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Nobuyuki Tsujii online salon concert
Nobuyuki Tsujii plays 2 great impromptus, June 2020
The following is a translation of a posting accessed on June 19 2020 at the following link
https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000184332
Translated from Japanese
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For 4 weeks this June, Nobuyuki Tsujii has been holding an online concert every Sunday starting 20:00, using a paid streaming service "Streaming+" operated by E-plus. On the second night (Sunday June 14), I was at a small salon somewhere in Tokyo where the concert was recorded, listening to the program "Heroic Polonaise ~ Chopin Masterpieces".
F. Chopin, featured at the performance, was born in the Principality of Warsaw (Poland) around 1810, and was a composer ot the romantic era who bestowed on the world over 200 piano works, in just 39 years of life. He is nicknamed "piano poet" because of his delicate, gorgeous and poetic works.
The set of Chopin's music works played on Sunday, June 14th, are often heard at concerts and on TV etc., and all the pieces concentrate on the charm of Chopin, so it is very satisfying.
Moreover, I think that the works were selected to showcase the pianist's personality. Classical music is enjoyed by "listening and comparing individuality" because it has been played by tens of thousands of people over hundreds of years. In the Chopin played this time, Tsujii's individuality and performance philosophy were clearly shown right from the start of each song.
On this day, Tsujii first played Nocturne No. 2 in E flat major Op.9. "Nocturne"is literally written in Japanese as "night song," and mainly depicts the night scene.
Chopin left behind 21 nocturnes, but "No. 2" is a particularly famous work. The performance, which does not resort to excessive intonation and imparts an innocent impression, reminds of music boxes and children's rooms at night. At the end, the timbre sinks deeply into overtones, like a chime at the beginning of a concert.
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With a greeting and the introduction of the piece, the performance of the prelude "Raindrop" unfolds, which beautifully depicts the sound of rain in the warm air. The work, "24 Preludes Op.28", was composed around 1839 on the island of Majorca, Spain, called the "Gem of the Mediterranean."
Around this time, Chopin had a love relationship with Georges Sand, a female writer known as a beautiful woman in a man's clothes. But Chopin's chronic illness and lung dissease worsened, and it was said to be fatal. Perhaps because of this, in this group of works that resembles Impressionist paintings, a decadent atmosphere appears and disappears in every corner of each song.
Tsujii said before the performance, "It's the right time for me [to play this piece]": it was raining heavily in Tokyo on the day of the concert. "Raindrop" is a relatively simple piece in music notations, but each note Tsujii makes is as sensual as a raindrop falling on his cheeks. The left hand melody creates a uniform sound similar to that of a male chorus singing an old hymn, the tension is is a slight noise heard when the hammer hits the strings.
"Fantasy Impromptu in C Minor Op.66", which was played immediately afterward, is probably the most famous and most frequently performed piece of Chopin's work. Tsujii longed to play this song when he was in elementary school, picked up the sound with his ears and played it at a lesson, and was praised by his piano teacher as "perfect!"
The "Fantasy Impromptu" played by Tsujii is grounded, backed by solid technique. The performance, which has matured over the years, is carefully interpreted in every detail, maximizing the charm of the piano as an "instrument" and making it accessible to the audience.
The last performance in the first half of the concert, "Scherzo No. 2 in B flat minor Op.31," is a memorable work that Tsujii played at the Chopin Competition when he was 17 years old. The term "scherzo" means "joke," which means "dramatic and bohemian nuance song," but Chopin's work doesn't sound like a joke, either in terms of content or difficulty.
The performer's personality comes through within 10 seconds from the beginning, Tsujii's interpretation is first of all grounded in a respect for the score, and, sitting with a firm waist, he takes time to introduce every aspect of the work one by one.
In the middle section, the repetition of the same sound pattern is varied with the nuances of keystrokes, and the colors of the sound is delicately fascinating. When he enters the dance-like part that follows, the performance picks up a sudden momentum, and the glittering and transparent scale blows through like a wind. It was a performance that mixed passion with playfulness, so appealing that listening to it, one forgets to breathe.
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At the beginning of the second half (after a short ventilation break), the dark melody of "Nocturne No. 20 in C Minor "posthumous"" was played. The somewhat exotic melody was played vividly, echoing in the deepest cavity of the piano.
With an introduction of the piece, Tsujii performed "Ballade No. 1 in G Minor Op.23", the first of 24 ballades composed by Chopin. This is a unique work that mixes modern and contemporary ambience in an old-fashioned atmosphere, and its characteristics were fully demonstrated in this performance. After the beginning section, the range of expressions is gradually expanded in three dimensions, and at the end it concludes powerfully. It is the skill of the performer that creates the dramatic composition.
