At 53 years old,
I was transferred from long worked research institute to the development
department at head-quarter in Tokyo. At there, I was involved in managing
budget and time schedule for developing new products in advance at research and
manufacturing site. I was always on the move for customers and markets
not only in Japan but also overseas.
During
such busy period, it was important for me to have effective resting time.
To maintain balanced mental health, effective resting for a change was the most
important action to keep in mind. Otherwise, we would suffer heavy
illness or lose balance of mental stability. From this time, I came back
to jazz world again. I thought to listen to deep and stretching jazz
music in a limited time would be most restful.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Again, Keith Jarrett
Originally,
I knew the “Köln concert” by Keith Jarrett when I was at about 30 years old
through the introduction of Mr. T., my music friend. Since then, I did
not listen to Keith Jarrett’s other performances, but at this time I made up my
mind to investigate his varieties of performances after Köln (1975 year).
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Classic
performances
Keith
Jarrett (after this, Keith) was a well known jazz pianist since he was
young. At the middle of his 20s, he joined to Miles Davis’s group and
competed for keyboard play with Chick Corea who joined to the group earlier
than Keith. While young, Keith received orthodox classic piano trainings,
and in case of performing classic piano, he exhibits totally different key
touch to that of his jazz performance. He is really an expert in two
arts. At his classical music activities with keyboard (piano, harpsichord
and clavichord), he recorded various kind of music. Following are the
representatives in chronological order:
*Pärt:
Fratres, etc (performed with G. Cremer) (1983, ECM)
*Lou
Harrison: Piano concerto, etc. (1986, 1988, New World Record)
*Bach:
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I (piano) (1987, ECM)
*Bach:
The Goldberg Variations (harpsichord) (1989, ECM)
*Bach:
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II (harpsichord) (1990, ECM)
*Händel:
Sonatas (performed with Petri (recorder)) (1990, RCA)
*Shostakovich:
Prelude (total 24 music) (1991, ECM)
*Keith
Jarrett: Bridge of Light (own composition) (1991, ECM)
*Bach:
French Suites (harpsichord) (1991, ECM)
*Bach: Sonata for Viola da gamba and harpsichord (1991,
ECM)
*Bach:
Sonatas (performed with Petri (recorder)) (1992, RCA)
*Händel:
Clavier music (1993, ECM)
*Mozart:
Piano concertos No. 9, No. 17 and No. 20, etc. (1996, 1998, ECM)
From these
performances described above, we knew that he mainly recorded classical music
between the second half of 1980s and the first half of 1990s. And, he
mainly focused to perform Bach and Händel. He also recorded contemporary
music such as Shostakovich, Pärt and Harrison but it is no doubt that his main
interest face to Bach and Händel. I do not know whether he recorded any
music of the romantic school composers after Beethoven.
His
performances to classical music were orthodox, indeed. It is very different
to his jazz performance. All of his classical music was recorded in good
sound quality and balances with cool and good strain. The performance I
liked most was the Goldberg Variations by Bach. My impression of this
performance was described, previously.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Trio,
Quartet Music (1960-1970s)
Keith’s
main activities in jazz field were performing in a trio or quartet and solo
improvisation. At 1960s, he organized a trio group (base: Charlie Haden,
Drums: Paul Motian) and performed soft and melodious album.（♪：▶ Keith Jarrett Trio - Somewhere Before 1968 Live Shelly's Manne-Hole - YouTube )
*Somewhere
Before (1968, Atlantic) 
*My Song (1977, ECM)
After the
time of strong jazz music by Coltrane, this kind of individualistic and calm
jazz music might be welcomed by people. This album contains nine music
and all were composed by Keith himself, except “My Back Page” by Bob
Dylan. They are really peaceful and make listeners homesick.
About ten years
later after “Somewhere before”, he organized a new quartet (sax: Jan Garbarek,
base: Palle Danielsson, drums: Jon Christensen and piano: Keith). This
album, “My Song” also contains slow ballad and I feel Keith’s hearty emotion
from his music and performances. From the end of 1960s to the middle 70s,
it was a time of Vietnam War and American societies were heavily confusing and
sentiments of people were also quite unstable. When we listen to this album
with thinking of such a social background, I feel certainly Keith wanted to
send out comfort and cure to society. Saxophone by Garbarek is clear and
expresses tasteful charm to the album.（♪：▶ キース・ジャレット 「マイ・ソング My Song」 - YouTube )
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Solo
Piano
Keith’s
improvisation performances are outstanding. He devotes himself completely
to improvisation performance. He has been well-known and accepted since
his performance at Köln as improvisation performer. And with this
improvisation many people knew that there is such a new free music field.
In the 18th and 19th century, Bach, Mozart and Schubert were very good at
improvisation play with or without motif. Now, at the classical music
recital, we hardly have a chance of listening to such improvisation however,
Keith taught us such an old but a new music exists. This kind of thick
improvisation could be performed by Keith because he has both successful
experiences as jazz musician and also as classical keyboard performer.
And it is also important that such performance can be met “an
once-in-a-lifetime chance” for both to performer and also to audiences.
After
Köln, Keith performed solo concert several times at live hall. In Japan,
he performed several times in Kyoto, Osaka and other cities. His
performances in Japan are edited to CDs. Mainly, he performs in European
countries. I did not examine in detail, but Keith might not perform (or record)
solo concert in the USA, although he is an American. Is this kind of
performance well- accepted only by European audience? I do not know the
reason. It would be necessary to examine further to get more good
understandings.
I have the
following improvisation CDs:
*Bremen,
Lausanne Concert (1973, ECM)
*Köln
Concert (1975, ECM)
*Sun Bear
Concert (Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo and Sapporo) (1976, 6CDs, ECM)
*Concert
(Bregenz) (1981, ECM)
*Book of
Ways (improvisation by clavichord) (1986, 2CDs, ECM)
*Paris
Concert (1988, ECM)
*La Scala
(Milano) (1995, ECM)
All of his
performance is very good. Soon, I lead into his fantasy world. Some
years ago, Keith told in an interview at musical journal that “To perform solo
concert, I need considerable energy, so stable spirit and full physical
strength is essential. I cannot perform it so frequently.” Now, he
is 68 years, already.
I had
chance to go Keith’s live concert of trio performances several times, in
Japan. Another experience was Mozart Piano Concerto which performed with
Kyoto City Orchestra in Kyoto. To my regret, I had no chance to listen to
Keith’s live solo performance, yet.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Again, Trio Performances (latter
half of 1980s-)
Keith’s
trio and quartet music started at 1960s producing several good albums, “Somewhere
Before”, “My Song” and so on. Here, I am going to describe about more
than 30 years long-lived and still presently active Keith Jarrett Trio.
After the
latter half of 1970s, Keith’s trio and quartet activities became quiet for a
while. In 1983, he started to organize new trio group with baseman: Gary
Peacock and drummer: Jack DeJohnette and pianist: Keith himself. Since
then, this trio keeps their activities until now and recorded many superb CDs,
so far. Without doubt, they share each other’s reliability and sympathy for
music. At the middle of 1990s, Keith ceased his musical activity by
illness for several years and after recovery, they re-produce high quality
music one after another.
At the
middle of 20s, Keith belonged to Miles Davis’s group and played organ and electric
keyboard instrument. I am quite confident that there might some
conversation between Keith and John Coltrane, who built up coming golden era of
jazz music, later. Under the influence of Miles Davis, many excellent
jazz performers were produced, Keith was also one of such a leading performers.
After
Miles Davis broke up his group activity in 1971, Keith eagerly wanted to
perform with Miles Davis, again and again. But he could not fulfill his
hearted desire while Miles Davis passed away in 1991. I think Keith
absorbed many things about music, outlook of life from Miles Davis and grew up
as one of a great musician. Just two weeks after the death of Miles
Davis, the Keith Jarrett trio performed six Miles’s favorite music. The music
was performed as memorial donation at the Power station in New York. Its
CD title is “Bye Bye Blackbird”. Cover picture of this album is a photo
of Keith which was taken from the behind who leaves stage with carrying trumpet
under his arms. In this album, the following mourning note is described
jointly by the three performers.
Miles
was a medium, a transformer, a touchstone a magnetic field: the authentic
minimalist (where, although there were so few notes, there was so much in those
few notes). No matter how much “noise” there was around him, Miles always
came from silence, the notes existing in a purity all their own (the opposite
of a vacuum, which is most of minimalism). Miles proved the impotency of
the “technicians”, the potency of pure desire.
We are
now left with a large hole in which every improviser should (must) question
his/her purity of desire, for without a touchstone there is no reflective
surface. This is why touchstones are so important, and also shows that in
every age we need touchstones to keep the path illuminated enough that we don’t
forget it is there (because we are so enamored of “our” “ability”). Miles
never forget the music; we will never forget Miles.
Keith
Jarrett
Gary Peacock Jack DeJohnette
This note
describes the essence of Miles’s music instruction that “Scrape useless sound,
and create true music from simple tones.” This is a meaningful warning
message to teach uselessness to pursuit technically elaborate performance.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Jazz World:
Coltrane
John Coltrane was a jazz saxophonist who was active from the middle of
the 1950s to the latter half of 60s. He broke new ground of jazz
music and built up its most prosperous period. When he was young,
he belonged to the Miles Davis’s group and made rapid progress as an eminent
saxophonist at jazz performance. For an example, they recorded their
masterpiece, “Kind of Blue” in 1959. In the album, he performed “So
What” and “Freddie Freeloader” and, so on. This LP record achieved
totally fifteen million sales all through 50 years after release.
The performers who joined to this recording were trumpet: Miles Davis, tenor sax: John Coltrane, alto sax: Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, piano: Bill Evans, base: Paul Chambers, drums: Jimmy Cobb. If you have some interest to jazz music, you will know that these members might be a miraculously outstanding group in jazz music. Among them, young Coltrane opened his extraordinary talent for music.
From my
young age, I had been interested in distinct sound of saxophone. But, I
had no idea who performs such an attractive saxophone sound. Saxophone is
a woodwind instrument, and was developed at the middle of 19th
century. It does not have long history in compared to other woodwind
instruments such as flute, clarinet and oboe. At the time when saxophone
was developed, there was no jazz scene. In the classical music, this
instrument was used only in a few cases. (I remember distinct sticky
sound of saxophone in the orchestral music “Bolero” by Maurice Ravel.)
My first
specific contact to Coltrane was brought from my wife’s friend
information. When we were at junior-high and high school student age, “The
Beatles” in the Great Britain was keeping a dominant influence to young
generation by introducing so many famous rock ‘n’ roll tunes, in rapid
succession. I did not know, but at that time among jazz favorite
students, Coltrane was shared as a charisma of “New Music”. My wife’s
friend told me, “First, start from Ballade” and “then, choose any music as you
like ---“.
Coltrane
performed great number of explosive energetic music and deeply melancholic
music with overwhelming force and he passed away in July 1967 at 40 years
old. At first, I got a CD “Ballads” from Impulse. This is one of
Coltrane’s long seller albums and performed by saxophone: John Coltrane, piano:
McCoy Tyner, base: Jimmy Garrison, drums: Elvin Jones, they united for several
years as the most firm and productive quartet.
I admire
Coltrane’s pleasant poetic nature. Here, he completely changes from
powerful blower to poetic performer. This is a product of during
1961-62. This album contains eight short performances, “Say It”, ”You
Don't Know What Love Is”, ”It's Easy to Remember” and others. “Excellent!”
is my frank and honest impression. Saxophone sound which I have been
looking for long time exists here.
There is
another elaborate ballade piece which Coltrane quartet collaborate with Jonny
Hartman, a jazz vocalist in 1963 (Impulse). This is also a well
recognized album so far, among them “My One and Only Love” is the sweetest
one. First, saxophone describes passionate love in a quiet mood then
Hartman follows it with soft voice. He sings the words with
attractive voice. Then, Coltrane’s saxophone twines around to Hartman’s
voice with an exquisite balance. “You Are Too Beautiful” is also a very
nice piece. I was overwhelmed by their soft sensitivities and perfect
flexibilities.
I started
to listen to those ballades when I was over mid 50s. I was enchanted by
those live music which were recorded more than forty years ago. If
I had my interest to Coltrane while I was young, maybe my personal music
history might be developed very differently.
Well, in
addition to ballads, Coltrane developed another great jazz field. He
evolved an adhesive and obstinate jazz world at every performance. During
his life time, he performed “My Favorite Things” more than one thousand
times. As you know, originally this was a song by Julie Andrews in “Sound
of Music”, a Broad Way Musical. My most “favorite” was performed at a
live stage in New Port (1963) (in 17min 24 sec). As another collection, I
have studio recording in NY (1960) (in 13min 41 sec) and live recording at
Birdland (1962) (in 10 min 30 sec). This was his standard number through
his lifetime and it was said that many audiences waited in patience until he
performs this number. Then, audiences left the hall in satisfaction.
His
performance of the day might be influenced by his physical condition, emotion
and “excitement” of audience. Performance was fairly different in each
time. He and other performers play something different at every play
(they call it a kind of ad-lib play). This reflects that he blow
saxophone in accordance with emotion which came to his mind at that time.
The quartet members were veterans of many stages and they express and enjoy
themselves completely when their performing turn comes. Such well
experienced team work and well-balanced volume might make this performance
splendid. It is very tasty at all.
At first,
Coltrane with Soprano saxophone performs the theme of “My Favorite Things” then
McCoy Tyner’s piano takes charge of developmental part in fairly long
time. During this period, Coltrane does not resting but he concentrate
himself to keep spiritual elevation for his next play by listening Tyner’s
piano performance. Soon after, play come back to Coltrane and he performs
the theme again then starts his unique dismantling the whole music. As
drums and base cut the passing moments steadily, every performer does not lose
their position. However, as dismantling move forward father and father,
so it is difficult to recognize the original theme well anymore. To the
process of dismantling, Coltrane puts considerable energy into the music.
As for “My
Favorite Things”, the playing times for dismantling take longer time as its number
of performance increase. At his last live performance at Harlem in April
1967, it took 34min 38 sec. This was a performance just three months
before of his death. It was reported that he continued blowing trembled
endless phrase with tremendous energy. There is no word other than “splendid
scene” to express his act.
It is said
that Coltrane carried out all recording only by “one-take” through his life,
even it was a live or studio recording. It reflects that he kept in mind
the importance of durability of sound. There is a sincere strain in
Coltrane’s performance at all times, and this might be a peculiar
attractiveness of his quartet performance.
I wrote
Coltrane exhibited two outstanding performances both ballade and standard
number, however in 1965, he lost health condition. Since then, I could
not follow his performance, at all. He recorded “A Love Supreme” in
December, 1964 just a moment before he became illness. That performance
gained high reputation, so far. However, on the cover photo of the album,
he already showed stern expression.
His live
performance at Seattle on September, 1965 was totally out of my understandings.
He blows as hard as he can, but it is not music. It is only a noisy sound
to me. How did the other three of the quartet member thought? Please
allow me to write frankly. I thought this kind of noise can be made even
to me, too. Anyway, I stopped to buy purchase CDs of Coltrane after
1965. In 1966, Coltrane organized new quartet with young players and they
went to another unknown world. It is called “Free Jazz”. In the
end, he went to another world but his excellent music will never fade. I
will never forget his excellent music as much as I can.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Corea
From the
middle of the 1970s until now, I recommend Keith Jarrett as the best jazz
pianist however we must remember another great man, Chick Corea (after this,
Chick). His characteristics are versatility and flexibility. He
appears at every kind of music scene and performs various kind of music.
My first encounter to Chick was an album titled “Return to Forever”.
Cover photo of this album is well known. It is a photo that one seagull
in flight calmly on blue sea. In the same year of June 1972, a book
named “Jonathan Livingstone Seagull“ which was written by Richard Bach
sold like hotcakes among the hippies in the USA (Japanese translation by
Hiroyuki Itsuki, 1974). The author of this book, Mr. Bach has been
said a descendant of J. S. Bach.
The total sales of the book achieved 15 million volumes and its massive
sales passed the past greatest volumes of “Gone with the Wind”. The
book cover and the Chick’s album photo were almost looked same and their
first sales also came at the same timing. I do not know well which
came first. Anyway, this album by ECM was well-received.
In this album, they recorded four pieces of music and Chick performs electric
piano. To my interest, he applied women’s vocal in the album.
The music, “Return to Forever” is a soft sound touch like covered with
a mysterious beauty of white mist which I have not heard before.
The first impression is that Chick enjoys himself performing these pieces
of music with his friends.
As the next, in the same year of great hit of “Return to Forever”, in November
1972, he released a new duet album titled “Crystal Silence” (ECM) with
Garry Burton, a leading vibraphonist. In this album, Chick performs
acoustic piano. Calm and clean piano touch and trembling sound of
vibraphone harmonize perfectly. The title music “Crystal Silence”
was used for some advertisement on TV commercial. It was familiar
to my ears from the beginning.
By
releasing these two new albums, Chick’s fame was established firmly in the
music world. Usually, he performs either acoustic piano or several kinds
of electric pianos. He has keen sensitivity to sound and also he can
express his characteristics skillfully depending on the situation.
Even at
present, he performs active part of music however it is rather difficult to classify
his music genre in a word. Jazz, Classic, Latin music, Tango,
Improvisation---, he performs all of these music. And he has been
surrounded by a number of excellent musicians and the collaborations with his
good friends are also our great expectations. Bobbie McFerrin, Roi Heins,
Bud Powell, Josyua Redman, Garry Burton, members of Chick’s acoustic band and
his electric band, Gonsalo Rubarubaka, --- and many others. Chick
produces splendid achievements through music conversation with his friends.
I myself also found many new outstanding performers through collaboration with
Chick. To that sense, Chick is a good guide to discover new talents.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Burton
Gary
Burton, a vibraphonist, was born in 1943 at Indianapolis. While he was
young, he exhibit extraordinary talent for marimba, vibraphone and piano.
At junior-high and high school age, he devoted himself to perform jazz music
and occasionally was invited to perform in a jazz group for recording.
After finished high school, he went to Berklee music collage, Boston where he
learned authentic jazz performances (at that time there was no professor of
vibraphone, however he got many friends from jazz environment at Berklee and
learned how to perform jam session in a team). During at the collage, he
became the center of attention among the concerned persons and invited to join
as a musician attached to major record companies, Atlantic, ECM, Warner Brothers,
GRP, Concord and so on.
He also
developed a number of improvements at performing, for example new method of “bending”
(playing method to control decrease of vibration of tone). Until then,
performing with four mallets was the major method for this instrument. By
combination of new development of performing, vibraphone has been recognized as
a cord instrument and also as an instrument for solo performance which is
equivalent to piano.
Burton
also collaborates with many good musicians. It might be that he has
excellent music sense and his pleasant personality might attract musicians to
perform together. I first noticed his name at collaboration album “Crystal
Silence” with Chick Corea. “Crystal Silence” and “Senior Mouse” are especially
memorable pieces of music (See, Corea part).
Through
his clear performance, I was fascinated by sound of vibraphone and I was also
attracted to the performer, Gary Barton himself. There is another
outstanding performance album of “Live at Zürich” with Chick Corea. I
have twelve CDs and two DVDs of Barton at my music shelf. Almost of them
were performed after 1985 and those music performed collaboration with other
performers. Ralugh Tauner (guiter), Pat Metheney (guiter), Bercury
Allstars (7 members), Eddie Daniels (clarinet), Rebecca Paris (singer), Paul
Buley (piano), Chick Corea (piano), Makoto Ozone (piano), Astor Piazzolla
(bandonion) and so on.
For
example, in tango album with Piazzolla, Berton’s vibraphone reacts admirably to
distinct Piazzolla’s melody line of prolonged trailing sound of bandonion and
violins. Here appears Piazzolla’s new world with touch of pathos.
He taught
at Berklee music collage (old name, institute), his graduated school and he has
been contributing to bring up young talents. He became free from teaching
at Berklee in 2002, since then he focused his activity to perform music.
He received Grammy Award in 1971 by the album of “Alone at Last” for the first
time (in this album he plays not only vibraphone but also piano and organ, as
well) (ATLANTIC、AMCY-1216).
Since then, he was awarded the Grammy Award totally six times. He might have keen senses of new and creative sound, and expressed them with innovative skillfulness. He evolved at his every performance, and I am looking forward what he will produce at his next work. Gary Burton, he is 69 years old.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Modern
Jazz Quartet（MJQ）
Modern
Jazz Quartet (MTQ) started their activities in 1952 and since then, they kept
quartet activities with fixed members. The four members were John Lewis
(piano), Milt Jackson (vibraphone), Percy Heath (base) and Connie Key
(drum). Once, in 1972 they declared to dissolve their activity after
session in Australia, however they had performed several times after
dissolution as re-union performances.
Their most recent activity was a session in New York to celebrate their
40th anniversary. Its peaceful performances with their music friends
were recorded. At that time, the eldest performer was John Lewis
(71 years old) and the youngest one was Connie Key (64 years old).
They did keep their activities fairly long-period, indeed.
In the
1950s, the jazz world had earthshaking changes. Miles Davis developed
performing method called mode-jazz to regard arrangement as the most important
element and John Coltrane’s new play of sheets of sound had a dominant
influence at that period. Among such new waves of jazz performance, MJQ
kept their original sound without any hesitation.
Later,
Lewis talked. “Among four members in MJQ, we could understand each other
what each person thinks and feels and what he wants to perform at each
second. I have never experienced such a music group keeping intimate
human relationships among members.” In Buddhist world in Japan, we say
such relation as an “A-Un, breathing” which means “their minds work the same
way” or “they are on the same wavelength”.
Lewis also
talked. “When we performed jazz in European countries, at the beginning,
our activities were considered as entertainment activities and high tax rate
were imposed to our concert activities. However, through our long-term history
of concert activities, staring from German authorities, our activities were
re-assessed as artistic and cultural activities and special tax-free rule were
applied，soon.
This is a typical example that jazz became to be recognized as one of an
important artistic activity in society. This was one of the main
achievements of MJQ activity.” “We started activities of “school
of jazz” from 1957 and gave important opportunities and footprints to academic
chance of jazz education.” They took pride in as a pioneer of jazz
world and walked central road of recent jazz.
There are
many numbers of music they used to perform, “Softly in a Morning Sunrise“, “Summer
Time”, “A Night in Tunisia”, “’Round Midnight”, “Cherokee (Indian Love Song)”, “Django”
and many others. I like these numbers of music because they perform each
sound very kindly and carefully. There are many CDs and DVDs of their
live performance. To my surprise, in a flexible and changing jazz world,
MJQ offer unchanging and certain music for more than 40 years without getting
influenced by other performers to the audience.
In some
case, vibraphone and piano get entangled together and in another case, duet
with piano and base are performed in exquisite manners. Also they
introduced and fixed vibraphone, as a key instrument to jazz world.
Through their long and steady activity, there are so many lover of MJQ not only
in the U.S.A. but also in the whole world. John Lewis, leader and pianist
of MJQ deeply devoted himself to Bach’s music and built his Bach world based on
the Well-Tempered Claviers. Detail story about Lewis-Bach was described
at previous chapter.
As
described above, in 1992 there held a great the 40th anniversary re-union
concert in New York. To this event, many musicians participated, such as
Bobbie McFerrin, TAKE 6, Phil Woods, Winton Marsalis, Ilinoi Jakee, Branford
Marsalis, Jimmy Heath, etc. To the old MJQ who offer matured jazz
performance, the young participants put energy into MJQ. This is one of
the outstanding CDs to conclude MJQ activities (“MJQ & Friends”, Warner
Music Japan, AMCY-1123).
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
McFerrin
Bobby
McFerrin is a musician who was born in New York, Manhattan in 1950. His
parents are opera singers. He is a vocalist, conductor and music
coordinator who unite jazz, classical and other kind of music at high
level. At his base, he performs a kind of individualistic music with his
colorful and ever-changing voices. I first knew McFerrin through
collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma, a famous cellist.
The title
of the CD is “HUSH” (recorded August, 1991, Sony). In the CD, they
perform several classical pieces such as Andante from concerto for two
mandolins by Vivaldi, Flight of the Bumble Bee by Rimsky-Korsakov, Vocalize by
Rachmaninoff, Musette and Air from Orchestral Suite No. 3 by Bach and
others. They perform totally thirteen short pieces of music.
Mainly, McFerrin sing melody at various voices and Ma’s cello twist around
admirably as back chorus.
Both
performers polished sensitivities to music are super. As written in liner
note, both musician recognize each other as an exceptional personality and
respect each other as a valuable partner. I can hear their love of music
from their performances.
The titled
music “Hush Little Baby” appears at the fifth. As it is written “traditional”,
so it might be a kind of music of “an old children’s song”. It is a kind
of strange but happy heart-warming song. There is no word booklet in the
CD and it sound to me almost as an incantation. I have no idea what they
are singing. But it is not a big matter. Ma’s cello is also
enjoying co-performance with McFerrin, very much. Ma writes following
note about performing present collaboration with McFerrin.
“Hush”
is a musical celebration of life---from youth to old age. While in so
many ways this album speaks to children, it is equally true that perhaps its
central goal, to use Bobby’s phrase, is to “release the child in the adult.”
