Tokyo Philharmonic Europe Tour 2025 Vol. 15 11/11 Düsseldorf Performance 🇩🇪
On November 10, after finishing their debut performance in the scenic Swiss town of Lugano, the Tokyo Philharmonic prepared for the next morning's travel. Early on the morning of November 11, they departed their accommodation by bus, passed through Milan Malpensa Airport once again, and headed to the final performance location, Düsseldorf.
🇨🇭Lugano → 🚌 (approx. 76km) → 🇮🇹Milan Malpensa Airport → 🛫 (approx. 860km) → 🇩🇪Arrived in Düsseldorf just after noon. After dropping off luggage at the hotel, they arrived at the performance venue, Tonhalle, in the afternoon. Following rehearsals, the concert began at 8:00 PM. This was the tightest schedule of the tour, a 'travel-and-perform' day.
Düsseldorf is the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia in central Germany. Following the post-war influx of many Japanese companies, it has the largest Japanese population in Germany and is a major city, the sixth largest in the country, often nicknamed 'Little Tokyo in Germany.'
Tonhalle is a hall that opened in 1926 as a planetarium, designed by architect Wilhelm Kreis (it was reportedly the world's largest planetarium at the time of its completion), and was renovated into a concert hall in the 1970s. It is a place with much to see, including the dome-shaped ceiling that retains traces of its planetarium days and its complex lobby structure. It is also the home base of the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra, and sturdy-looking orchestral instrument cases were lined up here and there backstage.
The program for this day was 'Program A,' the same as the first day of the tour. We reunited with pianist Makoto Ozone, who joined us in Tokyo, Berlin, and Budapest, making for a program that felt like returning to our roots on the final day of this busy yet fulfilling tour.
The concert began at 8:00 PM.
Program A, which we also performed in Tokyo, consisted of Symphonic Dances from Bernstein's 'West Side Story,' Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue,' and excerpts from Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet.'
With the vibrant Bernstein in the first half and Gershwin, which highlighted Makoto Ozone's cadenza and the orchestra's solos, even the older audience members at this performance could be seen swaying and being drawn into the music. Mr. Ozone's encore was 'Asian Dream.' The clear piano tones rang out beautifully, creating a moment where the entire hall seemed to deeply savor the time as if surrounded by a starry sky.
The second half featured Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet.' This program, born from Shakespeare's masterpiece drama, finally reached its last performance, and it became a concert where one could clearly perceive Maestro Myung-Whun Chung and the members of the Tokyo Philharmonic pouring their full hearts into the performance. After the final note, there was a long, long silence. The Maestro's baton descended, and moving applause erupted from the audience.
Flash Review
Journalist Mako Yasuda, who lives in the Netherlands, rushed to Düsseldorf to hear the A program as well.
Mako Yasuda (Music Journalist / Based in the Netherlands)
On the night of November 11, which marked the first day of the German carnival, I traveled to the Tonhalle in Düsseldorf for the final performance of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra's European tour. The reason was that I wanted to savor the program I had heard at Suntory Hall in Tokyo (October 16) once more.
The first piece was 'Symphonic Dances' from Bernstein's 'West Side Story.' Myung-Whun Chung's conducting was as vivid as ever, and the story unfolded dramatically with a sense of dynamism. The spirited shout of 'Mambo!' was also effective. From the harmonies that changed color moment by moment, the supple and colorful charm of the orchestra was immediately conveyed.
The following Gershwin 'Rhapsody in Blue' opened with an even more generous clarinet glissando than at the Tokyo performance. World-renowned jazz pianist Makoto Ozone performed a solo incorporating improvisation, as if capturing the atmosphere of the venue while looking up at the sky of the dome-shaped hall. The cadenza, which began with sparkling high notes, expanded more freely, and in unity with the orchestra, wove in every sound from the classical period to the modern day. The soloist's encore was Ozone's own 'Asian Dream.' The audience was also enthusiastic about the sound with its oriental shadows.
In the second half, 10 pieces from Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet' were performed. Through Maestro Chung's baton, a dreamlike scene unfolded. The transitions between scenes were vivid, from sharpness to a warmth filled with relief. In the final act, 'Juliet's Death,' the sorrowful expression shone through the tremolo of the strings that emerged from a very small sound. The orchestra's performance, singing while maintaining high concentration and precision, was full of charm that made one want to listen forever.
After the final note was released, the conductor held his movement for nearly 10 seconds, leaving a lingering resonance. Then, the Maestro turned to the orchestra before the audience to bow, exchange glances, and share smiles. The orchestra followed the baton perfectly, and even in the encore piece, Brahms' 'Hungarian Dance,' they made the sound swell. The sense of unity throughout the venue was wonderful, and the concert came to a close with enthusiastic applause and cheers.
The orchestra encore was Brahms' 'Hungarian Dance No. 1.' The full-house audience sent long applause, and both the Maestro and the orchestra sent long applause to each other's performances.
The Maestro sat on the podium, applauding and thanking the orchestra. It was a curtain call overflowing with smiles.
After the performance, pencils in collaboration with Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd. were distributed.
Many customers told us with beaming smiles, 'It was wonderful!'
Maestro Myung-Whun Chung spoke as follows after finishing the final concert in Düsseldorf.
'First of all, they (Tokyo Philharmonic) played wonderfully.
It was a great success for everyone.
I think it was a wonderful experience for all of us.
Traveling to meet new audiences,
we learned many things, and there were many beautiful halls, but
above all, they played wonderfully.'
Thank you for your support and a request
The crowdfunding, which had the final day of the tour as its deadline, reached both the initial target amount of 5,000,000 yen and the next goal of 10,000,000 yen,total support of 10,212,000 yen (achievement rate 204%), 392 supportersand ended with support from truly many people.
To everyone who supported us, we will sequentially deliver return gifts and reports from here on. Thank you very much!
◆ The Tokyo Philharmonic is also recruiting support as a 'Supporting Member' to support the orchestra's activities throughout the year (regardless of whether you are a corporation or an individual). In order to convey the power of Japanese art widely internationally and build a richer society, we ask for your continued support for the Tokyo Philharmonic.
https://www.tpo.or.jp/support/index.php
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