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http://blog.livedoor.jp/nishiokamasanori/archives/5028928.html
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You may not know that Beethoven's 9th symphony is one of
the annual events in the year end in Japan.
The reason is not known. But this tradition is now a part of
life in Japan in this month. Virtually all the orchestras in Japan
hold concerts of Beethoven's 9th symphony every December.
Western artists of classical music are aften surprised that
Beethoven's 9th symphony is performed in thus many concerts
in this country of Far East.
I am one who esteems this tradition. Since young years,
I have gone to concerts of Beethoven's 9th symphony in December
as Japanese do. This year is not exceptional, of course.
On the 26th of December, I went to a concert of Tokyo
Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra to listen Beethoven's 9th Symphony.
↓
http://www.tmso.or.jp/
This year, the conductor was Mr.Golo Berg, a German conductor.
Reading the pamphlet at the concert, I learnt Maestro Berg, the conductor,
was born in 1968 in Weimar. meaning he was born and grown up in the
former East Germany.
Being born in 1968 means that he was 21 years old when the Berlin Wall
collapsed. Looking at his figure in front of the Japanese orchestra, I wondered
what he, Maestro Berg, witnessed and thought when the Berlin Wall fell down.
This year(2009) marks the 20th anniversary of the collapse of the Berlin
Wall. So, I wondered the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra(TMSO), which
I love very much, might have chosen this conductor as their conductor for the
honarable year-end concert of Beethoven's 9th symphony for his being born
in former East Germany. The pamphlet I got at the concert in Suntory Hall,
however, did not mention such story. ----So, it might be a mere coincidence.
I listened the 9th symphony from my seat where I can see the
conductor from the fornt. Then, the music came to the 4th movement.
When their performance came to the early part of the 4th movement,
which is the quiet part of the well-known melody for strings only,
before the tenor begins to sing, I thought about the musicians who
performed Beethoven's 9th symphony for the first in Japan.
They were Germans, as well as the conductor conducting the orchestra
in front of me. They were Germans and they were POWs of the 1st
World War. They surrendered to the Japanese in Tsintao and came to
Japanese camp in Shikoku, Bantoh as POWs. They were treated very
warmly there and they had deep warm relationship with the Japanese
officers and local Japanese living around their camp. ----It was June 1,
1918 in Bandoh camp in Shikoku that they performed Beethoven's 9th
symphony as the first performance in Japan.
(About this amazing history (in German))
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kriegsgefangenenlager_Band%C5%8D
(About this amazing history(in Japanese))
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%BF%E6%9D%B1%E4%BF%98%E8%99%9C%E5%8F%8E%E5%AE%B9%E6%89%80
So, when the war(World War I) ended, those German POWs played
Beethoven's 9th symphony in front of the Japanese who took care of
them. (They did not have female singers but they could manage to
perform this great symphony since they brought many insturments from
their country reflecting their cultural level then.) I was reminded of those
German POWs at the beautiful quiet part of the early 4th movement.
This is as usual. I recall and think of those POWs whenever the orchetra
comes to the part. It is the quiet part just before the part tenor begins
to sing ″O Freunde(Oh Friends)″ that I recall about them. Whenever I hear
the part, I wonder what was on their mind when they performed Beethoven's
9th symphony in far Japan as POWs, while they were aware their homeland
was defeated and destroyed. Nobody knows what was on their mind then,
when they performed this symphony for the first time in Japan about
91 years ago.
Listening the part of the 4th symphony, I wondered whether or not
Maestro Berg, who was conducting the Japanese orchestra in front of me,
is aware of the history this symphony had been performed first in Japan
by the German POWs 91 ago, and then believed that there is no reason
to doubt he knows this history.
Moreover, I thought he might be able to share the sentiment of those
POWs more better than conductors from former West-Germany or Austria,
since he is an artist born in East Germany.
I am not saying former East Germany is mimic of the German Empire
of those POWs. Far from it, I am quite aware that former East Germany
had been hated by East Geramans as well as by West Germans.----
East Germany was, as every one knows, a communist state which was
only a little human than North Korea.----I am quite aware Maestro Berg
is never an exception in his attitude towards former East Germany.
I, howver, thought Maestro Berg must share the same experience with
those German POWs in his experience of witnessing a collapse of a state
which is so drastic and incredible in his own life.
Then I thought about the German POWs again and wondered what
emotion a European person, I dare say not a German but a European,
think about Europe when they heard this symphony----Beethoven's 9th
symphony here in Japan. I believed that Maestro Berg must have shared
the same experience with those German POWs when he performed the
9th symphony here in Japan that he had strong awareness of his being
a European by doing so.
This notion made me wonder how my European friends are now
in their countries.
It seeme I share a bit of the sentiment of those German POWs must
have had about their dear people in Europe, when I listen the 9th
symphony in December.
Dec 28th, 2009
NISHIOKA Masanori, MD.
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