Junichi Hirokami [Friend of the JPO (Artistic Advisor)] Conductor Interview for the 772nd Tokyo Subscription Concert
Interview with Junichi Hirokami
Japan Philharmonic Orchestra: Towards the 772nd Tokyo Regular Concert
Listener: Yudai Yamano
[The hugely popular "Jupiter" series has been re-examined to bring out the charm of "Planets"!]
At the Tokyo Regular Concert in July, you will enjoy the highly popular suite "The Planets" by the British composer Holst. This unique masterpiece depicts the astrological images of the seven planets in our solar system - Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune - through the spectacular sound of a large orchestra.
I have conducted this piece several times, and it is truly a wonderful piece. I hope everyone will enjoy the magnificent sound produced by the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra at Suntory Hall.
--The fourth song, "Jupiter," in particular, has been widely adopted and arranged into a pop song with lyrics, including Ayaka Hirahara's hit song "Jupiter."
Everyone knows this "Jupiter," but for this performance I want to go back to my roots and create it again. As with the first piece, "Mars," I want to clean up all the tarnished parts that have become so well-known, and bring out the most important core elements, so that the audience can enjoy the orchestral sound.
Also, this time, in addition to flashy songs like "Mars" and "Jupiter," I would like to highlight more subdued songs like "Saturn."
--Saturn has the subtitle "Bringer of Old Age," which comes from the astrological characterization of Saturn. The heavy image I had when listening to this song when I was younger, but as I approach old age, I can hear more of the deep, weighty essence of "sophistication" and "dignity" that only older people can appreciate... Perhaps the impression of this piece changes depending on the listener's age.
I think that's true! I think there will always be fresh discoveries to be made in this work, and I hope that the audience will be able to sense that as well.
Also, the final piece, "Neptune," doesn't end with a bang. The entire suite ends quietly and mysteriously, which expresses the mysteries of the universe and allows us to reflect on the foolish things we humans do on Earth. Some people might say, "There's no need to think of it that big," but I think Holst had a big image in mind. There was constant war in those days [the first "Mars" was composed just before the outbreak of World War I], and considering all the other background factors, I feel there was a certain "inevitability" behind the creation of this piece.
[A gorgeous and spectacular sound! - The vast cosmic fantasy depicted by "Planet"]
--The orchestra for "The Planets" is very large, and the organ resonates with incredible force. Each wind instrument has four instruments, more than double the number in Mozart's time, and the instruments range from high to low. Rare instruments that are rarely used, such as the bass flute and bass oboe, are also used to create a very colorful and powerful sound.
The composer Gustav Holst [1874-1934] was a master of orchestration. Like my teacher, Atsutada Otaka [1944-2021/composer], Holst was also a master teacher. He left behind many exemplary works, not only for orchestras but also for wind instruments. Among these, "The Planets" was an incredible challenge, as it explored how to express the vastness of the universe through the experimental use of various instruments, using analog instruments.
--At the same time as Holst, in the early 20th century, many composers were active who made full use of large orchestras, such as Richard Strauss, whose "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" was heard at the Japan Philharmonic's Tokyo regular concert in March.
Professor Holst must have studied the music of these Central European composers, so he must have been influenced by them. Even before Holst, Elgar (1857-1934) was writing major pieces with the determination to do something in England, so I think that also had something to do with the British national character.
--In the final piece, "Neptune - The Mystic," the female chorus sings a vocalise without lyrics quietly, with several voice parts overlapping and resonating with each other, against the backdrop of the softest orchestral volume, creating a mysterious sound, which is also very beautiful.
It's difficult because the chorus has to create a cosmic sound. The score specifies that the singers should sing from backstage so that the sound resonates far away, but this time we'll have them sing from the back of the stage at Suntory Hall, creating a fantastical sound as if their voices are descending from the heavens.
--The female chorus is made up of members from the Tokyo College of Music, where you are a professor. The Tokyo College of Music members also gave an impressive, deeply-sculpted chorus at the "Junichi Hirokami & Japan Philharmonic's Opera Journey Vol. 1: Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera" in April of this year.