------ “Hush” is also a tribute to the wonderful serendipity that
is present in every life: my meeting with Bobby at Leonard Bernstein’s 70th
birthday festivals at Tanglewood in 1988: our first collaboration at his 40th
birthday party in San Francisco—where he conducted Beethoven’s Seventh
Symphony, and I improvised in public for the first time (What a terrifying, as
well as exhilarating, experience that was!) ------
Yo-Yo Ma
It is 2
min 36 sec with a sense of fulfillment. By this short piece, I became
interested in his other performances and started to collect his works, step by
step.（♪：▶ Yo-Yo Ma &Bobby McFerrin - YouTube )
As a vocalist, his common performing style is to come to live stage with very casual style carrying a bottle of water and sings various kinds of improvisation vocal performances by alone. He also likes to perform with various kinds of musicians and stage players. Most common co-performers are Chick Corea (piano), Habbie Hancock (piano), Joe Zabinul (piano), Tony Williams (drums), Jack DeJonette (drums), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Gary Burton (vibraphone), Winton Marsalis (trumpet), MJQ (quintet) and Manhattan Transfer (vocal group) and others.
In any case, he adapts flexibly to all kinds of music. He also received
Grammy Award eight times during 1985 to 92. This result exhibits
his achievement levels of original performance. We can enjoy the
pleasure of McFerrin’s performance by DVD more in detail and exactly.
Most remarkable work of his solo vocal performance is “The Voice” (1984).
He performs various kind of jazz music only by changing his voice tone.
By this performance, he recognized his future way and his music talent
by himself. He performed the same performances several times at music
stages in the U.S.A. and opera house in Germany and these performances
were praised highly. He gained reputation by “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”.
This is a healing simple song to make people’s feelings relax (Got the 1st prize at Pops section in the U.S.A.). There are several DVDs of his solo performance in sales, among them “Live in Montreal” (2003) would be the most attractive album with cheerful audiences and his improvisation performances with different kind of performers are quite attractive. He established his own original way.
He is also
famous as classic music orchestral conductor. I do not understand exactly
his whole activity as conductor however he has been invited from a number of
world famous orchestras. I have seen several of them and all of them are
quite orthodox and stable.
Once, I listened to Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 “Italia” conducted by
McFerrin at Triphony Hall, Tokyo in 2005. He conducted Tokyo Philharmonic
Orchestra. I understand his deep knowledge to classic music through
well-regulated conducting. The second part of the stage was his solo
performances. It was a familiar, relaxed and pleasant performance.
There were improvisation performance, his original song and many others.
Finally, he sits on the stage and talked to the audiences “Are there any
request to play now?” And he answered elegantly audience request and received
thunderous applause. I watched his talented performance.
He also asked “Do you have any question about me?” I had one question:
“Do you have any plan to go into opera world?” But, I was not brave
enough to send this question to him in front of 3,000 audiences.
I regret it still now. Anyway, I do not listen to his activity in
opera world, afterwards. (After the night concert, I took a sleeping
car “Ginga (galaxy)” express blue-train from Tokyo to Kyoto. This
was a memorial ride, one week prior to the last run of historical “Ginga”
blue-train.)
As a next, we cannot forget his activities as music concert coordinator.
Many musicians might want to collaborate with McFerrin. As an example,
there is a summer out-door concert regularly in Leipzig, Germany.
McFerrin organize whole plan of the concert and invite various kind of
first-class music to perform at there. First, this concert begins
with Scherzo of “Dream of Mid-summer Night” by Mendelssohn who was born
and active at this old town. Of course the conductor is McFerrin.
Then, many different types of music from different country performed one
after another. To each performance, McFerrin join to some extent.
The audiences of Leipzig understand McFerrin’s essence and spirits well,
so they do not care although he came to stage almost with hippy like casual
style. In Leipzig, a mecca of German music, it looks strange somehow
that a musician from New York coordinate the concert. However, McFerrin’s
this music concert has an international value and wide view and has been
supported among peoples. Of course, this concert has a great attractiveness
as commercial planning, also. I enjoyed it with live concert DVDs
of 2002 performances.
I hope he
will continue to produce another kind of phantasmagoric music. He
describes interesting idea on the positive meaning of music as following:
Bobby
McFerrin demonstrates the power of the pentatonic scale, using audience
participation at the event “Notes & Neurons: In Search performance of the
Common Chorus”.
The 2009 World Science Festival, June 12, 2009.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
FelaKuti
When I was
over thirty years old, I had a chance to visit Kenya by company’s trip and
stayed there about two weeks. The purpose of my trip was not a so called
business trip to sell our product, but to attend a scientific meeting sponsored
by the United Nations to propose developing program to conjugate tropical
natural resources to prevent or treat tropical diseases. My first oversea
business trip to Africa was a bolt from the blue. However, I had many
memorable experiences at there.
As for
music, I had memorable experience, too. African music is not a single
music but there exist a great varieties of music depends on nations, districts
and tribes. One night while I was in Nairobi, I attended a night
tour excursion and introduced to come in a poorly lighted room. I forgot
group name and music titles but anyway they performed typical East African
music. One single monotonous rhythm of a drum developed to several drums
then changed to dynamic rhythms, gradually. Chorus group started to
shout-out like spiritual prey or cry against something. On the stage,
several men and women dancer continued to play energetic dance.
I did not
understand well whether this performance had a story or a combination of
instant ad-lib performance. It sounded almost endless performances and
surprised with continuing strange unfamiliar sound, it was not a simply noisy
sound to me but I felt a kind of pleasant tingle with excitement. I had
experienced only at the introductory and one small part of African music.
After I returned to Japan, it was impossible to listen to any African music in
series. Time passed by without listening African music, so far. I
wanted to listen to them in series if I could have some chance in future.
From 1985,
Japan Victor Company started their activity to collect African music.
Several recording crew went to Africa and collected various kind of native folk
music, in good condition. And as other activity, they invited several
famous African music groups to Japan and did several studio recordings.
Many of these activities were edited and sold as record or CDs, in
series. Soon, we could able to listen to a number of African music, in
good condition.
Among
various kind of African music, I felt deep Africa most with the activities of
Fela Kuti. Fela Kuti was born in Nigeria in 1938 and he is well known all
over the world as an originator of Afro-beat. He was a multi musician who
perform saxophone, piano and sing song, as well. Fela Kuli was also known
as “Black President” of Africa. His performing style changed as time
passed by. In his early stage, he pursued original African music
separated to import western music. Then gradually, his music turned to
express political message against power politics and powerful person.
Sooner or
later, his message became extremely radical. His message changed greatly
at the performing places and he expressed enormous number of works at any
chance and any place where he could perform. It took extremely long
time to perform music. He passed away in 1997 and his whole works were
not reviewed completely, so far.
Because of strong political messages (emancipation of blacks, establishment of new independent republic separate from existing nations, ----), he was in prison many times. At his representative work “Zombie”, he expressed attack of army soldiers to his daily life as zombie and this music was supported enthusiastically by many peoples. This music is simple in a sense, but energies kept anger inside are almost explosive. With trumpet and other brass instruments and many drums and Kuti’s powerful vocal continue to shout “ZOMBI, ZOMBI, ZOMBI !! ----“.
This shout involve anger of depressed people, and when this song was shouted
at street, the people at power side might be terrified with fear.
This is such a persistent music. (Michel Jackson’s “ZOMBI” is also
well known. In compared both ZOMBIs, Michel’s ZOMBI is a creature
product for show business, but Kuti’s ZOMBI is a product produced from
fear and real anger.)
“KALAKUTA
SHOW” is another kind of fighting Afro-beat song. The name of Kuti is
well known in the U.S.A. as a pioneer of Afro-beat (all of his song words
written in English !!). In the early part saxophone performs a plaintive
melody and the latter part the words express disconsolate feelings of enduring
humiliation.
It is
difficult to compare African music and western music, however both music have
strong power to move our spirit from the bottom. Kuti’s works are
memorable, at all. I did not listened to African music systematically but
if I concentrate to this field more in detail, I suspect that I might catch
something great but I am getting rather old to start this kind of big
challenge. I just glanced at African music from outside. I believe
I could feel a small part of the true charm of them.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Bach: Violin Sonatas and Partitas
(unaccompanied)(Gruemiaux vs Kremer)
J. S. Bach
was well known as an excellent organ and harpsichord player and he also had
deep understanding of stringed instrument, such as violin, cello and so
on. While he was at Köthen (1717-23), he composed a number of
instrumental music. Among them, the unaccompanied violin sonatas and
partitas have been recognized as one of his outstanding works and appraised as
a monumental achievement of violin music. At that time, sonata was one of
a music structure which consists of four movements with slow/fast/slow/fast
tempo. Partita is an Italian language which means a set of variation,
however at Bach's time, it meant suites consist of several dance music with
different rhythm.
This music
is composed for solo violin requiring high skills and understanding of musical
motifs for performance and expresses supreme performing effect. This
music has been evaluated as one of the best for violin. This sonatas and
partitas were performed only several times while he was alive, then as time
went by this music was forgotten from people. It passage was same to that
of the Matthew Passion. Music score were published after some 50 years
later of Bach's death. It needed more periods to admit real value of the
music among people.
Many
violinists challenge to perform this music. Every violinist performs this
music with his most sincere earnest attitude. We must be prepared when we
listen to this music, however as music goes on, spontaneously we concentrate
ourselves. I have several CDs of this music. Here, I would like to
explain about Belgian violinist, Arthur Grumiaux (Philips) and Latvian
violinist, Gidon Kremer (Philips), as my favorites. Kremer is the same
age to me and he is just 5 days younger than I.
Gremiaux
had already established his fame as all-round player of violin music in early
50s. I first knew his name at the middle of 60s when I was interested in
music at Junior High School student age. His playing style was orthodox
and his fine and elegant sound from Stradivarius had been approved
deeply. My old understanding of Gremiaux was that he performed frequently
for romanticist composer's works. However, after listening Gremiaux's
Bach, my sense of closeness to him increased. I have CDs of his first
recordings of the music at age 40 in 1960.
On the
other hand, Kremer is a violinist with strong and versatile abilities. He
plays at every possible scene with leading and dramatic expression where violin
or violinist is needed. Movie, play, attached music to pictures, modern music, folk music,
tango ---- his activity is not focused only to the traditional classical
music. In the movie “Chaconne”, he played an actor of reticent violinist at sewerage in Paris, and
he introduced Alvo Pärt's contemporary music, and he also performed impressive
creative works of Piazzolla's tango.
At
Kremer's Bach, we can listen to his delicate and clear accented sound. In
this violin music, Chaconne in Partita No.2 (5th music) is the most well known
and many arrangements had been tried with other instruments, such as piano,
harpsichord, cello, string orchestra, chorus and so on. These
arrangements are interesting, indeed.
After
Gigue of the 4th movement, we concentrate with deep breathing for the 5th
movement, Chaconne. From the beginning, Kremer's play is so serious and
he keeps heavy tension. I can imagine that he is playing cutting several
horsehairs of bow. As his performance is so serious, I sometimes get
tired of his performance. So, I choose his Bach performance only once or
twice a year. This is my present choice. (Note: chaconne is a dance
music originate in Spain. Usually, it has an accent at second beat.
It is a slow music with quadruple/triple time. (The Standard Music
Dictionary, Ongakuno-tomosha))
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Bach : Cello Sonatas (unaccompanied)(Fournier vs Ma)
Bach's The Unaccompanied Cello Sonatas consists of 6 sonatas and they were
composed at the almost same time with The Unaccompanied Violin Sonatas
and Partitas while Bach was in Köthen. The cello sonatas contain
several dance music with different rhythms. The sonatas have evaluated
as the best cello music and many cellists have been challenging to play
them with their sincere concentration.
Basically, Bach did not describe any expression and tempo marks on his score. Many cellists play those numbers of music according to their own interpretation, so each performance change very much. There are persistent performances with intensive thought and/or indifferent performances with exact rhythm ---- and so on.
As they
are music for dance, there are several kinds of expressions. For example,
the first music “prelude” of sonata No.1 is a simple music with switchover
broken chords. The chord moves with soft melody and from here beautiful
cello music start. This “prelude” is arranged as accompanied melody of
famous “Ave Maria” by Chares Gounod. The first
three sonatas No. 1st, 2nd and 3rd are composed relatively compact scale
however music becomes complicated from sonatas No. 4th, 5th and 6th, gradually.
Originally,
the 5th sonata was composed for cello with five strings. So, to play this
music with common 4 string cello, special fingering is needed for smooth
performance. Both in the 5th and 6th sonata, different taste of Gavotte
I/II appear at the middle. Gavotte is a French pleasant dance in a 4/4
rhythm. These are old dance music of more than 300 years ago, however
they sound fresh and impressive even to the audience at present.
After
appreciation of several performs, I tried to choose who would be my
favorites. After several investigations, I decided to choose two
cellists: Pier Fournier and Yo-Yo Ma, as selected cellists.
The first
is a French cellist, Pierre Fournier. I chose Fournier as favorite
because of his calm performance with stable tempo and intonation. Brief
personal history of Fournier is as followings: He was born in 1906 and at
his young age, he intended to be a pianist. However, he suffered polio at
9 years old and his right leg became disabled, so he changed to play cello instead
of piano. After his debut in 1924, he devoted his effort to play cello
and became full professor at university of music, soon. He especially
exhibited his talent for structural understanding and performance for big scale
music. He possessed fine technique with French flavor esprit.
Fournier was a person with strong faith. Here, I would like to quote
description from collective books by Masao Maruyama (Vol. 6, page 143):
“I
keep faith from my young age. We face to difficulties at all times.
I stayed tolerated with people in Paris during our hard time of occupation by
German army. Some person moved to unoccupied country and did “showy resistance” and after the war he
returned to home land as a triumphal general. However, I proud of my past
life in Paris, studying music by selling furniture.”
In those
days, there were several attitudes against Nazis: some musician was exiled and
others were cooperated with Nazis and some others attained non-cooperation even
though they stayed in their own homeland. Each musician chose their own
life. Here, I would not consider whether Fournier’s attitude was wise or
not, however I would say that he was a person of beliefs who stayed in Paris
during the war. His performance has been highly evaluated as German music
such as Bach, Beethoven and Brahms performer even though he is French. He
is a kind of cosmopolitan. After knowing his hard life in the past, I
feel more sense of closeness to his steady performance.
Next is Yo-Yo Ma. He was born in 1955 and during his childhood, he
lived in Paris with family and moved to United States at the age of 7.
He studied cello at Julliard Music School and later graduated Harvard in
1976. After debut to music society, he gained excellent reputation
by performing together with famous European orchestras and conductors.
He also arranged music for cello and opened much possibility of music for
cello. At other filed of classics, he enjoyed several kind of music
such as folk music, tango, jazz, Oriental music etc. and at each performance
he received high reputation.
So far as I know, he recorded J. S. Bach's unaccompanied cello sonatas
two times, once was in 1982 (he was 27 years old) and next was in 1994-98
(39-43 years old) (Sony). His 27 years performance was played with
calm and fresh feeling and it was looked as a new young star’s debut to
this glorious Bach world. On the other hand, his new recordings took
5 years to complete whole sonatas recording and those second music do not
sound so vivid in compared with his first recording. As he played
the second one with much thoughtfulness, the sound dynamics and playing
tempo do not fixed, in some cases. They are opposite to that
of consistent Fournier's performance.
Playing time was 7 minutes longer in compared to those of first recordings.
Usually to performance the whole music, it takes about 130 minutes, so
this 7 minutes difference gives a very different impression to listeners.
It might be suitable for you when you want to listen to the sonata with
deep thought, the second recordings would be better for you. However,
I prefer the first performance while he was young.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Mozart: Piano Sonatas (the complete) (Uchida vs Gould vs Pires)
There is
no doubt that Mozart was a genuine genius, however I was not deeply impressed
to his music while I was young. I felt too many light rolling notes in
his music. In a word, all of his music gave almost same impression to
me. Among them, one of the most famous Piano Sonata No.11, K331, with
Turkish march (A major) was a special one.
When I
decided to listen to Mozart’s piano sonatas, the performances by Mitsuko Uchida
(Philips) were highly evaluated as the most orthodox and steady performances of
Mozart pieces in Europe. I bought the complete by Uchida without
hesitation and enjoyed them very much for fairly long term. As many
critics describe, her performance were quite stable and moderate without any
waving. I felt some hardness in her performance, but I understood it
might be an orthodox German style and she performed them sincerely.
Next, few
years later, I bought the complete performed by Glenn Gould, a Canadian pianist
with exceptional talents (Sony). When I listened to Gould’s piano
performance for the first time, to say frankly, I was surprised his distinct
performance tempo. I thought he might be playing so in order to exhibit
how different he was to others. When he intended to perform at quick
tempo, he run through like strong wind based on accurate technology. In
case of Turkish march, I thought he might play it like an arrow however he
performed it very slowly like a march at funeral. At the beginning, I had
a kind of repulsive feeling to such different tempo of music, but soon I
received them unanimously as it is.
In 1954,
Gould debut with strong impact by unprecedented high speed performance of the
Goldberg Variation. Although, he played the music at extremely high
speed, his performances were supported by perfect skills. (By the way, he
recorded the same variations in 1955. This performance was faster than
the previous 1954 play. I do not know whether Bach would accept his
performance as a good example. Since then, I do not see any pianist who
follows Gould’s performing style ----). In comparison with both Uchida
and Gould’s performances, I learned that there exist two different kind of
Mozart in their music.
As for
orthodox pianists, two women Lili Kraus and Ingrid Haebler are most well known
as Mozart performer, in history. As an existing active woman pianist I
want to point out Maria Joao Pires, a Portuguese. As same to many
first-class performers, she enjoyed the reputation of being a genius since she
was childhood. There is no useless sound at her performance and it
develops smooth, indeed. It sound like that a butterfly is fluttering
dances smoothly above keyboard.
As an
elegant Mozart piano music performer, Pires unsurpassed among present
pianists. Both Uchida and Pires’s performances are orthodox but they are
very different. Uchida’s performance sounds earnest and serious, but
Pires’s performance sounds weightless, in the least. Pires recorded the
complete of the Mozart sonatas two times. The first recording was carried
out at Iino Hall, Tokyo in 1974 when she was thirty years old. This is an
outstanding performance which meet Mozart’s piano and Pires’s youth. Now,
I recommend her recording in Tokyo version as my most favorites.
The one
thing I want to request to the Mozart piano music is smooth flow of sound without
any strain. Performance with vigorous style does not match well. I
would like accept the performance with tranquil mind. To our fortunate,
there are not so many performances with smooth sounds but there exist some,
certainly.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas (the complete)(Backhaus vs
Gulda)
The most
great conductor and pianist in the 19th century, Hans von Bülow (he was former
husband of Cosima, who remarried with Richard Wagner, later) told that “The
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I, II by Bach are the Old Testament of keyboard
music, while The Piano Sonatas by Beethoven are the New Testament of keyboard
music.” Certainly, these two music can be said extraordinary giant
constructions, and the essence of German music is condensed in these two music.
Among
Beethoven’s piano sonatas, some sonatas have subtitles, such as “Pathetic”, “Pastoral”,
“Moonlight”, “Tempest”, “Waldstein”, “Appassionata”, “Les Adieux” and so
on. These sonatas are well known and play frequently at music
concerts. At around 50, I started to listen to piano sonatas of Beethoven
and I started them from the complete of Wilhelm Backhaus. Later, I bought
one more the complete by Friedrich Gulda, as reference.
Of course,
I have been well aware that Beethoven’s piano sonata had highly reputation
however they are huge condensed music which were composed with concentrated effort
and sweat. I was afraid to contact them carelessly, for long time.
Before Beethoven, I listened to the Well-Tempered Claviers and Mozart and
Schubert piano music, as well.
Beethoven
composed totally 32 piano sonatas in his life, according to opus number, more
than half of the sonatas (No.1 to 20) were composed during he was young until
around 30 years old. His early piano sonatas, as similar to string
quartets and symphonies, I feel young breath of Beethoven. Sometimes,
those number of music sound like Haydn or Mozart’s music.
Although
in his early piano sonatas, we find keen artistic sense or brilliant intellect,
for example in “Pathetic” or “Moonlight” sonatas. We cannot decide easily
that his early music was composed only as a trial work.
However,
from “Waldstein” sonata (C major, No. 21, op 53) (was composed about 34 years
old), musical motif change completely, and enter to his “heroic” period or
stormy age. From this time, his music starts to have “Will” by
itself. At 35 years old, he composed “Appassionata” sonata (No. 23, op.
57, F-minor). Since then, his composition of piano sonatas became
intermittent. The last No. 32 sonata was presented to the Grand Duke
Rudolf who totally supported Beethoven’s life, for long time. He was 52
years old and it was just 5 years before of his death. His last sonata consisted
from two movements.
The 1st
movement is described as ”Maestoso-allegro con brio ed appassionato”.
The motif is strong and challenging as if this was the sum up of Beethoven’s
creative activities.
The last
2nd movement is described as ”Arietta, adagio molto semplice e cantabile”. This movement almost sounds like funeral music for me.
After presentation the theme, music moves to variation. The 1st movement symbolizes
“fighting” on the other hand the 2nd movement suggest “peace and resting quietly
to keep calm”. This might be a mental state where Beethoven arrived at
last. To describe about Beethoven’s piano sonatas in this limited space
is a reckless trials and I do not have ability to describe the subject, in
detail. I want to stop at here ---- then, ---- let’s return to “music”.
Lastly, I
would like to describe about the two contrasting pianists, Wilhelm Backhaus and
Friedrich Gulda. In 1884, Backhaus was born in Leipzig. He is a
well known and orthodox German pianist. He debut in 1900 and devoted all
his life for performing piano except military service time.
He transferred
his registration to Switzerland after the World War II. He was good
pianist at German composers such as Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms. His
characteristics has been said his delicate piano play among strong piano touch
like a steel. He also recognized as the best pianist to give pleasant
sense of satisfaction to the audience. The complete of Beethoven’s
sonatas at hand were recorded during 1952 to 69 (London). Some of the
sounds are not clear because of old recording. However, this Backhaus’s
recordings will stay in history as an authentic performance of Beethoven’s
piano sonatas. In conclusion, I quote the three phrases he used to talk:
“Serious work gives
genuine pleasure”---Seneca
“The dignity of human
being entrusted to you. Protect it.”---Schiller
“Create, Artist, not
talk”---Goethe
”Res severa
verum gaudium.”－－－Seneca
”Der Menschheit
Würde ist in eure Hand gegeben. Bewahret sie.”ーーー Schiller
”Bilde,
Künstler, rede nichit.”－－－Goethe
The quoted
words itself remind his German spirits.
Next, I am going to describe about Gulda who was born in Wien in 1930. He exhibited his genius talent while he was young and he debut to music world when he was 14 years old and won fame in the world, soon. After the World War, in 1946 he won the 1st prize at the International Piano Contest in Geneva and also performed his recital at Carnegie Hall, New York in the same year. He performs all kind of piano music from Bach to contemporary music, however sometimes he was criticized that his performances were cool (do not express emotion well).
He explains against criticism “Cool performances come from repeated deep
reflection of wonder of myself about understanding and performing music.”
He also talked that the Well-Tempered Clavier and Beethoven’s sonatas are
always something special through in my life and always perform them with
sincere respect. At Beethoven’s sonatas, Gulda sometimes perform
cadenza arranged by himself. Many audiences know his original performance
and expect to hear his (new) improvised cadenza.
Gulda also
kept his activity as jazz performer, and he organized periodical jazz concert
as playing manager in Wien, the holy ground of traditional classic music.
I watched his jazz performance both as player and director by DVD. He
creates very interesting stage mixed with classical and jazz music, in good
merge. But without doubt, Gulda himself is a right person who enjoys the
stage at most. He also composes several music pieces. His music “Grove”
is a quite interesting music piece scuffled jazz + classic + Wien folk music,
all together.
Gulda was
a person who does not like behave formally, and performed quite often at
concert with rough style, such as jeans and T-shirts. He was considered “an
unfettered person” from the bottom, but some others ridiculed him as “an
outsider” or “No.1 odd fellow in the world”. Among many anecdotes,
following is an extraordinary one,
In 1999,
Gulda announced suddenly to the public, “Mr. Gulda passed away” and actually he
disappeared from the world, completely. While, attendants to the funeral
ceremony were in tears, he appeared to the funeral hall and performed “the
Resurrection party” with attendants, solemnly.
Gulda was
a person who took people by surprise “Oh ---- !!” and enjoyed himself by
setting such tricks. He was such an innocent man (later years, an
innocent grandpa). But, next year of the trick, on January 27th 2000, he
went to the next world, truly. He passed away at 70 years old.
Strangely enough, 244 years before in Salzburg, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was
born on the same day, January 27th. Amen!
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Chopin: Piano Music (Rubinstein)
Fryderyk
Franciszek Chopin music has been told effeminate and gentle. Certainly, a
number of his music are filled with great poetic feelings. However, when
we face to Chopin music from a position of audience it is rather
complicated. If we listen to only Chopin music, maybe it would be
difficult to keep holding good strain continuously. I cannot put absolute
trust in Chopin music and cannot live with only in the Chopin world. In
my case, I always compare Chopin music to other composer’s works such as Beethoven,
Mozart and others.
When I
became college student, my uncle gave me a present of LP of Chopin music by
Gergy Schebek, a Hungarian pianist and enjoyed several mazurka and nocturnes,
for a while. However, to my ear mazurkas were difficult to appreciation
and did not become to my favorites, at that time.
It was over 50s when I listened to Chopin with all my heart. Finally,
my attitude or impression to Chopin changed at that age. Long time
ago, in 1965, Malta Argerich, an Argentine young woman pianist made dramatic
debut by winning three 1st prizes for performance, audience and mazurkas
at International Chopin Piano Contest. In Japan, at that time, this
was sensational news among classical music lovers.
