Nobuyuki Tsujii in Seattle, 2013, part 3

Continued from Nobuyuki Tsujii in Seattle, 2013, part 2; continued on Nobuyuki Tsujii in Seattle, 2013, part 4

Jan 22, 24, 27 Seattle, Washington state, U.S.A.

"拍手とブラボーの嵐！！ (Storm of applause and Bravo!)" -tweet posted immediately after Jan 27 concert

"After wowing us with an amazing performance with the Orchestra of Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto, Nobuyuki played Liszt's 'Campanella' as an encore. Anybody else get goosebumps?"  Seattle Symphony facebook page

"終演後は2,400人余りのお客さまから 地響きのような喝采と大歓声を頂きました At the end of the performance, the cheers and applause of 2,400 customers sounded like rumblings of the earth. "  Jan 27 recital report, Nobuyuki Tsujii

January 27 evening Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii triumphed in Seattle this evening.  Nobu performed Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in the Benaroya Hall with conductor Stilian Kirov and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.  Nobu's performance was the conclusion of  a local event "Celebrate Asia".  The audience and orchestra stood as one at the last note.  Nobu was brought back to stage repeatedly and rewarded us with a masterful performance of "La Campanella". 

Photos below by Mr. George Liu,  Northwest Asian Weekly.   Click on photo to enlarge.

A standing ovation for Mr. Tsujii, from the entire orchestra and audience (2,000+)

Yours truly greeted Nobu as he entered a reception after the Sunday performance.  I was (and am)  so proud of Nobu!

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This was one of the best yet of the ten live performances of Nobu that I have had the pleasure of attending.  Going in on a gloomy day in Seattle,  my expectation was not high; but how Nobu changed that in an hour!

Some unforgettable moments:

• A youthful conductor, Stilian Kirov, brought Nobu on stage.  Maestro Kirov is the assistant conductor of Seattle Symphony Orchestra to Music Director Ludovic Morlot; I saw Mr. Kirov rehearse with Nobu and the orchestra on Thursday and knew that there was a good chance that he would be the one doing the performance today.  Conductor Morlot, after performing with the Los Angeles Philharmonic this weekend, was reportedly unwell.  

• The sound of Nobu's piano ringing in the Benaroya Hall, with its reputed acoustics.  I was seated 5 rows from the stage, and the sound was magnificent.  And I saw Nobu's hand movements, looking up, clearly - his fingers dancing on the keyboard like butterflies.

• The audience was riveted by Nobu's performance.  A couple on the front row who had been slumping in their seats sat up straight and, like the rest of the audience, leaped to their feet immediately after the conclusion of the third movement.

• The orchestra members, even some who seemed disinterested in previous performances, became increasingly drawn to Nobu as the performance unfolded.

• Nobu was on fire from the start.  Several times during performance he took out a handkerchief from his pants pocket - one time fumbling to replace it in the pocket, in plain view of those of us seated right in front.

• Nobu was visibly flushed from the exertion of performing Tchai 1, but ecstatic.  At one point, as he was making his deep bows to the audience, Nobu was a little disoriented because Maestro Kirov left him at a spot not by the piano.  I cringed as I watched his fingers groping for something solid to hold on to. 

• The Tchai 1 of Nobu, especially after his performance with Maestro Valerie Gergiev in St. Petersburg, is better than ever.  This was especially notable in the conclusion, in the passage where both hands play in octaves -- it is now smooth as silk!

• The audience roared when Nobu was led to the piano by conductor Kirov, for his encore. I gasped when I heard the first notes of "La Campanella", Nobu's most famous performance from the Cliburn Competition, and another piece that I had seen countless times on video but never live till now.  That he would choose to play this impossibly difficult piece right after such a strenuous performance of Tchai 1 is a testament to Nobu's mental genius and physical stamina.

