Arioso

Rafal Blechacz, pianiste

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 10:07:00 -0400

Frank Peter Zimmermann: Bach Sonatas A week ago heard Frank...

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 08:40:00 -0400

Frank Peter Zimmermann: Bach Sonatas

A week ago heard Frank Peter Zimmermann’s violin live and deeply impressed. It could be the ideal violin sound that I wanted to hear for a long time. For me violin’s sound is often prickly (in case of many violinists) but his bowing allowed for that elegant, generous, healing sound. He played concerto “To the memory of an angel” by Berg. With Alan Gilbert and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony. (My husband and I went to this concert to see Alan Gilbert BTW).

Encore: Bach Partita No.2 Sarabande if I remember it.

Maybe it’s because of his instrument: 1711 Stradivarius which belonged to F. Kreisler, according to the program book. I found his playing the same piece by Berg with the same conductor on Youtube, but it was no comparison to the live performance. This video of Bach doesn’t reproduce that profound, beautiful sound at Suntory Hall……Surprising difference between live performance and video.

(Program)

Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Haydn, op56a

Berg: Violin concerto “To the memory of an angel”

Brahms: Symphony No.1 in c minor

Martha Argerich Plays Scarlatti, sonata k. 141. A friend of mine...

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 22:48:00 -0400

Martha Argerich Plays Scarlatti, sonata k. 141.

A friend of mine has recently heard from someone that Rafał Blechacz has not yet seen Argerich but heard her interpretation of Scarlatti.

My friend was wondering which piece/album was the one he heard.

I had no idea. Then browsing by “argerich scarlatti”, I found that the sonata k.141 was the only piece that had a lot of hits, in terms of videos, discography, etc…

Example of an album.

In this page written by a seemingly piano teacher, the author writes,

“… For those of you who question the importance of alternating fingers during repeated note passages, this should clear that up… :)”

Yes, this performance deserves watching not only for that.

This is another recent performance of the same sonata at Verbier Festival, which is also very impressive.

If you go to the original post on Youtube, you can read her thoughts on this sonata by Scarlatti. (German)

As for Rafał Blechacz and Scarlatti, I had two occasions that I wrote on my blog.

1. Interview that Blechacz gave to an Italian media in early 2008, titled,

“I adore Italian music and Scarlatti’s sonatas”.

(I remember what he said because I translated the interview in Japanese.)

2. About Szafarnia, where Blechacz performed at age of 9.

He said, “I played a suite by Bach, a piece of Mozart, two sonatines by Scarlatti and even a sonatine of my composition. I was very impressed by playing in those places where my parents told me that Chopin had spent summers during his childhood.”

Alexander Lubyantsev--unrewarded talent

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:40:00 -0400

Alexander Lubyantsev plays Scriabin - Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 53,

from XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition - Round II.

He was eliminated and was not qualified for the final.

What is a raison d’être of the competition if they don’t celebrate such an inspiring, promising talent. A big deviation from the orthodox?

Maybe, he needs to structure the piece better by organizing each fragment to give a consistent concept.

His Chopin is not an orthodox performance but it is very brilliant. I believe he deeply loves Chopin. (But was not accepted by the jury….They should have given him another chance.)

(from the round II of Tchaikovsky Competition)

Hope that he will hold on and enjoy playing for people.

Last year I was very much disappointed by the result of the 2010 Chopin competition. They tried to select someone from Europe who is ”outstanding” stage performer and failed, with the result never convincing, because of the “democratic” way of voting.

Another performance in 2006

Paganini/Liszt

Journalists and musical critics from the leading mass media outlets of Moscow and St Petersburg, which worked during XIV International Tchaikovsky competition have announced the Independent Prize of the critics (and 150.000 rub - thanks to THE MIKHAIL PROKHOROV FOUNDATION) to be given to him. (July 25, 2011)

Memorial service for Norio Ohga

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:25:00 -0400

Norio Ohga (1930-2011), former chairman & president of Sony Corporation passed away in April. Well known as a business executive, opera singer & conductor, Ohga supported musicians and music activities financially. He studied in Munich and Berlin and kept friendship with Herbert von Karajan. The memorial service for music fans was held this week at Tokyo Bunka-kaikan (cultural hall, Ohga was president).

Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra (Ohga was president of the orchestra)

Conductor: Naoto Otomo

In the summer of 2008, Ohga invited Krystian Zimerman, a friend for long years, to Karuizawa Ohga Hall, a hall built by Oga’s donation, to help him give a charity concert　(for the victims of a big earthquake in Niigata, 2007). Zimerman changed the planned program and played Chopin’s sonata in B to meet Ohga’s request.

Karuizawa Ohga Hall, July, 2008

Rafał Blechacz plays Chopin’s Prelude G major.

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 05:01:00 -0400

Rafał Blechacz plays Chopin’s Prelude G major.

Yonghoon Lee for Don Carlo by MET (June 5 in Nagoya, 10, 15,18 in Tokyo)

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 23:32:00 -0400

Elisabetta: Marina Poplavskaya replacing Barbara Frittoli

Princess Eboli: Ekaterina Gubanova replacing Olga Borodina

Don Carlo: Yonghoon Lee replacing Jonas Kaufmann

Rodrigo: Dmitri Hvorostovsky

Philip II: Rene Pape, Stefan Kocán

Conductor: Fabio Luisi

Pictures are from Japan Arts website

http://ja-opera.seesaa.net/article/210137882.html

I was asked to collect audiences’ impression of how Yonghoon Lee was as Don Carlo during MET Japan tour. He was appointed as Don Carlo on the sudden cancellation by Jonas Kaufmann. I didn’t go to this opera and browsed blogs (actually there are tons of blog posts about MET Japan tour 2011).

Overall, people were impressed favorably by Lee’s youthful and powerful voice. But Lee was overly scrutinized as a replacement of Kaufmann. An opera fan said the way he sings is flat, lacking expression, and often was supported by his colleague in duet. Sometimes he was off his surroundings. But he is handsome and tall and has something appealing about him. A friend of mine, who is a big fan of opera, said “Yong-sama (=dear Yong) was good! It was a big opportunity for him. I’m looking forward to seeing him grow further.” Another said “we saw a star was born!!”

Yonghoon and Gubanova, Nagoya

http://ja-opera.seesaa.net/article/209115666.html

It was a pity that Poplavskaya was not always accepted well. People had high expectations on Frittoli who was taken away to La Boheme and a bit disappointed. But a fan said,” her acting was noble.”

And overall, people praised Luisi and the orchestra. I agree. In La Boheme, the MET orchestra was wonderful, wonderful, always keeping optimal harmony with songs and each sound was just beautiful. Luisi was perfect. He will direct PMF Orchestra in August and my husband and I are looking forward to their concert in Suntory Hall.

Peter Gelb, General Manager of MET, gave a few words of welcome at the beginning of all the performances. Words of condolence to the victims of the 311 disaster, apology for many replacements and thanks for coming. All the audience were given a program pamphlet for free (usually it is20 dollars).

I just want to thank them for coming here under the difficult situation of Japan. We were uplifted by the professionalism of the members, although many of us still have a sense of guilt for doing something enjoyable such as going to concert/opera while there are still 100 thousand displaced people living in shelters and thousands are still missing.

I could not find Lee’s Don Carlo. It is from Toska.

Я встретил вас - I met you - Mischa Maisky & Lily Maisky - ...

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:28:00 -0400

Я встретил вас - I met you - Mischa Maisky & Lily Maisky - Bis3 - MVI 7974

From Performance Today

“Handheld video, slightly shaky at the beginning, but…this is the video I promised on the air today. Mischa Maisky playing cello, his daughter Lily Maisky at the piano. This is from a concert last fall in Bucharest. Two wonderful musicians, two extravagant heads of hair. —Fred ”

La Bohème by The Metropolitan Opera in Tokyo

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 08:42:00 -0400

On June 11, I went to La Bohème performed by The Metropolitan Opera, now touring in Nagoya and Tokyo between June 4 and 19. (La Bohème, Don Carlo, Lucia di Lammermoor & a special concert by MET orchestra.) It was very grateful that MET didn’t cancel the Japan tour under the current difficult, post-disaster situation in Japan. But there were many cancellations by individual artists. As for La Bohème, Anna Netrebko decided not to come for fear of the nuclear matter at the 11th hour, and Barbara Frittoli, who was to perform for Don Carlo, replaced her to sing as Mimi. The conductor was Fabio Luisi on behalf of James Levine, who could not come because of the health reason.

