Notable web postings - June 2016
Continued from Notable web postings - May 2016
Older notable web postings are collected at Notable web postings archival
♪ June is here. Nobu performs Beethoven this month with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
And there is a NTV broadcast on the 16th of Nobu performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1
The Japan tour takes place June 7 - June 19, with 10 performances in Kawasaki, Nagano, Nagoya, Sapporo, Sendai, Fukuoka, Tokyo, Osaka.
Two performances in the U.S. follow. Nobu will perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 ("Emperor") and Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3
Follow the actions here:
Comments, photos and news of the Japan tour are collected here => Nobuyuki Tsujii & the Orpheus -- 2016 Japan tour news, comments and photos
Comments, photos and news of the U.S. performances are collected here => Nobuyuki Tsujii & Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in U.S. 2016
June 30
http://usablog7716.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-376.html
音楽のちから
... わたしはゆうべ辻井伸行氏の弾くラフマニノフにはまって恋に落ち、
アルバムを買ってくりかえし聴いては幸せに浸っていました
彼のベートーヴェンもショパンも聴きましたが、
わたしがいままでに聴いた様々なピアニストのなかでだんとつ、
いちばんすばらしいかもしれません。美しすぎて落涙ものです ...
The Power of Music
... Last night I fell addicted in love to Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii playing Rachmaninoff,
I was immersed in happiness listening repeatedly to an album that I bought.
I also listened to his Beethoven and Chopin,
By far this was the most among the pianists that I have listened to so far,
He may be the greatest. The beautiful sound brought tears. ...
June 29
Nobu should be on his way home to Tokyo.
Meanwhile, there is a bit of news involving the Tokyo university that he graduated from.
Nobu is mentioned in this article in Japan Times
"Bach score owned by Tokyo music college may fetch $3 million at auction" ... "The seller is Ueno Gakuen, "a private conservatory established in 1958. Among its graduates are visually impaired pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, who shot to fame after winning the gold medal at the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2009."
In a post on the "Slipped Disc" classical-music tabloid blog, it is speculated (unsubstantiated) that the sale comes about because "Tokyo’s Ueno Gakuen conservatory ... appears to have fallen on hard times."
Ueno Gakuen 上野学園, Nobu's alma mater, is selling a rare Bach manuscript
♪ June 24
I believe this is the first time that Nobu's name is mentioned by New York Times' classical music chief reviewer Anthony Tommasini:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/24/arts/music/classical-music-listings-for-june-24-30.html
"Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Naumburg Bandshell (June 28)... After the 'Coriolan' Overture, the pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii will be soloist in the exciting 'Emperor' Concerto. The program ends with Beethoven’s stormy Fifth Symphony. About 1,000 seats are provided, but many more people enjoy the music while sitting on nearby benches and patches of lawn."
♪ June 23
The Cliburn Foundation is currently holding an international competition for amateurs. On their webcast today, there was an interview (in English) of a contestant, Mari Yoshihara, a professor at the University of Hawaii who wrote a book about the 2009 Professional Competition (co-won by Nobu). In this video, she is interviewed starting at 2:29, and at 3:31 Nobu is directly mentioned.
♪ June 24
I believe this is the first time that Nobu's name is mentioned by New York Times' classical music chief reviewer Anthony Tommasini:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/24/arts/music/classical-music-listings-for-june-24-30.html
"Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Naumburg Bandshell (June 28)... After the 'Coriolan' Overture, the pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii will be soloist in the exciting 'Emperor' Concerto. The program ends with Beethoven’s stormy Fifth Symphony. About 1,000 seats are provided, but many more people enjoy the music while sitting on nearby benches and patches of lawn."
♪ June 23
Just posted on the Nobuyuki Tsujii official site:
Nobu and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra goes on Internet live transmit.
