The orchestral timbre is interesting. Mahler's Symphony No. 9 in D major

The band members and participants will enjoy dancing to the music!
Mahler "Symphony No. 9 in D Major" Workshop

Homma Fumiko (Novelist, editor and writer)
Taira Tatehira (photo)

15-50? Unraveling the Mystery of Mahler

"15-50"
　Pointing to the numbers displayed on the screen, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra Communications Director Michael Spencer (hereafter referred to as Mike) looked around at the approximately 80 participants gathered at the venue and said with a smile:
Why this title this time?

　A music creation workshop was held at Sesion Suginami (Tokyo) on April 29, 2024. The 13th installment of the "Interesting Orchestral Style" series, which explains the pieces featured in the regular concerts from various angles, focused on Dastav Mahler's Symphony No. 9 in D major (760th Tokyo Regular Concert), which will be performed in May of the same year.
　The participants respond to the opening riddle: "50" is the age at which Mahler died, and Mike reveals that "15" is the age at which Mahler composed his first work.

Approximately 80 people, including orchestra members, participated in the workshop.

　As the curtain opened in a harmonious atmosphere, Mike likened the sonata form used in his debut work, "Piano Quartet Fragment in A Minor," to the "Socratic method of dialogue." As pianist Kei Ito played the first theme, violinist Karin Taketoshi developed the melody while offering "different suggestions." The sonata form, consisting of an introduction, exposition, development, recapitulation, and conclusion, certainly resembles the unfolding of a debate as it approaches its conclusion.

Let's all dance together: Ländler from the second movement of "No. 9"

　Next, the background of the "9th" will be explained, along with Mahler's life and the cultural context at the time it was composed, and the "9th" will be further explored and "experienced."
　I say "experience" because all the participants danced in a circle to the Ländler (a South German folk dance) that was incorporated into the second movement.
　To the tune of Ländler from the film "The Sound of Music," people who had never met before, including orchestra members, formed pairs, held hands, took steps, and performed somewhat complicated rotations. Any awkwardness quickly disappeared, and the participants and musicians became part of an ensemble. Before long, the venue was filled with laughter.
　The alternating Ländler and waltzes make this a movement that makes you want to dance. From now on, every time I listen to this piece, I'm sure this image will come back to my mind.

Orchestra members and participants dance Ländler

The band members had their workshop names, such as "Pon-kun (Iwa Mutsumi)" and "Toshi-kun (Tp. Onishi Toshiyuki)," hanging from their chests, creating a sense of familiarity! The venue was filled with smiles.

Listen carefully to the subtle "must-listen" points

　In the third movement, we heard a small march played by wind instruments following a complex fugue, and in the fourth movement, we listened closely to the high pianissimo notes at the end of a profoundly resonant violin solo. Mike himself has said from his own experience that this is "a part that players find frightening," but it is also beautiful, as if "time has stopped."
　By listening to the song carefully and unraveling it, the song came across in three dimensions, and I was able to experience the movements within the song more clearly, which was interesting!

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The orchestra's tiki is interesting.
Date: April 29, 2024 (Monday/Holiday) 14:4-16:30
Venue: Sesion Suginami Exhibition Room
Workshop Design: Michael Spencer (Communication Director, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra)
Translated by: Mikako Hori

Play:
Piano: Satoshi Ito
Japan Philharmonic Orchestra String Quartet
Violin: Karin Taketoshi, Shunichiro Sato Viola: Yumiko Nakagawa Cello: Tetsuya Osawa

Participating musicians: Daiki Tanizaki (violin), Tomoko Nakamizo (viola), Toshiyuki Onishi (trumpet), Kiwamu Hoshino (trumpet), Mutsumi Inami (alumna, former trombone)

Sound staff: Ishikawa Kiyotaka
Produced by: Japan Philharmonic Orchestra