Cond. Fabio Luisi (replacing James Levine)

Mimi Barbara Frittoli (replacing Anna Netrebko)

Musetta Susannna Phillips

Rodolfo Piotr Beczała

Marcello Mariusz Kwiecien

Shaunard Edward Parks

Colline John Relyea

Benoit and Alcindoro : Paul Plishka

All was wonderful. Singers, orchestra, conductor, scenery, staging, all worked in harmony with the highest level of professionalism.

I was especially touched by Frittoli. Her beautiful voice, acting…she has a special, charming wand.

Musetta was cute!!

Maestro Luisi proceeded ahead with the wand of accuracy and sensitivity.

Piotr Beczała as Rodolfo. (from Poland!!)

↑Photos from Japan Arts website.

http://ja-opera.seesaa.net/article/209224694.html

You can see photos of beautiful scenes on Nei Abe’s website. Abe is a music critic. The audience in Tokyo was given “a joy of life” by their professionalism, according to Abe.

“Barbara Frittoli had it all, voice and acting,Frittoli it was a great singing of “Si. Mi chiamano Mimi” and in ended in a marvellous “O soave fanciulla”.
Barbara Frittoli in great voices and the acting was great. Act 4 was really emotional and for once tears started to roll when this Rodolfo understands that his Mimi was dead. Even hardened opera fans would be brought to tears by this ending. The applause from the audience was by every act and aria more intense especially for Barbara Frittoli.
It was a great night of the opera.”

↑ From Frittoli’s website. (I wanted to post the link to her website, but it was not possible due to a technical reason, so this is a copy from her website.)

**The photos remain the property of their owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

István Kertész- Dvorak Symphony No.9 From the New World 1st...

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 09:22:00 -0400

István Kertész- Dvorak Symphony No.9 From the New World 1st movement.

“Recently my husband bought CD “The Legacy of István Kertész” and I fell in love with this conductor who died nearly 40 years ago.”

This is what I wrote for the 1st post of this tumblr. Right now I found one of the pieces in the CD has been on Youtube, 1st movement of “From the New World”, with Vienna Symphony Orchestra, recorded at Sofiensaal, Vienna in 1961.

Refreshing, noble, articulate but supple, intelligent and exciting. (I often use these words in my blog to describe my favorite pianist!) Timpani is effectively played.

Urbański also used percussion nicely. Urbanski talks about the difficulty in　creating interpretation for Dvorak No.5 (see video of the previous post).

In this No.9 by Kertesz, I was impressed by several distinctive characteristics.

Sofiensaal, Vienna, used for recording by DECCA. Now it fell into ruins.

Krzystof Urbański, amazing young conductor

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 06:43:00 -0400

Saw a concert by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Krzystof Urbański, a young Polish conductor on June 12.

Akiko Suwanai - violin

Witold Lutosławski - Little Suite
Karol Szymanowski - Violin Concerto No.2
Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No.10 in E minor Op.93

All the three pieces were wonderful. For me Shostakovich No.10 was unforgettable. Tears fell at the beautiful strings in the 1st movement. Urbański understands every detail of the piece, extracts the optimal sounds from all the instruments for the well-balanced, thought out production of the total picture. Appropriate setting of dynamics, tempos, deep sounds of strings, beautiful winds…. He has a photographic memory (so he remembers by heart everything on the score, even bowing of the strings parts submitted by the orchestra). The way he conducts is natural, concise and effective.

The audience was enthralled. During the endless curtain calls, the concertmaster and members didn’t stand up to applaud him and let him receive the thunderous applause from the audience a couple of times.

Urbański will conduct the Osaka Symphony Orchestra this week and PMF orchestra in July.

He will become the music director of Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in September 2011.

Trailer of his concert with ISO in May, 2011. (His name Krzysztof is pronounced wrong by the American presenter!)

Dvorák & Urbanski (Youtube, 2008)

Rostropovich - Dvořák Cello Concerto 3rd mov. with NHK Symphony...

Sat, 04 Jun 2011 06:51:00 -0400

Rostropovich - Dvořák Cello Concerto 3rd mov.

with NHK Symphony Orchestra, filmed in Japan, 1965, and broadcast on his death in 2007.

