Nobu interviews - 2

Piano sensation at the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2010/10/01/life/doc4ca5c00732c49594891458.txt#blogcomments

Published: Friday, October 01, 2010

In a country mesmerized by the divas of pop culture, regardless of how rude and crude, it’s impossible to imagine that the same kind of adoring frenzy would be accorded a classical pianist.

But, “Nobu Fever” is sweeping the rest of the world and local audiences will have an opportunity to catch it during the first performance of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic on Saturday.

“Nobu Fever” does not bring on the sniffles, sore throat, or high temperatures, but, as Time magazine coined the phrase, it is a unique phenomenon surrounding Nobuyuki Tsujii , the 2009 gold medal winner of the prestigious Van Cliburn International Competition.

Following the competition, Nobuyuki Tsujii (pronounced No-boo-you-key Soo-gee), the first Japanese pianist to win the gold medal, was launched into the unfamiliar world of global mega-stardom. The sales of several CDs and a live DVD, have sold hundreds of thousands of copies.

As remarkable about Tsujii as his energetic and commanding performance presence on stage is the fact that he has been blind from birth. And, more importantly for local audiences, Tsujii , 22, will launch the 51st anniversary season of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic at the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie, performing Chopin’s “Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor,” Op. 11., the same work he performed at the Van Cliburn competition.

Randall Craig Fleischer will conduct the performance that will also feature Saint Saens’ “Samson et Dalila: Bacchanale and Chausson’s Symphony,” Op.20, B Flat Major.

Fleischer said even though Tsujii is in high demand the Philharmonic was able to bring him to the Hudson Valley because it has had a longstanding relationship with the Van Cliburn Competition. “We have presented other medalists, so when we contacted them, they were happy to accommodate us,” he said.

The conductor said Tsujii’s blindness, combined with his musical talent, make him a unique and formidable performer. “But, even without blindness, he is an amazing pianist.”

Asked what challenges present themselves when world-class performers are on the program, Fleischer said, “Well, with Noubuyuki, it will all be mental telepathy, since he won’t be able to see my beat. That will be interesting!”

 Interviewed this week by the Freeman via e-mail since he does not speak English, Tsujii spoke about his background and the composers he prefers. Not unexpectedly, Chopin was at the top of the list, but is not the most challenging for him.

“I often perform works by composers, such as Chopin, Beethoven and Debussy. It’s a difficult question to answer, but I would venture to say that Beethoven demands the most discipline from me,” he said via e-mail.

Tsujii is highly regarded for his interpretation of the classical composers, but contemporary composers are no longer strangers to him. “I worked on contemporary music for the first time at the Van Cliburn Competition. And it gave me a lot. I tried John Musto’s ‘Improvisation and Fugue’ for my first modern work in this time,” he said.

“In the beginning, I had a tough time with this piece,” he admitted, then added, “but then I found a lot of interesting things after practicing. Usually, though, I perform classical works more than contemporary works.”

Sighted persons rely heavily on their vision to navigate their way around and through life’s various hurdles. The Freeman asked Tsujii how he learned new compositions. He was quite at ease and candid.

 “I do not know how much Braille music has been published, but I know it is not much. Lately, I also do not use Braille music because it needs to be memorized before touching the piano. Therefore, it takes a lot more time than listening (to a composition) to memorize,” he said.

“So, I am memorizing music on the cassette-tape which is recorded at some appropriate length by single hand, each with meticulous markings. At the same time, a voice recording about phrasing or articulation is included, so it is possible to choose edits, too,” he explained, but added, “However, I do not copy someone’s perfect recording, which is played by both hands.”

Described as dramatically different in person from his stage persona, as soft-spoken and laid-back, Tsujii said when he’s not touring or performing, he loves to swim.

“If the schedule allows, I would keep swimming for four hours. I have gone swimming for up to seven hours! I feel it is important to concentrate deeply on something other than piano. And then, I like to come back to my music,” he said. “In July, I went horseback riding, and also went hiking on a mountain trail, and those were good experiences for me.”

Tsujii, catapulted onto the international scene, is a role model for younger musicians. He was asked about what advice he would give them.

“I think I would say that it is good to be interested in not only music, but many other things and be inspired by those things,” he said.

He said winning the gold medal has complicated his life somewhat, “But, I enjoy playing in front of people, so I try to give a good performance every time.”

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