Welcoming Martha Argerich and Kyoko Ito

On May 10, we were able to welcome two guests to Mita and hold a small concert. The following is a report on that event.

I don't remember exactly when it was that Juro Iwatani, a Vice-President I work with, asked me, "Ms. Argerich might be coming; could you help us out?" Of course, I accepted immediately, but frankly, my first thought was, "Martha Argerich? She is a tremendous superstar, but is such a thing really possible? And if it is, in what form?" From there, Project Argerich was launched. Within Keio, the Office of Communications and Public Relations, as well as the Keio University Art Center (KUAC) as a related department, provided full support to bring this event to fruition.

We discussed the content of the concert many times. With the cooperation of Kyoko Ito, the de facto head of the Argerich Arts Foundation (of which Ms. Argerich is the President), various possibilities such as solo, duo, and chamber music emerged and were considered. Ms. Ito actually came to try out the pianos on the Mita Campus, and it was finally decided to hold the event in the West School Building Hall. A Shigeru Kawai piano was brought in for the performance. This venue has previously hosted pianists such as the late Hiroko Nakamura and Izumi Tateno. Since it is not a dedicated music hall, it is a difficult location from the perspective of stage management, but thanks to the efforts of those involved, problems were resolved on a practical level at the site, including on the day of the event.

This event was closed to the public, intended for Keio students, faculty, staff, Trustees, and Councilors. As we had anticipated from the beginning, as soon as online registration opened, it filled up in the blink of an eye, and the allotted number of seats reached full capacity.

I am not sure if it is worth spending many words on Ms. Argerich at this point, but here is a brief introduction.

Born in Buenos Aires, her contemporaries include pianists such as Gerber and Barenboim. Since these individuals come from places geographically distant from Europe, it is often discussed whether there is some systematic reason why these talents appeared in a group. Ms. Argerich studied in Vienna and won first prize at the International Chopin Piano Competition in 1965. Her subsequent achievements go without saying. In recent years, she is also well known for her involvement in chamber music.

What should one say about her piano playing? What is often pointed out is her unique pianism, embodied by her powerful technique and wide range of dynamics. That is certainly correct. In front of her, it feels as if technical difficulties simply vanish into thin air. One perceives the difficulties as if they never existed in the first place.

Personally, for me, Ms. Argerich—alongside Pollini and Ashkenazy—feels like a shining star, an existence that is almost too dazzling. In terms of chronological age, these individuals should be considered elderly, but to me, they remain forever young, shining stars. This is likely because the image I had when I first encountered them persists.

Her duo partner, Ms. Ito, is one of Japan's leading pianists. After graduating from Tokyo University of the Arts, she went to Europe and won a prize at the Busoni International Piano Competition. Her work with the Argerich Foundation is widely known; at the music festival bearing Ms. Argerich's name, she not only invites Ms. Argerich but also features many performers, primarily young artists. This also functions as regional development for Oita and is attracting attention. She has a close friendship with Ms. Argerich, and this event would not have been possible without their intimate relationship. On the day of the event, she provided talk segments in addition to her performance.

The program for this occasion, which was announced shortly before the start, consisted of three pieces. The first piece of the second half was Ravel's "Jeux d'eau." The second piece was "Ma mère l'Oye" by the same composer, performed as a duo with Ms. Ito. It goes without saying that both were wonderful performances, but here I would like to mention the piece performed at the beginning: Bach's "English Suite No. 3 in G minor, Gavotte I-II (Musette) II."

The Bach, which began suddenly and without preamble, sounded very charming. The resonance in the middle section was particularly exceptional; the soft pedal was used, and the bass notes and inner voices, which are usually not emphasized, were clearly audible. It cannot be denied that this created a very unique effect. There are many pieces by Bach and Scarlatti that produce pianistic effects, but these are also aspects that are discovered by the pianist. I felt as if the characteristics of this Gavotte for the piano were discovered by her. It was Bach like a kaleidoscope. It was a performance where various lights, shadows, and colors could be felt, and combined with the impression of the two pieces in the second half, the diversity of tone must have left a strong impression on the audience. Looking back, the concert as a whole felt strongly Impressionistic, which may have been a successful strategy by the performers.

As I left the venue, I saw many familiar faces of faculty and staff. Every face was filled with emotion and satisfaction, and as someone who provided a little help in organizing the event, I finally felt a sense of relief.

I heard that the late Koichi Nomura, a Keio University graduate who was active in the field of music criticism, attempted to interview Ms. Argerich in the early stages. This represents an interaction with someone related to the Juku in a bygone era.

This project was organized by Keio University and co-organized by the Argerich Arts Foundation and the Organization for Promotion of Literacy and Culture. In holding the event, we also received the cooperation of Tomoko Machida, Executive Director of the Organization (a Keio University alumni). I would like to conclude by noting this and expressing my gratitude once again to all those involved.