I listened to her performances for the first time after 30 years of her
debut which were recorded in 1965 when she won the Prizes. She performed
Chopin music (sonatas, mazurkas and nocturnes) in London (studio at Abbey
road). I met her very late, but I knew her powerful wild performance
supported with her exact skill, very well. I understand many audiences
at that time admired her enthusiastically.
When we think about Chopin music, to my impression, firstly I recommend
Artur Rubinstein who born in Poland and became a naturalized American citizen,
later. He performs the most authentic and graceful Chopin.
Rubinstein was an all-round pianist however his Chopin performances have
been evaluated highly and I like his Chopin very much.
Many Chopin’s music is composed for great dramatic effect, so they are difficult to keep exact rhythms through whole performances. Rubinstein’s performances keep rhythms as exact as possible and do not run too splendidly. Many young Chopin players debut since then and mostly they compete to exhibit their perfect brilliant techniques at their performances, but I will keep on listening to this experienced pianist who was born in 1886.
Chopin was born in Poland and he was mixed blood with French. He
lived his latter half of life in Paris. At piano performances, he
was super expert and many famous tunes composed from his keyboard.
Among his works, some of them express his thoughts to homeland and others
reflect a young man with a noble appearance admiring French noble society.
From his music, it is difficult to decide his sense of belonging to Poland
or French or elsewhere.
Needless to say, he composed the finest concertos, sonatas, preludes, etudes, nocturnes scherzos, waltzes, polonaises, mazurkas for piano. I could not find composer with distinct Chopin flavor since then, I suspect Chopin might dipped up all of Chopin feelings through his works, already. He was a genuine genius and no one ever follow behind him.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Haydn: Piano Sonatas (the complete) (Jando)
Franz Joseph Haydn was 25 years older than Mozart and during his heydays,
he composed tremendous amount of music. In Japan, Haydn’s music has
not been appreciated so much in compared to Mozart and Beethoven’s work.
During his lifetime, he composed 108 symphonies, 11 concertos for harpsichord
(or forte piano), 46 developments, 82 string quartets, and many others
such as, triple concertos, oratorios, mass music and so on. He established
the music style of symphony and string quartet. As for piano sonatas,
exact number of his composition is not known. It has been estimated
that there should be 60 sonatas, at least. About his life, especially
while he was young only a little is known, so far. Future document
search is necessary to clarify his whole life.
Now, I am
going to describe Haydn’s piano sonatas. As described, in Japan, there is
little chance to listen to Haydn piano music at concerts or radio broadcastings
in compared to the Well-Tempered Claviers by Bach, Mozart and Beethoven’s piano
sonatas. As for myself, I had a very limited experience to listen to
Haydn symphonies and string quartets except some famous pieces. My
understanding of Haydn music was rather poor. I wanted to listen to Haydn
music, in series. I expected to find something new with simple Wien flavors
and aristocratic tastes (sorry for impolite expression) in Haydn’s music.
In addition to this, while I talked with Professor Meinwald, when I was
in abroad study in the U.S.A., he told, “There are many nice Haydn piano
pieces, but unfortunately in comparison with Mozart’s pieces, I consider
that Haydn’s pieces are quiet and simple, in general. When we see
CD product list of the complete of piano sonatas, many pianists and recording
companies compete each other to produce Beethoven or Mozart edition and
actually, they get good profits from those sales.
However in case of Haydn, we see only less than one tenth of products of
the complete in compare to Mozart and Beethoven’s. Generally in case
of CDs, 10 CDs is required for Beethoven pieces, 4 to 5 CDs for Mozart
pieces and for Haydn we need 10 CDs for the complete. It is understandable
that many pianists and companies shift their recording to Beethoven or
Mozart.
There is a
new recording level NAXOS in Germany established in 1987. They appointed
positively many young performers and players from Eastern Europe and also,
produce various kind of music which are not common so far at commercial market
together with famous pieces. Sales prices are reasonable and cover photos
are simple and liner notes are also given only at a minimum. I have been
watching the activity of this level from the beginning. Their recording
technologies are quite good.
There is a
pianist named Jenö Jando, who was born in Hungary. He appears at
NAXOS level and performs Beethoven and Mozart’s Piano Sonatas and Piano
Concertos (the complete) and The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I and II and so
on. Jando was not so well known pianist in Japan, and I knew his name as
a player of several small piano pieces. However since he was adopted with
NAXOS, his performances became well known to the world.
Now, I am
enjoying Haydn’s piano sonatas (the complete) performed by Jenö Jando.
Several years ago, I heard news that Jando started to record Haydn piano
sonatas and in the beginning only two CDs were released. By taking almost
three years, the whole piano sonatas were completed (10 CDs). As for me,
I bought one by one at each several monthes when his new CD was issued.
Of course, they were all new music to me.
When Haydn
composed piano sonatas, it was a time keyboard instruments were changing to
Forte Piano from the old style Harpsichord and Clavichord. Forte piano
was welcomed for concert hall performances because they could produce large
volume of sound by hitting strings with hummers. So, many new playing
techniques were necessary to be developed for new forte piano.
From Haydn
piano pieces, I receive impression that sound is clear and rhythm change in
valuable ways and composed concisely as a whole. To my regret, I desire
one more characteristics, such as more gorgeous brightness or dramatic
expressions. From the view point of romantic feeling, they are different
from Schubert music. Sweet melodies do not appear. It sounds
like that at Haydn time to keep good mechanical rhythm in music was encouraged
as an important music element. These might be a musical atmosphere at his
time. At that time, a number of his music was received very much among
the Austrian and German aristocracy.
While Mozart and Beethoven were at their studying period of music, before at their bloom age, their music sound like to those of Haydn’s music. I might be punished by the spirit of Haydn writing such selfish comments. Jando’s performances of Haydn music sound smooth without emphasizing his inner feeling so strongly. Each movement constructed from relatively small musical motif and generally it takes about 10 minutes to perform one sonata.
We can listen to them in easy way. (As to the sonatas for keyboard,
we cannot forget Scarlatti, an Italian composer who was in active some
time before Haydn age. He composed a lot of lovely small keyboard
music. When we listen to Haydn and Scarlatti’s music in comparison,
we can enjoy different kind of colorful and rhythmic world.)
Return to the Chapter
2 Head
Opera World: Marriage of Figaro, Turandott, La Boheme
From now,
I would like start to describe about Operas. At the age of 55, I
encounter to operas, in true sense. At that age, I bought several DVDs
and small home theater sets and appreciated operas with music and picture with
Japanese subtitles. Here, I am going to write about my early experiences
of operas before DVDs. At about late 40 to beginning of 50 years old, I started
to listen to several famous operas through hearing from CDs.
Opera
world is huge. It is told frequently that without having experiences of
the actual stage of opera, it is difficult to find the real value of
opera. Opera is an enormous composite art with combination of play, song,
dance, music, costume and stage settings and so on. To appreciate its
real value, it is necessary to have keen sense of smell and power of
concentration.
For us
Japanese, we need considerable power of concentration and energy to understand
the story of opera which perform by foreign languages, German, Italian and
French and so on. Generally, it is almost impossible to catch delicate
inner mental movement during various kinds of songs and conversations at
play. I had such a preconception for operas for long time, so I hesitated
to come in to the opera world at easygoing way.
However,
several arias from famous operas which I listened to occasionally were quite
attractive. Without knowing the background stories of opera, I could
enjoy many of these famous arias from the surface. I bought several aria
omnibus albums for men’s and women’s voices and enjoyed them very much.
But soon, I could not satisfy with such a selfish way of appreciation listening
only opera arias, and naturally, I thought that I would like to listen through
whole opera from the beginning to the end.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Marriage of Figaro
First, I
choose “Marriage of Figaro” by W. A. Mozart, because I knew several arias among
the opera. In an excellent film “Amadeus”, there are following scene
while Mozart talked passionately while composing “Figaro”. “Now,
marvelous melodies evolve one after another from my body ----” “Six
soloists join to the chorus one by one, ---- duet to trio, then to quartet,
quintet and --- finally come to sextet, ---- they grow to magnificent chorus!!”
I bought
well-known CDs by Karl Böhm conducting the Chorus and Orchestra of German Opera
Berlin issued by Grammophon (recorded in 1968). The soloists were
followings: count Almaviva: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, countess: Gundula
Janowitz, Susanna: Edith Mathis, Figaro: Hermann Prey and Cherubino: Tatiana
Troyanos ---- they are all most envious soloists.
From
listening CDs, I could not catch the story well. However, I could enjoy
their music without understanding its story. Of course, I knew myself
that my level of understandings was quite low.
My
favorites of “Figaro” are followings:
The 1st act: overture; duet “five--, ten--, twenty---“; small duet “Pray
pass before, my splendid lady!”; aria “No more, amorous moth, will not
flitter”, etc.
The 2nd act: aria “Grant, O Love, some sweet elixir”; canzona “Ladies,
you know love”; trio “Open, quickly, open”; finale “My lord, the musicians
are here.”
The 3rd act: sextet “Recognize by this embrace your mother. Beloved son!”;
duet “How gentle the breeze”; finale “There’s the march. Let’s be off!”
The 4th act: cavatina “I’ve lost it! I’m so miserable!”; finale “I’ll steal
quietly up to her.” “Ho there! Come with your weapons!”
Such a beautiful arias, duets, and chorus ---- continues successively one
after another, this is really Mozart’s opera! Among the fluent melodious
conversations, there are characteristic flavor. Beautiful songs inserted
naturally among the conversation and they do not sing with full voice.
But every word has sense and flavor. And, I listened to the whole
opera again and again, and I remembered whole melody line of the opera,
before long. Without any understanding of each word, I listened to
them only at their surface.
Next, that melody will come --- then, follows next aria ---. I remembered whole of “Figaro”, irregular way. Several long days after, I knew the whole stories of “Figaro” by watching DVDs with Japanese captions. I first noticed then, “Oh dear, that song had such a serious meaning!”, “They were not good friends, but a rival in love!!” etc. My relation to “Figaro” was such a silly story awakened to the truth at very late.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Turandot
Next, I
chose “Turandot” CD by Giacomo Puccini. This music was played by Herbert
von Karajan, Wiener Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra (Grammophon, 1981).
Soloists were as Turandot: Katia Ricciarelli, Calaf: Pracido Domingo, Liu:
Barbara Hendricks, one of governmental official, Pang: Heinz Zednik (Later, I
recognize him again at “Der Ring des Niebelungen” as Mime. I liked his
innocent Mime very much. He has unique tenor voice.).
The scene
of the story shifts to Beijing, China. It is a kind of common love story
that Calaf challenge to open princess Turandot’s firmly closed heart.
After several hardships, he finally succeeds to get the princess’s heart and
then get marry. Calaf constructs a peaceful country with the princess,
since then. As this opera set up China as stage, there are lot of oriental melodies
and flavors.
In compared to other Puccini operas, we can feel refined exoticism.
(As you know, Puccini composed opera “Madam Butterfly” a story based on
Nagasaki, Japan. To my honest, I feel a sense of incongruity of the
expression of Japanese and scene of Japan in the opera (the time of opera
might be at the beginning of the 19th century, because fleets of the U.S.A.
visited to Dejima, Nagasaki).
Among the
opera, Turandot exhibits power overbearing manner so she needs tremendous
powerful voice and outstanding singing ability. It is not an easy
role. On the other hand, Liu is a slave woman who takes care of Calaf’s
disappointed blind father with all her might. Everyone feels sympathize
with her earnest kindness.
Puccini composed three charming and pretty arias for Liu. “Signore, ascolta! (My lord, listen!).” “Signor, non parlero! (My Lord, I never speak!).” “Tu, che di gel sei cinta (You, who are begirded by ice).” Of course, Princess Turandot is a heroin of this opera, but from another view point, Liu’s singing and play is one of the important key to the performance of this opera. Although Liu is a semi-heroine of the opera, her existence is important. It is a difficult but advantageous role if she plays well. On the other hand, Calaf who gets Turandot after several hardships, is appears as a pure and earnest youth of high and noble rank. This role also requires considerable singing potentials. Especially, the greatest highlight of his role is an aria at the 3rd act “Nessun dorma! (Nobody shall sleep! Even you, O Princess.)”.
This music is very well known, and the greatest climax of the opera.
But, this aria is too short and without appreciating subtle overtones,
opera proceeds to the next scene of people in Beijing at panic. I
always have a kind of frustration that I want to stay with subtle overtones
for a while. Opera “Turandot” and “Nessun dorma!” are synonym.
Before appreciation of whole opera by CDs, my only knowledge of “Turandot”
was “Nessun dorma!” However, there are many other lyric arias and
duets in the opera. Also follower trio of Ping, Pong and Pang’s comical
conversations under indefinable sadness are unforgettable. I enjoyed
“Turandot” very much by my own way from only sound music without seeing
its grand stage.
Later, I
watched the stage of “Turandot” at Metropolitan opera by DVDs and its scale was
far beyond my imagination (James Levine conducting, Franco Zeffereri directing,
The Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra, the soloists are Eva Marton,
Pracido Domingo, Leona Mitschell (Grammophone 1987)). “Seeing is
believing.” this proverb can be applicable to opera world, too. This is
article of superb.
In 1998,
Zubin Metha did entire program director and performed an outdoor live opera at
front stage of The Forbidden City（紫禁城）, Beijing, China. Chan II Mou was directed the stage act (famous
film director in China. He is also well known as director organized
whole opening and closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic game).
As soldiers, many young soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army attended
in perfect performance (DVD: Shogakkan, from the opera completes).
(Digression: I visited The Forbidden City, Beijing for the first time in
December, 2011.
I looked for the stage of the “Turandot” from a high balcony, and among almost similar looked buildings, I found that a building locates at east side of the palace (奉先殿：The
Hall for Worshipping Ancestors) was agreed to my memory. Karajan also
desired ardently to conduct a live performance at The Forbidden City in Beijing
through in his life. But it was an unfulfilled dream for Karajan.)
From my several DVD collections, I would like suggest Metropolitan edition is
good at music and Beijing performance is good at its stage settings and
direction.
Now,
mainly in Europe, there are several trials of “Turandot” with extremely
abstracted stage settings or deformed to present-day life as background.
In many cases, these new art stages give greatly strange feelings with
deviation from original intent of composer. Presently, many directors in
Europe are trying to present opera stage with modern expressions as much as
possible. I do not agree present trend that director lead opera
world. “Excessive direction is not good.” We must not forget to return
to the originals, at all times. This is my thinking. This opera
performing time require only 2 hours. However, I must say that the
condensed time of “Turandot” is “really hot”.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
La Boheme
This opera
was also composed by Puccini. The story describes four young men (poet,
painter, philosopher and musician) who came from Bohemia to Paris to win fame
in the each one’s world. Their community life was extremely poor among
such a miserable environment however they sing the praise of their youth.
At the end of the opera, an unfortunate heroine Mimi is going to die from
weakness among the young people. This is really a sad story however all
the characters in the play are well-meaning persons and these characters make
this opera as one of the best heart-warming product.
As same to “Turandot”, this opera is also a very condensed opera in four
acts and performing time usually takes 2 hours. I called this opera
as “best compact opera!!” and I used to listen to it by Walkman while I
had business trip to Tokyo by Shinkan-sen (Bullet train). Playing
time meets just my boarding time.
By the
way, the reason I was attracted to “La Boheme” at first is due to the famous
aria by Mimi, “Si, Mi chiamano Mimi (Yes, my name is Mimi)”. What on
earth, where does this pretty and lovely song performs?
At the
middle of the 1st act, Rodolfo, a poet is writing editorial articles alone for
newspaper in a very cold cheap lodging house, while his friends went out to
night town to celebrate Christmas holidays. Mimi, a lady living at the
same lodging, knocks softly on the room door of Rodolfo’s because her candle
light goes out while climbing up the stairs.
”Scusi (Excuse
me)” ”Di grazia, mi s'e spento il lume (Sorry, but my
candle light goes out)” ”Vorrebbe...? (Can I ask your
favor?)”
With very
small and hesitating attitude Mimi appears on the stage. I like the set
up moment of both Rodolfo and Mimi meet together.
At the following scene, Rodolfo introduce himself as a poet with all his
heart. Then, Mimi introduces herself, in turn. This is the
famous aria “Si, Mi chiamano Mimi”. She introduces herself as follows:
“My name is Mimi. In my past life there is nothing special to talk
to you and I earn myself as seamstress. I do not attend the Mass
but I always pray to God ----“ Mimi talks about her simple life with
beautiful soft melody. And then, she explains about her sincere desire
for spring coming, “---- but, when snow starts to melt, the first shining
Sun light is mine.
The first kiss to Sun shine in April is mine. The first sunshine
is mine!” She expressed her small pleasure in her simple life.
This situation is sorrowful but beautiful. Why this kind of quiet
aria can be composed? Is it due to well written libretto or genius
of Puccini?
The CDs, I
bought for the first time was conducted by Tullio Serafin with Orchestra and
Chorus of Academia di Santa Cecilia, Rome (London, 1959). Soloists were
Renata Tebaldi as Mimi, Cario Bergonzi as Rodolfo, Ettore Bastianini as
Marcello (painter) and Gianna D’Angelo as Musetta and so on. I listened
to this opera repeatedly and at last, I remembered almost of its music in my
memory.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Battle & Dessay
Kathleen
Battle was born in Detroit, USA and Natalie Dessay was born in Lyon,
France. Both sopranos have supreme beautiful voices and both are
considerably individualistic character. Their own special abilities place
very different, however they have been commanding the world for definite
period. Is it a good idea to describe both eminent soprano singers at a
same chapter? If they know this combination, both would certainly scream,
”Why
am I combined at the same chapter with her? Upset!”
There are
many good soprano singers, but why I choose the both women? To be honest,
there is some hesitation to choose these two characters. Eva Marton, Kiri
te Kanawa, Brigitt Nielson, Jessey Norman --- and many others, I would like to
describe of them at each section when they appear on the article.（♪： ▶ プッチーニ 《ラ・ボエーム》 「わたしの名はミミ」 マリア・カラス - YouTube
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Battle
First is
Kathleen Battle. She is a colored soprano singer who became well-known
after collaborations with various famous orchestras and solo activities from
1970s. She has light and lyrical singing voice, especially her coloratura
is very impressive. Her neat and clear singing voices attract everyone. In Japan,
she won her popularity by a TV commercial of Nikka Whisky, where she sang “On
bra maif” from Händel’s opera “Serse”.
She has
such a beautiful voice however I imagine that she has limits to voice volume
and also for long time singing (in compared with singers who appeared at Wagner
opera), she chose her repartoire with much carefulness. In the past, she
appeared several operas as heroine (such as, Rogina “Barber of Seville“, Pamina
“The Magic Flute”, and Adina “L’ Elisir d’amore “, and others). As you
imagine, she chooses her part to play solely pretty woman with lyric voice than
delights galleries by powerful singing. I think she can exhibit her best
value as solo-singer with solo instruments (such as piano, guitar, trumpet,
etc.) or small chamber orchestra. Audience can concentrate to listen to
her polite and delicate voice.
(At the
beginning of 1990s, Battle had emotional opposition during rehearsals with
orchestral members and other peoples of Metropolitan opera, New York.
This trouble was reported as a kind of sensational news. Since then, she
has been not invited to the stage of Metropolitan. This situation
continues until now, so far. Later, it was also reported that the same
kind of trouble was taken place at Boston, too. Of course, Battle might
have her assertion, but her behavior not suitable as professionals has been
criticized continuously even now. I suspect that sometimes she might have
difficulties to cooperate with people around her. Since then, she does
not appear to opera stage.)
In
everything, there is reason to fell in love at first sight (here, at first
listening). I listened to Battle’s album titled “Ave Maria” (recorded in
1984) with solo-guitar accompaniment of Christopher Parkning. In this
album, there contain various kind of tasteful music, such as old Renaissance
music, folk music from Brazil and Spain, black spirituals, totally 20
music. Guitar accompany of Parkning is very well balanced and I was
surprised to hear such an excellent and keen music produced only by two
performers duet combination.
In the
album, there is a music composed by Heitor Villa-Lobos, a famous Brazilian
composer, “Aria” from “Bachianas Brasileiras No.5”. This is a great music
consist of totally 9 symphonies from No. 1 to No.9. All these symphonies
named “Bachianas Brasileiras”. Villa-Lobos himself explains about the
music, “If Bach is born in Brazil at the present he might compose the music
with strong Brazilian flavor like this.” My honest impression of this
Villa-Lobos’s great symphonies, the flavors of Brazil folk music are much stronger
than original Bach music.
In the
original music, the Aria of the No. 5 symphony, soprano appears with accompaniment
of orchestra. The music describes about twilight sunset scene at prairie
of Brazil, in grandeur view. Exquisite scat singing arias appear at the
beginning and at the end of the movement. In this album, Battle sings the
aria including scat and motif with guitar accompaniment. This Aria sounds
mysterious and exotic and her performance is the best favorite among other
performances. This album contains high quality of music and programs are
also organized well. Encountering to this album by chance, I felt in love
to Kathleen Battle at my first listening.
After
twelve years later of the album of “Ave Maria”, they produced the second album titled
“Angels Glory”, in 1996. This album contains Christmas songs of many
countries with various languages. They perform beautiful harmony however
to my impression this album well arranged too snug way. The former album
was edited in more challenging way. (This might be that the second album
is a limited edition only to Christmas music.)
As for classical music, Battle likes to sing Bach, Händel, Mozart and Schubert pieces. Among them, I like Battle’s Händel as the most. There is an album “Baroque Duo” with Winton Marsalis. He is a trumpeter not only in classical field but also very well known giant trumpet performer in jazz music (this album was recorded 1990 to 91).
Marsalis perform trumpet with a well-controlled baroque brass style as
co-performer and Battle sings several Händel pieces. The atmosphere
of their due was hardly believe from New York but it was really sounds
from the Middle Ages of Western Europe. (Anyway, complete transformation
of Marsalis at classic performance from the jazz world is amazing.
In jazz play, he blows the instrument completely with all his strength.)
As for another Händel pieces, Battle performs with Sir Neville Mariner
(1987 to 88). Also, Battle performs several Händel pieces with
Jaen-Pierre Rampal, a famous flutist (1991). Take stories out of
sequence, in 1984, Battle appeared at Saltzburg music festival with James
Levine and performed Henry Purcell, Händel, Mozart and R. Strauss
pieces. In 1991, she had her first solo recital at Carnegie Hall
and started from Händel pieces, Mozart, Gershwin and black spirituals
were performed with piano of Margo Gallet as accompaniment.
There are duo with Jessey Norman (1990) and Tokyo concert with Placido Domingo (tenor) and James Levine (conductor) (1988). Battle covers black spirituals as her important repertoire and performs some of them at almost every concert. She also keeps close joint performance with black musicians.
In the
end, I would like recommend the most favorite piece exhibits her pretty
aspect. It is a motet by Mozart, “Exsultate, jubilate “(K.165) with Royal
philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Andre Previn (1986). This music perfectly
meet to Battle’s voice. I almost want to believe that this music was
composed by Mozart for Battle’s voice. Among solemn atmosphere, her
singing voice with high spirits sound quite pleasant. The last part of
this music is the well known “Hallelujah!!”
New Year’s
Day in 1987, Karajan conducted the New Year Concert in Wien.
Traditionally, in the concert ”Frühlingsstimmen (Voice of Spring)” by Johan
Strauss II has been performed as standard annual piece. That year,
Kathleen Battle was invited as a special guest singer. It was only eight
minutes short performance however the New Year Concert became big news among
lovers of music. I think in those days might be the height at her
carrier. I bought her CDs and DVDs every now and then and I have more
than 20 items, so far. But, I did not buy new one, in these recent 15
years.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Dessay
Next is Natalie Dessay. She was born in 1965, France. Her voice
belongs to lyric and coloratura soprano and she exhibits special talent
for singing and beauty. Now, she is quite active at major opera houses
and stages mainly in Europe and the USA. I found her by chance while
I was looking for new face of soprano singers at CD shop. I bought
her album named “Vocalise” without knowing her background.
Cover photo of Dessay was elegant and looked typical French lady with bright
eyes and exotic looks (recorded in 1996 to 97, M. Shenvand (cond.), Berlin
Symphonic Orchestra). In this album, her beautiful voice can be heard
at every piece and her high-pitched soprano clear up as intervals goes
higher and higher.
“Vocalise”
composed by Rachmaninov is a well known piece and there are many arrangements
of this music. Usually, this music is performed by instrumentally or
vocally and her clean voice fits to this music quite nicely. In another
pieces, her coloratura soprano exhibits quite nicely. After several times
listening of her voice, I gradually got interested in her charm voice.
The last piece of the album is ”Frühlingsstimmen (Voice of Spring)” by Johan
Strauss II, again. She likes to sing this music very much.
Appearance of Battle and Dessay’ are quite different but pleasant atmosphere
waiting for warm spring comes to our heart softly. After Battle, I was
absorbed in Dessay.
Here, go off on the subject, I would like describe about operetta “Die Fledermaus” by Johan Strauss II. This operetta was written at the 19th century when whole Europe nations were covered with dark clouds (in 1874). But its stories and music are innocent and extremely cheerful and the sense of humor is refined very much. (At the same time, R. Wagner was completed “Götterdammerung”, the 3rd night of “Der Ring des Nieberungen”. What an extreme difference!!)
This operetta is written in German language, but sometimes performers sing
song or talk in their own language, such as French, English and very occasionally
some Japanese comes on stage. In Wien, it is an annual event to perform
this operetta at the New Year’s Eve (31st December night) and super star
competes fine voice and graceful acting with others on stage, fully.
