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TDK Orchestra Concert 2017

©Monika Rittershaus

©Johann Sebastian Haenel

Berliner Philharmoniker

Conducted by Sir Simon Rattle

TDK Orchestra Concert

TDK is making contributions to society all over the world under our company motto “Contribute to culture and industry through creativity.” We have been supporting performances in Japan of some of the world’s most distinguished orchestras since 2001 under the heading ‘TDK Orchestra Concerts.’ We are also doing “Outreach-Mini Concerts” and “Special Rehearsals and Main Concert Invitations” for the sake of “education” and “training.” These programs are original social contribution activities by TDK that, in line with our communication message “Attracting Tomorrow,” provide young pioneers of a new future with opportunities to come in contact with true musical excellence.
 We chose “Attracting Tomorrow” as our communication message because of our business profile as a contributor to the realization of the society of the tomorrow through original technology. In keeping with this message, we are providing this program in support of young people pioneering a new future for music by their own efforts.

Outreach Mini-Concert

Ahead of the main concert, an outreach mini-concert was held at Harumi Junior High School in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward on November 22 . We have been organizing this outreach musical education program annually since 2003, allowing members of sponsored orchestras perform and give talks about music at different locations, and this year’s concert was our 14th.
Assembling in the school’s gymnasium was the entire 460-student body, along with 70 6th-graders from the adjacent Tsukishima Daisan Elementary School and nearly 100 parents and other persons connected to the school and its musical program (total of 630). The performance got underway in the midst of a warm welcome extended by the audience. As Schubert’s String Quintet was performed, the students were captivated by the beautiful sounds produced by one of the world’s greatest string quintets. The players appeared moved, saying “Thank you for being such a quiet and earnest audience.”
During the player Q&A, the members gave thorough responses to the students’ questions. At the end, the players asked “Who here plays an instrument?” The majority of students raised their hands, to which the players could not disguise their surprise and joy.
Finally, as a sign of the students’ appreciation, the Harumi Junior High School’s band performed “Furusato” with all students singing along. Afterward, one of the players commented “It really came across that this is a song you grew up with.” This time that the students could share with the first-class players became an unforgettable experience.

 y. They had performed opera at the
  • Performers: Berliner Philharmoniker String Quintet
  • Player lineup: Two violinists, two cellists, one violist
utreach mini-concert
utreach mini-concert
utreach mini-concert

Special Rehearsal

On November 24 , we held a “Special Rehearsal and Main Concert Invitations” at Suntory Hall in Akasaka, Tokyo. We have been organizing this program for music students since starting to sponsor orchestras in 2001 as a way to support young people pioneering a new future for music by their own efforts, hoping that it would help their future musical endeavors.
For the “Special Rehearsal,” we invited 230 student selected by lottery to a rehearsal conducted right before the main performance. The rehearsal is where the conductor and the orchestra members do a final check on their musical expression and finalize the music, and neither party allows any compromise to the end. They had the precious opportunity to see the backstage, which is normally off-limits. Presented prior to the rehearsal was also a “preparatory lecture” in which freelance announcer Satoshi Asaoka, who also works as a classical concert planner, moderator, and concert sommelier, delivered commentary on the particular numbers performed and discussing the highlights of the practice session itself.
At the special rehearsal that followed, Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Sir Simon Rattle treated the audience to the spellbinding experience of seeing how single pieces of music are polished and perfected through close communication with the members of the orchestra.

 

For the “Main Concert Invitations,” we invited 30 persons from the group to attend the main performance. This opportunity to experience music built up during rehearsal at the main concert is a new initiative for this year, so we had more applications than previously. The jubilant faces of the 30 students who would have the rare experience of listening to the Berliner Philharmoniker live were very memorable.