Although Chopin is called the "piano poet", the information in the score is by no means explicit. Therefore, the pianist puts the interpretation of different colors on his fingertips. In Tsujii's Ballade No. 1, you can enjoy the unique melodies and subtle changes in timbre. It was a performance that showed the pianist's attitude to face music directly
The "Heroic Polonaise (Polonaise No. 6 in A major Op.53)" unveiled next is a symbolic work. "Polonaise" means "Polish style" and is a subject that made Chopin, who spent his last years in a foreign land, feel the patriotism of his country. The title "hero" is a nickname given by a third party due to the difficulty of playing and the mood of the work, and does not represent a specific person or case.
Before he started playing the song, Tsujii talked about how, as a baby, his mother noticed his legs fluttered when the work was played on a CD. That "like" is strongly felt in this performance, a joyous one. The theme is presented at a generous tempo and not overly exaggerated, but has a dance-like atmosphere, and makes the listener aware of "Polonaise" as a dance. However, the variety of timbre expressions reminded me of an orchestra performance, and beyond the framework of a piano, it sounded like a concerto.
After passing the fanfare, the score feels like a folk song, but Tsujii's hands eventually led to a magnificent and solemn melody peculiar to Chopin. As he ran through the finale, which sounded like a bell, the salon was wrapped in quiet cheers.
At encores, F. Schubert's "Improvisation 90-3" and Chopin's "Revolutionary Etude (Practice song work 10-12)" were showcased. It was a luxurious concert all the way.
On weekend nights during the rainy season, relax at home and listen to the best pianists playing. Next Sunday, June 21 (Sunday), an online concert will be performed by Tsujii, of his favorite F. Liszt songs, as well as works by modern composers such as M. Ravel and C. Debussy. . It's fun just to look at the scores and fantasize how delicate fingertips create music.
From 20:00 on Saturday, July 4, an online salon concert will be delivered by the duo of Mr. Tsujii and violinist Fumiaki Miura. Please look forward to the performance of the young duo who put their deep passion into techniques.
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◎Sayaka Ando (BARKS editorial department)
■ Future Online Salon Concert Schedule
■Nobuyuki Tsujii Online Salon Concert
3rd Night <La Campanella-Piano Masterpieces Collection>
Sunday, June 21, 2020 20:00
4th Night <Pathetique Moonlight Passion -Beethoven 3 Big Sonatas>
June 2020 28th (Sun) 20:00-
https://eplus.jp/tsujii-online-salon/
■Fumiaki Miura x Nobuyuki Tsujii Online Salon Concert
Saturday, July 4, 2020 20:00
https:// eplus.jp/miura-tsujii-onlinelive/
◆Nobuyuki Tsujii Official Site
Nobuyuki Tsujii online salon concert
Nobuyuki Tsujii plays 2 great impromptus, June 2020
The following is a translation of a posting accessed on June 19 2020 at the following link
https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000184332
Translated from Japanese
[Report] Nobuyuki Tsujii investigates Chopin with the sound of rain
For 4 weeks this June, Nobuyuki Tsujii has been holding an online concert every Sunday starting 20:00, using a paid streaming service "Streaming+" operated by E-plus. On the second night (Sunday June 14), I was at a small salon somewhere in Tokyo where the concert was recorded, listening to the program "Heroic Polonaise ~ Chopin Masterpieces".
F. Chopin, featured at the performance, was born in the Principality of Warsaw (Poland) around 1810, and was a composer ot the romantic era who bestowed on the world over 200 piano works, in just 39 years of life. He is nicknamed "piano poet" because of his delicate, gorgeous and poetic works.
The set of Chopin's music works played on Sunday, June 14th, are often heard at concerts and on TV etc., and all the pieces concentrate on the charm of Chopin, so it is very satisfying.
Moreover, I think that the works were selected to showcase the pianist's personality. Classical music is enjoyed by "listening and comparing individuality" because it has been played by tens of thousands of people over hundreds of years. In the Chopin played this time, Tsujii's individuality and performance philosophy were clearly shown right from the start of each song.
On this day, Tsujii first played Nocturne No. 2 in E flat major Op.9. "Nocturne"is literally written in Japanese as "night song," and mainly depicts the night scene.
Chopin left behind 21 nocturnes, but "No. 2" is a particularly famous work. The performance, which does not resort to excessive intonation and imparts an innocent impression, reminds of music boxes and children's rooms at night. At the end, the timbre sinks deeply into overtones, like a chime at the beginning of a concert.
With a greeting and the introduction of the piece, the performance of the prelude "Raindrop" unfolds, which beautifully depicts the sound of rain in the warm air. The work, "24 Preludes Op.28", was composed around 1839 on the island of Majorca, Spain, called the "Gem of the Mediterranean."
Around this time, Chopin had a love relationship with Georges Sand, a female writer known as a beautiful woman in a man's clothes. But Chopin's chronic illness and lung dissease worsened, and it was said to be fatal. Perhaps because of this, in this group of works that resembles Impressionist paintings, a decadent atmosphere appears and disappears in every corner of each song.