Anyhow, the audiences are native Wieners who have discriminating ear and
eye for elegant stage.
At the
latter half of 2nd act, there is a play within a play, an entertainment period
where a special guest is invited to the stage without any notice to
audience. Audiences are quite curious who will come on the stage
tonight. They expect to have a big surprise, all the time. One
time, Charles Azunabule and another stage excellent dancing teams from various
countries from Hungary, Spanish and Russia were invited. And ballet team
from the Opera Theater exhibit cheerful special ballet. This is the most important
chance to exhibit how to get praise from audiences.。（♪：▶ Frühlingsstimmenwaltzer- Natalie Dessay- A Flat - YouTube )
Here,
there is a unique DVD of Dessay. The title is “Natalie Dessay, Le miracle
d’une voix”. This is a collective edition of Dessay on several opera
stages. The first one is from operetta “Die Fledermaus” by Johan Strauss
II. At the 2nd act, in play within a play, Dessay sings ”Frühlingsstimmen
(Voice of Spring)”. As described above, this operetta is an annual
present at midnight of the New Year’s Eve at Wiener Staatsoper. After
theater party, audiences go back their home at a quick pace to cold dark town
street with happy excitement.
In 1993,
at the Eve of Wiener Staatsoper, Natalie Dessay, a new star who already
acquired reputation between lovers of music because of her beautiful
voice. She was just made her debut recently and almost nobody had not
seen her yet. She was invited as a guest to sing ”Frühlingsstimmen (Voice
of Spring)” in play with in a play. Of course, this is her first debut to
Wien. When her name was announced to the audience, they applauded with
excitement. With applause, a small woman wearing snow-white dress appeared
with unaffected and simple manner.
On the
stage, other performers of operetta also take seat and listen attentively her
music with audiences. Later, Dessay talked about her first stage
appearance at Wien, “I was very nervous to come on the stage because the
invitation to the stage was informed unexpectedly just several days before of
the stage, so I could have only a few practicing time. My eye was tightly
fastened to monitor not to miss any words written in Germany.” After
performing important debut at Wien, she received thunderous applause. The
applause continued almost as long as performing time and her Wien debut was
very successful.
This album contains several another attractive pictures. Olympia,
a machine controlled doll daughter, of “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” by Offenbach
is her best favorite tricks. Three pictures (Opera de Lyon (1993),
Wiener Staatsoper (1996) and Choregies d’Orange (2000)) are included in
the album. She appears in three different disguises of machine controlled
pretty dolls.
At another performance she performs very well: as Königin der Nacht in “Die Zauberflöte by Mozart (Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, 1994), as Lucia in “Lucie de Lammermoor” by Donizetti (Opera de Lyon, 2002) in this opera, she goes to mad woman almost perfectly. Every scene is worth appreciation. She has good voice volume and her ability as actor is excellent. She is also very good at coquettish comic play. She is a soprano singer carrying a full load of charm.
From the
beginning of this century, she occasionally complained bad condition of her
throat and had surgical operation of vocal cords several times. On each
time, she recovered miraculously and celebrated by restoration recital.
As a recent experience, I watched the live viewing of the Metropolitan in 2012,
at that time she performed Violetta in “La Traviata”. To be honest, I was
disappointed her singing. She was 47 years old at that time, most
maturing age as vocalist. There were several fatal mistakes to sing off
key slightly at treble key point.
Dessay
gave us great pleasure, so far. I would like to express my highest praise
to Dessay. I do not see new star since who succeeds Dessay. I hope
her third restoration. As one of a hungry audience, I want a new star
equivalent to Dessay appears on the stage in a little while.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Pärt
Ideals
Music for Prayer, Encounter
Many years ago I knew the
name of Manfred Eicher, since then I have been watching his activities as
excavator of new and original music and founder of new music company,
ECM. Among the ECM level, there are many watchable treasures and I am
looking of their new products, continuously. When ECM re-started as ECM
NEW SERIES in 1989, to advertise new label, they produced a sampler CD named “Stillness”.
This is a kind of memorial collective album to review Eicher’s activities of
(old) ECM from 1983 to 89.
Among the
sampler CD, there is a music which I have not heard before. This is a
music composed by Albo Pärt. The title of music is “Fratres” and it is
performed Gidon Kremer (violin) and by Keith Jarrett (piano). Main
performer of this music is violinist, however I bought the CD of Pärt’s
selected music pieces as the accompaniment pianist was Keith Jarrett.
Pärt is a composer who was born in Estonia, on the coast of Baltic Sea and now
he lives in Berlin. He was born in 1935 and still alive.
I remember clearly the shock even now when I heard “Fratres” (meaning,
brothers) for the first time (1983, ECM NEW SERIES/POCC-1511). In
this music, there is no melody and almost of the sound are dissonances
beating strings and keyboards (this is the theme of this music).
First, violin performs quietly like birds are singing at far distance and
the volume of violin increase slowly and among those sounds we hear anxious
feeling. Then, piano appears with bass sound and both instruments
tangled in strain.
Phrase of anxious feeling repeated persistently. All of a sudden,
violin and piano change to percussion instrument. Like a surging
waves---. For a while the rustling sound continues like a scream.
Persistent violin sound by Kremer is horrible---. Then, it turns
quiet gradually, and come into monotonous rhythm which seems to continue
endlessly--- then, standstill and silence. Beautiful! It expresses
“prayer” which reaches simply to everyone’s heart.
≡ 
When I heard this music for the first time, it
surprised me indeed, but now this is one of the most important music repertoire
I listen to quietly. The balance of the dynamics of sound and performance
like at the battle fields ---- I think both players might have great strain
however their performances so well match and balanced to each other. This
is a strained space time of 11 minutes. Later, I tried to listen to other
player’s music however the first Kremer and Jarrett’s joint performance was the
most encouraged one, ever.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Horizontal
Search of Pärt’s Music
Pärt does not compose so much work, so far. But, among his music,
I listen to his sincere refinement process to polish his sound, so I hear
fresh, bold and original sounds of Pärt flavor. For example,
in the CD described above, there contains “Requiem for Benjamin Britten”.
Britten was a British composer who composed well-known “A War Requiem”
and “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”, and so on. In this
Pärt’s requiem for Britten, string orchestra keep simple but refined
melody of prayer, while church bell ring out quietly and solemn at certain
interval.
This is divinely solemn requiem music. Strings increase its volume gradually and pile up and then move to low tone. Then ---- finish. Lingering sound of church bell rings fainter and fainter. Totally, it is amazingly mystic and as if we are looking an Indian-ink landscape covered with morning haze.
Pärt’s
work varies ever-changing. It can be estimated that he concentrate deeply
before his work is realized. At my hand, I have following works
(chronological order):
●Miserere
(1990, ECM New Series)(Miserere, Festina Lente, Sarah Was Ninety Years Old)
●Fratres
(1995, Naxos)(Fratres (6variations)), Summer for Strings, Cantus in memory of
Benjamin Britten for strings and bell, etc.）
●Tabula
Rasa (1999, Naxos)(Tabula Rasa, Collage über Bach, Symphony No. 3)
●Alina
(1999, ECM New Series）(Spiegel in Spigel (3 variations)）
●Passio
(2001, Naxos)(John Passion)
●Berliner
Messe (2003, Naxos)(Cantata (Psalm 95), Berliner Messe, De Profundis, Summa,
The Beatitudes, Magnificat)
●Triodion
(2003, Hyperion)(Coral8 music) with organ)
●24
Preludes for a Fugue (2005, production、DVD、IDEALE AUDIENCE)(Documentary describes Pärt’s
music life, Cecilia, Your Name, Como Cierva Sedienta, DVD describes about the
process of composing these music, Pärt appearances is almost like a
philosopher)
●The
Very Best of Arvo Pärt (2010, ECM) 2CDs
●Pianos
(2011, Naxos)(Sonata, Variations, etc (6 music))
All of his
works are clear enough to think about the essence of music until they are
completed. We must listen to carefully each sound, in detail. His
works have been classified as contemporary music however he composed his music
in the style of baroque music fragrant. But, they are not baroque music,
itself. His music associates with gentle wind passing through quiet
forest independent from noises of urban city. This might be reflection of
his original scenery of Estonia. I do listen to his work only limited
number, so far. I will keep my interest excavating his further works.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Piazzolla
The
Standard-Bearer of New Tango
Basically, I had interest neither Argentine-tango nor Euro-tango, so far.
Furthermore, I cannot dance. My most recent “dance experience” was
to watch the movie “Shall we dance?” directed by Masayuki Suhou.
I watched the movie several years later at the Gion-Kaikan, Kyoto after
new releasing because this movie got high reputation and many awards.
In the movie, there were several dance scenes with famous tango music.
Among the music, there might be Piazzolla’s works. Anyway, this was
an excellent movie. I agree that Tamiyo Kusakari, an actress awarded
Japan Academy Award, and Award of the Leading Actress by her excellent
acting including dancing, and many talented actors and actresses supported
to produce such a profound meaning movie.
By the
way, the reason I did my first contact to Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992), a flag-bearer
of new tango avant-garde, was Mr. T., again. He introduced me new Piazzolla
album (written under) performed by Yo-Yo Ma’s cello. This album had a
dominant influence and became to known around the world, before long.
My first impression of Piazzolla music is sharpness of sound. Originally,
tango was music to play dance, however Piazzolla’s tango was transformed
considerably from conventional tango music. In Pizzolla’s music,
a warble phrase, we call “Kobushi” in Japanese, appears at crucial point
and it is quite similar in Enka, a genre of Japanese popular song which
is full of melancholy. However, “Kobushi” is suspicious.
Excessive performance of “Kobushi” makes tango vulgar, all at once.
I am quite happy when I meet a performance with right “Kobushi” in tango
music. As Piazzolla’s music is tango, so we feel the taste of Latin
American or Argentina flavor. In addition, from his works, I feel
senses of four seasons and reflections the times. It is my pleasure
to find novelty in Piazzolla’s music. In my hand, there are 46 CDs,
so far. From my collection, I would describe notable performances
which I want to remember.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Performance
by Piazzolla himself
Piazzolla
is an expert performer of bandoneon, essential instrument for tango
music. Piazzolla recorded many excellent performance of bandoneon by
himself. His performances are very vivid and I describe several products
underneath (in chronological):
●Reunion
Cumbre (in 1974, TROVA CD 5055) Piazzolla, Gerry Mulligan
●Piazzolla,
Original Soundtrack (in 1974-75, 1984, Victor VICP-60081)
●En
Vivo (in 1982, BMG, BVCM-35003) Piazzolla-Goyenche
●Piazzolla,
Live in Wien (in 1983, Messidor, PLCP-80)
●El
Tango (in 1984, King KICP208) Milva, Astor Piazzolla
●Tango:
Zero Hour (in 1986, Nonesuch WPCS-5100）Piazzolla et al.
●The
Central Park Concert (in 1987, Chesky Records JD107）Piazzolla et al. etc.
Arrangements,
Performances by Various
Musical Instruments, etc.
Basically, Piazzolla composed music to perform bandoneon by himself, however
many performers arranged his tango music to play by their own favorite
instruments.
We can enjoy variety of tango music by various musical instruments:
●Mi
Buenos Aires Querido (in 1995, TELDEC WPCS-4896）Barenboim, Mederos and Console
●Hommage
a Piazzolla (in 1995～96, Nonesuch 7559-79407-2）G. Kremer et al.
●Piazzolla,
Guitar (in 1996, Ottavo OTR
C69657) Segovia Guitar Quartet
●Los
Tangueros (for two pianos) (in 1996, SONY SK 62728）E. Ax, P. Ziegler
●El Tango, Hommage a Piazzolla 2 (in 1996, Nonesuch WPCS-5080) G. Kremer
et al.
●Reunion
(in 1996, Concord Jazz CCD-4793-2) Garry Burton, Piazzolla, M. Ozone et al.
●Soul of the Tango, The music of Piazzolla (in 1997, Sony SRCR-1954) Yo-Yo
Ma et al.
●Dance
of the Angel (in 1997, Sony SRCS 8637）S. Gaigoayan（G）
●Piazzolla,
Maria de Buenos Aires (in 1997～98, Teldec WPCS-6380-1) Gidon Kremer et al. (tango opera)
●Piazzolla, Verano Porteno (in 1998, Sony SRCR2250) R. Komatsu et al.
many others---
Following
are performances of Piazzolla’s famous tango music “Histoire du Tango (History
of Tango)”. Originally this is a duet music for flute and guitar.
This is suites consist of four music, 1900-Brothel (Bordel), 1930-Café,
1960-Night Club and Concert of Today (Concert Aujour’dhui). They are rhythmical
and lyrical music and high technical skill is required. Piazzolla had
good knowledge of bandoneon as well as other instruments such as flute, guitar,
violin, saxophone and piano and so on.
●Histoire
du Tango etc. (1991, Ondine ODE 781-2) M. Helasvuo (flute), J. Savijoki
(guitar)
●Histoire
du Tango etc. (1996, Deutsche Grammophon POCG-1985) P. Gallois (flute), G. Söllscher
(guitar)
●Histoire
du Tango etc. (1997, EMI TOCE-9690) M. Barrueco (guitar), E. Pahud (flute)
●Histoire du Tango etc. (1998, Naxos 8.554760) I. Toepper (flute), H. G.
Gaido (guitar), etc.
Originally, Piazzolla music contains various factors to inspire performer’s
heart. Yo-Yo Ma and Gidon Kremer, they expressed their original Piazzolla
image by their own unique understanding and performance, respectively.
From now on, many Piazzolla new images will be constructed by performers
by piano, guitar, vibraphone and saxophone, etc. It has already passed
20 years after Pizzolla’s death however I think the true evaluations of
Piazzolla’s tango music do not start yet. His music will certainly
spread worldwide and will gain more enthusiasts, in near future.
His music is just released from domestic Argentine to the other countries,
recently. If possible, I want to visit Buenos Aires to take a deep
breath of Piazzolla.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
7. The Sixties (2007-)
Finished the Primary
Work, shifted to the Secondary Work
Eye Opening to Opera ---- “L'Elisir d'amore”
After my 35
years continued working duties, I retired my primary work and shifted to secondary
work as a general manager of an industrial society owing to my former
specialty.
At the
new work, I could have fairly relaxed time with little tightness at work and at
home, also. I could lead a well-regulated life time (and work time, also)
than before. This new condition became a good chance to cool down my
working style still keeping slight strain at my daily life. I renewed
home audio sets and wiring old TV-set for DVD screen. Let's enjoy music
more closely!!
From now, I write about OPERAS.
Opera is a
new field to me, because I had almost no contact to opera in my past. I have
listened to several famous arias but only at random intervals. In a word,
to my recognition, operas are too large creature to appreciate at home. I
also thought followings. Is it possible to enjoy real genuine operas in
Japan? No! I did not think that we could enjoy genuine opera in
Japan which combine drama, vocal music and orchestral works, all together.
However, fortunately, to enter into opera world, now we can enjoy several world
famous opera films at first-class theater by DVDs. As for me, to introduce
operas, I bought opera DVD set (total 40 volumes) which edited by TDK, Japan.
This was my start point of entering to opera world.
For opera
beginner, DVD is one of the most convenient and easy tools. We can enjoy
both music and picture in a same time. It is difficult for us Japanese to
understand and appreciate opera which performs at overseas without pre-study.
Much less, it is completely impossible to understand opera by going to theater
only one time. By listening CDs over several times, we become familiar to
its music passage. In comparison to orchestral work, opera always include
the intervention of a native foreign language to develop musical story. Foreign
audience must be ready for language with preparedness. It is a hard obstacle
for non-native audience.
In any
case, by purchasing 40 DVDs, many operas came to my life, all at once. Through
searching interesting work, first of all, I was attracted by “L'Elisir d'amore (aphrodisiac
drug of love)” by Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848). In my past, while I was
working at a chemical company, I went to Australia. After finished all
business items, I had a chance to see Australian made “L'Elisir d'amore” at the
famous opera house in Sydney. It was good. I enjoyed it much.
However,
its impression did not remain so long in my mind. From this DVD, for the
first time, I found interesting stories as well as beauties of arias. I enjoyed
it repeatedly. I had awakened to opera by “L'Elisir d'amore”, at last.
To compare
my first DVD to the other performance, I bought several other DVDs of “L'Elisir
d'amore”. I was immersed in “L'Elisir d'amore” almost all the year round.
From these comparisons, I found that each product has different taste by
director, conductor, singer and theater (stage structure), etc. I noticed
these differences from DVDs for the first time. It is difficult to find
out these differences from CDs for amateur music favorite like me. Change
of my life environment made it possible to immerse myself in operas.
Through
several investigations, I chose the followings as my best favorites:
DVD: A. Netrebko
(S), R. Villazon (T), Wiener Staatsoper, (2005), from Virgin
CD: J. Sutherland
(S), L. Pavarotti (T), English Chamber Orch., (1970), from London
“L'Elisir d'amore” is an opera composed in 1832 by famous Italian opera composer, Donizetti. He was a quick writing composer and completed more than 70 operas during his lifetime. In those days, bel canto opera, a mellifluous style of singing by smoothness and beauty of tone, were in fashion. He was a key person to extend such singing style. His other masterpieces were “Lucrezia Borgia (1833)”, “Lucia di Lammermoor (1835)” and “Don Pasquale (1843)” and so on, and those opera contain many beautiful bel canto arias.
“L'Elisir d'amore”, “Lucrezia Borgia” and “Don Pasquale” are comic operas.
On the other hand, “Lucia di Lammermoor” is a tragic love affair.
Especially half-crazed Lucia's act at the last scene is very pitiful.
I like Natalie Dessay's Lucia very much. As this scene is so threatening,
I seldom see the scene. In any case, Donizetti's comic or tragic
works are one of the best choices to introduce opera world.
L'Elisir
d'amore : Favorite arias
● Overture:
Start with light high tempo music. I become lively to see small events in
the country life of Southern Europe.
● The
first act: Adina's aria introducing herself. She is a country elite woman
with strong self-confidence.
● The
second act: In a sudden wedding ceremony, participant enjoy instant song
battles at party. We see many relaxed farmers at the party. I like
simple folk dance music at the wedding party.
●The
last part of the second act: here comes the most well-known aria “Un furtiva
lagrima...(suppressed tears)” by Nemorino.
This is
Pavarotti's one of his best favorite aria. I like Villazon's enthusiastic
sing, too. At Wein performance, Villazon sang “Un furtiva lagrima”
however, applause asking encore by audience did not ended. It was so
impressive. He sang the same aria twice at the live performance. To
play Nemorino, he must act good-natured person with some stupid
atmosphere. To this respect, the two tenors, Pavarotti and Villazon are perfect
singer for this performance, although both characters are quite different to
each other.
Formerly,
I read a manuscript by famous Japanese music critic Mr. Y. describing
that “The last aria “Un furtiva lagrima” is really a good music. But,
other music until to the aria are tedious.” Certainly, “Un furtiva
lagrima” is a very nice aria, however comical and stimulant conversation between Nemorino and swindler, Dulcamara and Adina's delicate psychological
emotion changes, ---- there are many attractive scenes in this opera.
I do not agree Mr. Y's opinion. Once, I saw an interview of a tenor
saying: “Almost all of the audiences come to opera house to listen “Un
furtiva lagrima” as their most interest.
It is hard for singer because that aria comes almost at the end of the
opera. Even though, I do well so far, if I cannot sing this aria
well, I will miss to get good reputation.” He spoke with deep sigh.
I understand what he said. However, I like the story of the first
act where each leading singer has several misunderstandings and conflict
in their simple country life. “Un furtiva lagrima” is a good aria
but I am not simplistic. Starting from “L'Elisir d'amore”, I enjoyed
several typical operas by Händel, Mozart, Donizetti and Verdi.
I will write some comments for each opera at sometime later.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Wagner: “Ring”, kicked-out at first trial
Well, now
I start to write about Richard Wagner. During my 20s to 40s, I had
nothing with Wagner. Until then, as for classical music, I listened to instrumental
music as my main interest. I had almost no interest to opera, so far.
I had been thinking that best music could be expressed for the first time by
solo instrument or small number of player such as string quartet who can share
keen sensitivity and concentration to music.
When I was
young, I believed that “The essence of Music exists in solo or chamber music,
where I can listen to strained breath of each performer. Of course, music
by big number of players is also attractive. However, I was thinking that
to listen to large scale music, good environment, such as excellent playback
equipment and audio-room would be needed. It was hard for me to prepare such
rich condition.
To jazz music, I also have the same feeling. So, I do not listen
to big jazz band, so far, and even now. In the old days, I read a
book saying, “Wagner world is a kind of giant architecture. Once
you step-in, you would never go out from it.” In my past, my Wagner
experience was very limited. I knew only introductory part of several
famous overtures. As for Wagner, I was satisfying with my experience.
I had a belief that I could enjoy classical music without contacting Wagner
world. I also doubted that Wagner had immoral private life, and his
descendant kept strong connection to Nazis. I remember several
photos of Bayreuth Festspeile haus with large Haken-kreuz flags during
the last world war ----. I wanted to keep distance from Wagner because
of such unclean or dirty image of his environment.
Each of his work takes fairly long time to perform. For an example, one of his representative work, “Der Ring des Niebelungen” (“Ring” as short name), take 4 days, namely entirely 16 hours for complete performance. The librettos in the play had been told contain many peculiar expression, even for native German sometimes hard to understand. By knowing these anecdotes, I had a hesitation to step in his world, innocently.
I also thought to appreciate Wagner, we need physical strength, power of
concentration, good German understanding, plenty time and some money.
Otherwise, we would get indigestion and vomit them all. However,
when I became around sixties and closing to the ending of lifetime, I became
desiring to know or understand unknown art which had been evaluated as
a heritage of human activities in history.
As for
Wagner, I thought occasionally that I might have an experience of Wagner or not.
I have already graduated my peaks of hard working period, and it became rather possible
to control my time at home by myself. Sometimes, I thought that it would
be a great loss without knowing Wagner if his art are such a fascinating one as
told. I thought over this idea again and again.
I was also
influenced by reading the autobiography of Mr. Masao Maruyama, an erudite of
political science and eminent intelligence of Japan. He described many
excellent social and political reviews during his lifetime however very little
about music. But, it is said that during his latter half of life, he was a
quite pure Wagner enthusiast (Wagnerian!!). Maruyama also thought that
Wagner carries so much minus inheritances, he did not want to contact to Wagner
while he was young. I also thought vaguely that there contain some great
things in his art. Again, I thought it is wasteful to die without knowing
Wagner's great works. Or..... What shall I choose from Wagner
music, at first trial?
I had no
doubt to start with “Ring”, because it has been said as his most achieved
central work. I bought:
l DVD, coductor: James
Levine, Live at Metropolitan Opera House, “Der Ring des Nibelungen”, four DVDs,
(1990) (Grammophone)
Met”Ring”DVD
However,
to my disappointment, there was no “holy world” at the introductory part of “Das
Rheingold”. Conversation between guardian Ladies of Rhein Fluss and
Alberich, an underground fellow were very vulgar and these developments were
far from my imagination ---- My expectation fell down to the ground,
completely. I tried several times to watch introductory part of “Das Rheingold”
but I was betrayed at each time.
It would be impossible to watch through this magnificent 16 hours opera.
I might not be able to have a sense of closeness to these strange creatures.
I concluded “It is impossible to understand “Ring”. “This is a drama
based on Scandinavian and/or Germanic people’s religion. This has
been said to be the most Germanic epic poetry based on the spirituals of
German race. It would be too difficult to understand these complicated
stories without knowing their background.
I am a typical Asian. Wagner might be a composer of different dimension. He was a collapsed person at his private life, and occasionally he became an anarchist at his politics. As described above, my other concern is horrifying relation between Bayreuth and the Nazis after his death. But, why Wagner music makes people so fascinate.”
At my first
trial, I dropped out. Then, three year has passed with lack of
understanding. It was necessary several periods to enter into Wagner
world.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Re-try from Die Wälkule
At
previous chapter, I wrote that I was kicked-out to join-in “Das Rheingold” however
conversation between Reine Ladies and underground fellow, Alberich were too
worldly-minded persons beyond my expectation. Three years later, I
thought back to start from “Die Walkure” at first, then return to “das Rheingold”,
reversely. The same Levine's DVD (Metropolitan 1990) was used as text.
First act
start from heavy stormy night where heavily injured Siegmund takes refuge to
unknown person's house where Sieglinde stays at home, alone. For
Sieglinde, it is a sudden strained scene where she would accept this strange
unknown person to house or not. Just at the time when Sieglinde starts
nursing this completely exhausted and injured person, her husband Funding
returns to home. Siegmund and Funding introduce themselves each
other. Then, Funding know that this person himself might be a hunting target
to kill for several days in forest. Siegmund is chief of Wölfung
tribe. For Siegmund, both Funding and Wölfung tribe has been discord
enemy for long time.
Suddenly, new
strain brake out between the two. Hunding tells to Siegmund, “I admit your
stay here tonight, but tomorrow, I have a duel with you!!” Then, he goes
to bed room ----. This is only a beginning. Since then, the
situation becomes even more delicate and complicated beyond to our imagination.
Siegmund
and Sieglinde are twins. They got separated while they were infancy.
And, they fall in love without knowing their birth story. “Notung”, a
holy sword which protect Siegmund is buried in a big tree trunk called ash tree
(toneriko) in the house. Their father Wotan, a “King at heaven” tried to
save the twins, however there is a severe and biting resistance of Friea, Wotan’s
lawful wife and she is “Deity of Marriage”. Brünnhilde, one of the
Walküle goes to rebellious action with understanding that the action is an
agony of Wotan. Wotan has to confine Brünnhilde, his most beloved
daughter at fired mountain ----.
