A special feature of classical music is that it is a lingua franca transcending eras, national borders, and generations.
The TDK Orchestra Concert does more than just support a high-quality musical event capable of arousing emotions. Through the Special Rehearsal, we give young people studying music the opportunity to observe a rehearsal in which a world-class orchestra creates live sound. And in the Outreach Mini Concert program, artists visit a school to perform and engage in exchange with the students. TDK believes this is one aspect of the social contribution activities that a company can participate in, and we have been implementing the events annually since 2003.
Before the special rehearsal began, Satoshi Asaoka gave a preparatory lecture on how to fully enjoy it.
The participating students then watched attentively as the conductor, Mariss Jansons, gave instructions to the orchestra members in order to produce the very best music and made his way to the audience seats in order to check the acoustics of Suntory Hall. The orchestra members were all formally dressed and were joined by the choir, so the atmosphere was just like that of an actual performance.
- “It was very instructive indeed because we were able to watch a dress rehearsal, which we cannot usually see. In particular, when the conductor was giving instructions, even though I couldn’t understand the language, I could understand what he wanted to convey. That was very impressive.”（Junior high school student: male）
- “It seemed as though the conductor Mariss Jansons, who pursued his own ideals from beginning to end, and the orchestra members, who gave expression to that world of music, were just like a single large family. My aim is to become a conductor in the future, and like Mr. Jansons I want to create music that brings everyone together. I really learned a lot.”（Senior high school student: male）
- “It was wonderful. I learned a lot about the differences before and after the conductor’s instructions, the stereophonic sound, the changing tones, the reverberation, and so on. Thank you very much for arranging such an event.”（University student: male）
- “It was really fascinating to be able to experience live music being created so close at hand. Even though I couldn’t hear what was being said, I could clearly understand the differences in sound and what sounds the orchestra members and conductor wanted.”（University student: female）
- “I am very moved to have been able to watch a rehearsal by such a wonderful conductor and orchestra. Even when foreign orchestras come to Japan, many students are unable to go and see them because the tickets are so expensive. So I think it is marvelous for the organizers to have arranged such an event where we can come into contact with real music from overseas. It was a valuable experience for me. Thank you very much.”（University student: female）
- “It is only in a rehearsal where you can see the initial cello and contrabass practice and the conductor coming to the audience seats to check the acoustics. I was able to physically sense how the music changed in accordance with the instructions by Mariss Jansons. I had only seen rehearsals on DVD before, so it was a very precious experience for me. Thank you!”（University student: female）
After its founding by Eugen Jochum in 1949, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO) instantly developed into an orchestra with a worldwide reputation.
The history of the BRSO is closely connected with its successive chief conductors (Jochum, Rafael Kubelik, Sir Colin Davis, and Lorin Maazel), who also concurrently served as conductor of the orchestra’s choir. The present chief conductor is Mariss Jansons, who was selected with the overwhelming support of orchestra members and appointed to the post in October 2003. His appointment raised the curtain on a happy period for both the orchestra and conductor. Since immediately after his appointment, while maintaining an extremely high artistic level, Jansons has built close relations with orchestra members, which in turn has led to enormous success for the conductor himself.
Since September 2009 the BRSO has been recording CDs and DVDs on its own label, BR-Klassik. Its CDs include Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 7, Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7, and Joseph Haydn’s Harmony Mass (also available on DVD).
The BRSO has placed among the top 10 in various rankings of the most popular orchestras in the world, including surveys for Le Monde de la Musique magazine in 2006 and The Record Geijutsu and The Gramophone magazines in 2008.
Mariss Jansons occupies a prominent position in today’s conducting world. He has been conducting the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra since the 2003?4 season and is the BRSO’s fifth chief conductor after Jochum, Kubelik, Davis, and Maazel. Jansons also became the chief conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (RCO) in Amsterdam in 2004.
Jansons was born in Riga, the capital of Latvia, in 1943; his father was the conductor Arvid Jansons. After graduating from the Leningrad Conservatory with honors, he studied under Hans Swarowsky in Vienna and Herbert von Karajan in Salzburg. In 1971 he was a prizewinner in the conducting competition of the Herbert von Karajan Foundation, and in 1972 he became an assistant to Evgeny Mravinsky at the Leningrad Philharmonic (now the St. Petersburg Philharmonic). He remained closely associated with that orchestra, appearing as a regular conductor until 1999.
