I really enjoyed this movie, almost reflecting myself when I was their age for hundred years (!) ago struggling to find my destination. Thousands of aspiring young dancers enter one of the world’s most prestigious ballet competitions, the Youth America Grand Prix, where lifelong dreams are at stake. There are several age categories, and each category offers amazing opportunities for selected young dancers. In the final round, with hundreds competing from all over the world, only a handful of elite scholarships and contracts are offered. Like music world (!) practice and discipline are paramount, and nothing short of perfection is expected. Bess Kargman, a director of this movie, follows six young dancers as they prepare for a chance to enter the world of professional ballet, struggling emotionally, near exhaustion and debilitating injuries, all while navigating the drama, and the family behind them. ”First Position” paints a thrilling and moving portrait of the most gifted young ballet stars. They really work hard for their dream!

A night after the exciting Green Umbrella Concert I visited Disney Hall for New York Philharmonic concert. I understand it is their first national tour with Alan Gilbert. I thought their tour program was well-made, Dvorak: Carnival, Op. 92, Lindberg: Piano Concerto No. 2 with Yefim Bronfman as a soloist, and Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4. The concert hall is like instruments in bigger scale. Even in the same space or on the same instrument individual players and group would sound entirely different. New York Philharmonic showed refined ensemble playing, and filled Disney Hall with full warm sound. Especially in Tchaikovsky wood-winds section played as if they were playing chamber music, tossing phrases from one instrument to the other with beautiful tone and united-ness. I was mesmerized. Also brass section from trumpet to tuba they sit in one row, and showed again as if they were playing brass ensemble. All together as a orchestra with amazing string sections they sounded really special to my ears. Lindberg Concerto has a super super virtuoso piano solo part! Of course Bronfman played it with his great technique and highly claimed his new music interpretation. I can’t think any other pianist can handle this kind of demand. He did Salonen’s piano concerto few years ago. In piano concerto Some passages reminded me Liszt’s music and demanding technique reminded me Prokofiev’s second piano concerto. I had another wonderful music evening at Disney Hall.

I went to LA Phil’s New Muisc Group ”Green Umbrella” last Tuesday 5/8, featuring 3 pieces Akiho: Alloy, Pereira: Concerto for Percussion and Chamber Orchestra, and Berio: Recital I (for Cathy). In Akiho “Foundry Steel Pan Ensemble”, a dozen percussionists ensemble, presented refined performance with amazing energy. Their performance reminded me Japanese Taiko groups. “Foundry Steel Pan Ensemble” plays by memory and it was as if choreographed.  They not only played with strong command and technique but also looked beautifully together. I look forward for Akiho’s future project and destination. Pereira’s piece was very colorful and imaginative in many sections. I thought it was interesting to use a solo percussion as a colorful instrument. The solo part never went to virtuoso (or showy?) playing. Also there were 2 more percussion players in the ensemble and they had big roles in the piece. In Berio Keira Duffy, soprano, did excellent job presenting different types of arts, classical singing in many different styles, acting, reciting poems, —-. There are not many singers who can handle this kind of demand. It was written for Berio’s wife/artistic partner, Cathy Berberian. Actually it was written after they got divorced (they kept inspiring relationship until her death). Recital I shows Berio’s creative mind and fun spirit. I loved this work!!! Without Berberian in Berio’s mind I am sure this work could not be produced. I don’t go to every Green Umbrella concert, but it was one of the best ones I remember.

Our duo, The Belrose Duo, David, my husband, on cello, and I on piano, played all Russian program “From Russia With Love” last Saturday in Pasadena. I am so grateful that there are many many amazing works for cello and piano, and we have been enjoying performing together on those works for almost 20 years. The program consisted Rachmaninov: Sonata, Prokofiev: Sonata, Tchaikovsky:Pezzo Capriccioso, and Kapustin: Nearly Waltz. I would assume we performed Rachmaninov for 30 times?? It is always my favorite piece to play. This was written around the time Rachmaninov composed his all time favorite Piano Concerto No. 2 after he recovered from his depression. He combined the best from each instrument. Cello sings his baritone voice, and piano plays flashy passages. I still use the music, but I usually play by ear. I know all of cellos parts. I just love playing this piece! Contrast to Rachmaninov Prokofiev is a character piece. It is really fun to play. Kapustin is our new repertoire. After I performed Kapustin’s Toccata for piano I wanted to play more pieces by him. It is a well-written jazz piece. Great Russian tradition on piano playing is seen in all of those pieces, and Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, and Kapustin are exceptional pianists. The program is very satisfying for me, and I was happy how I played! This program will continue for 3 more occasions this summer!

I went to the concert last Saturday 5/5 after our recital in Pasadena. Of course I can’t miss this opportunity, LA Phil with Sir Simon Rattle, and Ligeti, Wagner, Bruckner, and Mahler joined by his wife, mezzo-soprano, Magdalena Kozena. It was an amazing night with just great music making. It is so interesting that the same orchestra sounds so different under the different conductors. Under Sir Rattle LA Phil created so many layers of tone color, energy, expression, togetherness—-. The audience was very moved by the power of music in Bruckner. It is a gigantic work, but it was cohesive and beautiful. Sir Rattle was conducting by memory and nothing was unnatural. We were drowned into the world of Bruckner. It was the best Bruckner I ever heard. In Mahler Kozena showed exceptional depth in expression and interpretation. Her voice is so pure, but has power to ring though the big hall. Somehow it was one of the noisiest audience I ever heard, coughing loudly here and there, dropping things here and there—. But anyway it was a memorable night of Sir Rattle and LA Phil collaboration.

