Notable web postings -- July 2015
Older notable web postings are collected at Notable web postings archival
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♪ July 31
Conductor Yutaka Sado, Nobu's long-time mentor, is stepping down from his role as moderator for a long-running classical music TV show in Japan
http://zasshi.news.yahoo.co.jp/article?a=20150731-00000073-the_tv-ent
「題名のない音楽会」佐渡裕が五嶋龍へバトンタッチ
毎週日曜に放送中の音楽番組「題名のない音楽会」(テレビ朝日系)で司会を務めている世界的指揮者・佐渡裕と10月から新司会者に就任するバイオリニスト・五嶋龍の会見が行われた。 ...
ま た、'09年の世界一長寿のクラシック音楽番組ギネス認定、'14年の放送50周年など、7年半の中でさまざまなことがあった佐渡は「初回収録の時も覚え てますし、辻井伸行君とのピアノコンチェルトなども印象に残ってますが、一番は'11年の東日本大震災復興支援コンサートですね。
Yutaka Sado handed over "Untitled Concert" to Ryu Goto
At a press conference, it was announced that global conductor Yutaka Sado will step down from moderating the Sunday music program "Untitled Concert" (TV Asahi), violinist Ryu Goto will become the new moderator starting October ...
... In 2009, the show received a Guinness certification for the world record of classical music program longevity. The show celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014. Among the memories that stand out for Mr. Sado was "The first recording of the show, performing a piano concerto with young Nobuyuki Tsujii, and the reconstruction aid concert for the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake ..." ...
Violinist Ryu Goto (left) and Yutaka Sado (right), image via Internet link
♪ July 31
An amusing tweet from Yura:
関東の皆さまー❗️先行販売明日10時ー❗️辻井伸行×三浦文彰「究極の協奏曲」ラフマニノフ他 今回、通常とは違って、チケット発送が公演の１０日前ぐらいからだそうですから、転売目的防止のためでしょか。本当に行きたい人だけが買えますように！
Heads up! Pre-sale starts tomorrow 10AM❗ Tsujii Nobuyuki × Miura Fumiaki "ultimate concerto" Kano [Tokyo] region. Unlike usual, it seems tickets for these performances will not be shipped until about 10 days prior to the performance, to prevent resales. So only those who really want to go will buy these tickets!"
Only in Japan ^_^
♪ July 28
辻井伸行さんって身体的障害のおかげでもてはやされてると思っていたのだけど、全然違った。この人のピアノ恐ろしく凄い…。Nobuyuki Tsujii -- I thought he was touted by virtue of his physical disabilities. It was differentat all. This person's piano is unbelievably amazing. -tweet
8月7日に開催される、辻井伸行＆フレンズ 浦上天主堂コンサートに応募してたけど、当選しなかった。 楽しみにしてただけに残念。We applied for Tsujii Nobuyuki & Friends Urakami Cathedral concert to be held on August 7, we didn't win. A shame - we were so looking forward to it. -tweet
辻井伸行 浦上天主堂ライブ落選のメールが届くなど。 It just came in the mail that our application for Tsujii Nobuyuki Urakami Cathedral live concert was defeated -tweet
辻井さんのコンサート当たった〜♡ 楽しみ♡ Got tickets for concert of Nobuyuki Tsujii. Great fun. -tweet
8月7日浦上天主堂で開催される、辻井伸行さんと平原綾香さんのコンサート観覧に応募してたけど、昨日落選のメール。がっかりしたのは言うまでもないけど、先ほどNBC ラジオを聴いて、応募者が何千人もいたってことを知った。 それじゃあ、当選するわけないよな。
I applied for tickets for the August 7 concert at Urakami Cathedral, of Nobuyuki Tsujii and Ayaka Hirahara. Yesterday received a rejection in the mail. Although I am of course disappointed, I heard earlier on NBC radio that there were thousands of applicants. Well, I guess I was not meant to win. -tweet
I wrote to express sympathiy, and the tweeter wrote back:
... 残念な想い、わかっていただき、ありがとうございます。 この模様は後日テレビ放送されるとのこと。気持ちを入れ換えて、そちらを楽しみに待ちたいです
Unfortunately feelings, I know, thank you. This performance is to be televised at a later date. Instead of feeling bad, I can wait and look forward to that.