Concertmaster is Yoshio Unno, then 28 years old. (He still plays today but not so brilliant. Life of violinist is shorter than cellist in my observation.)

Rostropovich was 37 years old.

*****

Today, I went to see a concert for the first time in six months!!! (I had a plan in March but it was not realized because of the 311 disaster. After that, we’ve been in an abnormal situation in everything in day to day life). I was almost dying without live music for so long a time.

The program by one of the local orchestras in Tokyo included this great Cello concerto but it was not quite as good as what is supposed to be.

The discrepancy between the soloist and the conductor reminded me that famous speech by Bernstein about Gould when they performed Brahms’s concerto in NY.

Returning home, I went straight to Rostropovich, and found this video of his young day’s performance. Regrettably, the part of the final duo by the soloist and the 1st violin is not included in this video clip.

If you want to hear the final part of the 3rd movement, please.

( with Carlo Maria Giulini and the London Philharmonic Orchestra)

Rafał Blechacz plays Saint-Saëns piano concerto nr.2, 2nd and...

Fri, 27 May 2011 20:04:00 -0400

Rafał Blechacz plays Saint-Saëns piano concerto nr.2, 2nd and 3rd movements with Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conductor: Andris Nelsons, August 21, 2008

1st movement

The fantastic rendezvous between Blechacz and RCO, resulting in the production of the legendary recording of Chopin’s two piano concertos (2009).

The perfromance was live-broadcast from Amsterdam. Unforgettable experience.

The words that my friend taught me...

Fri, 27 May 2011 05:15:00 -0400

“My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition there.” by Indira Gandhi

Tchaikovsky symphony No.5 2nd movement-1/2 2/2 is...

Sun, 22 May 2011 04:38:00 -0400

Tchaikovsky symphony No.5 2nd movement-1/2 2/2 is here.

Riccardo Muti

Wien Philharmonic Orchestra

One of the most favorite movements of my favorite symphonies. When I was a student, I played it as a member of our school’s orchestra. The conductor was a very talented young musician but he passed away a year later with a car accident when driving on the Autobahn in Germany.

*****

If I’m a person of wealth, I want to be a Nadezhda von Meckbe for Rafał Blechacz. It’s cool that she never met Tchaikovsky, just extending financial support, sending letters of encouragement, wishing for his success for so long years.

In reality, I’m not so rich, and spending some time to write a website dedicated to him is the least that I can do by way of support.

Rafał Blechacz discusses music interpretation, plays Chopin,...

Wed, 18 May 2011 21:21:00 -0400

Rafał Blechacz discusses music interpretation, plays Chopin, Bach, Beethoven.

From seminar @Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, April 16, 2011

Rafal Blechacz - Chopin Sonata N°3 - Mov 1° Allegro...

Fri, 13 May 2011 08:17:00 -0400

Rafal Blechacz - Chopin Sonata N°3 - Mov 1° Allegro maestoso.

Blogger that I use for my main blog has been disrupted for the past day and this video was removed from the latest post by google’s engineers in the process of recovering efforts. I’m sad…

I evacuated my favorite performance of Chopin’s sonata in B minor, 1st movement by Rafał Blechacz temporarily here.

↑Blogger is back. But I’ll keep this video here. His interpretation of Chopin is the finest for me, even greater than Lipatti or otherhistorical masters.

Zimerman - Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 5 - II Adagio,...

Tue, 10 May 2011 21:57:00 -0400

Zimerman - Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 5 - II Adagio, with Wiener Philharmoniker directed by Leonard Bernstein.

I love both Bernstein and Beethoven.

BTW, do you remember Rafał Blechacz said two years ago;

“My first contact with Deutsche Grammophon was a Christmas present I received 18 years ago (at age of 5): Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ Symphony, with Leonard Bernstein conducting the Vienna Philharmonic”. see DG site.

And…I think serendipity is one of your talents.

Voi che sapete sung by Rinat Shaham, from Mozart’s...

Sun, 08 May 2011 04:03:00 -0400

Voi che sapete sung by Rinat Shaham, from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro (by RoyalOperaHouse)

Singing was my mother’s passion.

This piece was one of her favorite songs.

Rafał Blechacz plays Mozart sonata k311 1st movement.

Fri, 06 May 2011 04:33:00 -0400

Rafał Blechacz plays Mozart sonata k311 1st movement.