The stage
goes from Act II to Act III. As the story moving ahead, it changes to a
very complicated psychological act and every character connects to each other
to the story, somehow. Every one carries its own light and shadow and
they struggle without finding their reasonable exit. To this complicated
story, magnificent and sometimes delicate music fall on. And singers join
in concentrate and express explosive songs ---- every situation come all
together at once with horrible power.
It is not difficult to understand the development of story in detail once
we know its brief situation. It is really dramatic. And I was
involved to the world of “Die Walküle” all at once. At the beginning
of the Act III, here comes a very famous theme “Walküre-horse riding”.
In this act, there is conflict between Brünnhilde and Walküre
sisters, maiden at battle field and before long Wotan also involves to
the conflict.
How come Siegmund’s fate? Story develops with keeping pounding and
thrilling situation. First, I thought that without the knowledge
of Scandinavian or German myths it is impossible to understand whole stories
of “Der Ring des Niebelungen”, however just to enter into the “Ring” world,
it was not become a big obstacle without having knowledge of the myth.
At the closing part of Act III, there is a scene that Wotan must confine
Brünnhilde to long sleep at burning fire mountain as punishment. Wotan
had been putting confident to his daughter Brünnhilde at the most.
At here, Wotan has a monologue in expressing his sincere feeling.
This scene falls on my personal experience that I might live apart with
my daughter, so I have sufferings deeply from this scene. （♪：▶ ワーグナー《ワルキューレ》「告別と魔の炎の音楽」クナ指揮 - YouTube）
In this manuscript, I am not going to write the story of “Die Wälkule”, however it is necessary to tell the brief story of Wälkule to transfer the essence of this magnificent drama of 4 hours. By fusion of music (instrumental + vocal) + acting + direction, this drama can be expressed at the finest performance. This can be completed when all participants who relate to the drama devote themselves completely, even audiences, too.
At the
watched DVD, as Wotan: James Morris, as Brünnhilde: Hildeguard Behrens, as
Siglinde: Jessey Normann, as Funding: Kurt Moll and Fricka (Wotan’s formal
spouse): Christa Ludwig, these best singers in the present time appears at the
Metropolitan stage.
There is a category called “Wagner singer” among the world of vocal music.
To perform musical drama of Wagner, it is required powerful voice, tenacity,
good understanding of German in precise, expressing ability of true suffering----,
tough emotional strength and physical strength. Actually, there are
not so many singers who meet this high requirement level. At the
opera house at Bayreuth and other opera houses, to perform whole “Ring”
four days are necessary, and performances take place every other days taking
rest days among performing days (for example, they perform on Sunday, Tuesday,
Thursday and Saturday).
At the resting day, the leading singers have been asked to take their rest
without any daily conversation for next day’s performance. There
are many DVDs of “Ring” at various theaters, however I had no idea how
the Metropolitan one have been evaluated. Anyway, I was deeply impressed
and for several months the dramatic music and story of “Die Wälkule”
stayed inside of my body.
The great opera by Richard Wagner “Der Ring des Niebelungen” consists of four individual works, pre-night: Das Rheingold, first night: Die Walküre, second night: Siegfried, and third night: Göttesdämmerung. The performing time for pre-night takes more than three hours, and the rest three nights take at least four hours for each performance. This is a kind of aggregate of each product. The story develops based on the Germanic and Scandinavian myths, when we listen to them carefully, it is getting clear the structure of whole drama and complicated relationship among gods and goddesses and various kinds of human being.
Among the work, Wagner explains past stories repeatedly by lines of each
character, so we can understand and follow almost exactly what Wagner wanted
to express. In addition at the beginning part of the Götterdämmerung,
there appear three sisters (Norns) who spin past memory to a rope and they
give faint suggestion of future foreboding of Siegfried at the end.
By
listening carefully, I could make a brief interrelation map which appeared to “Ring”
(I call all attendees as “Ring Family”) (See, attached document 2). By
drawing this relation map, I passed over the first barrier. Then, I could
enjoy the most favorite part, repeatedly. Making such “Interrelation map”
is just like studying subject of history however it was very useful to feel
such a large building structure close to myself.
(Solti,
Ring)
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
DVD, CD Experience of the “Ring”
Collections of Wagner works are not always focus to famous or well known
performances and I purchased according to its sales price and capricious
interest at that time. For example, as for “Die Walküre”, I
have collections of totally 15 kinds of CDs and DVDs which were performed
in the last sixty years during 1950 to 2011 (presently, 20 performances,
(11 CDs, 9 DVDs)(Nov. 2013)).
Preparation of table summary of whole cast (See, attached document 3) was a close and tired work however from this table I understand various ideas and history of the music. Also, I extended tables from “Die Walküre” to all other Wagner’s works to understand each Wagner singer’s characters and achievements. To know voice character of each singer and what singer is casted to a definite role--- by looking the table, many ideas came to my imagination.
When I
listen to Wagner, I usually appreciate it with librettos of Japanese
translation. Owing to this kind of opera listening, now my understanding
level ---- “where is music, now?”---- become to be able to point out the
singing passage by listening to only a short phrase of them.
Recently,
Decca sold the complete CDs of Wagner music which were live-recorded at
Bayreuth (mainly at 1960s to 70s). The recording levels are generally
quite good and we can enjoy the feeling of being at a live performance.
These are the performances which referred quite frequently by reviews of Wagner
works.
I copied
the music of these ten operas to my Walkman and it was really a good carrying
friend during my business trip and commuting. Also, it became a good
chance to train my ear to Wagner. Some years later, I had a chance to
visit Bayreuth. I write some comment of my music trip to Germany at the
following chapter. As a next, I started to learn other works of Wagner by
my own way, and I find that “How different color and taste does each Wagner
work has!!” (As told, Wagner’s other opera works as well as “Ring” are
totally very different from Italian operas!)
It is
certain that among Wagner works, “Ring” is the most important work however
other works have distinct likable character. “Der fliegende Hollander”, “Tannhaüser”,
“Lohengrin”, “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg”, “Tristan und Isolde” and “Parsifal”,
they all exist as great summit and exhibit their own view of the world. Each
opera contains different style and originality and from each opera we receive
very different impression. It is really surprising that a man called
Wagner created whole opera, namely, music, libretto, stage design, stage
equipment, opera house, conductor ---- he participated all those activities to
create his best opera in mind. These works will continue to catch people’s
feeling in the past, present and future.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
The Characters in “Ring” are Peoples of Today, Analyses of each
Character
Many people say that Wagner operas are very difficult to understand.
As for me, I have been thinking that to understand Wagner during my life
would be impossible, but slowly and little by little, I become a level
to understand its attractive force. “Ring” can be told a kind of
sacred tragedy based on the old Germanic and Scandinavian myths.
However, the character which appear in the opera, Gods and Goddess, human
being, creature at underground (pseudo mankind) are exactly the life of
people of today. They live in agony, joy, greed, childishness, selfish
behavior and spiritual darkness. Each main character has own fateful
background and distinguished personality and no same character appears
on the stage.
By knowing
each character, I think interests to this musical drama will increase several
times. Each character conflict violently each other, tricks of logic,
quarrel, accidental happening with knives, many non-daily affairs take place,
one after another. However, among the story, there is one strict reality
that “all living creature certainly fall” = “death”. This is not simply a
story of living creature of old world or another world of god, goddess and
human beings. We can understand all events in the musical drama as
stories of present day. I believe that this is the appealing points of
the musical drama “Ring” stand at firm position as monumental work in the
history. In addition, according the play go forth, thick and close music
direct highlights in resonance.
Here,
summarized are the characteristics of the main characters based on my
understandings. (Important characters are shown in boldface):
“Das
Rheingold”
Rhine
daughters (three ladies): Young ladies (deity) of mermaid style. Their
duty is to keep watch gold bullion under the Rhine River. They are
thoughtless, lack of concentration, dependent nature to others and fall into
temptation, easily. They have no sense of responsibility and go to
careless action.
Alberich: Creature of underground (pseudo mankind). Greedy
materialist with strong dissatisfaction and money desire. Ugly, disgraceful
behavior, evil deputy official and man of stupid plans. His final
goal is to rule the whole world. He gives up women (or, ignored by
all women).
Wotan: King of divine Kingdom. Symbol of divine nature and
has great financial power, but realizes gradual decline of his kingdom.
He was born in upper-class society. He has strong control desire
and large worldly desires, illusion and self-centeredness. He carries
intense pain and cannot indicate right direction at crossroads. His
control power decline gradually and gloomy heart never clear-up.
Loge: He has many tricky ideas. Petty person and always
stays at the position of commentator. He can read future but he never
takes risk even at the last moment.
Mime: Creature of underground (pseudo mankind). He is a small character,
at Act I. He appears as a slave like man and is overworked by Alberich.
His desire for revenge against Alberich increases as time goes.
Fafner:
Giants tribes. He is conservative, slow actor and has strong desire for
materials. He pursues return for labor, persistently. He has strong
power but no wisdom.
Fasolt: Giants tribes. Fafner’s younger brother.
He is a credulous person and controlled by Fafner. He is killed by
Fafner with troubles of dividing treasure.
Fricka: She perfectly controls his husband, Wotan. She is a
goddess (deity) of “Marriage”. She is a resolute person and keeps
her duty tightly, but her remand level to others is quite strict.
She is a horrible, stubborn wife having strong mind and keeps strong influence
to others.
Freia:
A pitiful goddess who is tossed by her severe fate. She is goddess of “Youth”
and actually, she is young and pretty.
Erda: She is goddess of “Wisdom”. She has power to predict
future exactly and she feels miserable future of the divine Kingdom.
When Wotan is at confusion, she is asked to give comments but she never
tells bright future to Wotan.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
“Die
Walküre”
Siegmund: He does not know his past, tribe and name. He used
to live with his father but his father was killed by tribe battle.
Siegmund and Sieglinde are twins but they do not know this fact.
He is confident with his armed force. He keeps balanced mental health
but his surroundings are at heavy storm. He carries out his pure
love and die. He is describes as pure young man.
Sieglinde: She is naturally carrying strict fate. She never
enjoys happiness during her past life, but keeps her mental chastity.
She has a firm mind as woman and described as one of an ideal statue of
woman but her fate develops misery.
Funding: He is the head of adversarial tribe. He is faithful
to tribe’s duty and trying to carry out their duties with a cool, realistic
act. There is no emotional expression and appears as an inorganic
man.
Wotan: With facing to crisis of the divine Kingdom, he was at full
of intense pain. He must behave as a king of divine Kingdom and he
cannot achieve his real desire. Among confusion, he punishes his
daughter, Brünnhilde. But it is not his real intention.
It is greatest highlight to confine his daughter at firing mountain.
Brünnhilde: She understands her duty as Walküre but based
upon her belief, she takes action to keep faith of the world (as a result,
she resist to her father, Wotan). She receives severe punishment
as a result of resistant activity. She is always admiring her father
but she is asking “faith” continuously and act her own action with throw
away her own “happiness”. She is a woman of faith and justice.
Fricka: She is as stubborn as a mule and kick out Wotan’s illusion.
If she does not keep her wills clear, the drama of Walküre will collapsed.
Her only wish is to keep the divine Kingdom in stable. She
is a truly persistent Goddess.
Die Walküre (8 juvenile goddesses): Faithful daughters to their
duties. Although, they are surprised by Brünnhilde’s resistant
action (with some sympathy), still they want to be protected by Wotan of
their security of existence. Basically, they are “warrior at battle
field” but they are described as helpless women.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
“Siegfreid”
Siegfreid: One of the main characters of the whole story and appears
as young man with cheerful character. He has Notung, a sword with
psychic medium. He is protected by Notung but he does not conscious
about it. He believes his own strength and indifferent to the “Ring”
power. He kills Fafner, Mime and Wotan, successively. Have
a deep attachment to his mother.
Mime: He is influenced heavily from his older brother, Alberich.
And he wants to exceed Alberich but his character is weak. He is
a credulous person, a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. He has
his own evil design but do not have power to carry out his original purpose.
He works as housekeeper for Siegfried. He will lose everything
without any success.
Wanderer: Wotan who goes out wandering from his kingdom. He
lose his ambition and self-confidence in compared to former state.
He is totally baffled by his crucial fate and forgets his purpose.
He is king of divine Kingdom but he approaches to Siegfried with knowing
to be killed by him.
Fafner:
Sleep deeply keeping with treasures, “Ring” and headpiece to be hidden.
He is killed by one stroke of Siegfried. Conservative creature and he
does no offensive action.
Erda: She is asked to tell future fate of the Kingdom by Wotan, however
she only tells tragic end to Wotan. Wotan disappointed heavily to
hear Erda’s words. Erda instructs her daughters Norns to record which
happened in the past.
Brünnhilde: She gets awaken by Siegfried. Love begins
to grow between Siegfried. The great love scene follows, then.
At the Act III, Brünnhilde has most peaceful and satisfied time with
Siegfried. She loses divine power and come to human kingdom, but
does not have regrettable feeling. She exhibits happiness in ecstasy
as a woman.
Der
Waldvogel (wild bird): She teaches the way to go to Siegfried with
singings (Siegfried become to understand the meaning of bird sing).
Especially, the wild bird teaches the way to rescue Brünnhilde confined at
firing mountain. The bird does not appear on the stage. We hear only
bird sing from backyard. Usually, bird is performed by big name soprano
or big name-to-be soprano singer, such as J. Sotherland, Kili te Kanawa and K.
Battle, and so on.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
“Götterdämmerung”
Siegfried: Young hero and stands
at the center of the story. He is a spirited and cheerful young
man. Passionate love with Brünnhilde fades away by aphrodisiac and starts
new pseudo love with Gutrune. A tragic hero who is speared his back by
Hagen’s trap. He does not have deep attachment to “Ring” until the end.
Gunter: Leader of tribe who organizes Gunter tribe, but he is timid
and cannot hold his tribes well. Single. He is weak self-confident
person and influential voice is also weak. For long time, he is under
the influence of Hagen, but he cannot overcome Hagen and killed by Hagen,
at the end.
Hagen: Son of Alberich and takes over
father’s character of devil incarnate. Devises many evil plots. His
sincere purpose through life time is to regain the “Ring” by every possible
means. He has controlling power to hold tribes and stand aloof from
Gunter, several times. He is a true bad person, however in the act he is
one of the most important character. The success or failure of this stage
is highly depends on Hagen’s performance. He must play merciless bad
person, out-and-out.
Brünnhilde: Dramatic heroin. At the beginning she is a
virtuous wife sending Siegfried to journey. Gradually, suspicious
eye grows against Siegfried. She is completely taken in Hagen’s evil
plot and starts look upon Siegfried as an enemy. After the death
of Siegfried, she knows all evil plots by Hagen and throws herself into
the fire to keep divinity of the “Ring”. To play perfect Brünnhilde
role, powerful voice, outstanding singing ability and dramatic acting is
required. This is one of the most difficult but fascinating role.
Gutrune: She is a girl from good families, same to Gunter.
She cannot decide anything by herself. She is a miserable woman who
is tossed about by the surroundings. As a result, she also loses
Siegfried and she will gain nothing.
Norns
(three women): They record everything which happened in the past, in
detail. Inorganic characters. They perform every matter with
detachment. They are side actors and do not come in the central theme.
Rhine
daughters (three ladies): Although, they lose the “Ring” at the beginning of the story, they
are not discouraged, at all. When they see Siegfried, they keep their
attitude as innocent ladies. Finally, the “Ring” return to Rheine
daughters, however ---- they do not contribute at all of this magnificent
tragedy.
Alberich:
At the last scene, he appears in great regret that he cannot get the “Ring”.
He has no talk at this scene, but symbolizes the miserable last scene of the
creature of underground.
The
relationships of each character can be understood by correlation figure and
each genealogy.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
NY-Met, Bitter Cancel of “Ring” (May, 2009), Whole Stories since
then
Autumn,
2008. It became familiar to the whole feature of the “Ring” by reviewing
Levin’s DVD. Although, some of the details of conversations among the
play was difficult to remember, I became confident that I might be understood
the whole opera without Japanese captions during the live performance at opera
house. Also, I draw the picture of “Ring Family” (attached document 2)
and satisfied myself that I came to almost to the standard level of Wagner
listener. Sometimes, my wife joined to listen to the “Ring” and talked
about “Wagner” occasionally at home.
(At NY-Met,
operas which perform at foreign language, English, French and
German captions shown in advance with opera. On the other hand, at
Bayreuth Festival hall no language is shown including German language.)
On January 2009, several years after I started to listen to Wagner in concentration, I watched the homepage of NY-MET (New York, Metropolitan opera house). Among many programs, I found that there were performance of the “Ring” in series by James Levine, same stage setting and direction to that of my DVDs. There was a possibility that James Morris who sang “Wotan” at Met for many years might come to the last performance because he was already 62 years old.
And it was also announced that the well known stage setting and direction
which have been used for more than ten and several years by Otto
Schenk would be finished in that year. If possible, I would like
to see the last stage by my eyes and ears as my great pleasure as once-in-a-lifetime
chance. And I tried to purchase tickets of them. I focused
the visiting time would be the best during at the end of April and beginning
of May, the Golden week in Japan calendar.
The
tickets of Met can be purchased by internet. After studying the program
schedule in detail, I decided the visiting days and seat assignments. And
to my luckiness, I could bet the series tickets in every another days start
from Monday, Wednesday, Friday and finish on Sunday. And as the next, I
purchased cheap flight tickets and also reserved the hotel at moderate grade
because this time my wife comes with me. Also, I re-arranged job schedule
during my trip somehow and studied the “Ring” more seriously than ever, even in
the commuter train. All of my life was focused to Metropolitan opera.
Incidentally, in the spring of 2009, a new influenza virus which human
had never infected before began to spread gradually at various places.
From the end of March, new flu virus became to spread over worldwide and
became to pandemic situation (especially, looking back now, the government
and mass media of Japan reported this issue too nervously.)
There was a report that the United States was the most serious case, especially
the flu viruses were spread originate East Coast, New York city.
At the middle of April, when airplane from the United States arrived to
Narita or Kansai Airport, cabin was sterilized with disinfectant spray
all together and in addition each passenger’s fever was checked.
If there was a fevered passenger in the cabin, he and some dozen passengers
took seat near him were confined about two weeks or so at the closed hotel
and shut any outside contact and observed any change of each passenger.
In Japan, this situation became very big news on TV for several weeks and
many school trip students to the United States or Canada were arrested
at hotels near airport. This is so called a control by shoreline
operations.
Now, there
are so many busy transportation of people and goods across the Pacific ocean, I
felt it quite doubtful whether there were any meaning to do this kind of simple
control by shoreline operations from the view point of practical effect to
prevent spread of the flu. However, the attitude of Japan Government (the
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare) and reports from the mass media
escalated, day by day.
In
addition to this unusual situation, headquarter of WHO circulated the
information that the new flu viruses were really hazardous and the index to
exhibit the spread region of epidemic area were raised from phase 4 and 5 and
6, in rapid succession in a few weeks. The index which exhibit “spread of
epidemic area” was miss-received as the index of “hazardous (or lethal) degree
of flu viruses” in Japan side. By the spread of this new flu, many old
person and infant might face to death one after another.
By this
distinct information share in Japan, Japan government and many major companies
announced ---- “Curfew order of unnecessary and non-urgent matters. Wear
cotton mask and repeated observance of gargling.” In towns, almost of all
people walked with downcast eyes and wearing masks and in the public
transportation of trains and buses, passengers without masks were regarded as
heresy person.
My
situation was quite subtle. I had already retired from primary working at
a chemical company, and do not restricted by the former company. At my
second job, as a secretary general of industrial society, I had a daily contact
to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. I was at a position to
transfer important official notice (including correspondence to the flu) from
the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to the companies of our industrial association.
And in several cases, I must report to summarize our industries correspondence to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. And in several cases, I must organize the correspondence to our member companies against further requirements from the Government.
As you
know, at the beginning of May, the process of the flu disaster disappeared
completely when the climate getting warmer. But, at the end of April,
everything in the world was looked unusual and seethe with anger that anything
might happen in anytime. As the person in charge of the industrial
society, I thought during conducting the flu case while visiting to New York to
enjoy opera was not forgiven, although “the time of the Golden week holidays
belongs to me.” After deep and heavy considerations, I decided not to go
to New York this time, just one week before of my departure, April 27th.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Whole Story since then
The things I must cancel immediately were the tickets of the Metropolitan,
air tickets and hotel reservations. Also, I had already contacted
to see my several old friends at my visiting to New York, but I might cancel
these arrangements, too. I was busy to send e-mails or phone call
to let them knew my cancel at my earliest convenience. But, my American
friends exhibited the similar reaction, “Did you decide cancel by the flu?
Is it becoming serious in Japan?
In news from Tokyo, all people walk on the street wearing masks.
Why?” In compared with the broadcasting of New York Times and mass
media in Japan, apparently there was difference of sensitivity against
the flu. In Japan, all news paper companies treated the news of the
flu at the top article for day after day, but in the New York Times, the
news of the flu was described only at the level of boxed item.
（Met ”Ring”, 2009, from Prof. Meinwald）
As a
resident in Japan, I had no choice but to chancel our visit to New York, at
that time. We were isolated from exact information because we live in
such a small island country. To be honest, just facing at this kind of
uncertain situation, our risk management ability, our training and courage are
too inferior to the international standard level. This is my honest
impression after encountering such a paradoxical situation.
By the way, after several telephone talks with a person in charge at the ticket booth of Met, it became clear that the once purchased tickets could not return or resale to others (of course, it might be reasonable!!). Booth person told “Well, you are going to cancel all eight tickets! (We will not refund your money. And we will resale your ticket, are you all right?” I got such a one-way response. I tried all sort of things insistently to return my payment, however I might give up at this time.
After much wrangling, I could donate the two tickets of last day performance
of “Götterdämmerung” to my old boss Professor Meinwald at Cornell
University and his wife. Prior to the performance, my boss drove
from Ithaca to New York taking 5 hours and enjoyed the performance of “Götterdämmerung”.
I received a message from him soon after the performance, “Very good!!
We enjoyed them at very nice seating!”
Several
days later, I received a parcel of DVDs of the “Ring” and the program of the
day from the boss. The DVDs was my most familiar and favorite one
performed by J. Levine (the presented DVDs appear only English captions on the
screen.) To my great regret, this time I missed to see Maestro James
Levine, James Morris (as Wotan) and Pracido Domingo (as Siegmund) and other
singers. They are excellent musician of the century. I was mad at
myself for not visiting New York at that time.
At the
following May and June, I spent my days as a totally spoiled lifeless
shell. The flu went somewhere and nobody care or remember of it at
all. After May, it went out completely. There was no report of people’
death case in Japan. Also, at overseas, the numbers of dead people were
quite a few. It was not such a toxic flu as informed. Next year,
there was another crisis of the new flu was reported, however next year also
such a serious situation did not come, as you know well.
Oh, my
vague spring dream went away, somehow ----. I think only hospitals and
musk industries earned good business by the strange flu. WHO, what a
sinful organization! Because of the influence, many people at tourist
businesses and travel agents were cried, among them I was also a person with
big cry.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
I want to go to
Bayreuth
My trial to New York in 2009 was unsuccessful. It is true that the
World of Wagner revolves around Bayreuth is clear by many reviews and CDs
and DVDs, produced in the past. But to get the ticket of Bayreuth
Festspiel is very difficult and even we apply every year for the ticket
of Bayreuth. It is generally told that we must wait at least ten
years to get ticket in Germany and also other countries.
As for me also, basically under such a hopeless situation, I have been continuously trying to apply the ticket and sending application letter to get chance of the ticket, every year. I have been among the waiting line for over seven or eight years when I had interest to Wagner music. (As for New York, Metropolitan, we can get ticket by
internet application and credit card remittance, but for Bayreuth such
convenient system cannot work. They only accept application by postal
document base.)
On the other hand, there are Wagner Associations at worldwide, and I knew
that each local Wagner Association had a right to get definite number of
tickets prior to general applications. Anyway, to get ticket, there
are two ways, one is to apply directly to the Festspile office and the
other is to belong as a member of local Wagner Association (in case of
Japan, Japan Wagnerian Society).
I tried both ways, in parallel. I also joined to Japan Wagnerian
Society because communication in Japan was thought to be valuable.
Because of my work, if I could get the tickets, I was thinking I must choose
early retirement or long vacation (at least two weeks is necessary!).
Such decision will be necessary when I get tickets, however my attitude
was “Everything comes to those who wait.”
(At the end of 2011, the Supreme Board of Audit of Bayern state and the Federal Board of Audit of Germany audited Wagner Association who supervise Bayreuth Festspile and announced following guidance and advice, “The tickets of Bayreuth have been distributed prior to local Wagner Association in Germany and other countries. It is regrettable and quite unfair that general applicant have been forced to wait for a long period. It is necessary to reconsider and announce permanent improvement plan.”
And the Bayreuth headquarter announced their decision that “To attain equal
distribution of Bayreuth tickets, we completely discontinue to supply tickets
to local Wagner Association in Germany and other countries.” If this
situation continued as announced, there will be no chance to get ticket through
Richard Wagner Gesellschaft Japan（RWGJ） (Richard Wagner
Association Japan). As a matter of fact, this year
(2012), there is not such ticket release from the Japan association. It
is still unclear what the situation of the next year however it is true that
Bayreuth is always far from for us Japanese.)
