Notable web postings - October 2018
Continued from Notable web postings - September 2018
Older notable web postings are collected at Notable web postings archival
Congatulations to Nobu on another thrilling concert in Iceland => Nobuyuki Tsujii returns to Iceland, October 25 2018
We wish the Iceland Symphony orchestra, Maestro Askenazy & Nobu great success on their Nov 3-18 Japan tour -- 12 performances in 11 cities.
♪ Concerts this month
October 6-8 with violinist Fumiaki Miura, Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Japan ARK Hills Music Week 2018 October 6 - 8
News, comments & photos => Nobu & Fumi at ARK Hills Music Week 2018
October 25th 19:30 Eldborg | Harpa Iceland
"Nobu and Ashkenazy On the way to Japan"
Rach 2 with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and Vladimir Ashkenazy
https://www.sinfonia.is/tonleikar-og-midasala/nobu-og-ashkenazy
♪ Blessings this month:
October 7 18:00-19:55 BS-Fuji TV special of Nobu in Iceland
October 13 (through Jan 13) Medici TV webcast of Ark Classics Suntory Hall performances
October 31 release of new CD: Vladimir Ashkenazy, Nobuyuki Tsujii & Deutsche Berlin Symphony Orchestra CHOPIN 2 -- available for pre-order at Amazon Japan, HMV Japan, etc.
♪ October 30 Nobu is heard in South AfricaI go a kick seeing Nobu's 'elegy for tsunami victims' included on the playlist (in Swahili) of a program aired today on South Africa's radio RSG
http://www.rsg.co.za/Program-Vorige/102/Vers-en-Klank
Dinsdag 30 Oktober 2018
21:10-21:40
Musiekbesonderhede [Music playlist]
...
Elegie vir slagoffers van die tsoenami en aardbewing in Japan
Kunstenaar: Nobuyuki Tsujii
Komponis: N Tsujii
Nobu has probably never set foot in South Africa, nor have I.
♪ October 15 is White Canes Safety Day in the U.S.
♪ Nobu Ark Classics performances can be viewed on Medici TV, starting OCT 13; on demand for 3 months afterward.
Two of the Ark Concerts held in Suntory Hall days ago will be shown on Medici TV on Oct 13 (France time).
As listed on https://www.medici.tv/en/calendar/
October 13 2018 3 PM (France time) Nobuyuki Tsujii plays Satie, Ravel, and Debussy (this was the Oct 6 lunch-time recital)
October 13 2018 3:50 PM (France time) Nobuyuki Tsujii and Fumiaki Miura play Franck's violin sonata and Brahms 'Rain Sonata)(this must be a combination of performances on Oct 5 & 6)
辻井氏ランチタイムリサイタルのほうは、日本時間夜10:00
フランクは10:50からです
The streaming is presented by Suntory Hall & Avex International.
How to watch => Medici TV broadcast October 13 2018
UPDATE: I heard from Nobu's manager, that 1) you don't need to subscribe, and 2) the video is available for 3 months.
NOTE: You do need to register with Medici-TV to create an account with them, in order to view the videos => https://www.medici.tv/en/
♪ October 12 Cover Photo for New CHOPIN CD (AVCL-25978)
This is the cover photo for the new CD coming out on OCT 30. It has a recording of Nobu performing CHOPIN piano concerto no. 2 with Vladimir Ashkenazy in Berlin, 2017, plus 3 Chopin nocturnes.
More at http://mlliu2006.blogspot.com/2018/08/new-cd-vladimir-ashkenazy-nobuyuki.html
Image source: Amazon Japan
UPDATE: the CD is available NOW on U.S. Amazon , at a decent price of $35, shipping included.
♪ October 12 Nobu concert shown in Dusseldorf??
An interesting tweet from Dusseldorf, mentioning a "concert of the wonderful Nobuyuki Tsujii" (last night?) I am not aware that Nobu is in Europe, but perhaps this was not a live concert but a recording projected on screen? Investigating. One photo shows the lobby of the Dusseldorf concert hall (I have been there) and another shows people seated outdoor at night.
https://twitter.com/HasePierre/status/1050707654945976320
"#Düsseldorf sunset. After the sunset we saw a concert of the wonderful #Nobuyuki #Tsujii at the concert hall in Düsseldorf."
