Notable web postings - December 2017

Continued from Notable web postings - November 2017

Older notable web postings are collected at Notable web postings archival

CONCERTS this month

November 22 - December 17

Music and Painting Concert Japan Tour

Nagasaki, Saga, Tokyo, Kamakura, Nagoya, Aomori, Tokushima, Ehime, Iwate, Osaka, Hyogo

♪ Nobu & Fumi on cover of Suntory Hall 2018-9  Season Brochure

Suntory Hall サントリーホール公式アカウント‏ @SuntoryHall_PR tweet:

https://twitter.com/SuntoryHall_PR/status/947508563588497409

2018-19シーズン 主催公演ラインナップ発表❗️❗️／サントリーホール主催公演、今年4月から来年3月までのスケジュール決定🌟チラシが完成しました

2018-19 season hosted performance lineup announcement ❗️❗️ / Suntory Hall sponsored performances, schedule  from April this year to March next year 🌟 leaflet has been completed

This is quite an honor, considering that Suntory Hall in Japan is the equivalent of the Carnegie Hall in the USA.  The others who appear on the cover are all overseas performers such as pianist Mitsuko Uchida and Conductor Franz Möst.

And it seems they will be making eight co-performances October 6 - 9 at an annual autumn music festival: ARK Hills Music Week 2018 -- details to come

♪Amazon Japan CD Rankings

Good news from Yura:

https://twitter.com/icoyuraco/status/946365933743874049

クラシックランキング・イン amazon 👑新着予約第2位 《CDデビュー10周年記念 スペシャルLIVEコレクション(ALBUM3枚組+DVD)(初回生産限定盤) CD+DVD》 👑新着予約第6位ベートーヴェン:《悲愴、月光、熱情》 🌟売れ筋ベストセラー 👑第1位 辻井伸行 debut 10 years

Classical CD rankings on Amazon Japan:

*BEST SELLER No. 1 Nobuyuki Tsujii debut 10 years. *NEW ARRIVAL PRE-ORDERS No. 2 " Debut 10th Anniversary Special LIVE Collection (ALBUM 3 CD + DVD)" ; No. 6 Beethoven: "Sadness, Moonlight, Apassionata".

Happy New Year to Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii and Avex Classics!

♪ Nobu & Conductor Ashkenazy among musicians to appear in Kanazawa Music Festival in May

This Mainichi [Everyday] News news item https://mainichi.jp/articles/20171130/ddl/k17/040/240000c, posted November 30, somehow went unnoticed.

It says that a committee has finalized the performances for second 'Ishikawa, Kanazawa Spring Green Music Festival", to take place in May 2018.

Maestro Ashkeanzy will be the chief conductor for the All Mozart festival, and Nobu is among the performers to appear.

Details have not been announced by the organizers. 

The news is also mentioned by a Kanazawa blogger and on twitter.

♪ December 15 "Nobuyuki Tsujii Chopin Works" album on iTunes Japan

This album, "Nobuyuki Tsujii Chopin Works", is now on iTunes Japan., according to this tweet 

=>https://twitter.com/appmusicbook/status/941582514275135488

I highly recommend it. There are two discs of Nobu's live performances at the 2005 Chopin Competition, when Nobu was only 17 years old.

Tracks include Chopin's Etude in C sharp minor Op.25-6; Nocturne in B minor Op. 62-1; Waltz in F major, Op.34-3; Barcarolle in F sharp major, Op.60; Preludes Op.28, 19 through 24 (heartfelt happiness, funeral march, Sunday, impatience, a pleasure boat, the storm), Sonata No 3 in B minor, Op.58, and scherzo.

This is my go-to album whenever I drive on long car trips.

Full list, in Japanese, can be found on this iTunes Japan page

♪ Tweet by Tokyo2020jp (Tokyo Olympics 2020]

https://twitter.com/Tokyo2020jp/status/941233807944044544

【トヨタコミュニティコンサートin高知】様々なイベントで皆さんと #Tokyo2020 をつなぐ “東京2020参画プログラム”。ピアニスト #辻井伸行 さんらが各地のアマチュアオーケストラを応援するプログラムに参加されました。音楽を通して地域の文化が盛り上がると嬉しいですね

【Toyota Community Concert in Kochi】 With various people at every event. "Tokyo 2020 Participation Program" to connect to Tokyo 2020.

Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii and others participated in a program to support amateur orchestras in various places. It is a pleasure when local culture rises through music.

The tweet points to a page on Japan's Toyota site, which currently features an "action clip" of the Kochi concert.

We have already seen a video of that clip, but it's worth visiting the page anyway. => http://toyota.jp/wows/actionclip/tcc36_kochi/

Nobu has made no secret that he would very much like to be part of the opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympics/Paralympics; I think this tweet is significant.

♪ December 13 Suntory Hall Magazine article

There is an interview of Nobuyuki Tsujii in the December issue of Suntory Hall's Information Magazine "Hibiki."

The article has mostly information that we already know, but there is an interesting mentioning of the genesis of Nobu's much-acclaimed pianissimo (small, soft) sound. Please read on. The article appears in pps 8-9 of the current issue of Suntory Hallm which can be downloaded from here

=>  https://www.suntory.co.jp/suntoryhall/calender/pdf/Hibiki_02.pdf

The text is printed in traditional Japanese style but thanks to the wonder of technology, I was able to make a rough translation. here, if you wish to read

=> Nobuyuki Tsuji Interview in Dec 2017 Suntory Hall Magazine

♪ Asahi News article「 両陛下が

♪ December 13 The Tsujii Family Christmas TreeMrs. Itsuko Tsujii posted on her blog this photo of the family's Christmas tree.いよいよクリスマスシーズンですねクリスマス

我が家もようやくクリスマスツリーを飾りました

Christmas season is here.

At our house we finally decorated a Christmas tree

She wrote that some of the decorations were brought back from her travels with Nobu in Vienna and London.

♪ December 12/13 Blog post by music writer Yoshiko Ikuma

http://yoshikoikuma.sblo.jp/article/181826467.html

... The [Music & Art] concert seems to be popular among people who do not listen to classical music in general, and it has been said that the tour takes place this year because it was very popular when performed for the first time last year.

In Part 1, Nobuyuki Tsujii explains the songs, while in the second part he plays masterpieces one after another without talking, the audience feast their eyes with masterpieces projected on the screen and at the same time entertains their ears with masterpieces.

Today we interviewed Nobuyuki Tsujii before rehearsing and asked about this concert, about the concert commemorating the 10th anniversary of his debut of the other day, and about the performance at the Champs Elysees Theater in Paris in October. I also asked for his thoughts toward 2018.

There are three television shows of Nobuyuki Tsujii coming up. ..."[she mentions the ones on the 17th, 24th, and 25th]

Actually, I appeare on the broadcast on the 25th, being asked for comment only a little. Probably, it will be about 10 seconds (laugh)."

No photo accompanies the post, unfortunately.

 ♪ December 11 Nobu in yet another year-end TV special

Oh, Nobu fans in Japan are being spoiled rotten ^_^

There is yet another year-end TV special in which Nobu will appear.  It is NHK's year-end classical music highlights, to air on New Year's Eve at 9:20PM.

Nobu will appear with his buddy, violinist Fumiaki Miura, as well as music critic Daisuke Hirose and director Amon Miyamoto (director)

I believe they will show footage of their "Sanada Maru" duet performance earlier this year.

http://www6.nhk.or.jp/nhkpr/post/original.html?i=12618

NHK「クラシック・ハイライト２０１７」

【出演】辻井伸行（ピアニスト）、三浦文彰（バイオリニスト）

広瀬大介（音楽評論家）、宮本亜門（演出家）

【放送予定】12月31日（日）［Eテレ］後9:20～11:45

This appearance is prestigious.  NHK is Japan's widely watched national TV network.

♪ December 10 Flowers for Maestro Gergiev

Remember the nice message from Conductor Gergeiv in the brochure handed out at Nobu's "Debut 10 years" special concert held at Suntory Hall last month?

Today, Dec 10, conductor Valery Gergiev is performing twice in Tokyo at Suntory Hall, with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra & pianist Denis Matsuev. A concert goer noticed this flower display in the hall's lobby: a congratulatory bouquet sent by Nobuyuki Tsujii -- let's hope Maestro Gergiev recognize Nobu's name (in Japanese)!

December 10 Tickets came on sale today ...