Tsujii said before the performance, "It's the right time for me [to play this piece]": it was raining heavily in Tokyo on the day of the concert. "Raindrop" is a relatively simple piece in music notations, but each note Tsujii makes is as sensual as a raindrop falling on his cheeks. The left hand melody creates a uniform sound similar to that of a male chorus singing an old hymn, the tension is is a slight noise heard when the hammer hits the strings.
"Fantasy Impromptu in C Minor Op.66", which was played immediately afterward, is probably the most famous and most frequently performed piece of Chopin's work. Tsujii longed to play this song when he was in elementary school, picked up the sound with his ears and played it at a lesson, and was praised by his piano teacher as "perfect!"
The "Fantasy Impromptu" played by Tsujii is grounded, backed by solid technique. The performance, which has matured over the years, is carefully interpreted in every detail, maximizing the charm of the piano as an "instrument" and making it accessible to the audience.
The last performance in the first half of the concert, "Scherzo No. 2 in B flat minor Op.31," is a memorable work that Tsujii played at the Chopin Competition when he was 17 years old. The term "scherzo" means "joke," which means "dramatic and bohemian nuance song," but Chopin's work doesn't sound like a joke, either in terms of content or difficulty.
The performer's personality comes through within 10 seconds from the beginning, Tsujii's interpretation is first of all grounded in a respect for the score, and, sitting with a firm waist, he takes time to introduce every aspect of the work one by one.
In the middle section, the repetition of the same sound pattern is varied with the nuances of keystrokes, and the colors of the sound is delicately fascinating. When he enters the dance-like part that follows, the performance picks up a sudden momentum, and the glittering and transparent scale blows through like a wind. It was a performance that mixed passion with playfulness, so appealing that listening to it, one forgets to breathe.
At the beginning of the second half (after a short ventilation break), the dark melody of "Nocturne No. 20 in C Minor "posthumous"" was played. The somewhat exotic melody was played vividly, echoing in the deepest cavity of the piano.
With an introduction of the piece, Tsujii performed "Ballade No. 1 in G Minor Op.23", the first of 24 ballades composed by Chopin. This is a unique work that mixes modern and contemporary ambience in an old-fashioned atmosphere, and its characteristics were fully demonstrated in this performance. After the beginning section, the range of expressions is gradually expanded in three dimensions, and at the end it concludes powerfully. It is the skill of the performer that creates the dramatic composition.
Although Chopin is called the "piano poet", the information in the score is by no means explicit. Therefore, the pianist puts the interpretation of different colors on his fingertips. In Tsujii's Ballade No. 1, you can enjoy the unique melodies and subtle changes in timbre. It was a performance that showed the pianist's attitude to face music directly
The "Heroic Polonaise (Polonaise No. 6 in A major Op.53)" unveiled next is a symbolic work. "Polonaise" means "Polish style" and is a subject that made Chopin, who spent his last years in a foreign land, feel the patriotism of his country. The title "hero" is a nickname given by a third party due to the difficulty of playing and the mood of the work, and does not represent a specific person or case.
Before he started playing the song, Tsujii talked about how, as a baby, his mother noticed his legs fluttered when the work was played on a CD. That "like" is strongly felt in this performance, a joyous one. The theme is presented at a generous tempo and not overly exaggerated, but has a dance-like atmosphere, and makes the listener aware of "Polonaise" as a dance. However, the variety of timbre expressions reminded me of an orchestra performance, and beyond the framework of a piano, it sounded like a concerto.
After passing the fanfare, the score feels like a folk song, but Tsujii's hands eventually led to a magnificent and solemn melody peculiar to Chopin. As he ran through the finale, which sounded like a bell, the salon was wrapped in quiet cheers.
At encores, F. Schubert's "Improvisation 90-3" and Chopin's "Revolutionary Etude (Practice song work 10-12)" were showcased. It was a luxurious concert all the way.
On weekend nights during the rainy season, relax at home and listen to the best pianists playing. Next Sunday, June 21 (Sunday), an online concert will be performed by Tsujii, of his favorite F. Liszt songs, as well as works by modern composers such as M. Ravel and C. Debussy. . It's fun just to look at the scores and fantasize how delicate fingertips create music.
From 20:00 on Saturday, July 4, an online salon concert will be delivered by the duo of Mr. Tsujii and violinist Fumiaki Miura. Please look forward to the performance of the young duo who put their deep passion into techniques.
◎Sayaka Ando (BARKS editorial department)
■ Future Online Salon Concert Schedule
■Nobuyuki Tsujii Online Salon Concert
3rd Night <La Campanella-Piano Masterpieces Collection>
Sunday, June 21, 2020 20:00
4th Night <Pathetique Moonlight Passion -Beethoven 3 Big Sonatas>
June 2020 28th (Sun) 20:00-
https://eplus.jp/tsujii-online-salon/
■Fumiaki Miura x Nobuyuki Tsujii Online Salon Concert
Saturday, July 4, 2020 20:00
https:// eplus.jp/miura-tsujii-onlinelive/
◆Nobuyuki Tsujii Official Site