Report of the 10th anniversary of the formation of the string orchestra “Ishida-gumi” Budokan performance, where 8,300 audience members went wild Kyodo Medias Co., Ltd. Press release: November 11, 2024 Celebrating 10th anniversary since its formation, the string orchestra “Ishida-gumi” has arrived at the Budokan performance report, where 8,300 people went wild “Fire-breathing classical concert”
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mobilization, Nippon Budokan is by no means lacking in opponents. However, I wonder what kind of attire the Ishida group will be wearing waiting for us in the space of Budokan.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/2838/12949-2838-7dc3821419ba2ce61e5ef9a421954dca-1800×2700.jpg When you sit in the south stand, the stage spreads out in front of you. There were giant screens placed on the left and right, the Ishida-gumi logo inscribed by Takeda Soun in the background, and countless lights. Expectations quickly rose as the stage set up seemed to be a direct challenge to the Budokan box office. When the show starts, the electric lights go off and cheers go up. The performers (members) appeared in the purple light and began to sing the intro. “BATTLE WITHOUT HONOR OR HUMANITY” (Tomoyasu Hotei). As a halo shined in the center of the stage, Yasunao Ishida slowly appeared. All members are wearing sunglasses. I never thought she would sing and dance this much from the beginning! While I was stunned, the concert continued with a repertoire of 70’s hard rock, including “Stairway to Heaven” (Led Zeppelin) and “Stargazer” (Rainbow). Come to think of it, all of the bands featured on this day performed live at Budokan, with the exception of the U.K. band in the latter half. In “Stairway to Heaven,” the lighting effects create an atmosphere that feels like listening to a cantata in a church. Jimmy Page’s guitar solo is connected with solos by top players: Rei Tsujimoto (cello), Hironori Nakamura (viola), Soichi Sakuma (first violin), and Masaya Futami (second violin). Ishida-gumi is really good at highlighting each member through their music. In “Stargazer”, distortion and thick sound pressure reverberate through the PA. Following the Celtic-Middle Eastern trend, an exotic atmosphere filled the venue through classical numbers such as “Pavane for a Dead Princess” (Ravel), “Dance of the Fallas” (Fallha), and “Farandole” (Bizet). . “Farandole” reached its first peak on this day.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/2838/12949-2838-7588057cb850568e4dea4c754f1b7faa-3500×2333.jpg While listening to this classical part, I realized, belatedly, that the most important aspect of today’s concert was the acoustic settings. All members’ instruments are equipped with pickup
microphones, and Ishida-gumi’s performance has been carefully reconstructed to suit the vast space. Thanks to the sound staff’s careful operation, the sound of the bow scratching the strings, staccato and pizzicato, as well as Ishida’s breathing and counting voice, were delivered with a sense of realism while maintaining the naturalness of the stringed instruments. The first half ended with a series of queen numbers such as “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Born to Love You.” Among Ishida-gumi’s repertoire, including Freddie Mercury’s vocalizations, Queen’s songs have a particularly high degree of reproduction of the original songs, and you will fall in love with them. The lighting for “Born to Love You” made it look like it was recreating a Queen music video.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/2838/12949-2838-bcb7f53edf71eff789ae5715bff697a1-3500×2333.jpg In the second half, Piazzolla’s works were fully performed, including “Adios Nonino,” “Tangedia III,” and “Libertango.” Ishida has been highly acclaimed as a tango player through his collaborations with Kazuma Miura (bandoneon), but here he shows off his pride as a classical player, with his solo diction and ensemble. Contrary to the heated atmosphere of the venue, the stage was illuminated with pale, deep blue lighting reminiscent of a Takeshi Kitano movie, and the “God Father Medley” (Rota) began, led by Ishida’s melancholy solo. It was an undeniably great performance, and at the same time, it was a glimpse of Ishida’s admiration for being an outlaw. From here, the tension builds steadily towards the end of the main story. “Caesar Palace Blues” (U.K.), “Kashmir” (Led Zeppelin), and “Purple Flame” (Deep Purple). The stage direction also becomes sharper, as if in response to the performance. And then… in “Purple Flame”, flames rose everywhere. It was, of course, my first experience to listen to a fire-breathing classical concert. However, this work, performed on a blazing stage, had a stylistic beauty similar to Vivaldi’s concerto, which was perhaps close to what composer Ritchie Blackmore had planned, as he tried to fuse rock and classical music. Maybe. Just like the opening, the main story ended leaving me stunned.