Tickets came on general sales this morning in Japan for the May 12 Kobe and the May 13 Osaka performances of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Nobu & violinist Fumiaki Miura. On PIA (major online ticket outlet), the less expensive tickets were snapped up quickly, but the more costly tickets (170USD-240USD!) will take time ... most, if not all, of them will eventually be claimed.

♪ Complete Carnegie Hall Debut performance on YouTube

EuroArts Music has uploaded to YouTube the complete performance of Nobuyuki Tsujii's Carnegie Hall debut recital in 2011

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNujPrlPJBw

♪ Coming up on December 17 Nobuyuki Tsujii × Paris 2017 Fuji-TV documentary

It has been a long while since we have gotten a new Nobu documentary from Japan. So I have been looking forward to some details about this show, which should show up in a few days on the schedule of BS Fuji. Unexpectedly, today a news article came up about the show.

https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20171207-00000538-sanspo-ent

辻井伸行パリ公演に密着 ＢＳフジ“師走の芸術特選番組”

Nobuyuki Tsujii Paris performances

BS Fuji "Arts of Shiwa Special Program"

12/7(木) 12:18配信 Posted on December 7 12:18

Photo caption:

パリで民族音楽の演奏者と交流する辻井伸行（Ｃ）ＢＳフジ（写真：サンケイスポーツ）

Nobuyuki Tsujii interacting with performers of folk music in Paris (C) BS Fuji (Photo: Sankei Sports)

[The photo shows Nobu surrounded by a group of French performers dressed in ethnic costumes.]

辻井伸行×ＢＳフジの世界音楽紀行シリーズ第７弾は、今年１０月にシャンゼリゼ劇場で開催されたパリ公演に密着。「辻井伸行×パリ」として１７日午後９時から２時間ＳＰで放送する。

The 7th installment of BS Fuji's series on Nobuyuki Tsujii and world music will closely follow his Paris performance held at the Champs Elysees Theater in October this year. "Nobuyuki Tsujii × Paris" will be broadcast for 2 hours starting at 9 pm on the 17th.

辻井が強い思いを抱く曲とともに異国を訪ね、音楽を通じて人々との交流を深めるオリジナル企画。これまでに敬愛するラフマニノフゆかりのスイスで奏でた「ピアノ協奏曲第２番」（ラフマニノフ）、世界の辻井へと成長を遂げる原点の場所となったニューヨークでの「ピアノ協奏曲第５番」（ベートーベン）などが紹介され、今回はさらにショパンゆかりの地も訪れる。

Tsujii visits each foreign country with a strong feeling for music. In previous installments we have seen him in overseas visits such as performing Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 in Switzerland, where Rachmaninov's music is beloved; and in New York where he performed Beethoven's "Piano Concerto No. 5". This time he travels to the site of Chopin. [Chopin spent most of his adult life in Paris.]

番組では、リハーサルから本番までを追いかけ、２９歳になったばかりの彼がコンサートに臨む気持ちや演奏後の感想も吐露。なお、前日１６日午後３時からは「辻井伸行×ニューヨーク」編を放送する。

This program will follow Tsujii from rehearsal to production [actual performance], and explore his feeling as a 29 year old after the concert. Preceding this broadcast, on the 16th starting at 3 pm, there is a re-broadcast of "Nobuyuki Tsujii× New York" [last year's special ].

♪ 『辻井伸行×パリ ～ショパンが舞い降りた夜～』 "Nobuyuki Tsujii in Paris -- the Night when Chopin flew down from heaven"

Turns out BS-Fuji has made a post about the Dec 17 special. (Yura found it!)

http://www.bsfuji.tv/tsujii/pub/007.html

The show's title (always very long ^_^) is "Nobuyuki Tsujii in Paris -- the Night when Chopin flew down from heaven".

Three still photos are posted with the article.  Judging from the photos, it looks like besides footage of his recital, there will be scenes of Nobu visiting a replica of the Paris apartment of Chopin, of him interacting with French folk music performers, and of him playing double piano with a young French pianist!

More at Nobuyuki Tsujii × Paris 2017 Fuji-TV documentary

♪ Nobu Fan Sunsoon's  Finds

Nobu fan Sunsoon on twitter has been combing the web for Japanese articles about Nobu.

