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Continued from Notable web postings -- October 2020
More archival of past postings can be found at Notable web postings archive
Nov 25 - Dec 16 CHOPIN recital tour (Japan)
Premium Recitals resumes with PERFORMANCE 6 -- December 21 19:00 Itzumi Hall, Osaka
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POSTS
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November 29 Christmas comes early -- thank you Avex!
This is a treat for those of us deprived of Nobuyuki Tsujii concerts. Avex Classics has graciously uploaded a number of videos from Nobu's live performances this woeful year!
Freshly uploaded to the Nobuyuki Tsujii official YouTube channel: Nobuyuki Tsujii plays Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No.21 in C major,Op.53 “Waldstein” I.Allegro con brio (performed last month in Tokyo's Kioi Hall); All-Beethoven Recitals; AND many more from the October ARK festival. A list can be found at Avex Classics' Christmas Presents to us!
November 29 2020
COVID is raging in the U.S. The Dec 8 recital of Nobuyuki Tsujii at Carnegie Hall has long been cancelled :-(. But that doesn't stop some unscrupulous outlets from trying to sell tickets! One site is offering tickets for a whopping 281USD. Of note is that tickets for Jean Yves Thibaudet are offered at 102USD.
November 25 Nobuyuki Tsujii 辻井伸行 is the first guest announced for the 2021 "Eastern Japan Support Concert", to be held on the 10th anniversary of the 2011 earthquake-tsunami. More at mlliu2006.blogspot.com/2020/11/2021-eastern-japan-support-concert.html
Nov 25 Lots of tweets came up after last night's Chopin recital of Nobuyuki Tsujii, as expected, to be processed. But here is a good one. SPOILER ALERT. "Nobuyuki Tsujii Recital at Social Distance. Staccato with sharpness in small steps. Powerful and beautiful bass and treble . Encores are Fantasie Impromptu and his own composition 'Till the day when you can meet with a smile'... Tonight I was able to relax with a wonderful tone." With excellent photos of the venue, such as this with a bright lit, tall Christmas tree in the lobby.
Comments, photos, etc. are being collected at 2020 CHOPIN recital tour
November 25 2020 CHOPIN recital tour Performance no. 1
11/25 (Wednesday) 19:00 Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall
This venue normally seats 1632, but I believe seating is distanced due to COVID.
Our best wishes to Nobu on great success! News, comments, photos to be collected at 2020 CHOPIN recital tour .
The performance is eagerly awaited in Japan, as reflected in tweets such as this that has come up overnight. "Tomorrow is my favorite Nobuyuki Tsujii's Chopin Concert. It seems to be held safely [not cancelled due to COVID]. I will go out with perfect corona measures." Our best wishes from USA, with great envy.
November 24 ⚡️JUST ANNOUNCED:
辻井伸行日本ツアー 2021 《ロマン派》
Nobuyuki Tsujii 2021 Japan tour "Romantic" recitals.
Liszt, Schumann (Papillons, Kinderszenen).
Details at https://mlliu2006.blogspot.com/2020/11/nobuyuki-tsujii-2021-romantic-recitals.html
November 23 Instagram by Mrs. Itsuko Tsujii: "Chinese porridge & shiitake mushroom stuffing [with photo of the dishes, beautifully presented as usual.]I wanted to eat the Chinese porridge that I had in Hong Kong with Nobuyuki! I made it at the request of [Nobu] and it was well received because it tasted relatively close." Nobu was a big hit at his 2019 HK debut with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, & apparently remembers the foods with fondness. :-) :-) He was to return to HK to perform the "Emperor" concerto on May 22/23 this year.
November 22 Nobu's CHOPIN recital tour is starting this week in Japan. There are 8 performances from Nov 25 through December 16. The tour was put together in response to the disruption of Nobu's concert schedule by the COVID pandemic, including a canceled recital at Carnegie Hall that was to take place in December. If all goes well in spite of the virus surge, the lucky concert goers in Japan will get to hear Chopin's lullaby and 4 waltzes, along with other favorites. We should be hearing from Nobu fans.
Our best wishes to Nobu on great success! News and comments are being collected at CHOPIN recital tour .
November 22 Nobu's CHOPIN recital tour is starting this week in Japan. There are 8 performances from Nov 25 through December 16. The tour was put together in response to the disruption of Nobu's concert schedule by the COVID pandemic, including a canceled recital at Carnegie Hall that was to take place in December. If all goes well in spite of the virus surge, the lucky concert goers in Japan will get to hear Chopin's lullaby and 4 waltzes, along with other favorites. We should be hearing from Nobu fans.
Our best wishes to Nobu on great success! News and comments are being collected at CHOPIN recital tour .
