2016.07.01

岡山シンフォニーホール開館25周年記念 NHK交響楽団 岡山公演

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ラフマニノフ : ヴォカリーズ ラフマニノフ : ピアノ協奏曲 第2番 ハ短調 Op.18／小山実稚恵[Pf] チャイコフスキー : 交響曲 第4番 へ短調 Op.36 NHK交響楽団 フライヤーリンク

【Message】

I guess the NHK Symphony has had and still has a certain image among Japanese music fans and the general population: prestige, penguin suits, having a severe hierarchical structure and being gathering of virtuosi… The orchestra also has cultivated their image as a group of professors and an institution of those who are proud of their title or as an organization of the so-called “establishment” represented by, for example, their performances broadcasted on TV with plenty of close-ups of famous conductors.

We cannot deny that, for the musical world of our country, the NHK Symphony had been a synonym for “a performance which is irreproachable but not interesting, somehow” for many years.
I imagine that, for Japan, this phenomenon reflected nothing less than the history of the reception of western classical music. Although being the envy of many domestic and private ensembles, the NHK Symphony had been probably a representative of Japanese orchestras which couldn’t show any specific musical originality to the world.

However, after collaborating with them for four days this time, and looking back at all the “tough but happy moments” with them in Kamakura including my return concert (Bruckner’s 9th symphony) two years ago after my struggle with pharyngeal cancer, I should reset all the above prejudices!

Quite some time ago, in opposition to the NHK Symphony’s stubborn attitude toward their authentic performance, which was so-called in the “mainstream” Austro-German style, a lot of other orchestras used to come up with interesting programs to take advantage of that.

When we get down to it, maybe their parent corporation (NHK broadcasting) itself is having a hard time proving their relevancy only by feigning good intentions under the slogan “Everybody’s NHK”... We know how vague the words “everybody” or “public consensus” are. They are based on unclear notions like “right and wrong” and “social correctness and incorrectness”. Especially, the decisions made by the majority as a result of sentiment are liable to error. This was proven, needless to say, by the recent referendum calling EU membership into question for the “British Empire”.

Now everyone knows that democracy is merely a little bit better of a system than others.
Of course, art has nothing to do with winning or losing, and it’s almost impossible to say what is correct and what else is not.
Recently, the audience sometimes gives a standing ovation, but actually, the object of this action is unclear. It’s difficult to assert if the applause is sent as an agreement on the interpretation, as a positive feeling toward interpreters’ charm or as a compliment to their efforts. It could be purely a narcissistic act by audience who got self-absorbed in participating in the event.

Well then, on what grounds can I affirm that my experience with the NHK Symphony was a “success”? I’d like to find answers to the question.

Firstly, this time there was chemistry between the program and the conductor. Also, the performance of the symphony fully reflected the results of our recent collaborations. The piano soloist Michie Koyama was blessed with a good instrument, too. Under these circumstances, we could get close to the Russian nature of each piece.
I heard that the staff members put more effort into this event than usual, so we could feel a strong togetherness coming from backstage.

In addition, (although the audience members who live far were deprived of transportation because of a flood), there really was a large audience, and the acoustics of the halls in Okayama, Iwakuni and Masuda were really great.

Therefore, without being affected by the humid air, all the present orchestral members seemed to fearlessly build a huge castle with their expressive intensity and refined watchfulness. I think they threw away above-mentioned old habits and are now prosperous.

I kind of rambled a bit but anyway, that was truly a “great concert”.
Praising is more difficult than criticizing. So I’ll stop typing now!
I don’t have any further statements to make…