I could spend this entire essay writing about an incredible trip to Thailand and Bali—the floating market, the train market, the monkey reserve, a royal wedding, and so much more—but I will let Cindy share a few photos and leave the rest up to your imagination.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Thailand

***

Maeklong Railway Market, Thailand

***

Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Bali

***

Royal Wedding, Bali

***

Tegalalang Rice Terrace

***

View from Hotel Soori Bali

***

January saw me back on the podium in three cities, each in Japan. The programs were varied in content but all dispatched with expertise by the orchestras I led. Since 1983, I have been coming to Tokyo on a regular basis to work with the NHK. On this visit, I led the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, one of the eleven professional ensembles that exist here.

They proved to be an excellent group, with a deep commitment to the music and rehearsal process. As with almost all the orchestras in this sprawling metropolis, rehearsals take place in a venue other than the concert hall. Because of Tokyo’s incredibly active cultural scene, the performance facilities must be shared among many presenters.

The major work on the program was the Second Symphony by Rachmaninov, a staple in my repertoire. I find it to be an ideal work when I see an orchestra for the first time. Demanding physically and musically, it gives the whole ensemble many chances to shine. As I grow older, I focus on sustaining the long lines, lingering less than I used to in several passages.

It was clear from the first day that everyone really wanted to show their best. The rapport with the musicians was immediate and lasted throughout the visit. My general manner of working is to be as efficient as possible. I start by reading through the symphony and then go back to the beginning. This gives the orchestra a good idea of what I am looking for, and I, in turn, learn about them. Having sent my bowings in advance saved a lot of time, as seven-eighths of what you say to an ensemble is directed toward the strings.

I was impressed with how quickly the orchestra picked up on virtually all my gestures and ideas. With music that I have done throughout my career, it is fairly easy to figure out what needs to be worked on. As each day proceeded, the sound of the orchestra changed and came closer to that of the St. Louis Symphony back in the day.

We also played Cindy’s Adagio for String Orchestra, which is the second movement of her only symphony. It pairs nicely with the Rachmaninov, allowing me to continue to work on the sonority in much the same way. Although the piece is not technically difficult, pacing is everything. To make the most out of it, the orchestra needs to be flexible from moment to moment—no problem for this group.

The soloist on the program was the young violinist Mayumi Kanagawa. The work was one that I love but had not performed since 1991, the Walton Concerto for Violin.  I have always thought of this piece as part of the standard repertoire, perhaps because I wore out my Heifetz recording. It was great to get reacquainted with the work, and Ms. Kanagawa performed it with much grace and charm.

The audiences in Tokyo were more than enthusiastic. At the conclusion of the symphony, I had to coax the orchestra off the stage, but the audience continued their sustained applause. The staff told me to go back out and take a solo bow. This has happened to me a couple of times but never in Japan. I felt quite honored until I learned that it is not uncommon with the audience members who frequent the Metropolitan Symphony concerts.

I was supposed to have a couple of free days, but unfortunately, the outstanding conductor Kazuyoshi Akiyama suffered an injury at home and was forced to cancel his appearance with the orchestra. I was asked to jump in and accepted. Sibelius’s Second Symphony was on the docket, but the program was to be played in Kagoshima. We had one rehearsal in Tokyo and then flew down to the southernmost part of the country—going over the quite-active volcano that dominates the landscape—for a run-through and performance. Sadly, a week after this concert, Maestro Akiyama passed away.

After an almost-four-hour train ride, we arrived for the second leg of the tour in Osaka, where I have performed quite often. As with many orchestras, the Osaka Philharmonic is working on getting the public back after COVID, which has not been easy. In this case, I was asked to do an all-John Williams program. I had no problem with the suggestion but wanted to make sure that he was represented in his two guises.

The first part of the concert contained an early piece, his Essay for Strings. This was written in 1965, shortly after John’s arrival in Hollywood. The musical style is quite abstract and includes many elements of twelve-tone writing. One would be hard pressed to recognize the composer everyone knows from this work. The musicians worked on this fairly difficult piece diligently and produced an outstanding performance. I hope that John gets to hear it.

Next up was his Tuba Concerto, one of few examples that shows off the “denizen of the deep” in a solo capacity. The soloist was Koichi Kawanami, who displayed an incredible technique as well as stunning musicality in the very challenging piece.

After intermission, we presented a grouping of film extracts that I usually put together for these concerts. Some are familiar to everyone and a few others, such as the Overture from The Cowboys and “Sayuri’s Theme” from Memoirs of a Geisha, are not. The balance seems well suited for the occasion. I also speak and tell a few personal stories, but my Japanese is limited to greetings and restaurant items. To get the points across to the audience, I was assisted by Maki Takemitsu, daughter of Toru, who also worked as my manager here for many years. She translated my improvised reminiscences with ease.

My encore of choice is almost always the “Imperial March” from The Empire Strikes Back. It does not need to be conducted, which allows me the opportunity to have some fun onstage. This time, I had a lightsaber concealed on a music stand. After about a minute, I exchanged my baton for the red sword and led the orchestra as Darth Vader before giving it away to children in the front row near the end of the piece.

The days off provided opportunities for local sightseeing. Kabuki in Tokyo and Bunraku in Osaka were musts. We also visited Kyoto, bustling with way-too-many tourists these days. Residents of the city are complaining, but the visitors are now a mainstay of the economy.

***

***

***

***

***

With another week to go, I look forward to Hiroshima, where a world premiere of my new piece, Schubertiade, will take place. I will let you know all about it in the next installment of the journal.

See you next month,

Leonard