I have
basically had a little experience of listening Wagner opera and it is necessary
to become familiar to other works in addition to the “Ring”. To attain
this level of understanding, I needed another definite time of two or three
years. To enjoy long time performance, I must keep flexible music
accessibility. And good eyesight, hearing ability and physical strength
are essential. In addition, it is more important to have good
understanding of the members of my family (more concretely, economical
allowance) and enough time. I do not listen to the music with
feeling. Do I like music, really or not? ---- Can I invest further budget
and time to music? ---- Because, remaining time becoming shorter, day by
day. This is a crucial decision which must be determined by myself.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Happy Retirement!
Bayreuth, Wagner Operas (Jul-Aug, 2011)
Nürnberg,
Saltzburg
64.5 years
old. Finally, at the end of June, 2012, I finished all my jobs including
the second job, and became a member of an unfettered existence.
Fortunately, I could get the Bayreuth Festspile tickets (five performances, one
ticket each), and I took off Kansai airport for Frankfurt at midnight of July
26th. (In the year of 2011 and 2012, at Bayreuth, there was no
performance of the “Ring”. So, it was said that to get tickets was easier
in compared with the year of the “Ring” performances.)
First, I stayed three nights at Nürnberg for jet lag adjustment, and
walked the old castles in detail which appears at “Die Meistersinger von
Nürnberg” and enjoyed city view from the top of the Keiserburg castle.
To become familiar to German railway systems, I went to Salzburg via Münich.
At Salzburg, there is Mozart’s birth house and several museums relate to
Mozart however I did not visit these memorial sites as they locate a little
bit distance from the station.
I could stop by around Saltzburg railway station for only two hours, like an express messenger, “Just I come here to see town views in front of the station.” or “I came to here to buy McDonald hamburgers for quick lunch.” Basically, German is a very flat country except some southern border mountain areas. If my memory is correct the movie “Sound of Music” was produced around Salzburg area. The scene of “Do-Re-Mi-Fa” was taken at hilly mountainous around this area. From the train of Münich to and back to Salzburg, I saw the Alps. When I saw these high mountains, I was relieved, just a bit.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
To
Bayreuth
After
staying three days in Nürnberg, I went to Bayreuth in full readiness.
From Nürnberg to Bayreuth was about one hour by train. It was a single-track
railway and a diesel train of two cars came to the platform. A long
admired Bayreuth was really a small town.
It was
rainy day. I thought the way from the station to the hotel was not so
far, I started to walk in the rain but to wrong directions. There was no
person on road to ask the right way to the hotel. By taking more than one
hour, finally I arrived at the hotel. However, during walking I was
rather in excitement, “Finally, now, I am walking Bayreuth!!”
I checked-in the hotel before noon. Performance of the day was “Die
Meistersinger von Nürnberg” start from 4 pm. I knew that there
was a bus service which arrives at the theater just 20 minutes before the
performance. But, I wanted to see the real Festspilehaus as early
as possible, so I walked again in the rain to the Festspile direction.
I would never forget my first view of the Festspile building about 1 km
ahead covered with foggy rain at the top of broad hill. It is a large
theater built of brick which I have seen by photo many times.
Slowly, I went up the sloping road and at the Festspile site there was
almost no person because it was still two hours before the performance.
I walked the outskirts of the building, park, Wagner and Cosima statues,
temporary bookstore, post office, adjacent restaurant and so on.
Everything was looked valuable to me.
Bayreuth
Festspielhaus is a theater only to perform Wagner works which was designed by
Wagner himself. He accomplished not only composing opera music but also
building design, fund-raising, promotion of performances and so on, and among
them there were several questionable stories. Anyway, his breakthrough
power and earnest passion had attained such an enormous work. The reality
of his works stands in front of me.
Wagner was
liked by four great insane persons irrespective to his will. They were
French poet Charles-Pierre Baudelaire, Ludwig II the King of Bayern,
philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche and Adolf Hitler. Three of them
except Hitler were contemporary with Wagner. Baudelaire had an insight of
Wagner’s genius by watching Tannhäuser performance in Paris (1861). As
his critical essay about Wagner was well read by many French, so even at
present it is said that there are many supporter of Wagner art in French.
Ludwig II,
King of Bayern was an enthusiastic supporter of Wagner. There was a time
The King gave strong protect and offered enormous assistance to Wagner.
At the southern mountain area of Germany near Füssen, The King built
Neuschwanstein castle, now is a famous sightseeing spot and in the castle there
are number of paints of the scene of Lohengrin and Parsifal. However, it
was not believed that there existed true friendship between the two, The King
and Wagner.
Nietzsche
was a person who was younger than Wagner about 30 years. He was also a
devout enthusiast to Wagner. While young, he got close to Wagner and
described many reviews to praise Wagner art. But, when Wagner completed “Parsifal”----
a great religious drama and a composite art form with mysticism----, Nietzsche
disappointed heavily because the work describes about devotion to Christianity
and started severe criticism (how about the great gap between praise at “Die
Geburt der Tragödie aus dem Geiste der Musik (the birth of tragedy from the spirit
of music) “ and all kinds of names at “Ecce Homo (disambiguation) “!!), then
finally, Nietzsche became insane. (Details are described later at the
paragraph of “Fischer-Dieskau”)
It is
Hitler who cast dark shadow to Germany, Bayreuth and Wagner art, even in
today. Nazis used everything completely including Wagner works to insist
superiority of the German race. The Wagner clan was under great
protection of the Hitler Administration and during the time of rising
prosperity of Nazis and during the War period, “Bayreuth Festspielhaus” was
treated as one of the important facilities to Nazis. On the other hand,
in Germany, many musicians left Germany or kept silence even though they preferred
Wagner art, because they could not admit unfavorable relations between Wagner
art and Nazis. Many of such complicated emotions were left in Germany,
since then.
After the
war, during revival period, there were many trials to recover and rebuild new
Bayreuth, and now we enjoy the benefits of their new trials. But, still
there are some Germans who cannot accept it, frankly. While I was staying
in and out of Bayreuth, I had chance to talk about Wagner with Germans but in
some cases I could not keep good conversation about the subject. (Once, I
had read an article about Bayreuth. After the War, the Festspilhaus was
used as show tent of strip while the Occupation Forces stayed in Germany.)
About 3
pm, some audience came around the Festspilhaus. Almost all attendants
came with evening dress and tuxedo and many attendants were couples. As
for me, I brought suits and ties for the performance, but I had regret that I should
wear more dark colored suits. It was no use crying over spilt milk!
It was not long before the seven brass instrumentalists stood in a row on the
balcony, and they played fanfare of the prelude of “Meistersinger” to announce
to the outside audiences that the curtain rise in fifteen minutes.
Finally, I came to this place. Now, let’s enjoy Wagner.
The followings are my contribution to quarterly magazine of Richard Wagner
Gesellschaft Japan (Richard Wagner Association Japan), “Ring” (autumn, 2011
edition) describing about “Report of Bayreuth Festspile, 2011”. This is
one of my highlight of “Personal History of Music.”
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“Report of Bayreuth Festspile, 2011” (contribution to “Ring”)
This year,
I could be realized to experience Wagner music at sacred place Bayreuth which
was my dream for some dozen years. At present visit, I appreciated “Meistersinger”,
“Tannhäuser”, “Lohengrin”, “Parsifal” and “Tristan und Isolde”, in
turn. I already watched the stage of “Meistersinger” and “Tristan
und Isolde” through NHK, BS-TV broadcasting and DVDs, but the other three
performances were new experiences.
My largest
expectation was how I would catch dignified Wagner sound at the Festspeilhaus.
Seats in the house which seek practical substantiality have been said narrow
and hard, but to say the truth they were looked as seats which I was
experienced at elementary school age. From the seats, we cannot see the
conductor and orchestra, at all. Consequently, we can concentrate to
music sound and I felt heavy bass tone underneath of wooden floor and I was
trembled by sharp brass sound, quite a bit. I thought as if we were
existing in a box of contrabass (=like a large sound box). I received
strong impression from all performances, among them I would like here to focus
on “Tannhäuser”.
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Tannhäuser (August 1st)
The
Bayreuth Festspile of this year started from newly directed “Tannhäuser” on
July 25th. I experienced the second performance of the season.
The next
day of “Meistersinger”, July 31st was holiday at theater. On this day, I
met my old friend of Professor Dettner at Bayreuth University, Chemistry
Department and his wife. 
He asked me a strange question, “Are
you going to “Tannhäuser” of tomorrow?” And he explained “The new
direction “Tannhäuser” of this time is really innovative (?!), and this season
opened from the new “Tannhäuser”. At the next day of opening, the
newspaper of Bayreuth described it as “ambitious piece”, but almost of other newspapers
and TVs in Germany (outside Bayreuth!) perplexed and criticized it
severely. “To your luckiness, you are going to attend the performance,
tomorrow!” I was encouraged strangely.
The
outline of the story is following. People who went on a pilgrimage to
Rome returned to their home after receiving Papal indulgence. On the
other hand, Tannhäuser indulged in debauchery and was banished from the society
as a punishment. He also went on a pilgrimage journey but his sins were
not forgiven by the Pope and return to home in the depths of despair
----. By reviewing several past performances at Bayreuth, scene of Act I
and Act III were quiet forest and open space for prey and the Act II was a
scene of singer’s battle at palace hall. There appeared many delicate and
some heroic music and stage setting were simple as Wagner indicated.
At the
present performance, when audiences enter to the hall, the curtain was opened,
already. Stage setting was looked inside of manufacturing factory of
three stories. Reacting vessel of bioreactor and large reservoir tank of
alcohol was set at the center of stage and thick pipes connected the tanks to
each other. While audiences enter to the hall, dozens of workers on the
stage were at their production work silently, and the stage was already moving
somehow before prelude begun. And inside of the factory was well-lighted
in every corner, so we could see the inside throughout. Yes, I was
surprised, indeed.
The
prelude of Tannhäuser is really impressive to suggest the development of the
story expressing slow quiet marching pilgrims to Rome at dawn. However,
there is not such a gentle atmosphere on stage, but workers wearing red or blue
work clothes and walked around slowly inside the factory with the quiet music
---- anyway, opera started from this strange setting.
At the Act
I, from the floor of factory, Venus castle looked like a fenced circular
cylinder surfaced on the stage and Tannhäuser was adsorbed to the inside of the
fence, a subtle world of blinking dark red light. This was really out of
my imagination. While the story going, many workers worked in silence at
their working place of 1st, 2nd and 3rd floor without any relation to the
music. Occasionally, singers sang at the 2nd or 3rd floor, so I became
busy not to miss each actor’s movement and behavior. I was kept to look
around one place to another. While my eye moving around busily, my
concentration to music became careless, to my regret I became one of a wasteful
unfinished audience.
The Act I finished,
but the curtain did not close and workers on stage kept on working. All audiences
went out and the hall was locked out, then finally workers finished their
work. There were a great variety of reactions of audiences. Main
reaction was vigorous booing and some others kicked floor, and some clapping
----. I was expecting to listen to quiet prey music however I was baptized
totally opposite experience at Bayreuth. The Act II and III were also
composed of factory stage but I would like skip to write details.
Opera
world at present, there are many different kind of trials of new planning in
every year at each theater. Sometimes, they insert grandstand play which
do not relate opera story. But I do not agree such extreme stages.
The main stream of present opera direction focuses how to translate classical
art to modernistic way. Without doubt, as an audience, I demand to Wagner
world in Bayreuth that “Bayreuth must be traditional, must be the best and also
must be innovative.” The present “Tannhäuser” is one of a trail which
exceeds conventional thinking.
Whether this stage remains in history or finish soon as one of a trial
stage will be determined in a few years. But, I felt strict situation
of Bayreuth must to keep on traditional, fine quality and innovative.
I would like to think over the meaning future opera by reviewing present
direction of each stage. This encounter will become good start to
think about future opera especially, future figure of Wagner.
Gentleman
from London who took next seat to me told, “This is my tenth experience of
Tannhäuser at Bayreuth, but I will not accept the present stage most.”
I also
found an interview article of Katelina Wagner (KW) in Deutsche Welle (July 20th)
at Bayreuth which was written in English.
Question: ”Tannhäuser”
of this year is a new program. Isn’t it difficult to catch contents for
conservatives?
KW:
Directors who invited by Bayreuth try to challenge to overcome past
stages. The intention of new program is written briefly at the booklet issued
by Festspielhaus. I do not agree to explain details of intention of new
direction. If we do it, everything will become trivial.
Lastly, I
did not remember what the performance was, during intermission I talked with
woman who took seat at park next to me, by chance. She came to Bayreuth
from northernmost town of Germany, Kiel. She told, “I could not
understand the librettos of a singer at previous stage, at all. Wagner
writes distinct difficult coined words, so even to German audience it is necessary
to review his words before performance. But, I cannot believe why
Bayreuth passed that singer’s German. I am a resident from local town, so
I do think that my language is not a standard German.” I do not
understand the truth or falsehood of her talk, but I thought many audiences
catch Wagner with various thought.
This time,
I could enjoy several Wagner opera performances very much. I recognized
again the greatness of Wagner’s conception and energies of persons who
concerned to Bayreuth challenging to create new stage, continuously.
(Sep. 05, 2011 wrote)
(From quarterly magazine “Ring”, Richard Wagner
Gesellschaft Japan, Autumn 2011)
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What I saw and listened at
Bayreuth
At the
previous contribution paper to the magazine “Ring”, I described that I was
really surprised at the new stage of “Tannhäuser”. Here I am going to
describe brief memo according to my scribbled note written on each performance
night of “Meistersinger”, “Lohengrin”, “Parsifal” and “Tristan und Isolde”.
My stay at Bayreuth was really exciting seven days.
Die
Meistersinger von Nürunberg (July 30th)
This work was directed Katelina Wagner who is direct descendant (great-great-granddaughter,
the 4th generation) of Richard Wagner. This stage has been performed
at Bayreuth from several years ago. There are many reports and criticisms
of this stage from various quarters and there were new ideas at many parts
of the opera. However, I could not appreciate at several points.
The Meistersinger, Hans Sachs is a super person who is well talented to compose musical melody and words, but at present performance he appeared not as a shoe workman but he is a strange person who types old style mechanical hand-operated typewriter with clattering noise and he wander heavily to create song words ---- it was out of my imagination. Sachs is not an admirable 
man but an ordinary man.
On the other hand, Walter, a knight appeared as a painter (he was really a low-level house painter and he was not good at drawing picture at all). How his talent potential of singing was discovered by Sachs and how Walter developed his talent of making and singing songs and as a result he could able to become Meistersinger ---- the most meaningful point was not clear at all.
I am an old type audience who has been familiar to the DVDs of Bayreuth at 80s and the Metropolitan at 90s, so present stage settings were bitter to me. But, as a whole, the music by Wagner was sounded well, and my real first experience of Wagner was quite satisfactory. Brave Wagner’s chorus was heroic and expressive and finally I could have “the first bridal night with Wagner” in great satisfaction.
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Lohengrin (August 2nd)
“Lohengrin”
is an opera of three acts based on myths of Germany and Scandinavia and the
story itself was written by Wagner and in the story, the King Heinrich an
actual person appears. In the opera, there contain many famous melodies
and this is one of the best liked opera in the world. At the beginning of
act III, there appears the famous “Wedding March”. This is known by
everyone, but in the opera, just after the wedding there happen sudden
collapse. To tell the truth, this is apparently an elegant music but not
a happy music, so far.
By the
way, on the stage of “Lohengrin”, many soldiers who belong to the King Heinrich
appear and demonstrate number of imposing chorus at several scenes. But,
at the present stage, soldiers appear as mice. To us, crowd of mice cannot
be understood whether they are enemy or supporter. In some occasion, they
behave uncanny and in another case they act pretty and appealing attitude,
indeed.
Present “Lohengrin”
became a current topic as many mice appear on the stage. This stage was
constructed by surprisingly accurate direction. In addition, the stage of
Voigt as Lohengrin and other singers under the conduct of Nelsons were so
nicely arranged, I thought this stage would be a product which will be
memorized in history of Bayreuth.
Just after
I watched the performance at Bayreuth, in Japan
there was a live broadcasting by NHK-BS station from Bayreuth, I think
many people watched the stage. Here, I want to give a comment that
rich voice of each singer and chorus was not taped well which I listened
vividly at the theater. This is a so called attractiveness of live
performance. I thought that to record or re-produce well-balanced
sound of orchestra under the stage and vivid voices on the stage in good
balance is not easy problem. I have no experience to compare live
performances and TV recordings in my past, as stated above this is my honest
impression.
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Parsifal (August 3rd)
Wagner’s
last work “Parsifal” describes relief of soul as subject. In compared
with his dramatic past works, this work is a kind of psychological play and
give off dark grey color as a whole. The King Amphortas, one of a hero,
he suffered continuous bleeding from his open sore of the abdomen. He was
possessed by a demon to this strange disease while he was unguarded
moment. To save him, the attendants tried every possible treatment and
prayer, but all was in vain.
One day, the late King Titrel who was father of the King Amphortas, noticed as a divine revelation that only a voluntary act of a young man who does not has wisdom can close the wound. And here, appears a young man named Parsifal. Then, the story moves forward between the wounded King and the young man. The development of the story that Parsifal saves the lost person is similar to that of “Tannhäuser”, but in case of “Parsifal”, the Holy Grail and Holy Spear, the heart of Christianity relate to relief of soul. (When Wagner completed “Parsifal” which describe relief of soul based on Christianity, Nietzsche who was intimate to Wagner so far flied into a rage and became alienated, completely.
Soon after of this matter, Nietzsche described “Ecce Homo (disambiguation)”
and published it just before he became insane. Nietzsche shocked
which moved his spirits upside-down, perfectly from this Wagner’s work.)
At the present stage, during prelude of Act I, a thought-provoking expression
was inserted. This is a scene of delivery of Parsifal and this scene
reflected mother’s firm mind or love to Parsifal. At the last part
of Act II, at the scene when the evil spirit Klingsor was expelled, to
my great surprise, all of a sudden, the regimental colors of Nazis hoisted
on the stage and a dozens of Nazi soldiers wearing swastika armlet appeared
on stage with machine guns.
After a battle, Klingsor gangs were defeated immediately, but I thought
this was a scene of prohibited tactics (?) in Germany, especially at Bayreuth.
In addition this surprise, there are several drastic expressions from modern ideas in the performance. But, all of these drastic expressions were thought to be an ingenious direction to give good understanding of this Wagner’s work.
In my
past, I had been familiar with the classical stage of “Parsifal”, deep forest
and quiet lake view which was covered with morning mist and deep prey scene
against the Holy Grail. In this stage, situation were totally different
to that of the classical stage but in the Act I and III where they prey to Holy
Grail, the direction and music were expressed deeply and I thought this new
stages were finished to be a good completion.
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Tristan
und Isolde (August 4th)
This
production was the last performance since it was first performed in 2005.
At the time of first performance of this stage, audiences did not understand
and gave bitter comments thoroughly. However, after several years later,
this stage got praise gradually. In 2009, the live performance at Bayreuth
was taken and sold as DVD (The performance at August 9th, 2009 is
released by Opus Arte.) The performance at present was composed of almost
same conductor, director, and soloists to that of DVD recording.
Therefore, performer understands each other quite well and I also enjoyed at
relax because I was familiar with the stage, in advance.
At the Act
I, all the situation had grown more seriously against Isolde’s will, she was at
a fate to receive forced an unfavorable political marriage. The person
who promotes this marriage was Tristan, a soldier of hostile country.
Isolde used to take care sincerely heavily wounded Tristan before, but Tristan
was going to betray her without taking heed to Isolde. By knowing his
betrayal against Isolde, she flew into a rage, in the end.
At the Act
II, there are famous grand scale confession love song with Tristan with blue
suits and Isolde with yellow dress. They took aphrodisiac pills by
mistake. At this scene, they sing powerful, enthusiastic and really
passionate duet. Usually we need much energy to listen through to this
scene, I felt slight dizzy with a sigh to pass this scene.
At the Act
III, Tristan who wounded severely by duel became weak and in the face of
death. Tristan talked in a delirium repeatedly and longing to see Isolde
again as his only and ultimate desire. Strained scene continued.
At that
time, a strain covered the stage (I recognized so). For Tristan at his
deathbed, there left considerable amount of singing however he had a fit of
coughing suddenly and could not vocalize. Kurubenal, servant of Tristan,
noticed the unusual situation (?!), and went back to wing several times and
brought something like a bottle for drink to restore voice and tried to Tristan
to hold it in his mouth. At the DVDs of 2009, I did not see such strained
scene! Fortunately (!), Tristan passed away without taking drinks, but
his singing was not good enough as intended.
Whether
the present unusual situation was by acting or sudden bad condition is not
known after all. But, I was frightened like as an actor on the
stage. Then, Isolde sang the sorrowful “Death of Love” quietly and closed
the curtain, in piece. From audiences, there were thunderous applause to
the cast and curtain calls were repeated several times. Now, I think over
that as Tristan was at deathbed in hallucination, so Tristan’s bad condition
might be possible. Yes, that was an admirable performance of Tristan and
Kurubenal. But, what a complicated trick play they did! They are
really veterans of many battles on the stage.
(Described at the end of August, 2011)
This time,
I experienced Wagner’s five live performances at holy ground, Bayreuth.
Once more, I felt the greatness of Wagner’s creating and developing abilities
and people energy who concern to Bayreuth to keep and develop new planning of
Wagner’s works. It was my great expectation how I feel the heavy and
dignified sound at the Festspielhaus. As that place has been holy ground
since the beginning, I might have a high feeling as pilgrim, and finally I
could breathe the air of the Festspielhaus at my 64 years old. It was
supreme moment in my life without doubt.
Opera is
an art which can be created for the first time when singers, orchestra and conductor
meet well balanced on stage. To create opera stage as Wagner indicated is
almost impossible because it is so magnificent to be materialized, in the true
sense. Now, mainly Wagner opera created under the direction of director,
but what kind of stream will be created as next Wagner musical drama? I
am very interesting to see the coming Wagner world from the view point of “Tradition
and Innovation”.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Mickisch, a Pianist at Bayreuth
There was
a piano concert to explain highlights of performance of the day. I knew
it for the first time during I was in Bayreuth, while Wagner operas have been
performed at Festspielhaus. Program changes every day according to
program at Festspiel. This concert is given from 10am to noon at small
hall in the city. Here comes a pianist, Stefan Mickisch.
In a small
hall, there were about 200 pipe chairs and a Steinway piano on the stage.
Entrance fee was 12 Euro. What kind of concert will it be? I went
to that place for an experience. That was a day for “Lohengrin”. I
was afraid because I do not understand well German language and when all the
explanation has been done in German language, it would be boring. When
Mickisch appeared on the stage, he started to play prelude of “Lohengrin”
quietly without any words. It was true feeling of being at a live
performance and I was absorbed into the music, all at once. This is not
an orchestral performance but one piano expresses Wagner almost in perfect.
After
prelude, Mickisch explained brief story of “Lohengrin” in German and played
several polular passages with piano. His piano was quite comfortable and
there was no worry to become boring. I could have satisfied time with
audiences with elevated feelings. Unfortunately, I could not understand
his explanation in German but he attracted audiences with light and clean
narration and sometimes there occurred sudden roar of laughter and applause.
It was a one-man show stage by Mickisch. I knew a new way of appreciating
music.
After
finished concert, Mickisch appeared at the hall entrance and talked with
several audiences. I also told “I really enjoyed. Please, include
some English words in your explanation.” Mickisch covers his activity not
only Wagner operas but also Beethoven symphonies and other German composer’s
music. Some of his live performances were recorded and sold by CDs.
I bought “Ring (complete)”, “Meistersinger”, “Tannhäuser” and “Beethoven
Symphonies No. 3 and No. 6”. Of course, I asked him to sign on each CDs.
After
return to Japan, I listen to these CDs quite frequently to remember my memory
of mini-concert. I still cannot understand his German well, however his
voice sounds comfortable to my ears. Recording condition of piano sound
is very good and I recall my memory as if I was at the hall. By reviewing
Wagner melodies by Mickisch’s arrangement, I realize again that Wagner was an
outstanding genius as melody maker.
Many of
the audiences go to the Bayreuth Festspilehaus on that afternoon. Among
the audience, there was some person who looked as neighbors. I thought
quite envious that they enjoy such a fine quality, hand-made music at such a
reasonable price in the neighborhood. The Germans have luxurious music
environment in compared to us, Japanese.
We, who
live in today, can listen to operas and symphonies and other good music at very
good sound condition because of common spread of CDs and playback
equipments. Were the ordinary people who lived before the 20th
century also enjoyed music, as well? It is “No”. Originally,
Western European music originated from court music and only a few upper class
people possessed them, solely. It is said that the ordinary people
enjoyed Beethoven’s powerful symphonies by tour pianist’s performance as fine
quality music. For those purposes, many composers or translators
re-arrange their famous symphonies or grand operas to piano music. Their
translating activities were based on such needs of ordinary peoples who want
music, eagerly.
