今井先生の投稿「Artistry and craftsmanship」

今井先生が、演奏前に心境について、とても興味のある記事を投稿されていますので紹介します。

Artistry and craftsmanship.

Our viola was made with thought and fantasy that the maker owned before he carved out the beautiful scroll. The scroll tells its story as though it’s alive.

As an artist and musician, we too tell our personal story when we play. Before we perform, our mind already lives in the music before the first stroke starts. The mind is always one step ahead of the music. This makes it easier to start, and your surroundings are irrelevant. Nothing else exists: it’s just you and the composer.

A while ago I attended a concert of Vadim Repin at the Concertgebouw. The moment he walked onto the stage, I felt his intense focus on the concerto he was going to play. That carried me into his first note. His story started from the moment he appeared on the stage.

The two most important things in music making are you and the composer. The first note starts with commitment.

Nobuko 🎻

Photo credits: Kiyoko Van Bochove