2013 PROMS debut reviews
The concert, "Prom 6", was reviewed in UK's major newspapers. Most of the reviews open with Nobu's performance, which says something.
image shown via Internet link
Classical review: Prom 4 Roth/Les Siecles, Prom 6 Tsujii/Mena/BBC Phil
Michael Church, UK "Independent"
Wednesday 17 July 2013
4 out of 5 stars (for the entire concert)
Royal Albert Hall, London
Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto always draws the crowd, and when conductor Juanjo Mena gently escorted the diminutive Nobuyuki Tsujii to the front of the stage and pointed him towards the audience, the other reason for the packed house came clear: people are entranced by this Japanese pianist’s back-story. Born blind, he spent his childhood giving concerts in Japan, and burst on the international scene by winning the Van Cliburn competition at 21. His career since has been both stellar and closely sheltered: Rach Two in the cavernous Royal Albert Hall, where there is nowhere to hide, would for him be a major test.
His opening chords were spectral wisps but they swelled to a ripe fullness, after which he was off in an interpretation of notable restraint and refinement. There were times in the first movement when the BBC Philharmonic all but drowned him, but he dominated the Adagio with easy grace, giving its lyrical lines a sweet sincerity, and avoiding all temptation to milk the music for emotional effect. His way with the Scherzo was beautifully judged, with brilliant passage-work and exuberant power. His encore – Liszt’s “La campanella” – was exquisite ...
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Proms 2013: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Albert Hall, review
Ivan Hewett finds a touching honesty in the BBC Philharmonic's partnership with blind Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii.
3 out of 5 stars (for the entire concert)
By Ivan Hewett, the Daily Telegraph
12:58PM BST 17 Jul 2013
Normally the relationship between orchestra and concerto soloist is a fleeting thing. In the case of the BBC Philharmonic and blind Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, it’s blossomed into something special. They’ve toured together twice to Japan, and the orchestra have clearly taken this smiling, almost child-like young man to their hearts.
One couldn’t repress some twinges of anxiety as the orchestra’s conductor Juanjo Mena led Tsujii gently on to the stage. Once Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto was under way, they melted away. Tsujii’s performance had a charming, liquid naturalness, the filigree of the first movement unwinding with delicious clarity. He was more than equal to the work’s technical challenges, but there was no overt bravura in his performance.
Some might have missed the absence of the grand manner, but for me it gave his performance a touching honesty ...
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/jul/17/prom-6-bbcphil-mena-review
Prom 6: BBCPhil/Mena – review
Royal Albert Hall, London
4 out of 5 stars
Erica Jeal
The Guardian
Born blind, pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii has learnt the repertoire largely by ear. In his native Japan, he is a star. Would his Proms debut – Rachmaninov's Concerto No 2, his latest collaboration with the BBC Philharmonic – still have raised a standing ovation had he been sighted? Maybe not, but he would belong in this lineup all the same. His melodies had lyricism as well as muscle, there was a refreshing lack of sentimentality, and inner details were unusually clearly put across, even if it sometimes led to moments of harshness or fleetingly clunky phrasing.
How much scope there might be for split-second spontaneity in his concerto performances is another question; but Tsujii and conductor Juanjo Mena certainly communicated here, the orchestra played lovingly, and even the staunchest cynic would have to concede that it's inspiring to witness a pianist skipping through Liszt's La Campanella, Tsujii's encore, when they have never been able to see the keyboard ...
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Proms 2013: BBC Philharmonic/Mena, Royal Albert Hall - music review
4 out of 5 stars (for the entire concert)
The Evening Standard, July 18, 2013
Barry Millington
... Further surprises were in store when the BBC Philharmonic’s conductor, Juanjo Mena, led a diminutive young man on his arm to the platform for Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor. The Japanese Nobuyuki Tsujii, blind from birth, is already the winner of prestigious awards but I cannot have been alone in wondering how he learnt the music or how impeccable ensemble was achieved with Mena, whose back was turned to the keyboard throughout.
More than that, Tsujii brought a singing tone and eloquent phrasing to the solo part. It was profoundly moving that the only person who could not witness his deserved standing ovation was Tsujii himself...
