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Ongaku no Tomo, June 2005
" I can't believe it's been 10 years since I last played the Kreutzer Sonata. Yes, of course, I love Beethoven. But I do have to be honest and say I never quite felt comfortable with his music. When I was living in Germany, there were times when I worried that my performances were a bit shallow. But, recently, that has changed and now Beethoven doesn't seem so distant to me anymore."
Asako Urushihara's love for Beethoven's music did not come naturally. It was a true labor of love to learn how to play his music as she does now, as though she were simply "breathing it," comments the veteran violinist. Her love for Beethoven led to a meeting with pianist, Akiyoshi Sako, who shares her passion for the composer and is also famed for his performances of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas. It was artistic destiny that brought the two artists together. And now we are about to witness the musical chemistry of this duo in what could be billed as the ultimate all-Beethoven performance. Ms. Urushihara and Mr. Sako will be performing Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24 'Spring'; Sonata No. 8 in G major, Op. 30 No. 3; and Sonata No. 9 in A major, Op. 47 'Kreutzer'.
" In September of last year, I had the opportunity to perform with Mr. Sako in Osaka - something I had wanted to do for sometime. It wasn't a Beethoven concert however; we performed sonatas by Mozart, Schubert, Janacek, and Franck. It was a real joy to play. And again in March of this year, we performed together in Kobe which was another thrill for me." Ms. Urushihara expresses an intimate understanding of the music.
" Sonatas with titles are delightful to listen to, but they tend to be played in a whimsical fashion, don't you think? I don't want my performances to sound like that. I want to get past the title, so I spend a lot of time digging beneath the surface of the music until I am convinced I really understand the composer's true intent. This process takes time. It all comes down to rediscovering the music and finding yourself in it. I feel like I've finally arrived after years of searching but still, I'm only standing at the entrance to this wonderful world of Beethoven. And, believe me, an all Beethoven program is a prodigious undertaking; but I feel a concert like this is a rare opportunity to really appreciate all the rich and multifaceted subtleties that this composer has given us through his music."
And judging from her critics, it seems they would concur: "Ms. Urushihara's every turn of phrase, every nuance is rich and each note sings with life. Her ability to flow with the ever-changing moods of the music is a wonderful experience. Her performances are musical journeys."
Being a little impatient, I decided to temporarily forego ethical protocol to get a sneak preview of how the duo will be performing their long-anticipated program.
" I'm doing a look of new things with the first movement of the 'Spring' sonata in a very non obtrusive manner. The structure is very simple and there aren't a lot of notes. The music comes quite naturally and is fun to play. There are also solo moments interspersed here and there all within a very natural and tempered structure. And performing together with Mr. Sako makes it all seem so natural. There's so much more to the 'Kreutzer' sonata than just the tempo and dynamics. What I'd really like to do is get under the surface and bring out the inner qualities of Beethoven's expressive genius - in my own way, of course. I'd like to sense his inner strength in my playing as if it were natural, like breathing.
This year we have seen a lot of performances of Brahms concertos. And next year has been unofficially dubbed the "Year of Mozart." But (if I may be so bold as to interject my own unasked for opinion), perhaps, for Ms. Urushihara the 150th anniversary of the death of the German romanticist, Robert Schumann, is a much more significant historical marker. She is famed for her performances of the 3 Schumann violin sonatas and the Schumann violin concerto. But I digress. The long-anticipated performances of Beethoven's violin and piano sonatas by this incomparable artistic duo will be a veritable musical feast for the audience. I happily send them a bouquet of gratitude.
March 19, 2005 Sankei Shimbun
Violinist Asako Urushihara and Pianist Akiyoshi Sako
Present The Beethoven Spring and Kreutzer Sonatas
Ms. Urushihara, who has recently added a new dimension of spirituality to her musical interpretations, will bejoining Mr. Sako, known for his unorthodox insights, in a performance of Beethoven's Spring and Kreutzer Sonatas, as well as the Sonata No. 8.
The two artists gave their first duo performance last year in Osaka where they performed the Franck Sonata. Ms. Urushihara praised Mr. Sako's uncanny ability to internalize her interpretations and incorporate it into his performance. She says she doesn't have to explain what she wants out of the music, he just seems to already sense it or, as she puts it, "we feel the same way about the music." She further comments that, "Beethoven only spent a very small portion of his life writing violin sonatas, as opposed to the major part of his life writing piano sonatas. That's why I'm so jealous of pianists. But you know, to be honest, I thought it was a bit too early for me to be tackling his violin sonatas until I suddenly realized that if I waited for the right moment, I'd be waiting forever," she laughs.