♪ July 27
Mrs. Itsuko Tsujii 辻井いつ子 -- the mother of Nobuyuki Tsujii -- is a well-known figure in Japan. There is an article that appeared yesterday on Japan's http://4yuuu.com/ site about how she went about developing the talent of Nobu. I made a rough translation of it to share, here: Mrs. Itsuko Tsujii on Deveoping the Talent of her son Nobuyuki Tsujii - translated from Japanese
♪ July 23Dr. Masahiro Kawakami 川上昌裕さん, Nobu's piano teacher, was at Nobu's Tokyo recital last week. He made a blog post 辻井伸行プレミアムリサイタルin紀尾井ホールthat describes what went on behind the scenes. It provides a moving account of three people (Dr. Kawakami, Mr. Friedemann Engelbrecht of the Teldex Studio in Berlin and Mr. Asano of Avex Classics) who care deeply about Nobu and work behind the scenes to support Nobu. It makes me happy to read this posting. So I made a translation of it to share, which you are welcome to read here: Dr. Kawakami at Nobu's Kioi Hall recital
Dr. Kawakami and Mr. Friedemann Engelbrecht in Kioi Hall -- image posted on blog of Dr. Kawakami ♪ July 23
深夜便 ピアニスト辻井伸行と共に歩んだ２６年 母 辻井いつ子
Late-night flights I walked along with pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii for 26 years Mother Tsujii Itsuko [radio program]
数学αの時間に、優雅に辻井伸行のアラベスク聴いてるのは私です It is mathematics time, I am listening to Nobuyuki Tsujii's graceful Arabesque -tweet
NHKラジオで放送していた辻井伸行さんのお母さんの話、素敵だった。とても聴きやすい語り口だなぁと思っていたら、昔アナウンスのお仕事をされていたとのことで納得。Story of Nobuyuki Tsujii's mother that was broadcast on NHK radio, was nice. I thought it was very easy to hear her narrative, and I am convinced that she used to work as an announcer. -tweet
辻井伸行さんのお母さん アナウンサーだった。 どうりで良い声なんですね(^-^)/
It was Tsujii Nobuyuki's mother announcer. She has a wonderfully good voice. -tweet
♪ July 21
It's been a while since Nobu came to Sonoma to perform a recital at the Green Music Center on May 1
The day after the recital, Nobu was interviewed by American Japanese magazine QOLA (Quality of Life in Los Angeles). I knew about the interview, which took place just before my happy lunch with Nobu in Sonoma. Somehow the article didn't show up on my Google searches. But I found the article today on the magazine's site
The original article was published in June. It is in Japanese, and can be read here http://qola-la.com/articles/470/
It is entitled "世界を股にかけて活躍するエンターテイナーた ち〜音楽編〜｜ピアニスト・作曲家 辻井伸行氏 (Globally Active Entertainer | Music | Pianist-Composer Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii )" There are no fresh photos and much of the text is old news, but there are some interesting bits about American audience, food and wine, dream of playing for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Ms. Mao Asada ...
Partial English translation here: QOLA interviews Nobuyuki Tsujii in Sonoma, May 2, 2015
♪ July 19
It's finally raining in drought-stricken California today. In celebration, here is a 2010 video of Nobu playing Chopin's Raindrop Prelude.
Nobuyuki Tsujii 辻井伸行 plays Chopin's Raindrop... by nobufans
♪ July 18
I used to consider posting like this a compliment to Nobu, but more and more I realize that these postings -- though perhaps well meaning -- paint Nobu as a curiosity rather than the world-class pianist that Nobu is. I posted a reply to this tweet, but I wish I could do more.
Scott E. Bartner @SBartner tweeted:
Blind pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii playing a piece meant for 36 fricking hands. https://www.facebook.com/paueoficial/videos/498617490180127/ …
♪ July 16 and 17 19:00 東京 Tokyo 紀尾井ホール Kioi Hall ( 800 seats)
♪ July 17 <-- U.S. Radio broadcast
I was listening to Performance Today for Nobu's performance of "Rigoletto" paraphrase, which comes up in the last 10 minutes of the first hour of the show (here).