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http://classicalsource.com/db_control/db_prom_review.php?id=11222
www.classicalSource - review by: Colin Anderson
Prom 6: BBC Philharmonic/Juanjo Mena – A Vision of the Sea & Inextinguishable Symphony – Nobuyuki Tsujii plays Rachmaninov
<praise for the opening work David Matthews’s A Vision of the Sea omitted>
The 24-year-old Japanese pianist, Nobuyuki Tsujii, has been blind from birth. Quite how he studies and learns the repertoire he plays, and also so effortlessly locates the keys he needs to negotiate, is to be wondered at. His opening solo of the Rachmaninov (so associated with David Lean’s film of Brief Encounter) was expectantly solemn, with no split chords, and he went on to give a sparkling, considered and very musical account, neither pushy nor dominant. He was sensitively and tactfully accompanied, save that the brass was often too loud, and the cymbals crashes in the finale were crude. (Les Siècles much missed!) Juanjo Mena was a caring steward when helping Tsujii to walk on and off the platform. The pianist offered an encore, a dashing and clear ‘La campanella’, the third of Liszt’s Paganini Etudes...
This photo accompanies the review - image shown via Internet link
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http://theclassicalreviewer.blogspot.com/2013/07/proms-2013-david-matthews-premiere.html
Proms 2013.
The Classical Review
Tuesday, 16 July 2013
Proms 2013. A David Matthews premiere, Rachmaninov from Nobuyuki Tsujii and Neilsen’s Inextinguishable with Juanjo Mena and the BBC Philharmonic
Tonight’s Prom (16th July 2013) with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra www.bbc.co.uk/orchestras/philharmonic conducted by their Chief Conductor, Juanjo Mena http://juanjomena.com/en featured the world premiere of David Matthews's A Vision of the Sea, www.david-matthews.co.uk a BBC commission inspired by Shelley's poetry, the pull of the tide on the Kentish coast at Deal and an evocation of the sound of sunrise, as recorded by scientists from Sheffield University.
...
This fine new work from David Matthews conjures up the feel of the sea, whilst using an orchestral palette that is fresh and unusual.
Nobuyuki Tsujii then joined the orchestra for his Proms debut, to perform Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, Op.18. Blind since birth, Nobuyuki Tsujii http://www.nobupiano1988.com was joint Gold Medal winner at the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. He has formed a close relationship with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, touring twice with them to Japan.
Tsujii took the Moderato at a fairly leisurely pace with some lovely rubato and great clarity of sound. He had a delicacy in certain passages that was very appealing. Juanjo Mena and the BBC Philharmonic gave fine accompaniment, very dynamic at times. Attention was never drawn to the most fearsome of passages, Tsujii wearing his technique lightly.
In the adagio sostenuto, Tsujii and the orchestra never let pace drag, allowing the music and its emotion speak for itself. The apparent simplicity that Tsujii brought to the central section was quite affecting. It was difficult not to hear his phenomenal technique in the latter stages of this movement.
In the Allegro Scherzando finale, there was playing of breadth and freedom with Mena and the BBC Philharmonic showing restraint, allowing the more dynamic moments to become all the more telling. The coda, nevertheless, was scintillating. This was a memorable performance by a pianist of maturity and fine musicianship.
As an encore, Tsujii gave the audience Liszt’s La Campanella, in a performance that was both dazzling and entertaining.
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http://www.bachtrack.com/review-bbc-prom-6-2013-philharmonic-mena-tsujii
Prom 6: Nobuyuki Tsujii's Proms debut with the BBC Philharmonic and Juanjo Mena
by Alexandra Hamilton-Ayres on 19th July 2013 , submitted to "Bachtrack" site
4 out of 5 stars (for the entire concert)
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Mena was enjoyable to watch as a conductor. Not only did he have infallible command over the BBC Philharmonic, but he brought the best out of the orchestra, pulling the more important melodies into prominence at the right times. It was interesting to see Mena’s relationship with Tsujii on the stage. Nobuyuki Tsujii, a pianist who was born blind, has a cult following in his native Japan. He has played previously in Britain but this concert was his Proms debut. He gave a great performance.
One of the most famous piano concertos around, Rachmaninov’s Second is by no means an easy piece. Tsujii’s method of navigating around the piano and trusting muscle memory, sound and touch made his performance all the more impressive. He learns the pieces by ear as he finds braille music frustrating to use. When he was playing, his head moved from side to side and used his ears near the keyboard to listen closely to what he was playing, and to listen to the movement of the conductor in relation to the orchestra to keep himself in time. The middle movement was particularly beautiful and emotive, but the final movement was positively rich and sumptuous. Tsujii’s playing style is very outward, giving a true performance of the piece, and he certainly deserved the standing ovation he got as he was bowing arm in arm with Mena. His performance of Liszt’s La Campanella was a great choice as an encore: it was light and sweet, but still with the emotional edge of Tsujii’s playing. He made the trills sound so easy and performed a fantastic climax at the end of the piece.
