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."
I was unfamiliar with the festival. As the events unfolded this year, it became clear that it is an outreach effort to bring in new audience for classical music performances. Most of the nine concerts were held in the small Blue Rose hall of Suntory, with relatively inexpensive tickets and short (one-hour) programs. (Nobu usually performs in Suntory's large hall.) Each performance was projected outdoors on a large screen mounted on the Karajan Square nearby, with chairs set up for free viewing.
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) was 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.
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PHOTO above: audience -- indoor and outdoor -- cheered the international ensemble at the finale of the OCT 8 Ark concert.
https://twitter.com/mipoko_music/status/1049210123451678725
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
RELATED ARTICLES
Nobuyuki Tsujii & Fumiaki Miura at the Ark Classics, comments, photos & videos
Nobu & Fumi at ARK Hills Music Week 2018
"Ark Hills Classic" Press Conference
I was unfamiliar with the festival. As the events unfolded this year, it became clear that it is an outreach effort to bring in new audience for classical music performances. Most of the nine concerts were held in the small Blue Rose hall of Suntory, with relatively inexpensive tickets and short (one-hour) programs. (Nobu usually performs in Suntory's large hall.) Each performance was projected outdoors on a large screen mounted on the Karajan Square nearby, with chairs set up for free viewing.
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) was 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.
PHOTO above: audience -- indoor and outdoor -- cheered the international ensemble at the finale of the OCT 8 Ark concert.
https://twitter.com/mipoko_music/status/1049210123451678725
Tweets and instagrams attest to the success
https://twitter.com/mipoko_music/status/1049210123451678725
そしてラストの挨拶。 来年もすごく楽しみ☺️ ハードなプログラム、本当にお疲れ様でした！ [And the final greeting. I am looking forward to the festival next year ☺ ️ Great program, thank you for everything!]
そしてラストの挨拶。 来年もすごく楽しみ☺️ ハードなプログラム、本当にお疲れ様でした！ [And the final greeting. I am looking forward to the festival next year ☺ ️ Great program, thank you for everything!]
https://twitter.com/nana26139176/status/1049291924396433409
サントリーホールARCクラシックス 辻井伸行×三浦文彰&フレンズ🎹🎻を聴いてきました！初めてのブルーローズ。大ホールとは違う極上の生音に胸が震えました💓この場にいられて幸せ。この演奏を屋外のライヴスクリーンで大勢の人が聴かことができるのも素晴らしい企画。来年も楽しみ #サントリーホール
Suntory Hall ARC Classics. I have been listening to Nobuyuki Tsujii × Fumiaki Miura & Friends! My first blue rose [small hall at Suntory]. My chest trembled with the great sound from the big hall. I was happy to be in this place. It is a wonderful project that many people can listen to this performance on an outdoor live screen. I am looking forward to next year # Suntory Hall
サントリーホールARCクラシックス 辻井伸行×三浦文彰&フレンズ🎹🎻を聴いてきました！初めてのブルーローズ。大ホールとは違う極上の生音に胸が震えました💓この場にいられて幸せ。この演奏を屋外のライヴスクリーンで大勢の人が聴かことができるのも素晴らしい企画。来年も楽しみ #サントリーホール
Suntory Hall ARC Classics. I have been listening to Nobuyuki Tsujii × Fumiaki Miura & Friends! My first blue rose [small hall at Suntory]. My chest trembled with the great sound from the big hall. I was happy to be in this place. It is a wonderful project that many people can listen to this performance on an outdoor live screen. I am looking forward to next year # Suntory Hall
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
...ライブビューイングの良さは、まず気軽に音楽を楽しめること。あいにくの雨模様で空席が目立ったが、それでもベビーカーを連ねて座っている若いママたちがいて、可愛いチビちゃんたちが前をちょろちょろしながら時折スクリーンを眺めたりもする。こんなに小さい頃からサントリーホールのコンサートに触れられるなんていいなあ。とにかく目にしたり耳にしたりするきっかけがあって、しかも、じっとしてなさい、静かにしてなさいと言われない場であれば、きっと音楽が好きになる！・肌寒かったし長丁場だったので、その親子連れ二組は途中で帰ったけれど、自分の状況に合わせて自由に出入りできるのも無料コンサートの良さである。
...The good thing with live viewing is that you can enjoy music easily without hesitation. Unfortunately the vacant seats were conspicuous with the rainy weather, but young mothers with strollers were still there, and pretty Chiba girls occasionally looked at the screen while hanging around. I had not been to a Suntory Hall concert since I was very small. Anyway, this was a chance to see and hear, and in a place where you are not told to keep quiet, and I do like music! ... It was chilly and it was a long program, so some groups of parents and children left, but it is nice that you can freely go in and out of such a concert according to your situation.
サントリーホールの中で生で聴く音が素晴らしいのは当然だが、スピーカーの音も最近はなかなか精度が上がり、音響があまり良くない会場で聴く演奏や、音響の良いホールで聴くさほど良くない演奏よりは、はるかに良かった。
そして、大画面の迫力。これは、METライブビューイングでも感じることだが、コンサートホールやオペラハウスの座席からは到底見えない舞台上の詳細がクローズアップで見えるのだ。
It is natural that the sound heard live in the Suntory hall is wonderful, but the accuracy of the sound of the speakers has improved recently, and the sound of the performance was quite good, not as good as listening in the hall, but very good anyway.