Mr. Fred Child explains the "sampling technique" of composing via "Rigoletto" performed by Nobu and Luciano Pavarotti. Well worth listening to!
BUT ... I was floored when he mentions that Nobu will be performing with the San Francisco Symphony in October. I SO wish it were true but I think it's a mistake -- I know nothing of that. Nobu IS performing a recital in Herbst Theatre on Oct. 17 (see Nobuyuki Tsujii in San Francisco Oct 17 2015), but the SFSO already has a favorite pianist that they cannot seem to get enough of.
Please click here for a link to listen to the podcast.
Mr. Fred Child very graciously wrote back: "Ack! My mistake, apologies! He's playing a SOLO concert in SF on 10/17 at the Herbst Theatre. http://www.usajapan.org/event/110th-anniversary-award-of-honor-gala-recital/ …"
♪ July 15
This interesting tweet seems to be a quote from Japanese celebrity Takeshi Kitano, on whose "The Art" TV show Nobu appeared in 2012 .
ビートたけしのスゲー言霊 @takeshi_b_kotod 3h "Beat Takeshi's unreal power of words"
酒 のまないと眠れない、みたいなことはないよ。まあたまに眠れないけど。そういう時は、ピアノの練習、一生懸命やってんの。ピアノの、あの子、辻井（伸行） さんにちょっと凝ってて、今。「あいつ、うめえなあ」と思って。俺は目が見えるのに何で弾けねえんだ？って思って。『SIGHT』(2010)
I cannot sleep if I don't drink, something that I don't like. And, oh well, sometimes I don't sleep. At such time, I practice on the piano. Hard. That child of the piano, Tsujii (Nobuyuki) -- to elaborate a little, now. "I wish I could make up for that guy," I think. To play without being able to see? I think." -- "Sight" 2010
♪ ♪ July 15
This tweet by music magazine "The Record Geijutsu(レコード芸術)" editor 浜中充 Mitsuru Hamanaka is intriguing:
ベルリンのテルデクス・スタジオのプロデューサーとして、バレンボイム、アーノンクールをはじめとする数々の録音を手がけるフリーデマン・エンゲルブレヒトさんの取材に行ってきました。今回は辻井伸行さんのレコーディングのために来日しています。
I interviewed Mr. Friedemann Engelbrecht, producer of Teldex Studio of Berlin, who has made recordings for artists including Barenboim and Harnoncout. He is visiting Japan recording for Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii.
[Nobu has worked with Mr. Friedemann Engelbrecht in Berlin's Teldex Studio for several of his recordings in the past 5 years. I wonder what recording they are working on.]
♪ July 15/16
And it so happens that a tweeter just posted a link to thisYouTube video and wrote:
4年前の冬、この曲聴いて 号泣しました(;∀;)笑 美しすぎるねん ショパンのこの切ないメロディーと 辻井伸行さんの演奏が｡ Four years ago in the winter, I cried listening this song. This sad melody (Nocturne #8) of Chopin played by Nobuyuki Tsujii is just too beautiful.
I too cried when I first saw the scene of Nobu walking in snow (being guided by his manager Mr. Asano) to the front door of the Teldex Studio in Berlin. The gentleman who opened the door for them? The aforementioned Mr. Friedemann Engelbrecht!
♪ July 12
I thank long-time Nobu fan Nobuko was spotting this blog post by Mr. Masahiro Kawakami dated July 6!
It is great to hear that he is working with Nobu on new works and that they were in Hokkaido together.
http://www.masahiro-kawakami.com/blog/index.php?e=779
カプースチン奏者インタビュー／辻井伸行プレミアムリサイタル
Kapustin player interviews / Tsujii Nobuyuki premium recital
2015-07-06 Mon
...
