English Blog

A Movie “Death in Venice” by Luchino Visconti/Thomas Mann 4/22/20 April 22, 2020

I saw this movie when I was young too. Based on a novel by Thomas Mann, this movie is often known as one of the best movies of Visconti. The story is not complicated. A terrified composer, Gustav Von Aschenbach (Dirk Bogarde), visits Venice to recover from his illness, both mentally and physically. He is […]

Home Alone and Music – Franz Schubert: Piano Sonata in A Major, D 664 Op. posth 120 4/15/20 April 15, 2020

I have been a great friend of “music” and “books” since my childhood. I love my human (!) friendship, but also I love solitude. I appreciate to my friends, books and music, especially in this quarantine period. I can entertain myself! I have been revisiting piano pieces I have learned before, and it is quite […]

2020 Easter Sunday April 12, 2020

Rise heart; thy Lord is risen. Sing his praise Without delays, Who takes thee by the hand, that thou likewise With him mayst rise: That, as his death calcined thee to dust, His life may make thee gold, and much more, just. Awake, my lute, and struggle for thy part With all thy art. The […]

Music in a Difficult Time. Brahms: Drei Intermezzi Op. 117 March 17, 2020

We suddenly live in a very difficult time. The things we had before are out of reach. Worries, concerns, anxieties… But it won’t be forever. We have to live through and will go back to a better time. After dealing with so many changes and making decisions (I am still doing it), I play music. […]

A Movie “Emma” 3/2/20 March 2, 2020

What a witty movie it is! Casting is fantastic. Emma is young, handsome, and clever from a rich family. She has everything. She lives in a small (not a lot happening!) town and she controls people’s mind. She thinks she is above everyone and all the boys should be attracted by her. she is so […]

A Movie “The Prado Museum: A Collection of Wonders” 1/14/20 February 10, 2020

I am sure every person in the audience wanted to go to Madrid after seeing this movie! The picture is beautiful and the narration is very nice. But the museum collection is so huge and the stories behind the museum is so much to observe and take in, and I was almost overwhelmed to watch […]

Musica Dei donum optimi (Music, God’s supreme gift) 2/9/20 February 9, 2020

Latin text                                                    English translation Musica Dei donum optimi                      Music, God’s supreme gift, trahit homines, trahit deos;         […]

Robert Schumann: Papillon OP. 2 1/29/2020 January 29, 2020

What a delight! I learned this piece when I was in a conservatory in Japan. It has been so long and I don’t know why, but suddenly I wanted to play it again. It will be in my program at a concert “Stories in Music” on Saturday February 15 in Pasadena, CA. Schumann’s music is […]

Prayer for New Year December 27, 2019

May God make your year a happy one! Not by shielding us from all sorrows and pain, But by strengthening us to bear it, as it comes; Not by making our path easy, But by making us sturdy to travel any path; Not by taking hardships from us, But by taking fear from our heart; […]

A Movie “Parasite” 12/27/19 December 27, 2019

“Parasite” is a 2019 South Korean black comedy/thriller/social justice movie. But most importantly it is very entertaining! It is about the two families, Park – typical rich and high-class family, and Kim – smart, but living in a horrible condition. With some coincidence those families are brought together and Kim family sees it as an […]