• At a reception after the concert, in which I was privileged to attend, Nobu showed up apparently after a quick change of clothes.  Looking radiant and handsome, he appeared in a beige colored suit (photo below), as he did on Thursday in the library performance.  Many young admirers gathered around him immediately.  Among them was one young girl with Down's Syndrome, led to Nobu by her mother.  Right in front of me, they embraced. Nobu held the little girl for a long, long time.

  • At the reception, Nobu  spoke a great deal when it was his turn - talking very fast (he was excited :-)  in Japanese about how he started in piano, about performing at age 5 at a shopping mall in Okinawa, and about his upbringing by his mother, who was also there.  The speech was skillfully translated - kudos to the organizer.

Below, yours truly standing in front of the stage before the start of the "Celebrate Asia" performance in Seattle's Benaroya Hall.

Posted on the facebook page of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra https://www.facebook.com/seattlesymphony?ref=ts&fref=ts

After wowing us with an amazing performance with the Orchestra of Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto, Nobuyuki played Liszt's "Campanella" as an encore. Anybody else get goosebumps?

with these comments:

- Not just goosebumps. Tears as well. Fantastic performance. Thank you!!!

- He was just awesome! And all the performers! What a wonderful concert!

- Everything was fabulous - from the pre-concert performers to the concert itself. Nobuyuki's playing was so inspiring and heart-felt.

- Superb! My hat is off to the SSO and conductor Stilian Kirov, but, oh, my beloved Nobu - he was ON this night, like lightning. As a fan, I am so proud of him.

- アンコールにカンパネラ？日本でもアンコールにカンパネラは珍しいので、辻井さんがオーケストラとの演奏と拍手に感激されたのでしょうね♪♪♪ La Campanella for Encore?  It is so rare for La Campanella to be played as encore in Japan.  Mr. Tsujii must  have been thrilled with the applause and with playing with the orchestra.

音楽の街シアトルの一押し劇場、べラナヤホール で辻井伸行コンサートのあとの 余韻。。拍手とブラボーの嵐！！ pic.twitter.com/UgnT2vie  The Benaroya concert hall in the city of Seattle, <the memory of >Nobuyuki Tsujii lingering after the concert. Storm of applause and Bravo!  -tweet posted immediately after concert

のぶさんが演奏している時、シンフォニーの演奏家たちでさえも「じぃ～～」ってピアノの指先見てたのがすごい印象的でした。 かっこよかったぁ～！！  When Nobu-san was playing,  I was watching his finger tips on the piano.  Even the musicians of the symphony were impressed.   Amazing. It was cool!  -tweet

Enjoyed & inspired by the Seattle Symphony—fabulous performance by Nobuyuki Tsujii, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1.—truly awesome  -tweet

I saw Tjujii in concert with the Seattle Symphony today. It was a purely magical performance.   -comment posted on YouTube video "辻井伸行 のチャイコフスキ Nobuyuki Tsujii Tchaikovsky 1 movement 1 - part 2 of 2" <uploaded by none other than me :->  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHW7e48e76s

Seattle Symphony ‏@seattlesymphony tweeted: Nobuyuki Tsujii and the Orchestra just gave an A-mazing rendition of Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto: http://instagr.am/p/VAr1L8LVcU/

Rob McKenna Rob McKenna ‏@robmckenna tweeted: Incredible performance by blind Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii at Celebrate Asia! pic.twitter.com/cKKWvEY4 <shown below via Internet link>

ChelseyMango ChelseyMango ‏@ChelseyMango tweeted: Celebrate Asia concert tonight! Excited to hear from Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii!! (@ Benaroya Hall w/ 2 others) [pic]: http://4sq.com/TIMzVl

A quick blog post, in Japanese, by someone who was impressed with the performance: http://jp.bloguru.com/tiny/165320/2013-01-28

Pamela Okano tweeted: Nobuyuki Tsujii & Ambi Subramaniam <Indian violinist who performed before Nobu>  were astounding, but equally fun were the 7 lions in the Chinese lion dance!