1週間ほど前から辻井伸行君は「プレミアムリサイタル2015」のツアーが始まっています。7/1の旭川（なんと私の故郷）を皮切りに北海道3公演をちょうど終えて、今日は本州へ移動中というところでしょうか。このツアーは1ヶ月ほど続きます。
A week ago Nobuyuki Tsujii kun began his "2015 Premium Recital" tour on July 1, with three performances in Hokkaido, starting with a stop in Asahikawa (my hometown). Today the tour moved on to Honshu. This tour will last about a month.
今回はリストのソナタという新レパートリーをプログラムに加え、ショパンとリストの大きな曲を 前半と後半で2曲ずつ配置するという、かなり挑戦的なプログラムで全国を回っています。先週は私も彼と一緒にリストのソナタにどっぷり浸かって3時間 （×2）を過ごすなど、1年半ほど前から私はふたたび辻井君の演奏活動に影響を与える立場に復活しておりますが、やはり彼と過ごす時間は今でも特別な意味 を与えてくれます。
This time, the program features a new Sonata by Liszt, with two great works of Chopin and Liszt each in the two halves. It is quite an aggressive nationwide program. Last week I spent two 3-hour sessions with him on the Liszt sonata. For the last year and a half, I have been resurrected in a position to again affect the playing activities of Mr. Tsujii [meaning he is giving Nobu piano lessons again]. Spending time with him has even more special meaning now.
残念 ながらツアーには一緒について行く余裕はありませんが、でも北海道なら行きたかったな～とあとから思い返しています。辻井君はこのツアーが終わったら、8 月は自作を弾くコンサートシリーズ、9月はアンサンブル金沢と、そして11月からまたゲルギエフとコンチェルト…というふうにずっと本番が続いていきま す。1年半後くらいまでスケジュールはビッシリ埋まっていますが、それにもかかわらず、どう見ても私より心に余裕を持った生活をしているように見えるのが 不思議です。見習わなければいけない面がありそうです。
Unfortunately, I could not afford to tour with him together. But I wanted to travel with him to Hokkaido for keepsake. Tsujii kun, when he has finish this tour, with begin a tour in August playing his own works, and then in September with Ensemble Kanazawa, followed by a concerto with Gergiev in November ... and many more performances after that.
先日はたまたまベーゼンドルファーのサロンでハンス・ホライン氏がデザインしたとい う珍しいピアノを発見。オーストリアにはこのように奇抜なデザイン、独創的な感性を持った建築家や画家など多く存在するのですが、このようにピアノにデザ インを施すのはかなり珍しいと思います。このピアノに出会えたのもかなり珍しい。よく見ると、デザインだけではなく、なんとピアノの蓋に支え棒がありませ ん。根本でしっかり支えられていて自動で動くのですが、これにはびっくりしました。
By chance, the other day in the Bösendorfer Salon we came upon an unusual piano designed by Mr. Hans Hollein in Austria. He has the rare ingenious sensibility of an architect and painter, and gave this piano a rare design. It was quite a treat to see this piano. Upon looking at it closely, there is no bar to support the piano lid, although it is firmly supported automatically underneath. This was surprising.
by kawakami
♪ July 9
http://open.mixi.jp/user/63301416/diary/1943938110
辻井伸行さんと三浦雄一郎さんです。
あくまで私見ですが2人共に好きなことを楽しんで生きている気がします。
2人が成功者だからではなく、好きなこと(自分の価値観)で生きているから大好きです。
カッコいい！2人のドキメンタリーは何度か観ました。三浦雄一郎さんも子供の時は病弱な劣等生だったらしいです。憧れの人達です。
Mr, Tsujii Nobuyuki and Mr. Yuichiro Miura [wiki info: Alpine Mountain climber, age 80; at age 70, became the oldest person to reach the summit of Mount Everest.]
This is only a personal opinion, but I feel that these are two people who are alive and enjoying it.
Not because of their successes, but that they live by their values and love it.
That's cool! I were documentaries about these two many times.
...
♪ July 5
Yura of Osaka tweeted:
大阪シンフォニーホール❗️ 全席完売してますけど、 立ち見が販売されてます❗️ お早めに 辻井伸行&オーケストラコンサート「モーツァルト」9月23日（水祝）
Osaka Symphony Hall❗ All seats have sold out; now they are selling standing rooms [at 5000Y each!]! Can't wait for Nobuyuki Tsujii & Orchestra "Mozart" concert on September 23.