The Deep Blue Sea is an exquisite, nuanced and romantic tragedy, adapted from a 1950’s play by Terence Rattigan. The director is Terence Davies, and Rachel Weisz is Hester Collyer, the wife of an upper-class judge (Simon Russell Beale) and a free and creative mind trapped in a passionless marriage. She met with Freddie Page (Tom Hiddleston), a troubled but charming former Royal Air Force, and she entered in turmoil relationship with him. She knew he will never love her the way she loves him. Her deeply vulnerable performance is touching and moving. The photography is beautiful, and the text is clever and almost like a poem. Samuel Barber’s majestic Violin concerto is heard throughout the movie, and it reflects the emotion of Hester. I always love Rachel Weisz’s movie, and The Deep Blue Sea is not exception.

I love lieder, especially Schubert and Schumann. I was lucky to be introduced those great songs when I was in the Performing Arts High School in Japan. As piano major we needed to take Accompaniment Class, and we played many different songs and our teacher sang with us. Last 20 years I collaborated with many singers. Eschenbach and Goerne created amazing Schubert world in Disney Hall on Wednesday 4/18/12. Goerne wove text with his rich and smooth voice, and Eschenbach provided transparent and thoughtful tone for Winterreise. 2 musicians seemed as if they were at Eschenbach’s music room playing each other. Schubertiad?? I have strong respect for Eschenbach’s chamber music. I have an interesting anecdote related to Eschenbach. When I was living in Houston, TX, I had a piano trio group, including 2 musicians from Houston Symphony where Eschenbach was a music director, my husband, cello, and our friend, violin. We asked Eschenback to name our piano trio. He took first part of names from us, and named “Ga-Shi-Ga”! We played together until we left Houston. We are in LA and she is in Cleveland.

I had a wonderful performance with Michele Zukovsky, clarinet, and David Garrett, cello (my husband) on Tuesday 4/3. We played Brahms Clarinet trio, Op. 114 which is a great example of lyricism in Brahms late works. After this trio Brahms wrote my favorite piano works, Op. 116 (Phantasien – a set of 7 pieces, Capriccios and Intermezzos), Op. 117 (Drei Intermezzi), Op. 118 (Klavierstucke – a set of 6 pieces, Intermezzos, Ballade and Romanze), and Op. 119 (Klavierstucke – a set of 4 pieces, Intermezzos and Rhapsody).

This trio starts with a beautiful cello melody, then clarinet takes over. Two instruments are in the state of love, and piano joins. Michele is an amazing musician, and made me completely feel free to play. There was no limit. Of course I play with David very often, two of us or with more people, and I always have a great fun to play with him. I look forward to playing with Michele in near future, maybe Glinka: Trio Pathetic–??

It is an amazing movie!! It was again one of Laemmle’s Sneak Preview at Playhouse 7 in Pasadena. This theater is my FAVORITE!! The director/co-writer/a lead actor is Christopher Guest, and he does very creative, imaginative, funny, charming, and skillful work on this movie. I don’t know why this movie has not been popular—-. All of actors/actresses are impressive. Christopher Guest (Corky St. Claire) came to a small town of Blaine, Missouri, to create a musical stage at town’s high school gym celebrating their sesquicentennial. The title of the musical is “Red, White, and Blaine”!! The movie moves from the audition to choose cast from the community to process of rehearsals and a performance, and we can’t stop laughing!! The actors and actresses are very skillful to act dumb/unsophisticated  characters. Instantly I became a huge fan of Corky!! It is a small town parody in very sophisticated acting. I learned later that the actors and actresses improvised most of time during filming (in Texas). I hope we can see this great movie on DVD. Strong recommendation!!!

I had never heard clarinet like Martin Frost plays, technically and artistically. He is a real genius. Frost makes clarinet a big universe. His beautiful, singing and smooth line, powerful forte without harshly, amazing fingers, imagination and artistry—. I heard he practices 8 hours/day with great focus, and plays about 150 concerts a year. Frost received a grant from Borletti Buitoni Trust in 2003 to develop his musicianship, and commissioned Aho to write a concerto for him. With a great collaboration between Frost, he showed the composer clarinet’s extended contemporary technique, and Aho this concerto was done in 2005. Then the following year Frost premiered it in Londan with the conductor, Osmo Vanska, whom he played in LA as well. The concerto is a dramatic and imaginative work. Of course Frost makes this work in a highest level. At last I studied at Rice University for my DMA degree in the studio of Mr. John Perry with his brother, Johan, who is an amzing pianist as well! After the concert I went to the backstage of Disney Hall to rehearse with another great clarinet player, Michele Zukovsky, and my husband, David, for our Brahms Clarinet Trio for up-coming chamber music concert at Disney Hall on 4/3. It was a great clarinet day!