Special Rehearsal
Special Rehearsal

Comments by Audience

  • I thought they would play from start to finish, but it was more chopped up than I would have expected and I was surprised at how Sir Simon Rattle instructed the players right before the main event. I could appreciate the need to take rehearsals seriously and constantly strive to improve the sounds in order to make possible the very best performance. (Female university student)
  • It was like a dream to be able to hear the most amazing sounds in such a fantastic hall. It made me so excited. I am certain this can help me in my own music activities. (Female university student)
  • I had goose bumps already at the pre-rehearsal warm-up. It all went by so fast, so it doesn’t feel real at all, but I was just overwhelmed by such amazing sounds that I had never heard before. I was also happy to see the communication between the orchestra members. (Male university student)
  • I felt it was really majestic how the unity of sounds and movements become like a force of life. I feel like I learnt so much during this one hour. Thank you. (Male university student.)
  • It was interesting to see the communication between Sir Rattle and the players. It was terribly fascinating as there was a special atmosphere that you can feel only at a rehearsal. (Male university student)
  • I was moved by the indescribable atmosphere and amazing sense of each of the players. I play the trumpet myself, so I naturally focused on that, but I want to listen to the music more as a whole at the main performance. (Male high-school student, music course)

Main Performance Outline

Name TDK Orchestra Concert 2017
Berliner Philharmoniker
Conducted by Sir Simon Rattle
Invitation,
production
Fuji Television Network, Inc.
Crown
Sponsor
TDK Corporation
Support Sankei Shimbun Co., Ltd.
Performers Berliner Philharmoniker
Conductor Sir Simon Rattle
Date &
Program
November 23, 2017 (Thursday)
Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall
Stravinsky: Ballet “Petrushka” (1947 version)
Unsuk Chin: Chorós Chordón (Berliner Philharmoniker
commission; world premiere in Berlin in November 2017)
Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 44
November 24, 2017 (Friday) *The students were invited here
Suntory Hall
R. Strauss: Tone Poem “Don Juan,” Op. 20
Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Major, Sz. 95 (Piano: Yuja Wang)
Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98

*Lang Lang was originally supposed to perform on November 24 (Friday), but was not able to as the inflammation of his left arm, for which he was treated since previously, had yet to recover and was unlikely to completely recover before the November Asia tour (including Japan). Yuja Wang took his place.

November 25, 2017 (Saturday)
Suntory Hall
Stravinsky: Ballet “Petrushka” (1947 version)
Unsuk Chin: Chorós Chordón (Berliner Philharmoniker commission; world premiere in Berlin in November 2017)
Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 44

Profiles of Artists

Sir Simon Rattle (Conductor)
©Johann Sebastian Haenel

Sir Simon Rattle (Conductor)

Sir Simon Rattle was born in Liverpool, England and studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. From 1980 to 1998 he was Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and during his career has conducted the major orchestras in Europe and North America, including the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Philadelphia Orchestra, to great critical acclaim. In September 2002, he was appointed to his current post as Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Berliner Philharmoniker. Simon Rattle has made more than 70 recordings on various labels including Warner Classics, Deutsche Grammophon, and the orchestra’s new in house label, Berliner Philharmoniker recordings—many of which have won international awards. In 2007, Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker became the world’s first fine arts organization to be appointed as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, and in 2009, Rattle established the Zukunft@Bphil (Future@Berlin Phil) arts and education program, receiving the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany the same year. His accomplishments have also been honored with a number of other awards, including a Knighthood awarded by Queen Elizabeth II (1994), a Knighthood of the French Legion of Honor (2010) and the Order of Merit (2014).

Berliner Philharmoniker
(C) Stefan Höderath

Berliner Philharmoniker

Founded in May 1882, the Berliner Philharmoniker has been led by some of history’s greatest conductors, including Hans von Bülow, Arthur Nikisch, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert von Karajan, and Claudio Abbado. Sir Simon Rattle, the orchestra’s current Principal Conductor and Artistic Director, was appointed in the fall of 2002. It is based in the modern hall “Berliner Philharmonie” (completed in 1963) in Berlin, Germany. They had performed opera at the Salzburg Easter Festival since 1967 and at the Baden-Baden East Festival since 2013. They have also created a variety of educational programs for young and talented instrumentalists, such as the Karajan Academy, as well as their own in-house label Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings (2014), which engages in a broad range of activities and has sold a great number of CDs and DVDs. The fall of 2004 was the first time they performed in Japan with Sir Simon Rattle as the conductor, and they have since visited Japan in 2005, 2008, 2011, 2013, and 2016, always to great critical acclaim. The 2017 concert marks the 22nd time the Berliner Philharmoniker perform in Japan.