Tokyo College of Music is the only music university that currently gives us the opportunity to perform with a professional orchestra. I can't express my gratitude enough. We have been performing with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra for nearly half a century, ever since the founding conductor, Professor Akio Watanabe, first appointed the Tokyo College of Music to perform in a choir. Shigeo Genda and I were enrolled in the Tokyo College of Music's conducting department in that very first year. As first-year students, he and I sang the Ninth Symphony with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Professor Akio.
--So that long and deep bond will continue to be woven into this "Planet" as well...
【Cosmic Prayer - Premiere of Satoshi Sato's new work, Bass Clarinet Concerto!
--And to accompany Holst's popular work, the Bass Clarinet Concerto [2017] by composer Satoshi Satoshi [1947-] will have its world premiere. ...Sato's music has what might be called a cosmic sensibility; sometimes I feel a cosmic abyss, such as the extremely long passage of time, the tension that permeates an eternal sound space, or the boundless depth of silence that unfolds behind the sound.
This piece was written for France Mousseau [the soloist who will be premiering this piece], but in fact, Mousseau's wife is a Japanese flutist and a friend I met when I was living in Amsterdam. She is also close friends with Mr. Sato, a composer. And there's another connection between us: when I won the Kirill Kondrashin International Competition for Young Conductors, Mousseau, who was still a child at the venue for the finals, is even featured in the video (laughs).
--There are many deep bonds between you all (laughs).
Yes. This Bass Clarinet Concerto, written for Mousseau, was scheduled to premiere much earlier, but the concert was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is finally being realized now. It is music that is unique to Mr. Sato, and is truly like a prayer.
--Looking at the score, the tempo is incredibly slow. The sense of time is extraordinary.
It cannot be conducted with ordinary sensibilities. The orchestration is limited to a solo bass clarinet, harp, and strings, providing a stark contrast to The Planets in the second half of the concert. These two works represent stillness and movement. Here, a prayer in silence... the solo bass clarinet seems to entrust the movement of his own soul to the instrument.
[Respect and awe for the mysteries of the universe - A prayer resonating from "Homage to Van Gogh"]
--This concerto is titled "Homage to Van Gogh," and according to Professor Sato's commentary, he finds and empathizes with the Dutch painter Van Gogh's paintings, where "scenes from this world and the next overlap," or where "light from different dimensions gently intersects," a feeling that people "have forgotten at some point."
I think Holst's Planets doesn't convey feelings of irrationality or absurdity, but rather captures reality through the stars. Holst captured the photograph with his camera, and Sato painted it. I think there's also a sense of something Eastern, something unresolved.
-- "The past, present and future are always intertwined, and one moment is eternal," Sato wrote in the text for the work. "The eternal universe exists in a single elementary particle. This secret is hidden in Van Gogh's paintings. I have always hoped that my music would be like that as well."
It's philosophical. I sense some Buddhist imagery in this concerto, but I also sense a reverence and awe for the mysteries of the universe... Rather than silence, I sense something like a prayer from the souls of all living things on Earth, and of the wars currently taking place in Ukraine and Gaza, the politicians who trample on human lives, and their sense of willingness to sacrifice other people's lives for their own sake... In our time, the energy of injustice and absurdity is gaining more and more power. I would like to dedicate this music to the present.
772th Tokyo Subscription Concert
July 11, 2025 (Friday) 19:00 Start (Doors open at 18:20)
July 12, 2025 (Sat) 14:00 Start (Doors open 13:10)
Suntory Hall
Conductor: Junichi Hirokami [Friend of the JPO (Artistic Advisor)]
Bass clarinet: France Mousseau
Female Choir: Tokyo College of Music
Satoshi Sato: Bass Clarinet Concerto [World Premiere]
Holst: Suite "The Planets", Op.32
S seat ¥8,500 A seat ¥7,000 B seat ¥6,000 C seat ¥5,000 P seat ¥4,500 Ys seat ¥2,000
