Meguro UNESCO Peace Concert 2009 “Mari Kumamoto Piano Recital”
Sponsored by Meguro UNESCO Association
Co-sponsored by Meguro Board of Education,
Meguro Foundation of Art and Culture
November 7(Sat.), 2009 14:00- / Meguro Persimmon Main Hall
Ms. Mari Kumamoto, a pianist, is well known on TV as a versatile artist. In this concert, she won a very favorable reaction from the audience with her enjoyable talks and marvelous piano performances.
In the first half of the concert, she played masterpieces of Romantic composers such as Chopin, Schuman and Brahms. Each of them was a musical piece which everyone had heard at least once in their lives. Between the performances, with a microphone in her hand, she talked about various episodes such as her experiences at the Chopin Museum on the island of Majorca in her childhood days, relationships between Schuman and Brahms, etc. The musicians’ inside stories always draw people’s curiosity. Because of the good tempo of her talks combined with her piano performances, a wonderful time enjoying the eight pieces passed so quickly.
In the second half of the concert, she played some numbers by composers of Spain, which she calls her second home country. The lineup of exotic and enthusiastic pieces was from her most favorite works by Mompou, Rodrigo, etc. When she played “The Beautiful Blue Danube” arranged for piano, which was so gorgeous yet rarely heard, it overwhelmed the audience in the hall! For an encore, “Ritual Fire Dance” composed by Falla was played as is usual at her concerts. Introducing it as a “torment for a piano tuner”, drew smiles from the audience.
The peace concert this year was planned to be enjoyed by a broader range of people, from young to old, as well as those who had little chance to hear classical music. Because of Mari’s speedy talks and performance, the beautiful time seemed to pass so quickly. ---Music crosses national borders and reaches to people’s hearts. Everywhere on earth, each place has its music which makes us feel happy and peaceful. --- Those are the words by Mari. Now, her thoughts for music reached to people’s minds as “A Message of Peace and Culture to the Next Generation”.
After the concert, Mari, who is also a professor at Osaka University of Arts, held a public lesson on the stage. Three young artists - elementary school, high school, and college students - were fortunate to receive her lessons. In spite of the limited time, her instructions covered important points, and we saw her other face as an educator. It was a very interesting and valuable moment even for the audience, too.
Program
Liszt: “Dream of Love”, Bizet: from “Carmen”, Granados: “Spanish Dance”, Debussy: “Moonlight”, and others.
-written by Takako Hayashi and translated by Keiko Matsuura