The Spring Sonata is the most beautiful of the three. The melody is simple and elegant with just the right number of notes. The difficulty lies in expressing the individuality of the music, however. The Kreutzer Sonata is a work of enormous stature. And Sonata No. 8 is a masterful blend of two contrasting views. These three sonatas are distinctly different in nature and reflect the creative genius of Beethoven.
Ms. Urushihara has been creating somewhat of a sensation in recent years with her revival of the complete violin sonatas of Schumann and Brahms. And Mr. Sako has forged a name for himself as well performing the complete cycle of Beethoven piano sonatas. Their performance of the Spring and Kreutzer Sonatas will undoubtedly prove to be a delectable culinary delight for the Beethoven connoisseur.
March 2, 2005, Kobe Shimbun
Ms. Urushihara made her debut in 1988 with the NHK Symphony Orchestra on their regular subscription series. She won this honor after winning the Japan International Music Competition while yet a high school student at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music's High School Division. She was the youngest contestant to win the top prize. She has been performing domestically and internationally ever since.
Aside from actively promoting a revival of the Schumann violin sonatas, Ms. Urushihara has shown herself to be indefatigable artist having performed as guest soloist with orchestra more than ten times in the span of one month just last season.
Ms. Urushihara spoke of her collaboration with Pianist Akiyoshi Sako, "I have wanted to perform with him for some time. I felt that we would make a solid team that could make a serious contribution to the world of music; not just another fly-by-night duo easily recognizable masterpieces to tickle the public's fancy."And it is just that type of sentiment that led to the artists' decision to perform Beethoven's Spring Sonata No. 5, Sonata No. 8 and the Kreutzer Sonata No. 9.
" Of the three sonatas, the most difficult one to execute is the Spring Sonata. It tends to be played too sweetly without much bite because of its simple and delicate melody. And, of course, this is very Beethoven,"remarks Urushihara.
Ms. Urushihara revealed that she used to have an aversion to Beethoven's mid-life compositions."But after I realized I should approach his music from a vocalist's perspective, I no longer felt uncomfortable with his music.And, in the end, I realized that all I had to do was trust my instincts. Now he doesn't feel so distant to me anymore. If I can bring that across in my performances, I'll be happy. The rest is up to my colleague, Mr. Sako. And he always comes through for me. He has this way of drawing things out of me I never knew were there."
February 10, The Mainichi Newspaper [People Navigator]
many of the world's major orchestras - Poland, Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo - to name a few. In December alone, she performed as many as 9 concerts with as many orchestras. She is a veteran violinist enjoying the prime of her career. And now she has embarked on a new venture, forming a duo with pianist Akiyoshi Sako.
" We performed for the first time last autumn. It was a pleasure just playing together. We really have a sense of rapport. Mr. Sako is a very orthodox and grounded musician, which makes him a very reliable partner. This is very confidence inducing. But his playing is also filled with grace, poise, and finesse, and these qualities really make each performance a lasting experience."
Ms. Urushihara first garnered international attention when she won the Japan International Music Competition in 1983. She was the youngest winner and only a high school student studying at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music's High School Division at the time of the competition. She gave her professional debut in 1988, performing with the NHK Symphony Orchestra on its subscription concert series. Since then, she has made a name for herself in Europe and the United States as well.
More recently, she has been recapturing the attention of the music world with her revival of the complete Schumann and Brahms sonatas for violin. Her critics rave about her refined sense of expression and unique range of colors. She attributes this to her five year-old daughter. "I've learned so much from my daughter," she says. "Children have no inhibitions. They just let themselves go, so to speak. And I find when I approach music in this childlike fashion, the music just happens and the notes all fall into place. If you build a wall or try to force yourself onto the music, the notes seem to fight against you. If I'm having trouble tearing down a wall I've put up, all I have to do is look at my daughter running around just being herself. She's the perfect teacher." Ms. Urushihara can't help smiling like a proud mother.
Ms. Urushihara's current explorations are focused on how to produce rich and sonorous colors. "Now when I play I tell myself to sing the music. I think of my violin as an extension of my voice. Singing is a powerful medium. Just take one note, elongate it, and it goes through a myriad of changes before it reaches its conclusion. I apply this same law of physics to my violin playing, asking myself what happens if I do this or do that. I then analyze the outcome. Of course, in the final analysis, you have to forget all that and just let your body sing the music. That's when special things start to happen."
Ms. Urushihara and Mr. Sako will be performing their all-Beethoven concert March 25 at Kobe Shimbun Matsukata Hall. Call 070-362-7191 for ticket information. They will be performing the same concert again in Tokyo in June. The Spring Sonata No. 5, Sonata No. 8, and the Kreutzer Sonata No. 9 are the featured works on the program.
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