急にショパンの革命聴きたくなってiTunesで漁ってたんだけど、やっぱ辻井伸行ってスゴイね。以前もチャイコ漁ってて「誰？これ！」って名前見たら辻井さんだったし🎹。。。想像を遥かに超えるイメージだなぁ Suddenly wanting to hear Chopin's revolution, I foraged on iTunes; Tsujii Nobuyuki's is awesome. I had scavenged before for Tchaikovsky and thought "Who's this!?" When I saw the name of Tsujii I could hardly believe. He is so much more than I imagined. -tweet
♪ July 4 In this post, a blogger wrote that she heard Nobu's "Emperor" with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra but "the music didn’t touch me as deeply as I thought it would." She concludes that "it’s always a good idea to listen to the piece prior to attending the performance." I would agree with that. In fact, I believe it's a good idea to look into the background and the structure of the work, which is why I put up postings like this one Nobuyuki Tsujii plays Liszt's Sonata in B Minor (March 2015)
If there is one thing I’ve learned from attending Symphony concerts, is that it’s always a good idea to listen to the piece prior to attending the performance. Back in May, the pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii performed Piano Concerto No.5 in E flat Major, Op.73 by Ludwig van Beethoven with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. It was a magnificent portrayal of the magnitude of art, yet I cannot say I enjoyed it to the fullest. There was a lot of hype surrounding the 2nd movement, but the music didn’t touch me as deeply as I thought it would.
After that night, I went on Youtube and searched up the 2nd movement myself. And I don’t know if it was during the first listen or the fourth, but suddenly the piece spoke to me. It spoke with eloquence and modesty, profoundness and delicacy.
I posted this comment
As a long-time fan of Nobuyuki Tsujii, I am sorry to read that you didn’t enjoy his “Emperor” with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra as much as your thought you would. But yes, to enjoy a performance fully, it makes a big difference to acquaint yourself with the works being performed beforehand. I am a big advocate of that, based on my own experience. By the way, here is a piece about that performance by Nobu that appeared in La Liberte: http://mlliu2006.blogspot.com/2015/06/nobuyuki-tsujii-triumphed-again-with.html
♪ July 3
親戚の知人の孫たちがボストンのJAPAN SOCIETY 年に１度のデイナーパーティーに招待されて、ゲストでキャロライン・ケネディ駐日大使と辻井伸行氏がいらっしゃりピアノ演奏があったそうですRelatives of acquaintance of grandchildren invited us to the annual gala of the Boston JAPAN SOCIETY; guests Ambassador Caroline Kennedy Guest and Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii played the piano. -tweet
Tweets by mozart1205 @mozart1205
Listening to “Mozart: Piano Concerto #26 In D, K 537 "Coronation" - 1. Allegro” by Nobuyuki Tsujii; Orpheus Chamber Orchestra ♫
Listening to “Beethoven: Piano Concerto #5 In E Flat, Op. 73 "Emperor" - 1. Allegro” by Nobuyuki Tsujii; Orpheus Chamber Orchestra ♫
本日チケット手元に届いた…大好きなショパン。 早く聴きたい。トリル・カデンツきれいだろうなあ…刺激を求め波動を辻井伸行ちんのピアノに合わせよう♪さあて、おしゃれして、仕事して、 幸せオーラ出してネガティブグループに見せつけますかね♪ Ticket arrived in hand today ... I love Chopin. I want to listen soon. Beautiful trills and cadence ... -tweet
♪ July 2
Translating this page is way out of my depth, but in an article that appears in today's newspaper Mainichi, the president ナ出雲社長 (President Mitsuru Izumo) of a biotechnology firm (ユーグレEuglena) says: "I like classical music. Blind pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii is a favorite ... February of last year I got a ticket for a front row seat in Suntory Hall to listen to him perform with the New-York based conductor-less Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and I could not stop my tears ... It was a miraculous performance." I think he goes on to expound on how a company can also thrive without a conductor.