Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, 21 May 2000

 

Yoichiro Omachi Series 'Vol.1'

 

Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall

 

Programme:

J.S.Bach: Toccata and Fuge in d-minor

Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major "Romantic"

 

Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Yoichiro Omachi (conductor)

Bryan Ashley (pipe organ)

 

This concert was the first of a series concentrating on the works of Anton Bruckner, all of which are scheduled to be conducted by Yoichiro Omachi, the Tokyo Philharmonic's full-time conductor returning to his post after a long period of teaching at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music (Geidai).

 

When Omachi mounted the podium he had a microphone as well as a baton, and he talked about his series and the composer, rather in the style of Leonard Bernstein in his famous American TV program 'The Young Person's Guide to Music'. He explained how the composer had imitated sounds from medieval Germany such as hunters horns, animals noises, peasant dances etc, and carefully integrated them into the symphony, demonstrating examples from the work.

 

Why Omachi didn't decide to begin the concert by simply playing the music was unclear, but the introduction did help us to enjoy the rather long and sometimes repetitious music. Omachi is one of the most popular conductors in Japan, not just because of his conducting but because of his educational activities, books and television appearances, and since it was a Sunday matinee concert the conductor's personality was the principal attraction.

 

Unfortunately once the audience became accustomed to the high level of amplification from the microphones, it became difficult for them to appreciate the delicate and subtle sounds coming from the orchestra. It might have worked more effectively if the programme were either for a TV program, or not given with the symphonies of Bruckner in their entirety.

 

At the beginning of the concert Bryan Ashley played Bach. Bruckner himself was a famous organist and played his works through his life. His music was strongly influenced by the great baroque composer. Playing Bach beforehand on the organ demonstrated to the audience how Bruckner attempted to bring the sound of this great instrument into the orchestration of his music.

 

The Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra played beautifully throughout the concert.

 

© Yasuhiro Miura, 17 July 2000