UPDATE: I heard back from the poster -- said concert took place in the past.
♪ "松茸頂きます [He received a matsutake mushroom"
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo075ikhDUH/ (Instagram from Mrs. Itsuko Tsujii)
松茸頂きます
He received a matsutake mushroom! ️
The accompanying photo shows Nobu at a dining table in a nicely decorated room (in a home or a small restaurant, it seems).
He is wearing a pink long sleeve shirt, no tie, and he is holding a giant mushroom in his hand, possibly presented to him to touch.
According to twitter sunsoon:
松茸は高級品です。 この大きさなら最高級品。 1つで２万円以上します。 今はもう気軽に食べられるものでは無くなりました💦 でも彼には季節を感じて食べてほしいです💕
Matsutake is a luxury item. At this size it is top quality. This one will cost more than 20,000 yen (200USD). I am glad he got to taste it while they are in season.
Wikipedia "Matsutake (Japanese: 松茸, pine mushroom, Tricholoma matsutake) is the common name for a highly sought mycorrhizal mushroom that grows in Asia, Europe, and North America. It is prized in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cuisine for its distinct spicy-aromatic odor.
♪ "Ark Classics" -- a case study in classical music outreach success.
In Japan, the Ark Hills Music Week is a classical music festival organized by Suntory Hall (and partners) annually in Tokyo in October.
This year, 2018, Oct 5-13, is the festival's eighth year. And a new excitement was added. With the participation of Avex Classics, a series of nine "Ark Classics" chamber concerts were held, with Nobuyuki Tsujii & his buddy Fumiaki Miura (violinist) as "artistic leaders."
As the events unfolded this year, it became clear that it is an outreach effort to bring in new audience for classical music performances.
I did wonder how it would all work out. There is nothing more demoralizing than putting up a big outreach effort that yields a poor response, and, in this case, the star power of Nobu (and Mirua) is also being tested.I shouldn't have worried, even with uncooperative weather on the first day of the festival, the audience filled the hall(s) and the outdoor crowds grew with enthusiasm.
Tweets and instagrams attest to the success.
And this blog post that came up yesterday strikes a chord -- the blogger was at the public viewing of the opening concert held on Oct 5 Friday evening
http://chihoyorozu.hatenablog.com/entry/2018/10/08/184719
♪ October 2 Debussy & Rach 2 at a private concert at Suntory Hall
It seems Nobu was in Suntory Hall this evening for a private concert, at which he performed Debussy and Rach 2 with the 東京交響楽団Tokyo Symphony Orchestra.
Several postings have shown up on Instagram & Twitter, such as this one:
https://twitter.com/lLJieQbTnyXijRo/status/1047115930080305154
辻井伸行さんのコンサートに行ってきた。 心が震えた。 人間って素晴らしい。
I went to a concert by Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii. My heart trembled. Humans are wonderful.
And this one from Mr. 谷 牧人 Makito Nishiya, the principal cellist of the orchestra, is notable
https://twitter.com/Makito_Nishiya/status/1047112221329776640
ピアニストの辻井伸行さんのコンチェルトの伴奏をした（ラフマ2番）。演奏が素晴らしかったのはもちろんだが、彼は本当に音を外さない。驚異的だと思う。見えていてもたくさん外す僕たちは、実は見える事によって不必要な情報までたくさん取り込んでいるのではないか。彼みたいに音楽に入り込みたい
[I accompanied pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii 's concerto (Rach 2). Of course the performance was wonderful. He really [is not handicapped by his blindness at all].