From 1979 until 2000 Jansons served as chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic, which under his baton transformed during that long period into an internationally recognized orchestra. In addition, Jansons served as principal guest conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra from 1992 to 1997 and music director of the Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra from 1997 to 2004. He has also been guest conductor at many leading orchestras around the world, including the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, and Dresden State Opera Orchestra. In particular, he has maintained close relations with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, sharing the stage with them not only on their home turf but also on tours of Europe, the United States, and Japan.
Jansons has released numerous recordings, ranging from the works of Beethoven to Kurt Weill, on the EMI, Deutsche Gramophone, Sony, BGM, Chandos, and Simax labels, many of which have won distinguished prizes.
Founded in 1946, the BR Choir has enhanced its artistic quality in parallel with the development of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Mariss Jansons was appointed chief conductor of both the orchestra and choir in 2003, and Peter Dijkstra, an avowed “anti-specialist,” became artistic director of the choir in 2005. As well as joint collaborations with the BRSO, the choir has presented various programs in its own regular performances beginning in 1998. Its various styles and special homogeneous sound, ranging from medieval motets to modern works and from oratorios to operas, have won the highest acclaim around the world. In addition to appearing at the Salzburg and Lucerne music festivals, the choir has performed together with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jansons and Claudio Abbado.
Satoshi Asaoka was born in Yokohama. After graduating from Keio University, he joined TV Asahi as an announcer, where he built his career in sports announcing and worked on “News Station” and other programs. Since he turned freelance in 1995, Asaoka has been widening his activity into the fields of classical music as a “concert sommelier” engaged in the planning and compering of concerts, while appearing in many TV and radio programs and commercials. Asaoka, known for his unique reviews of early music and operas in particular, is working as an active advocate of classical music in wide-ranging areas.
Martin Angerer (solo trumpet), Herbert Zimmermann (trumpet),
Hansjorg Profanter (solo trombone), Uwe Schrodi (trombone)
- “Thank you for today’s wonderful performance. It was the first time for me to hear trumpet and trombone performances so close. Every piece was marvelous, and I was captivated by the beauty of the sound. From their music, techniques, and talk as well, you could tell they are real professionals. Performances in large places like Suntory Hall are beautiful as well, of course, but a special performance like today’s at our school is very impressive. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. Thank you for giving us such a precious experience.”（Student: female）
- “I play the trombone in our brass band club, so I was very moved listening to the TDK Outreach Mini-Concert. Although there were only four people playing, they created such a big sound. And it was wonderful the way they expressed the motif of the music, playing cheerfully on a light piece and grandiloquently on a stirring piece. I was also impressed by the way they conjured up an image of the piece when playing, moving their bodies in tune with the music. It might be difficult for me to practice for 10 hours a day like the members of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, but from now on I want to do my best and practice harder so that, like them, I can play music that moves people even a little. Thank you so much.”（Student: female）
- “The sounds were really wonderful and moving. I don’t have many opportunities to listen to live performances, so I was surprised by the great force. It was very pleasant to listen to the different sounds coming together in a really beautiful harmony. Since the purpose of playing music for people is to make people happy, I thought they were truly magnificent. They said that the important things in performing are to play your own part properly and in particular to listen to the sounds around you. I learned that if you can do that, you can perform well and beautifully. Today’s was a marvelous performance, and I really want to hear more. Thank you very much for a wonderful time.”（Student: female）
| Name | TDK Orchestra Concert 2012 Chefdirigent: Mariss Jansons Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra Beethoven Cycles |
|---|---|
| Sponsorship | Japan Arts, Suntory Hall, Fuji Television, Asahi Shimbun Company |
| Special support | TDK Corporation |
| Performer | Chefdirigent: Mariss Jansons Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra Soprano: Christiane Karg Alto: Mihoko Fujimura Tenor: Michael Schade Bass: Michael Volle Chorus: Bavarian Radio Choir |
| Date & Program |
Mon, Nov 26, 2012 19:00
Beethoven: Symphony No.4 in B-flat major, op.60 Beethoven: Symphony No.3 in E-flat major, op.55 "Eroica" Tue, Nov 27, 2012 19:00 Beethoven: Symphony No.1 in C major, op.21 Beethoven: Symphony No.2 in D major, op.36 Beethoven: Symphony No.5 in C minor, op.67 Fri, Nov 30, 2012 19:00 Beethoven: Symphony No.6 in F major, op.68 "Pastoral" Beethoven: Symphony No.7 in A major, op.92 Sat, Dec 1, 2012 19:00 Beethoven: Symphony No.8 in F major, op.93 Beethoven: Symphony No.9 in D minor, op.125 "Choral |
