Hello there!
I just realized that it’s already been summer since last time I made a post on my site (!!!!).
The last 3 months were obscenely busy astonishingly productive and my undivided concentration was much needed there.
So for those who’re my loyal subscribers and been waiting for news, I won’t even attempt to ask forgiveness on this since the guilt is too huge and will never end…
And yet again, I only have a few minutes now as I’m writing from here in Martina Franca, a small district of southern Italy for festive concerts with the crew of Orchestra Accademia Teatro alla Scala.
The highlight of my/our recent musical activities is the tour to Wolfegg, Germany and although we hadn’t got much time for preparation and also the acoustic was a bit of a problem there, we carried out our mission together and were able to make the concerts the most incomparably significant chapter of the musical history for me, the whole organization of the Accademia Orchestra and all those who witnessed it.
Of these two concerts, one of them was a choral concert where we performed Cherubini’s Requiem, Macmillan’s Larghetto for Orchestra and a couple “a capella” songs; and the other was a symphonic concert with Maestro Manfred Honeck and soloist Ray Chen playing the Vivaldi’s & Piazzolla’s “Four Seasons” and a few orvertures of Rossini & Verdi. Some of you may have already know this from other social media platforms but I’ll post a slightly longer version of the summerized performance footage on hikarumatsukawaviolin.com very soon.
Left: during the production with director Manfred Honeck
Above: with soloist Ray Chen (both photographed on 30th of June)
You know Manfred Honceck, yes? You should. I truly don’t know if the entire world agrees that he’s the best conductor of all, but he’s worked very closely as a violinist and violist with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for many years and also held the baton around the Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra, US, as the regular director. Vienna Philharmonic Orhcestra is well-known for the unconpromising attitude for conservation of their own artistic creed and hence the distance with outside conductors.
I was immensly grateful for this opportunity to learn from somebody who has lived, seen, heard, and tatsted Vienna first-hand as Austrian in such an intensive manner.
The greatness of this master, in my view, lies in his “interest” to know people internationally and grobally through various activities. As a matter of fact, Manfred Honeck turns 60 this year. And yet he’s still interested in getting to know new people (he would create himself opportunities to interact with the members of the orchestra asking their names and where they’re from followed by small anecdotal conversations). I’m not overwhelmingly surprised with this at all, however.
Nothing starts without interest and curiosity. An interest in art. An interest in nature. An interest in the passing times and seasons. An interest in a human being other than himself. If you constantly have the openness and ambition to learn and understand the unknown, the opportunities will be limitless – which is why he’s been able to travel around the world at this age and will still keep going.
Ray Chen made a spectacular performance, particularly in Piazzolla. With the electorifying force (the right energy) and exquisite interpretations, I really thought that Piazzolla was the perfect music for him. Because I was leading the orchestra and was sitting the closest from him,it was more than apparent for me what the music was all about, and he was able to bring it out in the best way he could. Based in Berlin and Philadelphia, I have no doubt he’ll keep providing us with more surprises.
I’ll try to conclude about these great tours in later posts.
A dopo,
HM
HIKARU MATSUKAWA 