Mito Chamber Orchestra Regular Concerts Autumn 2001 (English)

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Mito Chamber Orchestra: 47th Regular Concert Reunion #1, with Rainer Kussmaul

Reunion 1: Rainer Kussmaul (former concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic)

This autumn, the Mito Chamber Orchestra (MCO) will reunite, on two separate occasions, with two maestros with whom it has developed a deep relationship of trust in past performances. The reunions are bound to yield bountiful fruit to MCO.

The first reunion will take place at the 47th Regular Concert, with the violinist Rainer Kussmaul. In the autumn of 1998, Kussmaul appeared at MCO as a soloist along with the pianist Andreas Steieir. Their performance of Mendelssohn's Concerto for Violin, Piano and Strings drew resounding applause. This time, he will parlay his brilliant career as the former concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic as he sits in the concertmaster's chair throughout the program, leading the MCO.

Under Kussmaul's leadership, the fine ensemble precision of MCO will become even more refined. The miracle of the 1996 performance of Mendelssohn's "Italian Symphony," sans conductor, will be repeated this time with the same composer's "Scottish Symphony."

Another piece in the program that is being much talked about is Beethoven's Triple Concerto for Piano, Violin and Cello, which features two string soloists that MCO is proud of Takumi Kubota on the violin and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi on the cello together with one of the most exciting pianists of the younger generation, Olli Mustonen. These artists of remarkable talent, who have captured the attention of the world's music circles with their distinctly individual performances, will join forces with MCO to produce a thrilling moment. They will fulfill all your expectations.

Nov. 10, 2001 (Sat) 6:30 p.m. (seating begins at 6:00 p.m.)
Nov. 11, 2001 (Sun) 2:00 p.m. (seating begins at 1:30 p.m.)
Concert Hall ATM
S ¥7,000 / A ¥5,500 / B ¥4,000
Tickets are already on sale. All seats reserved.

Guest concertmaster: Rainer Kussmaul (former concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic)

Program:
Beethoven, Triple Concerto for Piano, Violin and Cello in C major, Op. 56
(Soloists: Olli Mustonen, piano; Takumi Kubota, violin; Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, cello)
Mendelssohn, Symphony #3 in A minor, "Scottish," Op. 56

About Our Guest Artists:

Rainer Kussmaul (violin)

Born in Mannheim, Germany, in 1946. Kussmaul first studied violin under his father, the chamber musician, Wilhelm Kussmaul. After studying at the Mannheim University of Music, he moved to the Stuttgart University of Music where he trained under the exceptional Riccardo Odonoposov, disciple of Karl Flesch.

Besides being an active soloist, Kussmaul is actively involved in chamber ensemble violinist, including such groups as the Arnold Schoenberg Trio and the Berlin Philharmonic Baroque Solisten. Furthermore, thanks to intense persuasion by Claudio Abbado and the members of the orchestra, he served as concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from 1993 to 1998. Now he serves as professor at the Freiburg University of Music, where he is enthusiastically involved with training future generations of musicians.

Kussmaul now performs on a 1724 Stradivarius.

Olli Mustonen (piano)

Born in Helsinki, Finland, in 1967, Mustonen started studying music at age 5. He learned the piano under Ralph Gotoni and Eero Heinonen, and studied composition under Einojuhani Rautavara.

Mustonen now frequently gives recitals around the world, including such major cities as Vienna, Berlin and London. He has also performed with many top-class orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, under such famed conductors as Daniel Barenboim and Pierre Boulez. His innovative interpretations and brilliant technique have won the hearts of audiences the world over.

His recordings have also been praised highly, including that of J.S. Bach's Well-tempered Clavier and Shostakovich's 24 Preludes, as well as a collection of short piano pieces by Beethoven.

Mito Chamber Orchestra: 48th Regular Concert Reunion #2, with Trevor Pinnock

Reunion 2: Trevor Pinnock (conductor)

The gifted English conductor causes his baton to dance through the air, unveiling the true Mozart.

This autumn, the second maestro to make a reappearance with the MCO is Trevor Pinnock. The last time he directed the ensemble, in 1999, he chose works by two early composers, Haydn and Mozart, who commonly appear in his recordings and concerts of music played on original instruments. Although the MCO members played on modern instruments, Pinnock was able to parlay their strengths into a rich, nuanced performance that seemed to transcend the old distinction between modern and original instruments, rendering such a framework meaningless.

Above all, the most unforgettable and striking performance at the 1999 concert was that of Mozart's Prague Symphony. Indeed, Pinnock himself gave exceedingly high praise to MCO's performance of the Mozart piece, saying, "The next time I conduct the MCO, I will definitely put together an all-Mozart program." His wish will be realized in the upcoming concert.

The program will start and end with two captivating symphonies of Mozart's -- one from his early years and the other from his waning days -- and they will sandwich two arias in the middle. Under Pinnock's direction, the sound woven by MCO offers us a glimpse of the genius's true face, with a smile here and a sense of change there.

The two arias will be sung by Monica Bacelli, a brilliant mezzo soprano active at opera houses in Europe and the U.S. Her lucid tone blends splendidly with the renowned MCO sound. The two are sure to provide a wonderful listening experience.

Interview with Trevor Pinnock

Nov. 24, 2001 (Sat) 6:30 p.m. (seating begins at 6:00 p.m.)
Nov. 25, 2001 (Sun) 2:00 p.m. (seating begins at 1:30 p.m.)
Concert Hall ATM
S ¥8,000 / A ¥6,000 / B ¥4,500
Tickets are already on sale. All seats reserved.

Conductor: Trevor Pinnock
Mezzo-soprano soloist: Monica Bacelli

All-Mozart Program:
Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K183
"Voi Che Sapete Che Cosa E Amor" from the opera, "le Nozze di Figaro," K492
"Ch'io Mi Scordi Di Te? - Non Temer, Amato Bene," K505
Symphony #41 in C major, "Jupiter," K. 551

About Our Guest Artists:

Trevor Pinnock (conductor)

Born in Canterbury, England, in 1946. Pinnock was a member of the Canterbury Cathedral Choir from the days of his boyhood, and also learned choral conducting at the same time. Later, he went to London to study harpsichord and organ at the Royal Academy of Music.

In 1973, he brought together several young English performers of original instruments and created the English Consort, becoming both its conductor and its harpsichordist. He is still actively leading the group today. Their vivid, exact performances have set the standard for the genre.

More recently, Pinnock has also led orchestras that use modern instruments, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He is also invited regularly to festivals and opera houses worldwide, rounding out his variegated performance activities.

Monica Bacelli (mezzo soprano)

Studied voice at the Pescala Academy of Music in Italy. In 1986, after having won the grand prize at the A. Belli Competition in Spoleto, Bacelli debuted as Cherubino in Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro" and as Dorabella in "Cosi Fan Tutte."

Thereafter, she has sung at major opera houses, including La Scala in Milan, the National Opera House in Vienna, and at the Covent Garden Royal Opera House in London, under such illustrious conductors as Riccardo Muti, Valeri Gergiev, and Nicholas Harnoncourt.

Bacelli is now regarded as one of the best mezzo-soprano singers of Mozart in the world. Beyond that, however, she has sung works by many other composers, such as the world debut performance of a Luciano Berio piece, and performances of some of Monterverdi's madrigal works accompanied on the piano by Maurizio Pollini.

Mito Chamber Orchestra is greatfully supported by substantial contributions from Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Supported by: Zaidanhojin Genden Fureai Ibaraki Zaidan

Cooperation: All Nippon Airways (ANA)

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