These two came up overnight.  I made a translation of each.

https://twitter.com/sunsoon16/status/938409629582729216

Ueno Gakuen University career interview "2016"

An interview is posted on the site of Nobu's alma mater. What music gave me are "encounters"

http://www.uenogakuen.ac.jp/university/career/career_interview.html

English translation => Nobuyuki Tsujii the Ueno Gakuen University alumni

https://twitter.com/sunsoon16/status/938405855233314819

"I learned a lot from lessons with him"

Professor Kawakami's 2011 interview. There was something that attracted each other. And the 6-year-old as seen from the teacher "was the impression that I'm looking forward to what happens in the coming life."

https://www.news-postseven.com/archives/20110914_30579.html

English translation => Mr. Masahiro Kawakami 2011 Interview♪ December 4 The Story of Angel's Wings at Rockefeller's.'  

I posted this video clip (extracted from a 2011 Japan TV documentary) in response to a tweet by Yura https://twitter.com/icoyuraco/status/937633194899210240: " As a 6th grader, he played at the NY Carnegie Small Hall. he wanted to touch the Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center but could not reach it, so he touched the wings of an angel sculpture beside it. he felt the snow on his cheeks and the cheeriness all around him. Nobuyuki Tsujii, age 12, composed 'Angel's Wings at Rockefeller's.' "

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6b2wyl

♪ December 4 Nobu (age 17) performed Benefit Concert for the Yokohama Eye Mate (Guide Dog) support fund

Nobu fan sunsoon on Twitter, who is showing classic symptoms of Nobu fever ^_^, discovered an archival post by Japan's Eye Mate (Guide Dog) Association

Sonsoon wrote:

https://twitter.com/sunsoon16/status/937656012168818690

2005辻井伸行あいらぶコンサート

彼はもう年中無休のサンタクロース高校二年生の時に、もう既に今と変わりなく一人一人に幸せを届けてる。彼にはありがとうの拍手と歓声、伝わったでしょうね。 ■2005辻井伸行あいらぶコンサート 

2005 Nobuyuki Tsujii Concert for Japan Guide Dog Guild

When he was second year at high dchool, he was already delivering happiness to every single person.

The post comes with two very small photos.

http://eyemate-shien.org/his5.html

The post says that the annual concert started with the idea of someone who wanted to do a concert of Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii five years aso. But for 5 years in a row, Nobu was not available, but at the 5th time "we finally realized the initial thought."  Nobu is quoted as saying that he would like to meet the "eye catcher", the person chosen to benefit from the profit of the concert. The post continues: "I cannot help but wish for a further leap of this pianist, who has great talent, a gentle heart and a loving family. The concert attended by 1,300 customers ended in no time. "

Small photos of Nobu dressed in tux, looking not unlike himself now, one of him seated on stage before performance, a white guide dog can be seen on stage;  and another after performance of him standing by the piano, accepting a plague of appreciation from a young girl; another guide dog (black colored) can be seen on stage

2005 is, by the way, the year that Nobu entered the Chopin Piano Competition in Poland.

♪ FREE Debut 10-years album to 5 lucky people

In conjunction with the Dec 25 "Miracle Pianist" TV special, 5 copies of the Debut 10-years album will be given out by lottery

http://www.bs-asahi.co.jp/tsujii10th/

奇跡のピアニスト辻井伸行プレゼント

12月25日（月）よる9:00～10:54放送

辻井伸行さんのＣＤ『debut 10 years 』を抽選で5名様にプレゼントいたします。

Nobuyuki Tsujii BS-AsahiTV special Dec 25 9PM

"debut 10 years" CD will be presented to five people by lottery.

♪ December 1 Debut 10 Years Deluxe Box Set $$$

Oh, boy, I will have to go to the bank to take out a loan for this ^_^ ...

After a year without any release of albums of Nobuyuki Tsujii, it seems Avex Classics is making for lost time. The Debut 10-years album was just released on November 8; the Nobuyuki Tsujii Beethoven album is dropping on December 20, 2017), and now ...

Debut 10 Years Special Live Collection Nobuyuki Tsujii

辻井伸行 (3 CDs + 1 DVD of his famous performances) -- Carnegie Hall; BBC Proms; Sydney & Berlin with Ashkenazy

Release date: January 31 2018.

Price: 12,960 Yen (~120USD or 100 Euros)

More at => http://mlliu2006.blogspot.com/2017/11/nobuyuki-tsujii-debut-10-years-special_30.html