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/jul/21/don-pasquale-gylndebourne-proms-ades
BBC Proms 6 & 8 – review
Kate Kellaway
The Observer, Saturday 20 July 2013
...Marine romanticism was followed by the unparalleled excitement of hearing the 24-year-old Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, blind from birth, make his Royal Albert Hall debut with Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No 2. It was one of those rare performances where player and music seem one – a definition of virtuosity. Although one has to guard against being fanciful, it was hard not to think that being unable to see had allowed Tsujii to "see" the music with unmediated intensity...
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<It would be too perfect without a review like this. I anticipated it Nobu - going to the top? Of Taste and Critics, and Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii>
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/fac1ab62-eec1-11e2-98dd-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2ZL6rv93T
July 17, 2013 5:13 pm
BBC Proms: BBC Philharmonic/Mena – review
4 out of 5 stars
By Andrew Clark, Financial Times
An ovation for a blind Japanese pianist’s Rachmaninov; dramatic Nielsen; an aural watercolour
A Japanese pianist, blind from birth, played Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 2 at the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra’s sold-out Prom on Tuesday. Nobuyuki Tsujii proved he has a sensitive ear, a light touch and the sort of technique that needs no allowances. But his smoothly sculpted performance lacked temperamental contours: it was yet another soft-centred rendition of this much-loved piece. Intensity was missing just where the music required it most, as the finale’s quest for fulfilment gathered pace.
For his efforts Tsujii was greeted with an enormous, sustained ovation – justifiably so. However much we may try to judge such a performance on musical merits alone, we can’t. Where 99.9 per cent of top professional musicians need all their faculties just to make a start, Tsujii has triumphed against enormous odds. Will I be rushing to hear him again? Probably not.
The Manchester-based BBC Philharmonic showed what a natural partnership it has forged with Juanjo Mena since he became principal conductor two years ago. ...
And of course I had to post a comment:
This is a classic damning with faint praise on Nobuyuki Tsujii -- it is not the first one that I have come across. Mr. Clark is certainly entitled to his opinions, but I for one take offense to his rather harsh and unnecessary urge to tell the world that he would not be giving Mr. Tsujii his repeat business.
Where 99.9% of the classical music review critics hardly get a beep of feedback for their efforts, Mr. Clark is to be envied for getting paid to have his say published in a prestigious publication. Will I rush to read his reviews again? Probably not.
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http://mindpoke.blogspot.com/2013/07/prom-6-life-is-inextinguishable.html
Prom 6: Life is inextinguishable
by Stephen North, "Mindpoke - Mostly Music" blog
July 31, 2013
David Matthews: A Vision of the Sea - BBC Commission, World Premiere
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor
Nielsen: Symphony No. 4, 'Inextinguishable'
Nobuyuki Tsujii, piano, Proms debut artist
BBC Philharmonic
Juanjo Mena
< Please see the original article for comments on David Matthew's 'A Vision of the Sea' >
Perhaps the image of the night was the huge hug Juanjo Mena gave pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii after a remarkable performance of Rachmaninov's Second Concerto. Remarkable for three reasons - first the heat in the Albert Hall was stifling for those of us sitting still, let alone those trying to work with instruments. Second there was an initial trepidation in this reading, Nobo (as he is affectionately called by the orchestra who worked with him a good deal in recent tours of Japan) shifted uneasily to get his piano stool just right and the fidgety feeling extended to the first few minutes of the concerto. But reading grew and grew in stature - as Kathryn Stott said on Twitter an unfussy reading. Third much as we might try to dismiss this, he has been blind from birth and such undertakings are always remarkable (probably more so to us than he realises). This is one of a handful of Rachmaninov's works which have sustained urgent orchestral interest and so it was a relief to find the BBC Philharmonic pushing it quite hard and playing out the full variety of the composers expression.
After tumultuous applause, and I mean tumultuous with Mena guiding the pianist on and off stage. Mena sat on the edge of his podium - his back to the audience - smiling broadly as Nobo whipped the audience into a frenzy with his encore the very virtuosic La Campanella by Liszt - based on a tune from one of Pagannini's Violin Concerti. The encore was met with some of the loudest applause I've heard in the Albert Hall.
The concert was as a sell out and lots of Japanese fans were there to support their man. Noticeably they didn't all stick around for the meat of the programme, Nielsen's Fourth Symphony "Inextinguishable"...
< Please see the original article for comments on Nielsen's Fourth Symphony "Inextinguishable">
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