Current location:sport >>
VOX POPULI: China always occupied a special place in Ozawa’s heart
sport79947People have gathered around
IntroductionIf memory serves, I met conductor Seiji Ozawa in Beijing around 20 years ago when he was working wit ...
If memory serves, I met conductor Seiji Ozawa in Beijing around 20 years ago when he was working with a group of young Chinese on the opera “The Barber of Seville” composed by Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868).
I vividly recall his look of tremendous satisfaction, mixed with surprise, as he told me happily, “The rise of the level of music in China is simply astounding.”
Ozawa, who died Feb. 6 at age 88, was born in 1935 in the former Manchurian city of Mukden (present-day Shenyang). He was said to have been named Seiji after two senior officers of the Kwantung Army--Seishiro Itagaki (1885-1948) and Kanji Ishihara (1889-1949).
Probably because of his background, Ozawa always had a special affection for China. He often referred to himself as “someone who was born in China and grew up in Japan.”
When he revisited China after World War II, Ozawa recalled the tragic history of the Sino-Japanese War, and his eyes were sometimes said to be red from weeping as he stood on the podium.
Around the time of his global debut, racial discrimination and prejudice toward Japanese was not unusual in Europe and the United States. There, people just assumed no Japanese conductor could really understand Bach.
Ozawa struggled to find his own identity. His search for roots, if you will, may have made him aware of his feelings for China.
If you watched him from a distance, he was “Ozawa of the world” who only had to wave his magic baton to melt national borders so he could easily jump over them.
But I will never forget these words he spoke quietly: “How far can Asians understand classical music that was born in Europe? My life is an experiment to find out.”
Ozawa valued personal ties. He once said of the Japan-China relationship, “What matters is each individual person. What ordinary citizens think is far more important than what the government thinks. That, at least, is what I believe.”
--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 10
* *
*Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Worldly Weave news portal”。http://caymanislands.quotesbonanza.com/article-98a499899.html
Related articles
Tom Brady and Jay
sportA small group of NFL rookies from the 2024 class, including Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, sat down ...
【sport】
Read moreArkansas woman pleads guilty to selling 24 boxes of body parts stolen from cadavers
sportLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A former Arkansas mortuary worker pleaded guilty Thursday to charges that s ...
【sport】
Read moreMeet the members of a transitional council tasked with choosing new leaders for beleaguered Haiti
sportPORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A transitional council tasked with bringing political stability to Hait ...
【sport】
Read more
Popular articles
- Analysis: Larson enters conversation with Verstappen as best drivers in the world
- Colts take first defensive player of NFL draft, UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu at No. 15
- Stephen Curry wins NBA's Clutch Player of the Year, adding to his trophy collection
- Miami Dolphins bolster pass rush, taking Chop Robinson of Penn State with 21st pick of NFL draft
- Medics remove 150 MAGGOTS from a woman's mouth after dental procedure left her with rotting tissue
- Saints take Oregon State offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga 14th overall in the NFL Draft
Latest articles
Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. to lead Indianapolis 500 field in Corvette pace car
France and Urías hit 2
Lions trade up in first round of NFL draft, take Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold
Columbia University extends negotiations with student protesters
Nuggets blow 20
Indonesia and Japan advance at U23 Asian Cup. South Korea out of contention for Paris Olympics
LINKS
- China's top liquor brand reports 15.59 pct profit surge in Q1
- US GDP growth slows to annual rate of 1.6% in Q1
- Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan wishes his wife a happy birthday in gushing post
- Malta marks World Tai Chi Day to embrace Chinese culture
- China stay perfect in Thomas & Uber Cup
- Xi, Tokayev send congratulations on launch of Kazakhstan tourism year in China
- Barcelona's De Jong out for season, ready for Euros
- Xi puts forth four principles to resolve Ukraine crisis
- Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan wishes his wife a happy birthday in gushing post
- Chinese film showcased in Kenya to spur Sino