November 21 Tweet by a TOWER records store in Osaka
"Fumiaki Miura & Nobuyuki Tsujii was on "Lalala ♪ Classic" yesterday. Here [2019 CD] is the Franck's violin sonata that they play. Miura says his most favorite place is when the violin enters from the piano solo in the 4th mvt -- We totally agree!" More on the CD at Nobuyuki Tsujii & Fumiaki Miura duo CD 2019
November 20 Nobuyuki Tsujii & pal @Fumiaki Miura appeared on Japan TV last night. These photos shared by Twitter Yura show Nobu in splendid form! He is dressed in a suit but with a stylish white shirt underneath -- mandarin stand-up collar, no tie. Nobu truly looks happy and health😍 More at https://mlliu2006.blogspot.com/2020/11/nobuyuki-tsujii-fumiaki-miura-on.html
UPDATE: Yura shared a clip of the Sanada Maru performance
https://twitter.com/icoyuraco/status/1329973507963326465 <- please click this link to see.
November 17
Nobuyuki Tsujii will appear on Japan TV show "LaLaLa classic" Friday Nov 20, 9-9:30PM. Nobuyuki Tsujii & Fumiaki Miura on 'LaLaLaClassic' UPDATE: Rebroadcast Nov 26 10:25～ There is now a trailer for the show, but it seems not viewable outside Japan :-(
UPDATE: A kind twitter has posted the TOP-SeCRET trailer -- all 9 minutes of it; viewable here twitter.com/happy_crover318/status/1328867900598358018
November 18
YouTube video uploaded this month by "The Emperor Enthronement Congratulatory Committee": 奉祝曲 組曲 Enthronement Celebration Composition 「Ray of Water」Lyrics Yoshikazu Okada; Composition oko Kanno; Piano 辻井伸行 Nobuyuki Tsujii
Backstory https://mlliu2006.blogspot.com/2019/11/a-flower-blooms-at-nov-9-enthronement.html
November 17
Announced by Festspielhaus St. Pölten, Austria www.festspielhaus.at/de/kalender/copy_of_411-nobuyuki-tsujii
Nobuyuki Tsujii Scriabin/Schubert/Chopin recital -- May 19, 2021 (rescheduled from May 7 2020).
Austria is currently in complete #COVID lock-down, but let's look forward to better days!
November 14 Searching for Nobuyuki Tsujii news today (Nov 14 2020), I stumbled upon a thoughtful article -- 5 years too late, but a delight to read nevertheless. For me, the article is especially meaningful, because I have the fortune of being at the 2015 performance in California that inspired the author. The article carries the byline "Nobuyuki Tsujii : Perfectly Two-Dimensional", which does not sound very complimentary. But not. The author goes on to write: "his interpretation is completely different from those who do it through visualization. The end result is truly special." More at https://mlliu2006.blogspot.com/2020/11/nobuyuki-tsujii-perfectly-two.html
Nov 14 https://twitter.com/HCFofficial/status/1327417629963816961 Posted by Hamamatsu City Cultural Foundation 6 minutes after tickets came on sale at 10AM today (Saturday Nov 14 in Japan) : "Sold out - Dec 23 Nobuyuki Tsujii 辻井伸行 Premium Recital Social Distanced Performance - All Beethoven Program - Thank you to everyone who purchased this product." More at Premium Recitals
In Japan, fans of Nobuyuki Tsujii are accustomed to being treated to year-end TV specials featuring the popular pianist. Let's hope that this year is no exception. In particular, the annual "Miracle Pianist" series that has been aired on Asahi-TV each year since 2009, around New Year Day. Please stay tuned on that.
But first, just announced, an appearance soon, on a TV show "LaLaLa classic", airing Friday Nov 20, 9-9:30PM. Details here Nobuyuki Tsujii & Fumiaki Miura on 'LaLaLaClassic'
November 11 Best wishes to HarrisonParrott for the launch of the first concert on its new live-streaming & contents platform for classical music.
Note to Avex Classics: May we hope to see some concerts of Nobuyuki Tsujii (who is an HP artist) on this platform?
Nov 11 2020
A twitter quotes from a 2018 interview of Vladimir Ashkenazy by music writer Yoshiko Ikuma, prior to the kickoff of his Japan tour with Nobu & the Iceland Symphony Orchestra
In the interview, Ms. Ikuma wrote that the maestro was a difficult interviewee.
"However, regarding Nobuyuki Tsujii, his mouth was very smooth. Ashkenazy has a very gentle expression when it comes to the topic of Mr. Tsujii. 'NOBU is a good pianist, he has a good personality. It's uncommon these days to have such a pure face to music.' "
This interview was made before Mo. Ashkenazy announced his public retirement in January 2020, heralding the start of a bleak year of worldwide pandemic. More at Vladimir Ashkenazy retires ...