♪ There is an announcement of the imminent release of a CD-book "What Color is the Wind Today", with 10 tracks of Nobu's music (Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninov, Ravel, Debussy) and readings by his mother Mrs. Itsuko Tsujii. 62 minutes in length.
http://ameblo.jp/tsujii-itsuko/entry-12173360124.html
http://avexnet.jp/news_detail.php?id=1037215
［ 辻井伸行 ］
CDブック「今日の風、なに色？」（辻井伸行【ピアノ】 辻井いつ子【文】)発売のお知らせ
ショパン、ベートーヴェン、ラフマニノフ……。
名だたる巨匠たちの名曲を、世界的ピアニスト・辻井伸行が演奏した
CＤブック（全10曲、62分）が発売！
発売日： 6/24（金）
♪ June 23
Dr. Masahiro Kawakami, Nobu's long-time piano teacher, updated his blog today.
It seems that Mr. K was at the June 16 Suntory Hall concert, but he also wrote about a current music magazine issue that has articles about Valery Gergiev and Nobu. Here is my rough translation of his post.
http://www.masahiro-kawakami.com/blog/index.php?e=819
辻井君とゲルギエフ
Tsujii-kun & Gergiev
2016-06-23 Thu
こ このところ超過労働的なスケジュールが続いていてバテバテです。先週の辻井伸行君のオルフェウス室内管弦楽団とのサントリーホールも誘われていたのに、結 局私は仕事多すぎて行けませんでした。今回は私も思い入れの強かったベートーヴェンの協奏曲3番を新レパートリーに加えたばかりのシリーズだったので、ぜ ひ聴きたかったのですが…。
サントリーのコンサートは大成功だったようで嬉しく思っています。
I have been working overtime, but last week I was also invited to a Suntory perofrmance of Nobuyuki Tsujii and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and I had to leave work for it. That was because this time he was adding a new Beethoven cocerto to his repertoire. I have a strong fondness for Beethoven and just had to go to listen. The Suntory concert was delightful and seemed a great success.
たまたま先週のある朝、ゲルギエフの半生について書かれた本を読みながら音大に出勤すると、そこに来月号（7 月号）の「ぶらあぼ」が置いてあって、見ると表紙がゲルギエフだったので手に取りました（笑）。そして1ページ目を開くと、そこは見開きで辻井伸行君の 10月のコンチェルトの演奏会の大きな宣伝ページでした。二人が今月は日本の音楽界の中心で活躍しているような錯覚さえ覚えました。
By chance one morning last week I went for work to the music college with a book that has been written about half of the lifetime of Mr. (Valery) Gergiev, and the book was placed next to the next issue (July issue) of the 'Buraabo' (a Japanese music magazine). So I opened the issue because it was about Mr. Gergiev (LOL). Then, when I opened the first page, there is a big publicity page of the October tour of Nobuyuki Tsujii [with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe]. Thus, the magazine gives notice this month to these two person who have been active in the center of the Japanese music world.
ゲ ルギエフのほうは10月に日本でマリインスキー・オペラによるオペラ公演。インタビューもあったので読みました。辻井君は10月末～11月のヨーロッパ室 内管との国内コンサート・ツアー『極上のモーツァルト』シリーズの告知。彼はその前の10月中にはアシュケナージとのオーストラリアのツアーもあるので、 今回こそはそれをめがけてついて行きたいと思ったりもしていますが…。
There is an interview of Mr. Gergiev, who will be in Japan this October for performances by the Mariinsky Opera. And an announcement of Tsujii kun's domestic concert tour 'Best of Mozart' series with the European Chamber Orchestra from the end of October to November. Before that he [Nonu] will also be on tour in Australia with Ashkenazi; I would also like to travel with him this time but ...
ちなみに辻井君ですが、今週はそのオルフェウス室内管とアメリカ公演中です。彼はこのようにとても忙しそうに活躍していますが、実は年間スケジュール的にはオフの時期もけっこうあって、一年をとてもうまく過ごしているように思います。私も見習いたいです。
By the way, Tsujii kun is performing with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in the United States this week. He has been super active worldwide and very busy like this, but his annual schedule is set to give him a bit of time off. He has spent the year very well. I would like him to continue to learn. [My translation of this paragraph is shaky.]
