Tokyo Shinbun
Tokyo Shinbun
Karima Morooka
28.09.2019
28.09.2019
Estonia is one of the three Baltic nations famed for gaining their independence from USSR through what came to be widely known as the “Singing Revolution”. It is close to the hearts of Japanese classical music fans as the birthplace of Internationally acclaimed conductor Paavo Järvi, who also serves as NHK Symphony Orchestra’s chief conductor. The Estonian Festival Orchestra established by Järvi, is held in such high esteem that its Tokyo concert was sold out within hours. It is a first-class orchestra on par with, if not better than, the great European orchestras.
Launched in this musical nation, AFEKT is a music festival that celebrates contemporary music. It gave a special concert here in Tokyo this week in collaboration with Japanese musicians, presenting a program that included Estonian contemporary pieces as well as works by Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa who is featured as the main composer in this year’s festival.
Contemporary music is often considered to be rather difficult and unappealing, but the works of Hosokawa performed in this concert showcase an acute yet delicate expression of a world view that reflects traditional Japanese aesthetics and thus have the power to directly speak to Japanese sensibility. Estonian musicians who took part in the concert are unanimous in that HOSOKAWA is a name every Japanese should be proud of.
Most remarkably, this concert was a vivid display of how similar Japanese and Estonian artistic sensibilities are. The dialogue between Man and Universe or the yearning for oneness with nature portrayed in Hosokawa’s works were also to be seen in the Estonian works performed that night. There is much to be anticipated from future exchanges between the two counties.
Launched in this musical nation, AFEKT is a music festival that celebrates contemporary music. It gave a special concert here in Tokyo this week in collaboration with Japanese musicians, presenting a program that included Estonian contemporary pieces as well as works by Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa who is featured as the main composer in this year’s festival.
Contemporary music is often considered to be rather difficult and unappealing, but the works of Hosokawa performed in this concert showcase an acute yet delicate expression of a world view that reflects traditional Japanese aesthetics and thus have the power to directly speak to Japanese sensibility. Estonian musicians who took part in the concert are unanimous in that HOSOKAWA is a name every Japanese should be proud of.
Most remarkably, this concert was a vivid display of how similar Japanese and Estonian artistic sensibilities are. The dialogue between Man and Universe or the yearning for oneness with nature portrayed in Hosokawa’s works were also to be seen in the Estonian works performed that night. There is much to be anticipated from future exchanges between the two counties.
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