I think it's phenomenal. Even though we see, we overlook a lot of information. We also take up a lot of unnecessary information as a matter of fact. I want to enter the music like him.]
https://www.instagram.com/p/BobyymMBVA9//
[First half: piano solo] Debussy: Deux Arabesques, Suite bergamasque, Island of Joy. [2nd half: piano with Tokyo Symphony Orchestra] - Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor. [Encore: piano solo] Beethoven: Moonlight piano Sonata No. 14
Also:
...辻井伸行さんのピアノ演奏が素晴らしいのはデフォとして、その上で改めて思うのは、得意なことと、心から愛して熱中することが重なる人は、美しく輝いているということ。輝かしいポジティブなオーラは観衆を惹きつけます。鳴り止まない拍手。
[Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii 's piano performance is wonderful by default. On top of that, I think again of the goodness of people who love each other deeply, beauty shining through. A brilliant positive aura that attracts the audience. Applause did not stop ringing.]
♪ October 1 Nobu's Iceland TV Special -- how we can watch it outside Japan
In years past, I have been able to share videos of Nobu's TV specials aired in Japan, through the kindness of Japanese Nobu fans.
Sadly, times have changed, and it is no longer viable nor acceptable for that arrangement to continue.
I have found a legitimate way for those of us outside Japan to enjoy these shows through reputable service providers such as Japan (Net) TV.
Using this service, one can watch Japan TV shows on a smart phone or on a computer/laptop/tablet, LIVE AND ON-DEMAND.
For our purpose of watching the upcoming Nobu special, a Basic 3 Days pass can be purchased for $3, once you have established an account. This is a special for first-time customers only; after the first time, a one-month pass can be purchased at $22.
For those who find this new way too much trouble, I apologize. But all is not lost. Yura on Twitter often shares clips from these shows, and, while I make no promise, I may also be able to make small excerpts to share.
If you are interested in the service, please visit this page => Nobu's Iceland TV Special -- how we can watch it outside Japan
♪ October 1 2019 Super Soloist Concerts announced
There is an announcement of a new "Super Soloist" series organized by Avex, Nobu's record label.
This is the 4th year of this concert series, which features Avex soloists performing with Japanese orchestras and conductors.
This year, Nobu's performance comes first, on January 14, a public holiday. The other soloists are violinists Fumiaki Miura and a female pianist (whose name I failed to capture in text and translate).
http://www.ints.co.jp/supersoloists2019/index.htm
スーパーソロイスツ２０１９
第1回》 2019年1月14日（月・祝）14：00開演（13：15開場）
（ピアノ）
指揮：川瀬賢太郎
オーケストラ：東京フィルハーモニー交響楽団
<プログラム> ショパン（ロイ・ダグラス編曲）：レ・シルフィードより＊
Ⅰ.前奏曲 ／ Ⅱ.夜想曲 ／ Ⅶ.ワルツ ／ Ⅷ.華麗なる大円舞曲
ショパン：アンダンテ・スピアナートと華麗なる大ポロネーズ 作品22
ショパン：ピアノ協奏曲第１番 ホ短調 作品11
Super soloists 2019
1st "January 14, 2019 (Monday · Holiday) 14: 00 at Tokyo's Bunkaura Hall
Conductor: Kentaro Kawase
Orchestra: Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
<Program> Chopin (Arrangement by Roy Douglas): From Les Sylphide [this is a work for the orchestra]
Chopin: Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante in E-flat major, Op. 22,[I think this is Nobu's solo piece]
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 e minor work 11 [I think this is for Nobu]
♪ September 26 "Welcome back to Iceland, Nobu"
Embassy of Japan in Iceland Facebook post:
Welcome back to Iceland, Nobu 🙌🙌🙌
A concert titled "Nobu and Ashkenazy" will be held on Thursday the 25th of October from 19:30 at Harpa.
This concert is a sort of warm-up for the 2018 Japan Tour (November 3-18): Nobuyuki Tsujii, Ashkenazy & Iceland Symphony Orchestra tie up and it features the programme which will be performed in Japan.
Ticket information👇
https://en.sinfonia.is/concerts-tickets/nobu-and-ashkenazy
More about the November Japan tour can be found here => 2018 Japan Tour with Iceland Symphony Orchestra
Nobu with Ashkenazy & the Iceland Symphony orchestra at the Harpa, April 2018. Source: https://spice.eplus.jp/articles/187273