And the power of the big screen. This is also felt in MET Live. You can see close-up details on the stage that cannot be seen from a seat in the concert hall or opera house. Camera work occasionally moves to the piano keyboard, showing the hands of the pianists in huge image.
... ラストは辻井伸行＆三浦文彰のデュオによるフランクのヴァイオリンソナタ。この難曲を二人で一緒に奏でようという気迫と信頼関係がひしひしと伝わってくる。高速で疾走する演奏ではなく、一つ一つ噛みしめて踏みしめて進行するようなテンポ感で、やがて終楽章の冒頭、ヴァイオリンとピアノの掛け合いが何とも言えず温かくて、こういう曲だったんだと胸が熱くなる。一人で弾くのもオーケストラをバックにソリストとして演奏するのも素晴らしいけれど、二人の音楽家がこんな風に力を合わせられる美しさに心を打たれた。
その一部始終を臨場感溢れる大画面で共有できるのはなんと贅沢なことだろう。薄着で出かけてしまい結構寒かったが、心は温まって、会場を後にした。
Last is Franck's Violin Sonata by the duo of Nobuyuki Tsujii & Fumiaki Miura. There is a sense of trust in the playing of this challenging work. It is not a performance that runs fast at high speed, but with a tempo that feels like chewing and stepping one by one. Eventually, at the beginning of the final movement, the violin and piano sang together, and the beauty was such that my chest become hot. These soloists normally play solo or are backed by an orchestra, but it is great that they play together like that, just the two of them; I was struck by the beauty of their joined forces.
What a luxury it is to enjoy the whole thing with a big screen full of presence. Although I went out with light clothing and it was rather cold, my mind was warmed up as I left the venue.
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Reaction like this must be heartwarming to the organizers of the festival. Congratulations to them, and to the artistic leaders! I only wish those of us elsewhere have the same opportunity to enjoy that luxury. But I am happy for them....The good thing with live viewing is that you can enjoy music easily without hesitation. Unfortunately the vacant seats were conspicuous with the rainy weather, but young mothers with strollers were still there, and pretty Chiba girls occasionally looked at the screen while hanging around. I had not been to a Suntory Hall concert since I was very small. Anyway, this was a chance to see and hear, and in a place where you are not told to keep quiet, and I do like music! ... It was chilly and it was a long program, so some groups of parents and children left, but it is nice that you can freely go in and out of such a concert according to your situation.
サントリーホールの中で生で聴く音が素晴らしいのは当然だが、スピーカーの音も最近はなかなか精度が上がり、音響があまり良くない会場で聴く演奏や、音響の良いホールで聴くさほど良くない演奏よりは、はるかに良かった。
そして、大画面の迫力。これは、METライブビューイングでも感じることだが、コンサートホールやオペラハウスの座席からは到底見えない舞台上の詳細がクローズアップで見えるのだ。
It is natural that the sound heard live in the Suntory hall is wonderful, but the accuracy of the sound of the speakers has improved recently, and the sound of the performance was quite good, not as good as listening in the hall, but very good anyway.
And the power of the big screen. This is also felt in MET Live. You can see close-up details on the stage that cannot be seen from a seat in the concert hall or opera house. Camera work occasionally moves to the piano keyboard, showing the hands of the pianists in huge image.
... ラストは辻井伸行＆三浦文彰のデュオによるフランクのヴァイオリンソナタ。この難曲を二人で一緒に奏でようという気迫と信頼関係がひしひしと伝わってくる。高速で疾走する演奏ではなく、一つ一つ噛みしめて踏みしめて進行するようなテンポ感で、やがて終楽章の冒頭、ヴァイオリンとピアノの掛け合いが何とも言えず温かくて、こういう曲だったんだと胸が熱くなる。一人で弾くのもオーケストラをバックにソリストとして演奏するのも素晴らしいけれど、二人の音楽家がこんな風に力を合わせられる美しさに心を打たれた。
その一部始終を臨場感溢れる大画面で共有できるのはなんと贅沢なことだろう。薄着で出かけてしまい結構寒かったが、心は温まって、会場を後にした。
Last is Franck's Violin Sonata by the duo of Nobuyuki Tsujii & Fumiaki Miura. There is a sense of trust in the playing of this challenging work. It is not a performance that runs fast at high speed, but with a tempo that feels like chewing and stepping one by one. Eventually, at the beginning of the final movement, the violin and piano sang together, and the beauty was such that my chest become hot. These soloists normally play solo or are backed by an orchestra, but it is great that they play together like that, just the two of them; I was struck by the beauty of their joined forces.
What a luxury it is to enjoy the whole thing with a big screen full of presence. Although I went out with light clothing and it was rather cold, my mind was warmed up as I left the venue.
RELATED ARTICLES
Nobuyuki Tsujii & Fumiaki Miura at the Ark Classics, comments, photos & videos
Nobu & Fumi at ARK Hills Music Week 2018
"Ark Hills Classic" Press Conference