An Evening of Classical Guitar, Flute and Violin from Japan

BY LLOYD DYKK, the Vancouver Sun

Three young Japanese stars in the classical music firmament gave a concert in Vancouver sponsored by the Japan Foundation, the Consulate General of Japan and the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra Society. The musicians were flutist Kazunori Seo, guitarist Yasuji Ohagi and violinist Gentaro Kagitomi.

The Canadian tour to other cities (Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec City after Vancouver) seems to have meant that the only date available here was Monday, Oct 25. This was a big concern for the local organizers, who felt, though the concert was free, that few might show up for it, Monday being a far from normal night for going out. The Michael J. Fox Theatre in Burnaby was packed, however, and the enthusiasm of the crowd made the evening a complete success.

Next to the piano, the violin, guitar and flute are North America’s most popular instruments, and anybody who plays them in public had better be good. These fellows aren’t good, they’re sensational. They played solo and in combination and their chosen program was an interesting one and not overly done. There was only one mysterious inclusion and I’d happily pay good money never to hear it again. It was surprisingly by Ravi Shankar: The Enchanted Dawn on the Raga “Todi” and I hated it.

The rest of the program was vastly better, headed by Kagitomi’s virtuosic performance of Eugene Ysaye’s Sonata No. 6 for unaccompanied violin, which was full-blooded, full-toned and alive with rubato.

Bela Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances, arranged for violin and guitar felt absolutely right for that combination and was magically played. Toru Takemitsu’s three-part Toward the Sea was written in his graceful, impressionist style and consists almost by half of silence. It was well-placed in the program and featured, of course, the flute.

The closing two pieces were pure delight: Astor Piazzolla’s Historia del Tango, and these boys know how to (tango, that is), and Jacques Bondon’s colour-drenched Les Folklores Imaginaires Suite No. 2. A very noteworthy night.