January the 30th, 2022
Traveling has been an essential part of my life.
A message from my friend, Akane Sakai, woke me up from my quiet semi-hibernation life. It said, “Martha,
Gidon and Mischa are going to perform in Paris next week.”I thought, “Let’s go!”
The tickets were of course sold out. I don’t usually check concert info in Brussels, let alone Paris! As a result, I had to accept the fact that I was not able to get the tickets. So what was I to do now?I had some other concerns, too. I was not sure if traveling during Covid 19 was a good idea. I would hop onto an airplane without a thought if it were to Japan. So why the hesitation with Paris, located right next to Belgium? I was not so afraid of Omicron, but I wanted to avoid getting infected if possible. I also had to go to Maastricht the day after the concert as I was an examiner for a chamber music exam.
All these concerns made me feel unsure about going to Paris. And even if I did go, I still had to find a way of getting a ticket. I decided to play it by ear.
Then I got a message from Akane the day before the concert: “I secured our tickets!”
”Yeeees!!” I booked my hotel, Thalys, and trains. Since I was worried about Covid, I wanted to book a Thalys in off-peak hours, but even first class was full. It took just under one hour from Brussels to Paris. I had got fully vaccinated for the convenience of having a vaccine passport, but no one inspected it at the border when I arrived in Paris.It had been four years since my last trip to Paris. Looking up at the sunny sky when I arrived at Gare du Nord, I thought to my late sister, “Monta, I am in Paris!” My late sister, Momoko (Monta is her nickname), had been to Paris from time to time to visit her friends when she studied in Salzburg.
Paris looked like an amusement park to me. I guess I was so excited that it felt like “spring”, even when I took a Metro. After checking in at the hotel, I went out for a lunch. Though this unexpectedly sunny weather tempted me to go to the Orsay Museum to see “La Fée Electricité” by Raoul Dufy, I decided to stay quiet in my hotel room until the concert. I wasn’t going to be performing that night, but did not want to overtire myself before listening to their music all the same.
Looking up at the full moon, I arrived early at the Philharmonie and entered the hall after showing my vaccine passport. I was so excited just to see all the people coming in one after another. I was seated in a VIP seat, and waited for the music to start. The seats gradually filled up, the white noise echoing louder and louder in the hall. I was impressed with the intense energy that French people put into chatting, even through their face masks. It was as if you would lose something important if you didn’t join the conversation, as if your existence depended on it.I immersed myself in the noise, and began to think that my afternoon rest had been essential.
Finally, the whole audience was seated about ten minutes after the performance started.
Mischa and Martha opened the night with Beethoven’s Cello Sonata No.2. This piece brought me lots of
memories! It was a bit difficult to hear the cello’s sound, perhaps because of the structure of the venue. But Martha exercised her signature magic and amazingly adjusted the balance between the two instruments. Then Gidon played Weinberg’s sonata. This Polish composer’s music always brings spring to the venue. It was so relaxing, a perfect tune after the intensity of the Beethoven! Gidon’s sound reached out to all the corners of the hall. Later in the programme, Gidon played a Serenade by Silvestrov, in order to share his dee concerns over the current political crisis in Ukraine. I had met Silvestrov before, and wondered what he was doing at this moment. Gidon’s solo resonated well with the audience, even when he played in pianissimo. The last piece of the night was Shostakovich Piano Trio No. 2. I thought the programme was organised in a very effective way. I had an opportunity to play with Mischa and Martha a few years ago when I held a Fukko concert in Brussels, and it has been almost 40 years since I met Mischa and Gidon. We spent time together in Lockenhaus and in Brussels after Mischa moved there. We became good family friends, including our children. I had known Martha for a while, but it took some time for me to get closer with her. Martha had also lived in Brussels once, and that was the time we became so close that we would occasionally keep talking through the night until dawn. Gitlis was there too. They are all globally acclaimed musicians yet so friendly – I could be myself, at ease in front of them. How fortunate I have been to know them in my life!
Initially I thought that the Covid restrictions would not allow me to visit the three of them in their dressing rooms. I luckily saw their manager, Jaque Thelen, and followed him. I saw Martha. She asked me, “How was it?” I saw Gidon and told him, “Sorry for not replying to your email. Let’s have breakfast together.” I also saw Mischa, and we laughed at his nonstop jokes together. Every one of them had different issues, but they hadn’t changed. I talked with Martha about my sister’s passing, Nelson’s passing…Martha said, “No matter what happens, we have to look ahead and keep happily living our lives.”
Then the morning came. I had been too excited to sleep well. I also had to think about so many issues, such as Kremerata being invited to Russia next month. The invitation came, but should they go? Ongoing issues, such as Omicron and the escalating political tension between the US and Russia, stand in front of Gidon. The degree of the challenges facing him was beyond my imagination. We had a talk – he had to make this difficult decision the next day. Gidon is coming to Sendai as a judge for the Sendai International Music Competition, which will already involve a lot of work. We talked about Seitai. “So what else are you doing these days?” Gidon asked. I told him about my Bach solo recital, and he started showing more interest. I told him about my upcoming concert with Valery Afanassiev.
Gidon said, “I seldom listen to my own recordings, but I did listen to my Brahms with Valery that we recorded during the lockdown. I am grateful that I did that.” We talked endlessly about music competitions, masterclasses and more. Gidon said, “I think good music used to be more generously accepted. There was always room to enjoy experiment and allow for some errors here and there. But now it has to be perfect.” I said, “A concert program is equivalent to a menu in a restaurant. It was a fantastic program last night.”
Then, Gidon smiled and said, “If servants are good, it is better.”
I couldn’t agree with him more when he positioned his role on stage as a servant.
These three musicians have been running ahead of me.
I am truly delighted with this truth.
My essential travel continued.
I went to Maastricht after Paris. The following day I would be examining a chamber music exam.
I arrived at a hotel there and fell asleep in the early evening.
This was also an “essential” part of my life.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
From Maastricht, on Jan. 21, 2022