4月にサ ンクト・ペテルブルクへ行った時に、ゲルギエフの素顔に触れることができたのは素晴らしいことでした。それまで漠然と抱いていた印象とは全然違って、彼は 物腰が柔らかく思いやりがあって優しい人です。やはり、こういう人が多くの物事を動かすことができるのだなと合点がいきました。食事を御一緒させていただ いたのですが、普通にウォッカを飲みながら食事で一日の疲れを取り、食事中は何十局という放送が観れるテレビの国際ニュースをチェックしながら歓談…とい う感じで時を過ごしました。彼は刻々と変わる世界の情勢にとても興味を持っているということがわかりました。今年は日本へ二回来ることになっていると言っ ていましたが、まず夏はオペラ。マリインスキー劇場が世界的に有名になったことはもとより、ロシアのそれまでその真価が伝わりきれていなかった作曲家や作 品、またロシア・オペラをこれだけ世界に認識させることに成功したゲルギエフの力は本当にすごいと思います。
When I went to St. Petersburg in April, it was was great to be able to touch the real face of Gergiev. Until then I only had a vague impression of him, but And he is a friendly person with a soft and caring demeanor. A person like him gets a lot of consents and things done. At a meal that I was allowed to partake with him, he ended the fatigue of the day by dining with a glass of vodka, chatting while checking the international news on the broadcast on dozens of TV stations during the meal ... this was during my time spent in his presence ... I spent the time in such a feeling -- I found him to be very interested in the situation in the world that changes from moment to moment. But this year alone he has come to Japan twice. Under his stewardship, the Mariinsky Theater has become world famous, and he is using his power to promote the true value of Russian composers and operas. I think he is a really amazing person.
Editorial: Mr. Kawakami got together with Nobu in St. Petersburg in April of this year, when Nobu made a surprise performance there with Gergiev. See here.
Nobu with Mr. and Mrs. Kawakami at the home of Valery Gergiev, from a blog post of Dr. Kawakami
♪ June 22
"辻井伸行は圧巻だな (Nobuyuki Tsujii is a masterpiece) -tweet , possibly in reference to the just concluded "Masterpieces of Beethoven" Japan Tour with the Orpheus
♪ June 22 Two Nobu albums on this week's Japan Billboard Classic Chart
When Nobu performs in Japan, his albums are sold in the lobby of the concert hall. They must have sold quite a few albums on the 10 performances of the just completed Japan tour with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. On this week's Japan Billboard Classic Chart, the "Emperor & Coronation" album (with Orpheus) is at No. 2, and Nobu's "Best" album is at No. 4.
♪ June 20
😄 Nobu is now officially represented worldwide (except in Japan) by the well respected management firm 'HarrisonParrott'.
Let's hope this will spell great things for our Nobu: MORE LONDON PERFORMANCES PLEASE!!
Here is the announcement => https://twitter.com/HarrisonParrott/status/744885079680368640
Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii signs to HarrisonParrott
20 June 2016
HarrisonParrott is delighted to welcome pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii (Nobu) to its roster for worldwide general management excluding Japan.!
...
♪June 16
Nobu appears in a new text book in Japan. This is not the first time that Nobu is featured in an English text book for (I think) high school students in Japan.
https://twitter.com/G5IlJea2QB7O4xe/status/743615012258775040
教科書に辻井伸行さんの話が出てきて、改めて辻井さんの凄さを知った！
Story of Nobuyuki Tsujii appears in textbook; I learned again the greatness of Mr. Tsujii!
June 12
Tweet posted by a Christian organization in Japan:
世界的な全盲の天才ピアニスト辻井伸行さんの250000部以上も販売された書籍です。この人だと天才とも超人とも言えるだろう。優れた障害者のプロパガンダを社会に打ち込むべきである
"This book on world famous blind genius pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii has sold more than 250,000 copies. This person is both a genius and some might say superhuman. He is an excellent societal role model for people with disabilities."
June 1
点滴シリンジサチュレーションアラームがうるさいので、辻井伸行さんのショパンを聞いてる。病院で聞くと、看護師や医者の動きがゆっくりに見える。流石辻井さん。Since the infusion syringe saturation alarm is loud, I am listening to Nobuyuki Tsujii's Chopin. When asked at the hospital, the nurses and doctors appear to move slowly. Indeed Tsujii. -tweet