For
example, Mozart’s witty and refined opera performed by tour pianist and several
singers would be a great comfort for the people who live in the country with
little amusements. It is pleasant to image such scenery of the
country. Through Michisch’s activities, I understand that in Germany,
popularization of music in such a style has been developed quite nicely and
including their historical background, these activities have been matured to a
high class of music. In Japan, we can never enjoy such circumstance
because background culture is very different to that of Germany.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Opera Productions under the
Leadership of Directors
In this
several decades, we see quite frequently opera productions with modernized
design or abstracted stage (simplified extremely). Now is the time of
opera productions under the leadership of director. To complete opera
stage, there is story then libretto and music follow. As a next, under
the direction of director, it is essential to organize collaboration with
conductor, singers, chorus group, orchestra and director who combine everything
altogether (in addition, seamstress of theatrical costumes, lightning
technician, carpenter of stage settings, advertisement staff, recording staff ---- and so on).
For
example, Wotan, King of divine kingdom of “Ring” appears on the stage with
business suits and he does not carry spear, symbol of king of divine but brings
attache case. The stage is set up as ordinary office instead of deep
forest. The image of Wotan who had many wildly desires come in succession
to salary man in our times carrying serious stresses. If we only watch
the modernized stage, I am afraid that the image of Wotan will be misunderstood
completely. This may not be a big problem when we became familiar to the
whole story of opera, but I cannot accept too modernized direction, even now.
From my
experience, to enter opera world of Wagner, it is absolutely good to start from
the direction which is faithful to original work as much as possible.
Otherwise, understanding to Wagner might become just to the opposite.
(The Met production (in 1990) conducted by J. Levine described above is one of
the best text which is faithful to original work. The production has
already ended and cannot see the real stage at Met, anymore)
Recent days, in Europe, among many kinds of artistic activities, the tendency
to be modern is growing steady. And in case of opera, the modernization
wave reached even to Bayreuth, too. From the viewpoint of performance,
it is difficult to keep on using the original stage setting same to that
of Wagner time without any change over a long period (opera work fall into
mannerism and die soon, as a result visitors will not come!).
To be successful as business, it must become people’s current topics.
Basically, the production must be made well, but the first priority is
to invite many audiences to opera house as much as possible. Then,
it is also important that the DVDs (CDs) or movie of the performance have
good reputation and to get good chance by broadcastings and newspapers.
But, how
do you think about recent tendency of modern direction which has warped
original stage art that Wagner created. (Recently, I watched a Wagner
works which looked almost circus-opera. This is dangerous to singers and
singing is looked down by producers.) I am expecting to merge classical
and modern stage and advance to create more meaningful recurred Wagner stage.
Generally
speaking, at the Metropolitan New York, basically they keep original performing
as their style (The recent Met “Ring” production of 2012 use many
seesaws. It seems they also coming rather close to so-called European
style). I do not know how the audiences of Germany evaluate Wagner
performances in the United States, presently many Bayreuth singers visit and
given chance to sing at the Metropolitan. Is it unpleasant for audience
in German or favorable co-exists in peace and prosperity?
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Production of Films of Live Operas
In recent ten years, the Met attained important achievement in the opera
business with active use of media. Among opera works, there are cost
consuming stages for production. Recently many theaters are trying
to produce live recording to make movie (DVDs as well) for theater.
It is necessary to consider whether watching opera at movie theater is
an orthodox appreciation way of opera or not.
The Met started this business at worldwide. When opera season started at the Met, we can enjoy the same performance just few weeks later at a movie theater in Japan with Japanese captions. Same opera movie in Germany, France, Russia and Brazil and so on ----, we can watch them at domestic theater easily and also at reasonable price.
Is it too sentimental
(!) to think that we cannot enjoy the real Wagner without visiting
Bayreuth? Total audience number at Bayreuth for one season is only about
60,000 (at the 19th century this level of seating capability was good enough!). However, the Met live viewing can gather more than one million people in a week when the movie released to worldwide. Belatedly, Bayreuth also started this kind of media activity, recently. However, their way to go seems does not decided clear, so far (Fortunately, it became possible to enjoy some of live performance at Bayreuth through NHK-BS TV broadcasting at home).
The large stream of popularization of music, production ohigh quality performances
and stable success as performance is currently moving. To overcome
these three different kinds of antinomy, opera world will experience many
kinds of trials, changes and selections. We must watch future trends
of European opera house, not only Bayreuth but also Wien, Milan, Paris
and Covent Garden (London) and several other main opera houses. It
is essential how tointroduce effective marketing strategy to each opera
house.
（2011season, Met Live Viewing brochure）
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Operas recorded at Studio or
Concert Hall without Audiences
When we
want to enjoy opera as music without visual, there is a way to listen to live
recorded CDs or focus to music sound from DVDs without visualization.
Actually, there is opera performances at concert hall only focus to music
without acting and stage setting. This kind of performance is not
familiar to me. And conductor, soloists, chorus and orchestra perform
music just same as in opera house. There is no opera setting on the stage
and soloists do not act so seriously and they concentrate to sing at their
part. There are audiences in the hall. It is similar view to that
of the concert hall of the Beethoven’s No. 9 symphony which is familiar to us.
By various
reasons, concert style opera perform in the presence of audiences. When I
listen to CDs of concert performance, generally they recorded at well-regulated
condition. However, quite occasionally, these performances are apt to get
weak vividness in comparison with those of live performances. Maybe,
concert performance might be summed up in compact. As a recent example
Sir G. Solti recorded “Meistersinger” at concert style in 1995 with Chicago
Symphony and Chorus. It was a polite and well organized performance
however I want more vivid excitement from the music (There are no noise.
At opera house live performance, there appear some coughing and breathes of
excitements of audiences.)
Occasionally,
opera is recorded, such as at studio of radio company (without audiences) to
take only music sound under closed environment. For recording symphonies
or concertos of piano and other instruments, studio recordings have been done
frequently. Opera is a kind of composite art form focused mainly to watch
and listen. In history, opera recordings in studio had not done
frequently. I guess that studio recording might be inferior to the
feeling of being at a live performance. These factors are lifeline for
opera to keep vivid.
In spite
of several disadvantages, there are few excellent opera performances which were
taken in studio. To perform a Wagner’ opera work takes about three to
four hours. There are studio recorded “Ring” by G. Solti with Wien
Philharmonic Orchestra by spending seven years (1958-65). (And the same
performers recorded “Tristan und Isolde” at almost same time, too.)
Especially, these recordings had been recognized as one of the highlights of “Ring”
music, in the 20th century.
The year 1958 is a timing that commercial stereo recorded LPs started to
sold in the market. I also tried to compare several “Ring” recordings.
As a result, I also recommend Solti’s work should come to the first place
although they were old recordings of more than 50 years ago. They
perform under sustained tension and the feeling of being far exceeded to
a live performance. It is a planetarium of full SOUND! (There
was a famous Japanese critic who pointed out that Solti’s “Ring” is too
sweet and gaudy like a Hollywood movie for the masses with “magnificence”.
I turn down his comment.)
Why I choose Solti’s work recorded without audiences? There are several reasons to choose Solti’s work. The first reason was that the best singers in that time joined to the recordings. And the second, Solti completely controlled the Wien Philharmonic Orchestra, a well known tradition and respected dignity. In addition to clear-cut sound, Solti drew out wild (rough or violent) sound, essential sound for Wagner performances from the Wien Phil (I was really surprised at their wild sound). It was scheduled that they spent whole one day for taking 15 minutes performance. They spent enough time for practices, performance and discussion.
Singers could take enough resting time. Decca (musical company) decided
to produce the “Ring” with putting all their energy into the work (There
are many inventions of recording apparatuses, microphones, sound mixing
method and so on. These improvements can be understood by my ears.)
Among them, it should be specially featured that John Carsaw, the supreme
director at that time, asserted his recording philosophy and draw out Solti’s
devoting energy and also supported Solti’s sweat quite nicely. This is one of good examples
even at studio under good recording condition with consistent policy, we can
get good products. There are not so many good examples, but, there are
few examples.
For these five years, I was concentrated my interest
to the Wagner music. And, I enjoyed them with my own way. I do not
know whether I was followed the authentic way of contacting Wagner art, but I
believe I had been contacted them with my sincere feeling. I could not go
to New York but fortunately, I could go to the desired place, Bayreuth. I
think Wagner will continue to occupy my heart, in a great deal for coming
years.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
St. Thomas Kirche, Graveyard of J.S. Bach
August 5th. I
left Bayreuth where I could have plenty good memories. There are many
people at hotel and rail station both ways leaving and coming Bayreuth. I
walked from the hotel to the station slowly with remembering town sceneries
around walkway.
Departing day of Bayreuth was three hour railway short trip to Jena, a
border town where once belonged to the old Eastern Germany. The reason
to visit this small town was to see old collaborator at my Cornell time.
Now, the Professor Baldwin is a leading chemical ecologist in worldwide
and he works at Max Planck Institute, in Jena. I miss him in these
25 years.
He is an American however he organizes research team of chemical ecology in Germany and his activities and achievements are wide and extensive. I was surprised that he operates important field research station at Utah State in the Rocky. We renewed our friendship and learned his research achievements since then and shared old times again. There was no talk of music.
Next day, I went from Jena to Leipzig, another main destination of present
trip. At this town, I stayed totally 10 days. Leipzig is an
old town produced many musicians, Wagner, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt
etc. and also known as campus town where Goethe, Nietzsche and Ohgai Mori
(Japanese novelist, army sergeon) studied at this place. In addition,
St. Nikolai Church locates in Leipzig. From this church, they started
an initial explosive which lead to collapse of the Berlin Wall (Berliner
Mauer) in 1989, resulting totally repaints present German history from
its very foundations.
The main purpose to stay in Leipzig at this time was to visit St. Thomas
church where Johan Sebastian Bach was Cantor (music director) during his
latter half of life from 1723 to 1750. Namely, I wanted to visit
tombstone in the church where Bach’s remains buried and to feel life space
where Bach actually lived about three hundred years ago.
Leipzig is
a town encircled by circular main streets called “Ring” and inside of the “Ring”
there are a number of monumental sightseeing spots. Streetcar net systems
are in operation along “Ring” and they spread minutely to the suburbs for
commuting. While walking the town, I met many historical monuments.
This is a typical old middle sized town in Europe. Population of the city
is about half million.
I stayed
at hotel near Hauptbahnhof (central station). Next day of my arrival to
Leipzig was Sunday. I went out deserted town street in the early morning
to find some breakfast. Then, I walked to the direction to St. Thomas
Church on foot. While walking, I came to an open space of old city government
office building. There was a temporary stage and many pipe seats at the
open space for music festival during summer time. This time also, there
scheduled many music concerts but they were performed from evening to midnight,
so this space in the early morning was empty.
“Oh!
I know this place!” I recalled my memory, suddenly. Some years ago,
Bobby McFerrin invited excellent musician from all over the world and performed
a very pleasant concert at this place. It was a rainy evening, but many
audiences in Leipzig enjoyed enthusiastic open-air concert very much.
This concert were recorded and sold by DVDs (TDK-core-DVD、”Spirit of
Music Part I・II”、Bobby McFerrin
& Friends、TOBA-0101、0102
(June, 2002)). I suddenly recalled memory of the evening concert when I
stepped in this open space. I did not recognize that the concert was hold
at Leipzig. It’s an ashamed story.
Soon, I saw St. Thomas Church nearby. This is a white colored church with impressive white steeple which I have seen by photo several times. This is not a so large-scale church but this is historically important monument as same to St. Nikolaus Church. At the heavy iron entrance, there was a sign of “free entrance”, so I went into the Church. It was in the middle of Sunday morning service and about three hundred believers were in prey. There were preach by
clergyman and words by the head of church and several hymns sang with organ. At the end of service there was a speech by representative of believers. I could not understand well about the details but it seemed that he was talking about “Fukushima” and they all prayed for victims of Fukushima disaster after the talk.
After finishing service, attendants returned their home by turns and at
the exit of the church they were asking contribution. I also donated
some and expressed my thanks to the person who made “Fukushima” speech.
As he was a person who did not understand English, some neighbor near him
translated my words exactly to him. It was passed about five months
since Fukushima disaster.
After
Sunday morning service, inside of the church was almost empty. I was
allowed to sit on a seat of believers, so I stayed there about two hours and
had quiet time. At the upper place of alter, there is tombstone where
Bach’s remains was buried. Usually, when there are many visitors to the
church, this place is interrupted by ropes and cannot come close, however at
that time, I could go to nearby. I spent for sometime fell on my knees at
the next of tombstone. On the large cover of the coffin, it is written
simply “JOHAN SEBASTIAN BACH”. It is quite simple but it is good as it
is. Several small bunches of flowers were offered. I spent some
time with deep emotion that at this place Bach played keyboards, conducted
cantatas and passions and did premiere performances by himself which are
graceful even today.
This
Church was closely related to the Reformation of Martin Luther and at the
stained glass of the Church there drawn two large portraits of Bach as well as
Luther. At the main pillar of the church there buried a large metal
epitaph describing that on Sunday of Pentecost in 1539, at here Luther
delivered great address of the Reformation. It was an affair which took
place about two hundred years before of Bach time.
At the opposite of the side walk of the Church, there is a four or five
stories building which looked to ordinary house. Inside of the house
is the Bach Museum which was renewed several years ago. This museum
was used to be a private house in the past. I spent my time at that
place totally one and half days, the first day afternoon and the next one
whole day. There displayed many original scores written by characteristic
Bach’s handwritings. By looking the real scores, I knew that
some of the scores improved father and father to strengthen his musical
motif and others were written as fair copies.
Everything is the fruit of Bach’s creations. And almost all original
scores wrote by Bach which were dotted at various places are collected
at this museum as film portrait and can be searched each originals by visitor
himself. In the museum, there were only few people and was very quiet.
A man looked like scholar was looking a portrait score fixedly. I
also picked up the portrait of full score of the Matthäus passion
and looked into the first few pages ---- from this writings that magnificent
drama were produced ----. There displayed many instruments and repaired
instruments that Bach family used at their home concert or music composition.
Large chart of Bach family tree are also displayed. All of these
displays are well arranged with using modern display technology and I thought
from these display I felt an intelligence of German people.
Next day, I spent one whole day at the audio room. At a rather small
size room, there were 8 comfortable large chairs and each person can spend
their time listening to Bach’s all kinds of music through headphones.
The room kept poorly lighted like a meditation room and quiet. I
tried information retrieval by touching small device and studied what kind
of music collected and who perform music. I took several notes.
And started to listen to each of them stepwise from the Matthäus passion,
unaccompanied violin sonatas,
unaccompanied cello sonatas, some of from The Well-Tempered Claviers,
the Mass of B-moll and ---- I enjoyed these music with recalling my past
time. Several times, a woman in charge of the audio room came to
see me and I smiled back to her. The Bach Museum which locate at
next to St. Thomas Church was an excellent place to stay at relax and enjoyment.
Here is far from our home land but I felt a kind of homesickness.
Also, it was very cheap (only 6 Euro per day).
For
another few days I walked old Leipzig in detail. I traveled to several
northern Germany by Deutsche Bahn 
(German railway) for lest of the
day. It was one day trip from Leipzig. To the west I went to the Mt.
Brocken, the highest point of Northern Germany by old steam locomotive, and at
the North I saw Ostsee (the Baltic Sea) for the first time. To the East,
I went to the border of Poland while from the window of local trains, I enjoyed
plain flat view of the old East Germany territories, with pasture, forest and
many wind power generators.
By looking these flat views, I indulged in whimsical fancy that Bach and
Wagner also might saw the same flat view. At this plain field there
were many historical events. When Napoleon invaded to and dispersed
from Russia, Moscow, they might pass through this plat area. And
at the World War II,
when Hitler occupied Poland and then invaded East European territories, they might march this area. And, when Russia (Soviet) advanced the army for Berlin attack, they also passed ----. But, in compared to the land views in Japan, here is too flat. There is no place to hide in the field. At last, I understood why in Europe they developed such many trenches during wartime. Maybe, traditional fighting style of the Warring States period in Japan might not useful at all. We Japanese fought wars with active use of mountains and valleys during battles ----. I was immersed in endless fancy in the train.
During
this rail way trip, I passed several large cities such as, Berlin and Dresden,
but this trip, I only focused to Leipzig. After about 10 days stay in
Leipzig, I went to Frankfurt air-port via Köln and returned to home transferred
at Istanbul. My comfortable and well-thought-out trip to German finished.
(In
Leipzig city, City-tram) (left)
(Local
train (red) and ICE (white) of DB, Hauptbahnhof of
Leipzig) (right)
Return
to the Chapter 2 Head
From Now on
What Wagner Tells? How to relate to Wagner from Now?
At age of 64, I retired from whole of my jobs and I became to spend many
times at home. I feel ageing in my body somehow but I can spendmy
daily life without any inconvenience. From now on, I want to spend
my days with Wagner and other music however I believe I am confident about
my hearing abilities but during the past few years my eyesight has been
failing little by little. DVDs appreciation for several hours is
becoming rather hard. But, I have already getting familiar to listen
to Wagner through ears.
Now, I can follow the stories of Wagner opera from music without DVD pictures. Now, I am immersed in luxury of comparing each performance. From now, I would like focus my pleasure from music without visual aid (mainly to vocal and orchestral music). In my past life, I have been appreciating great part of my pleasure from ears. I will not forget health check of my listening ability and want to keep contact music especially to Wagner’s works. I would like express my deepest thanks to have environment and physical strength sharing such a high spiritual days at age of 65.
Well, what
Wagner music appeals? We can see basic state of German (or the Germanic
peoples) from Wagner’s work. I can see original German scene in Wagner
music which have lost at present Germany. Present Germany pull and
support whole European economy. Wagner was in active at the middle of the
nineteenth century and that was a time during the Industrial Revolution and
rail road system began to spread whole German area. And, Bismarck
administration of Preussen became strong and established the German Empire in
1871 but it was far from political stability. Wagner lived in Germany
when horse-drawn traffic changed to rail road system and it was really a
transmission period with many cultural and social transfigurations.
While
listening Wagner music in relax, I feel people of the Myth world and the Middle
Ages which became to the basis of German culture. People who appear in
the Myth or the Middle Ages in Wagner opera possess beautiful feelings, anger
of ghastly apparition, faint loves, strong will for love. These are same
emotions we see today. A number of delicate feelings can be seen in his
works. These feelings expresses with imposing and delicate music.
Wagner
insert chorus several times at the best timing of the opera. Wagner’s
chorus expresses ups and down of human emotions quite effectively. We
learn that human sensitivities are universal exceed the nations and the times.
I want learn about such feelings which I do not recognize in Wagner music which
he intended to express in his speculations and subtleties, so far.
In
conclusion, I want to visit to Bayreuth again or the Metropolitan to experience “Ring”.
If it is difficult, I want to visit some opera house in Germany, such as Berlin
or München or some other places to appreciate Wagner music with German
audiences.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Reviews of Wagner by Maruyama, Furtwängler and Fischer-Dieskau
There are
many persons who were possessed by Wagner. Each person criticized and
strict arguments were taken place about Wagner. When I became interested
in Wagner art, I had totally no understanding of the past important critics and
reviews. Above all, I was devoted myself to face to grand scale operas at
my first choice.
Wagner’s achievements
in music were really great, however sometimes his statements and behaviors were
far exceed to ordinary person’s understandings. While he was alive, he
devoted himself to radical political organization (Dresden uprising), and as a
result he was banished from the country with coming off his stable position as
musician which he got after a considerable effort. During his life in
exile at near Geneva, he had affairs with benefactor’s wife. He was
really an unprecedented man. Later after returned to Germany, he got
married with other person’s wife and his life style could not imagine from the
view point of healthy and stable mental state. But some critics reviewed
that such unstable mental situation became great driving force to produce such
great works for Wagner. It is really difficult to understand what is
correct. He was also rude about money and he got into debt calmly to
anybody in case of necessary.
On the
other hand, he was possessed by an almost dream like plan to build an opera
house exclusive for Wagner music dramas at a lonely village in middle east
Germany, Bayreuth. With support of the King Friedrich II, the greatest
sponsor at that time, he completed to build the opera house after many twists
and turns. As the result, the existence of this opera house contributed
in great deal to develop and support Wagner art, so far. (During the
World War II which burned to the German ground, miraculously this opera house
remained without destruction.) Wagner possessed continuous abilities to
create such a long musical drama (in case of “Ring”, Wagner spent about 30
years from the beginning to the completion) and energy far exceed to ordinary person.
And, his unusual immoral life had been criticized and ridiculed by many
reviewers and critics.
After
Wagner passed away, the family of the deceased, dealt with to succeed
magnificent heritage of Wagner. At the beginning of 1920s in Germany, a
defeated nation of the World War I, number of discontent and dissatisfaction
feeling were smoldered all over the country. While Nazi, the National
Socialist German Workers’ party, raised its head and extended its influence
rapidly. Unfortunately, this situation plunged Germany again to severe war damage
of the World War II. During this period, the Wagner family had involved
to Nazi in various ways and Wagner art were utilized positively to praise
Nazi.
It was really an unhappy relation to Wagner arts. As a natural consequence,
after the War, the Wagner family was criticized strictly. One time,
there was an argument that Wagner art (Bayreuth Festspielhaus, as well)
and the Wagner family should be separated. After careful considerations,
it was admitted that the Wagner family’s participation in Wagner art, again.
However, historical blemish of cooperation of the Wagner family to Nazi
would not disappear and even at present, the family is carrying their activities
under deep confession and reflection.
However, at present in domestic German and foreign countries, there are considerable number of peoples who do not forgive participation in the Wagner family to Wagner art. So when we have conversation with Germans, (from my experience) we had better to recognize it, especially talking about Wagner art.
The followings are my impression of Wagner with referring reviews of the
intelligentsias. Masao Maruyama as a representative view of Wagner
understanding of Japanese, Wilhelm Furtwängler as an opinion based
on the strength of past achievements of performer and creator, and Dietrich
Fischer Dieskau as critic research of acute angled relations between Wagner
and Nietzsche.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Masao Maruyama
The person who developed interesting reviews of Wagner in Japan was Masao
Maruyama, an erudite scholar of the historical thoughts of Japan Politics. Maruyama reported his research after the World War II about “Mental
Form of Militarist” and “Logic and Psychology of Ultra-nationalism”, and
analyzed inner structure of Fascism under the Emperor System of Japan.
His reviews gave great influences to the realm of ideas of Japan, after
the War.
He developed the first class critics at various field by full use of his
sharp analytical method with the basis of wide knowledge of past and present
of international and domestic social consciousness. My relation in
the past to Maruyama was quite limited. I have read his explanatory
booklet about “Outline of View of Civilization (I, II and III)” (Iwanami
newly-published book, 1986) written by Yukichi Fukuzawa.
Later, I knew that Maruyama was nearly out of his mind with love for Wagner.
He did not write any review about Wagner, however he spent many times as
same as his enormous and close research time of the history of politics,
for listening Wagner deeply throughout his life. At his audio room,
there left many LPs of Wagner works and full scale scores, and in the score
books there were many notes or memos of librettos and impressives which
influenced to his mind. Underneath are some quotes from “Masao Maruyama,
Music Dialogues” by Takeshi Nakano (Bunsyun newly-published book, 1999).
“If
one musician wants to exceed Beethoven, there might be no other choice as Wagner
worked. The composer who respected Beethoven most in the 19th century was
Wagner, except Schubert and Brahms. When Wagner constructed the Bayreuth
Festspielhaus, he chose to perform Beethoven’s the No. 9th symphony at ceremony
to mark the laying of the cornerstone of Festspielhaus. Of course, the
conductor was Wagner himself----.”
“Wagner
was trying to create a “new composite art form” to combine “sound
and words”, namely
music (instrumental and vocal) and performing art (drama and stage art),
altogether. To speak frankly and exaggerate, he intended to create new
art foams which have been not inexperienced to humans, so far. He took no
interest to Italian operas which have been constituted only for amusement by
Arias and orchestral play. I think he wanted to create new art foam to
express or to symbolize human life or this living world with deep meanings.
About
Climate of Germany:
“Characteristics
of Germany are the dark blue forests ---- their hunting life in the forest.
They have to live under grey clouds for at least half of a year.
Generally, Germans are race with weak sense of taste ---- I am same kind of
person so I cannot say bad things about Germans. ----And also Germans are
not always good at sense of color. ---- Generally, Latin’s paintings and
buildings are remarkably superior to that of Germans. On the other hand,
they are very good at hearings abilities. They developed their sense of
hearing extraordinarily to find game at dark midnight and to protect himself
from enemy’s attack. ---- This is a kind of half in jest talk by some
famous French or Italian ---- “We must accept German’s sense of Music, at least”
---- etc.“
“I think
the climate of Germany (= deep dark forest) is condensed at the stage of the
second night “Siegfried” of “der Ring des Niebelungen”.”
“The Wagner’s
work of “der Ring des Niebelungen” is the most ambitious case we had ever heard
of.”
Explanations by Takeshi Nakano: “Masao Maruyama fond his reason for living
to music in part, however he disliked Wagner until he passed over his prime
age. Or more exactly, he repelled Wagner. But, Wagner was a
composer of the German school who was comparable to Bach and Beethoven.
Wagner was a composer who could not neglect for Maruyama. Maruyama
liked Wagner “Music” but he could not become familiar to them. Maruyama
hated and had ill feeling to centralized racialism of German and anti-Semitism
which was deep-rooted in Wagner. Maruyama
closed “ears of his heart”.”
I do not follow Maruyama, but while I was young I could not imagine of
myself who change to have such a keen interest to Wagner. Finally,
when I became around 60 years old, I had a thought to stop hating Wagner
music without trying it. If I met Wagner 10 years earlier or 20 years
earlier, my personal history of music might be developed very different
way ---- I had a regret of irreparable “passage of time”.