November 10 Yura tweeted with a 2-minute clip "One year has passed since the national celebration of the enthronement of His Majesty the Emperor on November 9, first year of Reiwa. Congratulatory composition by Yoko Kanno, Suite 'Ray of Water.' 2nd mvt "Rainbow Child" Piano Nobuyuki Tsujii 辻井伸行" More at A Flower Blooms at the Nov 9 Enthronement Performance
November 9
A twitter wrote:: [Translated]"Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii plays the keyboard as if he were stroking it without lifting his fingers. Usually, we are taught to 'play in the shape of a hand holding an egg', but in his case ..." More comments & photos at: 'The unique way that Nobuyuki Tsujii plays the piano'
November 9 This comment from a French twitter, on a clip shared by Yura a while back, makes me happy https://twitter.com/coherence_e/status/1325531865198047232: "Un peu de douceur avec ce concert piano no. 21 de Mozart.. A little sweetness with this piano concert no. 21 of Mozart." Spot on, isn't it?
November 5 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Review of the Year 2019/20
https://liverpoolphil.com/news/review-of-the-year-201920/
"Guest artists travelled from all corners of the globe to perform: ... pianists Nobuyuki Tsujii ..." Nobu performed in the orchestra's season opener. See https://mlliu2006.blogspot.com/.../nobuyuki-tsujii-in... Fingers firmly crossed for next season...
Nov 4 The 2020 Ultimate Concerto Concerts that were to take place in March 2020, in Japan, have now been rescheduled for 2021. Nobu will co-perform with
violinist Mayuko Kamio 神尾真由子
cellist Haruma Sato 佐藤晴真
秋山和慶 Kazuyoshi Akiyama 指揮 conductor
読売日本交響楽団 Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra
He will play Tchaikosky's Piano Concerto no. 1 in four performances.
Details at mlliu2006.blogspot.com/2020/11/2021-ultimate-concerto-concerts.html
November 4 https://www.japanarts.co.jp/news/p5484/ Pianist Yukio Yokoyama to play all 32 Beethoven Piano Sonatas in consecutive performances!! "Isn't it rude to Beethoven that many concerts [commemorating his 250th birthday) disappeared at this time? " Mr. Yokoyama was a professor at the college attended by Nobuyuki Tsujii, and appears in the documentary of the 2009 Cliburn competition. He was a Chopin Competition medalist, and specializes in Beethoven & Chopin.
November 1
Instagram by Mrs. Itsuko Tsuji: "久しぶりの家BBQ焼き牡蠣が最高でした! [BBQ at home is the best!]", with photos of a feast (oysters, shrimp, prime beef steaks) being prepared on a grill, perhaps while her son Nobuyuki Tsujii practiced on piano.
November 1 Twitter Yura posted a video clip <= click link to view
Mozart"Piano Concerto No. 21"
2nd movement A beautiful melody sung by a slightly ephemeral piano tone, gently and gently.♪
Nobuyuki Tsujii & ARK Sinfonietta
I can't help but notice that Nobu seems to be playing with a pained expression on his face. It's not the first time I saw such an expression on him on camera close-ups -- I hope it's an expression of intense concentration, not from some kind of pains & aches.
Oct 31 2020
'Chasing Chopin' by Annik LaFarge review
https://areadersplace.net/2020/10/30/chasing-chopin-by-annik-lafarge/
...This wonderful short book is a love letter to Chopin."
"LaFarge visited the monastery, now a Chopin museum... Many other music lovers and pianists have made the trek but maybe none so devoted as Nobuyuki Tsujii, a brilliant blind pianist, who stayed overnight on a cot in the room next to Chopin’s studio."
LaFarge has a companion website, www.whychopin.com keyed to the book’s chapters, where you can listen to recordings of all the pieces she mentions, many of them on period instruments like Chopin’s Pleyel. I especially recommend listening to Nobu (as he’s known to his fans) and Tomasz Ritter, both Chopin competition winners....
October 30
Word came that Valery Gergiev & the Vienna Philharmonic / (with soloist Denis Matsuev) "will be able to travel to Japan" and present a number of performances at Suntory Hall next month, starting November 9. Suntory's November schedule lists quite a few other performances ( including recitals by Itzhak Perlman, Yundi Li & Jose Carrera; orchestral performances by Staatskapelle Dresden, Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra; Yomiuri Nippon Orchestra, & Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra) cancelled "due to the Corona Virus." As the Slipped Disc [blog] article says: "With all other orchestras grounded by Covid, the Viennese will have the skies to themselves."
This is a daring move. Mo. Gergiev has been kind to Nobuyuki Tsujii over the years. I wish him & the orchestra safe journey and great success.
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