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[Almost sold out! ] “Ninth & Destiny” and “Christmas Special Classics” by the National Orchestra of Ukraine will be held soon!
An interview with Keiichi Shimizu, conductor of the Jinyukai Choir, about the charm of the year-end tradition “Ninth” is released. ……
Despite the difficult circumstances, the Ukrainian National Opera Orchestra will come to Japan with a strong desire to remain as artists and performers, and will present a moving special music festival for Christmas with overwhelming sounds that will move the soul. We will deliver a special concert entrusted to you.
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“Christmas Special Classics” to listen to at Christmas
Traditional repertoire that has been passed down over many years and famous songs that are a must-hear for this season are appearing one after another.
A big concert will be held for the first time in four years, filled with “overflowing music” and “emotions that spring up,” featuring a large orchestra that fills the stage, a large choir, and four famous singers.
As we enter the Christmas season and the end of the year approaches, I want to listen to Handel’s “Messiah”, the gentle resounding “Ave Maria”, and Beethoven’s “Ninth”. All of these songs are standard songs for December, but especially “Hallelujah Chorus” and “Ode to Joy” have many people thinking, “I want to hear that melody right away!” Please enjoy the “special day” where you can listen to these all at once and make your greedy wishes come true.
“Ninth & Destiny” is overwhelming hope for tomorrow and the power of music. Is there any symphony that can make you feel the power of music as much as Beethoven’s “Ninth”? This is Beethoven’s masterpiece, which gives us strength and hope for tomorrow. Also, this time, the famous song “Fate” will be played, about a person who is in despair due to an ear disease but tries to bravely face his fate. Don’t miss out on this special concert, where you can experience the excitement that you would never encounter in everyday life, presented by the Orchestra of the State Opera of Ukraine.
What is the charm of the year-end tradition “Ninth”? Interview with Shinyukai Choir Conductor: Keiichi Shimizu
The Jinyukai Chorus will perform as a chorus in the “Christmas Special Classics” and “Ninth & Destiny” performed by the Orchestra of the National Opera House of Ukraine in December. The person who brings the members together is choral conductor Keiichi Shimizu. A choral conductor is an important person who conducts the choir’s music rehearsals in advance, and Mr. Shimizu is an excellent instructor who is also known as the “chorus magician” who brings out the best sound in any choir. I am a person. As the performance draws closer and rehearsals become more intense, we asked Mr. Shimizu about the highlights and charms of “The Ninth” and about the Orchestra of the Ukrainian National Opera House.
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With Mykola Djajula, conductor of the Ukrainian National Opera Orchestra Q. This is the fourth time this year we will be collaborating with the Orchestra of the National Opera House of Ukraine, and the conductor, Mr. Jajura, also feels that the morale of the members of the Jinyuu Choir is high and there is a good atmosphere, and he always looks forward to performing together. I am. What is your impression of the Ukrainian National Opera Orchestra? In the Ukrainian National Opera Orchestra, I feel that each individual member is excellent in his or her own way, and then they combine those strengths. Mr. Jajula’s conducting is easy to understand because the musicality is clear. There is also the current situation in Ukraine, and we do not know to what extent we actually understand the people of Ukraine. However, I’m sure everyone wants to think about the Ukrainian people as much as possible and sing with all their heart. Q. Please tell us about the highlights and charm of “Ninth”. “Ninth” has Beethoven’s strong message in the first to third movements, making it a very fulfilling piece. However, when a human voice is uttered for the first time in the fourth movement, it is more moving than any previous music. Songs usually have lyrics. “Ninth” is a poem by Schiller. The lines “everything on earth will become brothers” and “in the love of God” are very wonderful, and I think they resonate especially in times like this.
[Video 2: https://prtimes.jp/api/movieim.php?url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=77ZFNBT8T8U] Q. What is the difficult part about singing the “Ninth” chorus? Skill is required because you have to produce sounds that range from higher to lower than normal and you have to hold your breath for a long time. Bass also sings in a lower range, and sopranos also sing in a higher range. On the other hand, in the double fugue used for “Theme of Joy,” she freely moves into the high notes of the bass and the low notes of the soprano. It’s a difficult part, but I think that’s what makes it so great. Q. What are the characteristics of the Jinyukai Choir? The atmosphere is homely and bright. I think it’s great that when you put them together, they instantly become one. There are people in their 20s to over 40s, and they are of different ages and years of experience, so it’s difficult to summarize them all, but I think it’s interesting because each person has a different color scheme. I teach students not only to create a sense of unity, but also to bring out their individuality. During the actual performance, there may be times when the music is different from the rehearsal, but I’m sure the singing members are more sensitive to this than I am and are able to respond flexibly. I always listen to the performance while watching the performance saying, “Go for it!” and “The conductor is telling me what he wants to do, so follow him!”
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Chorus conductor: Keiichi Shimizu Graduated from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University. Studied conducting with Masako Endo and V.Feldbrill, and choral conducting with Susumu Sekiya. He has served as a judge for music festivals, composition competitions, and choral competitions both domestically and internationally. His books include “Choral Teaching Techniques” and “The Life of a Choral Conductor – The “Occasionally Beautiful Views” I Have Seen”. Currently, he is a director of the All Japan Choral Federation and the JCDA Japan Choral Directors Association, and a lecturer at the Tokyo University of the Arts Music High School.
[Some dates are almost sold out] Performance schedule of “The Ninth & Destiny” and “Christmas Special Classics” by the Orchestra of the National Opera of Ukraine
▼Click here for information on the “Ukrainian State Opera Orchestra” performance in Japan
[Christmas Special Classics ~Ukrainian National Opera Orchestra~] https://www.koransha.com/orch_chamber/Xmas_specla/
■Performance schedule
Saturday, December 23, 2023, 13:00 Start Tokyo International Forum Hall A [Ninth & Destiny ~Ukrainian National Opera Orchestra~]
https://www.koransha.com/orch_chamber/daiku/
■Performance schedule
December 28, 2023 (Thursday) 14:00 Start Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall Large Hall December 29, 2023 (Friday) 14:00 start Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall Saturday, December 30, 2023, 14:00 start Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall More details about this release:
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000047.000014480.html