Maybe it would not be sufficient to quote these sentences to understand
Maruyama’s whole thought of Wagner, however we understand clearly that
Maruyama was a fairly heavy Wagnerian.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Furtwängler
Next is Wilhelm
Furtwängler. At the age of 34, in 1919 he got a position of conductor of
Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Wien (Society of music-friends, Wien) and
assumed conductor of Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 1922 and later he got the
position of conductor of Leipzig Gewandhaus-Orchestra and dominated as the
German musical circles while he was young. When Nazis banished musicians of Jews, he left musical activities to protest but later he returned his position again after compromise.
He stayed in Germany while the World War II and continued to conduct number
of German music. Because of these activities during the War, he was
refused to continue music activities, however he returned to the music
circles in 1952 and was invited to conduct Berlin Philharmonic, Wiener
Staatsoper (Wien National Opera House), Bayreuth, Teatro alla Scala and
London Philharmonic, etc. He has been evaluated as the highest conductor
of the 20th century who conducted
music from the classical to the romantic school at excellent performance
level. He passed away in 1954 at Baden-Baden at the age of 68.
In 1954, at year of his death, he published a book titled “Ton und Wort
(Sound and Word)”. This is a compilation of his thesis and lecture
notes during 1918 - 1954. This is a fine book that Furtwängler
described his view of music straightforward (Japanese translation by Takeo
Ashizu, Hakusuisya, 1996). From this book, I would like quote several
descriptions which Furtwängler commented about Wagner. Especially,
his statements as expressionist or performer imply a great deal.
“There is
no artist who became the target of vigorous discussion as Richard Wagner, in
history. It is not easy to describe the influence of Wagner’s works and
activities gave to the people of same age. ---- In the past, there is no
extreme example that an artist gave such a serious confusion to the people of
same ages and also an artistic work brought about such a revolutionary
influences. And it is also quite rare that a work was received with such
a suspicion or stubborn rejection. Great love and admiration were offered
to Wagner on the other hand, he might endure to animosities and hostilities
with anger.”
“Apart
from evaluation of personality of Wagner, everyone recognizes that his works
especially his musical works exhibit surprising power to the listeners.
Even at present, Wagner rules opera stages in Rome, Paris, London and New
York. With some exceptions of Italian singing operas of Verdi and
Puccini, to say the truth, Wagner is an only one composer which come activities
to opera house. It is the actual situation although his works are always
something pushy and troublesome to the audiences and for performer his works
are always difficult very much.”
“All of
Wagner’s music is exceptionally popular while there kinds of serious music have
not been accepted well, so far in the past. He speaks to all kinds of
people regardless classes and cultural background. He appears at musical
society of particular intellectuals and also to military band performance at
outdoor concert.”
Furtwängler “Ton und Wort” (Japanese translation by Takeo Ashizu,
Hakusuisya, 1996)
When
Furtwängler was young, he watched live performance of “der Ring des Nieberungen”
for the first time. His impression of the live performance was a stage of
lost hearted and excessively expanding in vain. He pointed out several
key points to be concerned as expressionists.
“What is deficient
to this kind of dull performance? Once, Wagner told to the person
including singers, orchestra members, director and stage designer who concern
to participate to Wagner operas. The most important concern is to exhibit
clear description and clear inner and outer process of the story. Wagner
also told, once we keep clearness in need how to “express” it would be derived
by itself.”
“Almost no
singers understand well the meaning of the libretto of Wagner works. In addition,
it is getting worse when big volume of orchestral accompaniment attached to the
music. However, understanding of libretto is absolutely important to give
perfect impression and enjoyment to audiences. It is required every
moment while performers are on stage.”
“ ---- Various constituent which concern composite art form make it difficult
to reveal creating clearness and well-organized impression which Wagner
sincerely wanted to create. ---- On the occasion to perform Wagner
opera, each part wants to express independently his part well indifferent
to whole stage effects. Singers kill orchestra and whole process
of music, conductor kills singers by conducting something pushy symphonic
orchestral accompaniment and director, stage designer also ----, everyone
expresses its role in real earnest. Everyone concentrate only about
himself and only about his performing effect, so as a result the most important
final stage effect entrusted to accidental consequences to some extent.”
“Wagner was really afraid and knew about such fate of performing his opera
works. He wrote detailed description and principles at the full score.
Wagner devoted himself earnestly throughout his life to establish one stylized
performance and one tradition for his number of works.
As
conclusion,
“However,
we must overcome this stage (extreme devotion at one side and violent rejection
on the other). To pass through this kind of conflict could be attained
only by understanding the true Wagner, in another word “artist” Wagner.
At that time, we will see new and truly creative relation with Wagner, for the
first time. Then, Germans will certainly find the true figure of this
artist.” Furtwängler described this sincere message as conclusion.
Furtwängler
has been evaluated who attended the highest expression of Wagner art for the
first time in history as performer. From his words, it is not certain how
much he attained his ideal Wagner. How Wagner art will change from now
on? The words of Furtwängler who sits at the center of performer pointed
out sharply about the heaviness of future subjects by words of pregnant with
meaning.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Dietrich
Fischer-Dieskau was born near Berlin in 1925. He learned music at die
Musikakademie and in 1948 after the World War II, he became baritone singer of
Berlin City Opera House. In 1955, he made his debut at New York by “Die
Winterreise” (F. Schubert) and at the same year he was invited to Bayreuth
Festspile and he won fame as a musician with these performances. Since
then, Fischer-Dieskau appeared at many music scene and kept wide activities at
various area.
Especially,
I remember the following three music scene in my memory.
First is
his legitimate German leads with Gerald Moore, a accompany pianist. It
might be common remarks, but I liked “Die Winterreise”, “Schwanengesang” by
Schubert and “Dichterliebe (Poet’s Love)” by Schumann. He excels others
in deep understanding of words and keeps stable and polite singing style, all
the time. (However, for “Die Schöne Müllerin”, I prefer Herman Prey’s
singing voice.)
The second
is his sings of “St. Matthew Passion” conducted by Karl Richter in 1958.
This performance gave different impressions to that of his lead vocals and with
his stable voice made Matthew as a more dignified music.
And the
third is totally different to the formers. He does good performance and
acting of Armabira, a jealous and sensual Court at “Marriage of Figaro” by
Mozart (conducted by Karl Böhm, CDs, DVDs). Of course, he sings well and
his acting ability of stupid-looking lewd man is excellent.
Fischer-Dieskau
sings Wagner, as well. But, to my impression he usually strengthens
Wagner opera as a supporting role instead of the leading voice. Parsifal
(Amfortas, Solti cond., 1972), Lohengrin (Army commander, Solti cond., 1985),
Meistersinger (Hans Sachs, E. Oucheum cond., 1976), Reinegold (Wotan, Karajan
cond., 1967), Gottesdammerung (Gunter, Solti cond., 1964) these are example of
Fischer-Dieskau’s Wagner activities. Fisher-Dieskau passed away this year
(May 2012) with the great achievements (Died at age of 87).
(In Search: I have an opera omnibus CD. In that CD, there
contain “Leb wohl, du kühnes, herrliches Kind (Wotan’s Farewell)” from “Walkure”
conducted by Rafael Kubelik and Fischer-Dieskau appears as Wotan (EMI, Opera
Arias, recorded 1978?). This is a most impressive scene of “Walcule”
where Wotan sings with a thousand emotions in heart. I looked for the
original recording of this performance for long time however I cannot find it
yet. This might be recorded by “stage recordings”. I want they
performed whole “Walkure” from the beginning to the end. Please give
information to me, if you know something.)
Here, I would describe about “Review of Wagner” by Fischer-Dieskau.
I was surprised that he reviewed Wagner with very accurate analyses.
Is there such singer who keeps activities both at writing as well as at
stage? Review title is “Wagner and Nietzsche (Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche)”
(Wagner und Nietzsche―Der Mystagoge und sein Abtrünniger―, 1974, Hakusuisya,
translated by Hidenao Arai (1976)). It is a voluminous works of totally
359 pages in Japanese translate edition. This review begins from
each person’s environment and background of growth then they meet, honeymoon
period, doubt and as a result the relation of both collapsed, at all.
Many valuable documents are quoted appropriately to support our understandings. This review 
can be recognized written by scholar of music history, not by an
energetic great singer on active. Fischer-Dieskau was 49 years old when
he described this article. He has been an active singer for long time (60
years, from 1947 to 2012). I admire his sincere way of living to complete
writing this philosophical proposition at the most fruitful period as a singer.
“Wagner and Nietzsche” 1974, Hakusuisya, translated by Hidenao Arai (1976))
Here, I
would like to describe relations between Wagner and Nietzsche in chronological
order.
Wagner was
born in 1813 and died in 1883 at the age of 80. Nietzsche was born in1844
and died in 1900 at the age of 56. Nietzsche was a quite sensitive and
abnormally nervous and sharp thinking philosopher and he got the position of
Professor at Basel University at 24 years old. As to the relation to
Wagner and Nietzsche, first we must notice that there existed 31 years difference
of ages between the two. Wagner was a person experienced in the ways of
the world on the other hand Nietzsche was a sharpest minded philosopher at that
time. The encounter of totally different two men was very interesting.
Richard
Wagner
Friedrich Nietzsche
The reason
of appearance of Nietzsche to Wagner review is that Nietzsche left remembering
footprint both to the world of society of music and philosophy and what was
more, they contained full of ups and downs. Even in today, it is a
fetters what distance to keep to Nietzsche’s critics to Wagner
understandings. I am not sure whether I can step-in to this serious
subject but I am going to describe some about the subject.
Followings
are subjects which relate to Wagner from chronological list of Nietzsche:
1868. (the Meiji Restoration year in Japan). Nietzsche (24
years old) listened preludes of “Tristan“ and “Meistersinger”. And
he became to an enormous admirer to Wagner, since then. At that time,
Wagner was 55 years old.
1869. Visited Wagner in exile life at Tribschen near Luzern, Switzerland.
This was the first meet with Wagner. Since then, until 1872, Nietzsche
met Wagner over 20 times.
1872. Published “Die Geburt der Tragödie (The Birth of Tragedy from the Spirit of Music)”. He trusted absolutely
in Wagner art and recognizedWagner art as reconstruction of contemporary
German spirit and described his idea as “Regeneration of Tragedy“.
1874. Visited Bayreuth by the invitation of Wagner. He started
to have some questions in his mind to Wagner’s way of thinking and works.
1876. At the formal opening of Bayreuth Festspilehaus, Nietzsche
was invited to “der Ring”. But, he left the theater during the performance.
Since then, Nietzsche did not meet with Wagner.
1878. Published “Menschliches, Allzumenschliches (Human, All Too
Human)“. He started to criticize Wagner. At the same year,
Wagner sent his recent work of full score of “Parsifal” (the work Nietzsche
hated most) to Nietzsche. As return Nietzsche sent “Menschliches,
Allzumenschliches“ to Wagner. Since then, the relations between the
two broke off completely.
1883. Wagner died.
1888. Published “Ecco Homo (How One Becomes What One Is)”.
In this book, he reviewed and summarized his who philosophical thinker.
In this review, Nietzsche’s critics to Wagner were developed severely,
again.
1889. Nietzsche became insane.
1900. Died at Weimar (age of 56)
While
Nietzsche was young, he liked music very much and he was dreaming to become a
great composer in his future. So, we can imagine easily why Nietzsche was
charmed by Wagner, so much. And he had a growth of the feeling to become
a believer of Wagner who stood aloof from conventional music. When he was
17 years old, he got the piano pieces of “Tristan und Isolde” and practiced
continuously to play them and finally mastered completely. Since then,
among the life and thinking of Nietzsche, Wagner art took root deeply. In
truth, the period of hating was far much longer than the period of intimate,
however Wagner stayed largely in the heart of Nietzsche through his whole life.
In the complete works of Nietzsche vol.14 (Chikuma-gakugei-bunko), there
is a document about “an official document of psychologist: Nietzsche and
Wagner”. Nietzsche’s farewell words saying “I am really tired. -----
I had no relation with any person but Richard Wagner in my life, so far”.
In a word, Nietzsche’s thinking revolved around Wagner and transferred
from love and respect to hatred and finally he went mad, a final bitter
end.
As
described above, how did Wagner respond when 31 years younger man appeared in
front of him? Wagner might accept him with smiling all over and invited carefully
at his all appearances. Nietzsche was a young, bright and distinguished
person at accademic and philosophical society and he possessed outstanding
ability to send information to outer world. Wagner might think Nietzsche
as a most suitable advertising tower to explain Wagner art. If Nietzsche
became troublesome, it was easy to break off relation between the two ---- I
imagine Wagner’s recognition as above. There are such same stories at
present day, too.
Anyway, as
Wagner expected, Nietzsche started his writing activities positively and
published “Die Geburt der Tragödie aus dem Geiste der Musik (The Birth of
Tragedy from the Spirit of Music)” at his age 28. However, this writing
evaluated an equal number of dissenting and assenting options. Many
musicians approved but among many scholars there were only a few who approved
it. The main reason of rejection was “for scholars, it is haughty to
approve Nietzsche’s opinion that “only art has a power to change and relief and
release the world”. By this writing, Nietzsche became well known to the
world but at the same time he had many persistent opponents.
In the writing of the main subject of “Die Geburt der Tragödie “,
there contain 25 theses. At the beginning, Nietzsche described concise
but enthusiastic note, “Preface addressed to Richard Wagner”. In
the thesis of “Musical drama of Wagner”, he approved “Tristan” as a supreme
work and another thesis titled “The question of Intoxication in Aesthetic
Experience (chap. 22)”, he wrote positive approval to “Lohengrin”.
To this writings, Wagner expressed ostensible approvals. But, real
feeling of Wagner to this occurrence has been a big question, since then.
Except from Wagner’s ostensible approvals, I think Wagner did not influence
by Nietzsche’s thesis at all, and continued his composing activity at his
even pace. Frankly speaking, the relation between the two resulted
as Nietzsche’s great fuss all by himself about nothing.
By the way, to 30 years old Nietzsche who was almost at heatstroke condition
began to grow a little doubt against Wagner, this slight change was very
important and interesting. At this time, I quote from Fischer-Dieskau’s
research thesis during 1872 to 74.
1872
●Wagner
family left Tribschen, Switzerland and went to Bayreuth.
●There
were severe protests against Wagner art (Wagner was thought as destructor of
classical music style and he was regarded as invited
person of an end of innocent music). From those people, Wagner was decided to be a paranoid by psychoanalysts.
●Nietzsche
spent worried days separated from Wagner. Among them, he enraged to the
open criticism to Nietzsche and wasting his time to
respond to these critics and gradually he lost his physical conditions.
●Nietzsche
worried continuously what was the best way to respond Wagner faithfully.
●Wagner
began to keep distance with Nietzsche. On the other hand, Wagner
recognized Nietzsche as advertiser. However, Wagner was aware of danger
of Nietzsche, “an awful child (Nietzsche)” who was seen as demon among expert
society. Wagner decided not to use Nietzsche as spokesman, anymore.
1873
●Financial
resources to built Bayreuth Festspeilhaus were drained. Especially, many
urban people opposed to built opera house at Bayreuth,
an countryside (There was an opinion if the first performance of “der Ring” staged in Berlin, it was possible to get fairly amount of financial resources), but Wagner never compromised the first performance of “der Ring” at Bayreuth.
●Nietzsche
was at an academic position in Switzerland, from correspondence between Wagner
and himself, Nietzsche looked himself at every opportunity as passive in
compared with Wagner’s activity in Germany. Nietzsche
inwardly felt jealous of Wagner’s practical heroism. Soon, this emotion
could not be hidden.
●Nietzsche’s
enthusiasm to Wagner was changed from love to fate, very slowly but
steady. The reason of this harmful change was due
to Nietzsche’s unsuccessful carrier as musician.
1874
●Nietzsche
published his 2nd writing “Unzeitgemässe Betrachtungen (Unfashionable
Observation)”. In this writing, Wagner was described positively. “Essence
of the greatness of artist Wagner, he expressed himself
by using every words. He transferred his most essential Demon nature
through his original internal experience with supreme
clearness.” “Der Ring des Nieberungen” is one of the greatest systematic
ideas without conceptualistic formation of thinking, etc. --- they are too complicated
to understand, however he praised Wagner at his best
expressions.
●Through
a person of publishing company, Nietzsche heard Wagner’s negative opinion and
cold reactions to his 2nd writing.
●Nietzsche started to prepare his next writing with the premise that Bayreuth
work would certainly fail (however, actually, the new
Festspielhaus was opened in 1876). At the draft there were following
chapter, (1) The reason of failure, among them we feel something strange at
most. Deficiency of sympathy to Wagner. (2)
Doubled-character of Wagner. (3) Passion, religious and dangers,
etc. (4) Music and drama. Live together. (5)
Haughtiness. (6) Masculinity of late developer, slow growth. (7)
Wagner as writer. (8) Friends (they will recall new doubts). (9)
Enemies (they have no respect feelings nor logical ideas of Wagner’s works). (10) Suspicion
will be explained or will be removed, --- that is all.
Fisher-Dieskau
described in his writings these analyses express the essence of Wagner through
Nietzsche’s mixed feeling of sympathy, praise and hatred. And, these
analyses were estimated to exhibit Nietzsche’s prediction of the presence of
art at the following generation in the future. When Nietzsche heard the
news of success of Bayreuth opening, he thought this success might be “a
miracle”. And even if the miracle was truth, he told to his friend “I
will not change my prediction, forever.”
I quote
many documents above, the passage after this was obvious by reading Nietzsche’s
following writings, “Der Fall Wagner (The Case of Wagner (1888)”, “Ecco Homo
(1888)”. Here, he started complete neglect of Wagner. There
appeared ghastly coined words and they are bitter sentences which were useless
to quote in his writings. On the other hand, Wagner did not influenced
Nietzsche’s words at all, and continued composition, performance, maintenance
of Festspielhaus and many other businesses at his desired pace.
At the conclusion of his writings, Fischer-Dieskau described, “The confrontation
with Wagner and Nietzsche was a battle between two geniuses of different
nature. It was started in the past and still continues at present.
---- Wagner could complete to express his will through sensuous orchestra
sound. ---- On the other hand, Nietzsche stayed as simply as jealous man
---- and also he rejected to be saved by social protection, so he wanted
to assert himself than ever, so far.
Both
geniuses lived in a life-and-death struggle. Among Nietzsche’s bill of
indictment there are some aspects to help Wagner understandings. However,
these indictments contain many poisons. I will be seriously injured if
these toxins attack me. I am a simple ordinary person, so I cannot accept
any of Nietzsche’s indictment. Otherwise, I will become a believer of “Wagner
made music to serious sick!” I reconsider that the isolation which
Nietzsche was received to his whole body might be hard and painful, indeed.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Relation of Music and Ageing and The Five Senses which remains until at one’s End
In human
body, there live five senses to catch outer environmental changes. These
five senses are sense of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. The five
senses of human are not superior to that of other mammals such as flesh-eating
animals at savannah and herbivorous animals. It is right that human
ability to detect outer environment existing at “moderate or lesser” level in
compared to natural animals.
Sense of sight: The super ability of zebra and giraffe to find approaching
lions among glasses cannot comparable to that of the ability of human’s.
The characteristic of human’s sense of sight has been developed to distinguish
colors and recognition of shape. Leonardo da Vinci told at his proverb,
“The sense of sight is the most important among the five senses.”
And in addition, “Only the sense of sight can wrap beauty of the world.
The sense of sight is a teacher of astronomy and supports all human technologies
and proceeds human to the every corner of the world.” “Development
of mathematics deeply depend on the sense of sight and many knowledge or
wisdom based on the sense of sight is most certain.” “The sense of
sight created architectures, drawing plans and pictures, a supreme art.”
These words by da Vinci are meaningful. As described, we must admit
that the sense of sight is the most important sense among our daily life.
Sense
of hearing: It is reasonable that wild animals and birds develop
remarkable hearing ability to foresee sudden attack of enemies. Wild
animals are specialist with the sense of hearing. How about human’s
ability of hearing? In case of human, it is more important “to listen”
than “to hear”. “To hear” can be assigned to hear sound or noise and human talking, to receive
physical sound passively on the other hand, “to listen” means to understand
the meaning from inside of sound.
Namely, human beautiful voice, the sound of bracing air of autumn, music --- these sounds bring to human “comfortable feelings“. Humans are the only creature who can enjoy comfortable feeling through music. Music is a creature which can be share only among humans. “To listen” is an activity which allowed only to human. An animal which enjoy “pleasure” through ears, what a greedy creature human is!
Sense of smell: The ability of
police dog in search for criminals by sense of smell is not comparable to that
of human’s ability. In case of humans, there are some persons such as
sommelier and perfumer who have sensitive sense of smell, but they might take
their hat off in front of dogs. Bears are known to have more sensitive
sense of smell than dogs.
Sense of taste: Each person has his own testing abilities, but it
is deeply depend on his growing environment and the difference of tasting
differs among individuals. Animals might have sense of tasting but
it is difficult to compare to human’s tasting abilities.
Sense of touch: This is also very important sense for living animals.
All livings construct their relation to its environment through “touching”.
Bases of society and maintenance of group behavior might depend on “touching”.
Human, mammals, birds, ----. Maybe, reptiles and fishes do not come
under this idea.
For
humans, the main ability which relate to artistic activities are closely relate
to sense of “sight” and “hearing”. Here we return to the main subject.
Senescence
is a reality which cannot avoid for every person. For me, the sense of
sight is getting weaker gradually by farsightedness. And operation of
personal computer with continuous watch of screen and long time car driving are
becoming painful gradually. If it becomes more painful continuing works
by sense of sight, I must decide to reduce these works, soon.
On the other hand, my activity of listening music can be enjoyed more extended
period. Several months ago, doctor of otolaryngology inspected my
hearing abilities and explained that “your ability to listen to high tone
part is becoming weaker little bit however there is no problem for continuing
your daily life.” So far, in my life, I enjoyed listen to music quite
a lot, this is because I could maintain sensitivity to music. I want
to continue listening music at my rest of life as far as my ears work well.
It is question whether I can maintain “trembling deep emotion” which I
experienced occasionally while I was young. I want to believe “Yes”.
Masao Maruyama and Hidekazu Yoshida enjoyed their music with fruitful sensitivities
even at their old ages. I want follow to them. As far as my
life continues, I want to live and enjoy with music.
As described, the five senses of human become faint when we face with imminent
death. When the five senses cease their activities, it is a time
of death. For example, it is obvious that when a man is at vegetable
condition, his function of eyes, noses and skins are lost already.
However, through examining brain waves, it became clear that the sense
of hearing remains rather long period even at vegetable conditions.
So, I want tell to the neighbors do not speak about the story of “reality“
at next to me. Even if I listen to these conversations, I cannot
respond at all. If it is possible, I would like ask to my neighbors
to listen to my favorite music at my ear side in small volume. It
is a good idea to write music selection at my will. Yes, it is not
proper to write “music list”, but I must prepare music collections at i-pod,
otherwise my family will have another troubles at their busiest time.
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
*****************************************************************************
Autumn sky and autumn winds
(At the remains of ancient Heijyokyu palace, Nara,
Japan), (autumn, 2012)
Epilog
I wrote
this manuscript with listening music which I liked in my past. Among
them, there was music I have been missing for long time. From them, I
recalled many memories at my youth and they do not sound old-fashioned.
Music is universal and I learned various kinds of emotions from music. I
want to listen to these music again which I listened in my past with intention
of once-in-a-life-time chance.
To
encounter to good music and performance is a laborious work like a gold
searching man finds a tiny pieces of gold from gravel. It is hard to find
just fit music. And it cannot be discovered without moving around.
There are several thousands of LPs, CDs and DVDs at my music shelves. But
many of them were heard once or at only halfway. Maybe, music which
remain in my memory and listen to repeatedly would be only 10 to 20 %. My
remaining time is becoming short, but many of the LPs, CDs and DVDs at the
shelves wait their appearance chance. I want to keep listen to them as
long as my physical strength (ability of sense of hearing and sight) continues.
And I will keep on looking for new encounter until my will and financial
condition continues.
I had a
wish to express myself through “writing”. I would like finish writing at
here. Because of my aging, my eyesight is getting weaker and it is also
becoming rather hard to sit in front of personal computer for long time.
Through internet search, it became quite convenient for information
retrieval. Among information flooding, I learned we need keen observation
ability to catch exact item. In the description, I quoted references as
much as possible. Please allow my miswriting and turning everything to my
own advantage, they are all due to my little learning or understanding.
To complete this manuscript, I would like express my deepest thanks to
Mr. T. namely, Dr. Kazunori Tsushima, my long term music friend.
I also acknowledge to Mr. Seiichi Ozawa to his critical reading of this
manuscript. I deeply appreciated their cooperation.
At my last, I dedicate this manuscript to my children, Nori, Nao and Ran
to whom I had actually little talk about music. And, I would like
thank to my wife, Chieko who watch me warmly. She calls me as “A
Master of Playing Alone.” My lovely dog “Pal”, she shared almost
of my “Wagner time” with me. At the end, my granddaughter Izumi completed
this homepage edition by her skill. I am grateful to her help.
December, 2012, Masa Miyakado
(Writing period: March to November, 2012)
(English translation: September, 2013 to January,
2014)
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
Flowers at my house garden (autumn, 2012)
（♪：▶ Shaylee - 庭の千草 - The last rose of summer ( Japanese vir.） - YouTube )
Lastly:
（♪：Inspiration - Gipsy Kings - YouTube )
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Attached Document 1
Attached Document２
Attached Document３
(End)
Return to the Chapter 2 Head