昨日辻井伸行さんのピアノ、チャイコのピアノコンチェルト第一番聴いてきました。本当の本当に素晴らしかったです。びっくりした。今でも思い出すと心の中が熱くなってきます。３階席の端だったのに、がんがんに彼の音楽が伝わってきました。もう言葉にならない。Yesterday I listened to the piano of Nobuyuki Tsujii, Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 . It was truly great. I was surprised.  The memory remains hot in my mind.  Although my seat was at the end of the third floor, his music was transmitted to me pounding. No other word is needed.

諸々やらなきゃいけないことは明日の朝にして、今は寝ないと。。 とりあえず、今日は辻井伸行さんの素晴らしい演奏を聴けたので幸せでした。Work tomorrow morning, but for now I do not sleep. I am happy because today I was able to listen to a great performance by Nobuyuki Tsujii.

http://www.e-yuyu.com/kouryu/ <posting on a music education bulletin board>

2013/01/29 10:33:55

コンサート

昨夜、「アジアの夜」と題するコンサートに行ってきました。プログラムはアジア系のリズムを利用した西洋作曲家（デビュシーを含む）の作品。日本の尺八を使った曲もありました。休憩後は日本を代表して辻井伸行さんがチャイコフスキーのピアノ・コンチャートを披露。若々しい演奏ぶりで、楽しみ溢れる演奏でした。アンコールはリストのカンパネラ（パガニーニのバイオリン・カプリスからリストがピアノに変曲したもの）で、観賞者全員起立で拍手を受けました。口笛、「ブラボー」の連発で大騒ぎ。みごとでした。「好きなことを仕事にしている」、数少ない幸せな人だと思います。目開きでも、あれこれできない、と情けない人が大勢いる中、盲人がこれだけできるのはたいしたものです。

Concert

Last night I went to a concert entitled "Celebrate Asia." The program includes the work of composer using the rhythm of the West Asian (including Debyushi). There was also a work using Japanese shakuhachi. After the break, Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii, as a representative of Japan,  showcased Tchaikovsky's Piano concerto no, 1. After an absence of youthful performances, the performance was full of fun. Encore la Campanella ( Liszt's transcription of  Caprice of Paganini, from violin to piano ).  He  received a standing ovation from the entire audience. Barrage of fuss, "Bravo" whistle. It was brilliant. I think he is one of the few happy men who make life "whatever you want it to be." ...

http://blogs.itmedia.co.jp/akemi/2013/01/post-0071.html <blog by a Japanese American in Seattle>

2013/01/28

辻井さんの演奏にシアトルが震えた日

数時間前に終わったコンサートの余韻に浸っている。辻井伸行さんのチャイコフスキーピアノコンチェルト#１。演奏を聴いて涙を流している人が少なからずいた。私もハンカチで目頭を押さえたりして。

コンサート前、時間の制限があり今夜はアンコール無しと聞いていたのだが、聴衆の熱い思いが伝わったのか、辻井さんは再びピアノの前に座ってくれた。始まったのは、リストのラ・カンパネラ。 ...

Performance of Mr. Tsujii shook Seattle this day.

I have been immersed in the afterglow of the concert that ended a few hours ago. Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto # 1 by Nobuyuki Tsujii. Not a few people were in tears listening to the music. Many were holding their tears with handkerchieves, too.

Before the concert, I had heard that there would be no encore tonight due to a limit of time.  But the passion of the audience brought him back, and Mr. Tsujii sat in front of the piano again. He began to play the La Campanella by Franz Listz.  ...

January 27 Today, Nobu performs Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in the Benaroya Hall, with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.  Nobu's performance will be the conclusion of  a local event "Celebrate Asia".  There are others who perform, but tickets for the event are practically sold out - only very few seats are left as of this morning.

Related articles:

- Nobuyuki Tsujii recital in Seattle, Jan 22  2013 North America Tour - 2

- Nobuyuki Tsujii rehearses with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Jan 24 Nobuyuki Tsujii in Seattle, 2013, part 2

- More comments and articles Nobuyuki Tsujii in Seattle, 2013, part 4

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