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/2838/12949-2838-0011a76f12c080003e524ac0246abd5c-3500×2333.jpg Although it was already past the scheduled end time, the extravagant encore began, just like every Ishida-gumi concert. First up is “In the Lavender Garden” by Hess. It’s a small piece with a very lovely melody, but the entire crew, including the leader, clearly returned to the stage with the excitement of Deep Purple, and the performance was quite charming. In “Galaxy Express 999” (Yukihide Takekawa), thousands of smartphone lights illuminated the Budokan, and before performing “Arigatou” (Ikimonogakari), Ishida changed into a T-shirt with “Thank you” printed on the chest. come out. The last encore was “Whatever” by Oasis, who finally reunited this year. Gold and silver tapes were released from the left and right cannons, and Ishida-gumi’s Budokan performance came to an end.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12949/2838/12949-2838-93d3e4bc99cf62aad6c4387c92b78bf7-1800×2700.jpg I wonder if some will say that this performance is too flashy for a classical concert. As I have written here, it was certainly a performance filled with fun that I would not normally experience. As the MC, viola player Masaki Ikuno spoke sincerely about how special this concert was. Classical performers rarely perform on such a spectacular stage. These concerts, directed by their own experts, are the norm for these artists, who have continued their history by playing music written on sheet music over and over again in accordance with stage manners that have been practiced over hundreds of years. There is no doubt that it was a different kind of celebratory space. However, the core Ishida group’s performance had the same sincere tone as usual. I remember what Ishida casually said to me before playing “Whatever”: “Everyone, please be careful when going home.” Just as the audience will return to their own lives starting tomorrow, the performers will also return to their orchestras and recital activities and continue performing in various locations. There may not be much excitement there, but the joy of listening to the live music that Ishida-gumi embodies is definitely alive and well. “Please be careful when you go home (and see you again).” On the big stage of Budokan, Ishida-gumi delivered their best performance as usual. And it was a wonderful night that lit up hope for the future of the musical world. Interview: Koichi Ozaki Photography: Hiroki Nishioka Ishida-gumi 2024-2025 schedule 2024 November 24th (Sunday) Hokkaido Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara (SOLD OUT) December 7th (Sat) Ibaraki Mito Civic Center Globis Hall Sunday, December 15th Kumamoto Prefectural Theater December 22nd (Sunday) Fukuoka Chikujo Town Cultural Hall Comare (SOLD OUT) 2025 (Ishida Gumi Concert Tour 2025) Sunday, January 26th Kagoshima Kawasho Hall (Kagoshima Civic Culture Hall) 2nd Hall February 16th (Sun) Tokyo Katsushika Symphony Hills Mozart Hall (SOLD OUT) March 20th (Thursday) Ishikawa Hokkoku Shimbun Akabane Hall April 12th (Sat) Osaka Lovely Hall (Kawachinagano City Cultural Hall) Large Hall Sunday, April 13th Hyogo Prefectural Arts and Culture Center April 27th (Sun) Saitama Tokorozawa Civic Cultural Center Muse Ark Hall April 29th (Tuesday holiday) Kanagawa Kamakura Art Museum Large Hall May 3rd (Sat) Fukushima Fukushin Dream Music Hall (Fukushima City Music Hall) Large Hall May 6th (Tuesday holiday) Kumamoto Yachiyoza May 25th (Sunday) Saitama Higashimatsuyama Civic Culture Center May 31st (Sat) Fukuoka Ishibashi Cultural Hall June 7th (Sat) Nagano Karuizawa Ohga Hall June 8th (Sun) Toyama Shinkawa Culture Hall June 21st (Sat) Kanagawa Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall June 22nd (Sun) Yamagata Yamagin Prefectural Hall (Yamagata Prefectural Cultural Arts Center) Large Hall July 13th (Sun) Mie Mie Prefectural Cultural Center August 10th (Sunday) and 16th (Saturday) Tokyo Suntory Hall Large Hall Sunday, August 17th Tochigi Utsunomiya City Cultural Hall August 22nd (Friday) Aichi Prefectural Arts Theater Concert Hall August 23rd (Saturday) Shiga Shiga Prefectural Arts Theater Biwako Hall Large Hall September 4th (Thursday) – 6th (Saturday) Nagano Yatsugatake Kogen Music Hall September 7th (Sunday) Tokyo Fuchunomori Arts Theater Vienna Hall September 15th (Monday holiday) Osaka Festival Hall October 3rd (Friday) Miyagi Tokyo Electron Hall Miyagi October 5th (Sunday) Ishikawa Ishikawa Prefectural Music Hall Concert Hall October 13th (Monday) Fukushima Shirakawa Cultural Exchange Center Komines Large Hall November 3rd (Monday holiday) Gifu Kani City Cultural Creation Center ala Wednesday, December 24th Kanagawa Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall *Scheduled to be published as of November 11, 2024. Official website: https://ishida-gumi.jp
