As part of its social contribution program, on Wednesday, October 15 TDK invited 200 music students, chosen by lottery, to observe a rehearsal by the Mariinsky Orchestra. In addition, as an international cultural exchange activity, since the orchestra was from Russia this time, TDK also invited 15 Russian students currently studying in Japan.
As a preliminary lecture prior to the Open Rehearsal, “concert sommelier” Satoshi Asaoka was invited to speak to the students about the composition and how to get the most out of watching the rehearsal. The students then watched intently as the conductor, Valery Gergiev, painstakingly repeated parts of the performance and carefully instructed the orchestra members until he was satisfied that the piece was being rendered properly. Although it was a rehearsal, the atmosphere was just like that of an actual performance.
(Open Rehearsal composition: The Firebird [ballet music] by Igor Stravinsky [1910, original version])
The history of the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra goes back to the beginning of the eighteenth century, when the St. Petersburg Imperial Opera Orchestra was founded. Early conductors included Hector Berlioz, Richard Wagner, Hans von Bulow, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Gustav Mahler, and Arthur Nikisch.
In the Soviet era the Mariinsky Orchestra performed operas and ballets by the likes of Tchaikovsky, Mikhail Glinka, Modest Musorgsky, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, as well as many opera and ballet premieres by such composers as Dmitry Shostakovich and Aram Khachaturian.
After Valery Gergiev became the principal conductor in 1988, the Mariinsky Orchestra expanded its repertoire spectacularly and performed around the world. In 2009 Gergiev founded the Mariinsky label, all of the works of which are recorded in the new concert hall of the Mariinsky Theatre, which is acclaimed for its excellent acoustics.
Valery Gergiev was appointed artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre in 1988. He developed the theatre into a first-class opera house attracting worldwide attention and is now a leading conductor renowned for his charisma. Gergiev has been appointed to many important international posts, including principal conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra (from 2005–8; he is now honorary conductor); principal guest conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York (1997–2002); and principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra (since 2007). He has also made guest appearances with many top-level orchestras, including the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Berlin Philharmonic. Gergiev has founded and serves as artistic director and music director for many international music festivals as well, including the Stars of the White Nights festival in St. Petersburg, the Mikkeli Music Festival in Finland, the Peace to the Caucasus Festival, and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Gergiev Festival.
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.
Twenty string musicians from the Mariinsky Orchestra visited the municipal Shoto Junior High School in Shibuya, Tokyo, on Wednesday, October 15. There was also a big surprise as well, because the conductor Valery Gergiev himself also visited the school and conducted the orchestra members.
When the conductor and artists entered the venue, they were greeted by a loud round of applause from the school’s students, teachers, and parents, and the mini-concert began in an affable atmosphere. First of all the orchestra members played the prelude from From Holberg’s Time by Edvard Grieg, followed by Serenade for String Orchestra in C major, Op. 48 by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. The audience was absolutely entranced by the masterly performance. There was also a question-and-answer session, in which the students asked such questions as “When did you decide to become a musician?” and “How many hours do you practice each day?” As the conductor introduced each artist, the orchestra members replied courteously to each one. Finally, as a gesture of gratitude for the visit, all of the school’s students sang the school song and the choral song “Yume no sekai o” (World of Dreams) accompanied by piano and the school’s wind-instrument club. For the students, it really was a precious, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Performers: Conductor Valery Gergiev
String musicians from the Mariinsky Orchestra (6 first violinists, 5 second violinists, 4 violists, 4 cellists, 1 contrabassist)
Tue, Oct. 14, 2014 7:00 p.m.
J. Brahms : Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major Op.83
(Piano: Nelson Freire)
D. Shostakovich : Symphony No.8 in C minor, Op.65
Wed, Oct. 15, 2014 7:00 p.m.
J. Stravinsky : The Firebird (1910)
Petrouchka (1911)
Le sacre du printemps
