Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra performs with Martha Argerich in “An Evening of Peace Concert 2015”
Aug. 11, 2015
by Taiki Yomura, Staff Writer
On August 5, the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra held “An evening of Peace Concert 2015” (sponsored by the Chugoku Shimbun and others) at Bunka Gakuen HBG Hall in Naka Ward. The orchestra, which is based in Hiroshima and plays under the precept “Music for peace,” performed jointly with Martha Argerich, a world-renowned pianist, for the first time. Music for peace rang out in Hiroshima, which is marking the 70th anniversary year of the atomic bombing. The performance moved about 1,900 people in the audience.
Ms. Argerich believes in the power of music, explaining, “I have been playing in Japan under the idea of ‘music against crime,’ which is the strong conviction that the love which music holds within it will weaken people’s desire to harm others.” She put this belief into her performance of Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 1.” Her playing was delicate, but also passionate at times. Her fingers ranged over the piano keys and produced dramatic melodies. Merging with the enthusiastic performance of the orchestra, the hall was filled with magnificent music.
The concert began with Beethoven’s theatrical pieces, including the Egmont overture and the piano concerto, which were also part of the program for the orchestra’s first subscription concert. Conducted by Kazuyoshi Akiyama, the orchestra’s music director and permanent conductor, the program was emblematic of the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra’s origins in seeking to promote a peaceful world. The concert finished in spectacular fashion with the symphony “Die Harmonie der Welt” by Hindemith, who was forced to flee his hometown when the Nazis rose to power.
During the concert, Annie Dutoit, Ms. Algerich’s daughter, and Keiichiro Hirano, a novelist, read Tamiki Hara’s poem “Requiem” and a poem about the Holocaust. In this way, the performers and audience shared the wish that such tragedies must not be repeated. The same program will be performed at Suntory Hall in Tokyo on August 11.
(Originally published on August 6, 2015)
On August 5, the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra held “An evening of Peace Concert 2015” (sponsored by the Chugoku Shimbun and others) at Bunka Gakuen HBG Hall in Naka Ward. The orchestra, which is based in Hiroshima and plays under the precept “Music for peace,” performed jointly with Martha Argerich, a world-renowned pianist, for the first time. Music for peace rang out in Hiroshima, which is marking the 70th anniversary year of the atomic bombing. The performance moved about 1,900 people in the audience.
Ms. Argerich believes in the power of music, explaining, “I have been playing in Japan under the idea of ‘music against crime,’ which is the strong conviction that the love which music holds within it will weaken people’s desire to harm others.” She put this belief into her performance of Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 1.” Her playing was delicate, but also passionate at times. Her fingers ranged over the piano keys and produced dramatic melodies. Merging with the enthusiastic performance of the orchestra, the hall was filled with magnificent music.
The concert began with Beethoven’s theatrical pieces, including the Egmont overture and the piano concerto, which were also part of the program for the orchestra’s first subscription concert. Conducted by Kazuyoshi Akiyama, the orchestra’s music director and permanent conductor, the program was emblematic of the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra’s origins in seeking to promote a peaceful world. The concert finished in spectacular fashion with the symphony “Die Harmonie der Welt” by Hindemith, who was forced to flee his hometown when the Nazis rose to power.
During the concert, Annie Dutoit, Ms. Algerich’s daughter, and Keiichiro Hirano, a novelist, read Tamiki Hara’s poem “Requiem” and a poem about the Holocaust. In this way, the performers and audience shared the wish that such tragedies must not be repeated. The same program will be performed at Suntory Hall in Tokyo on August 11.
(Originally published on August 6, 2015)
