Wednesday, December 17, 2008

and the japanese says...

Critica Japonesa

永峰大輔さんの指揮による、音楽集団「三頭の象」の第1回定期演奏会を聴いた。演
奏曲目はディッタースドルフ、モーツァルト、ハイドンというウィーン古典派に位置付
けられる3人の作品から。
ハイドンやモーツァルトといった「メジャーどころ」はともかくとして、近年、研究
の深化(進化)だとか音楽家たちのレパートリーの拡大のおかげで、彼らと同時期に活
動した多くの作曲家たちの作品も以前よりは容易に耳に出来るようになった。とは言え、
それはあくまでも録音の上での話であって、実演 となるとそれはまだまだだと思う。
その意味で、今回の演奏会の冒頭に置かれたディッタースドルフは注目だった。今回
取り上げられたのは<オヴィディウスの転身物語による12 の シンフォニア集>の第
4番<ペルセウスに救われたアンドロメダ>である。これは標題交響曲と呼ばれる作品
ではあるのだけれど、例えば後にベルリオーズやリ スト等が手がけた標題音楽とはか
なり趣きが異なる。近現代のオーケストラが持つ楽器の多彩な音色や、調性やリズムの
脱規則化あるいは解放という表現手段を作曲家がまだ手にする以前のことなのだ。では
ディッタースドルフの音楽にドラマが不足しているのか、というと、そんなことはない。
嘆きや恐怖あるいは平和な雰囲気等が4つの楽章の中にしっかりと息づいている。ただ、
それらの表現をきっちりと音にするのは、古典派の音楽語法についての理解や共感が無
いと難しい。
今回のディッタースドルフの冒頭では、音楽の流れに不明瞭さが感じられたが、それ
はその語法についての戸惑いが楽団側にまだ残っていたからではないだろうか。だが、
ある程度音楽が進んでいくとその不明瞭さはかなり薄れていった。それは永峰さんがこ
の曲に含まれるドラマの変化を適切に捉えていたためだろうし、またその変化を大仰な
演出で聴き手に示すということをしなかったおかげでもあると思う。
2曲目はモーツァルトのフルート協奏曲第2番で、もとがオーボエ協奏曲の方。独奏
はジェームス・シュトラウスさんだった。シュトラウスさんの演奏ぶりを観ていると、
いかにも演奏することが楽しい、という気分はよく伝わってきた。その間合いの取り方
(あるいは3曲!のアンコール)などからしても、遊び心を持っているということは理
解出来るのだけれど、問題はその遊び心とモーツァルトの軽やかさとが果たして一致し
ていたか、である(ついでに言えば、アンコールで演奏されたドビュッシーにも、この
作曲家特有の「色」や「色気」が不足していたように思える)。あまりに四角四面に演
奏されるのもどうかとは思うが、この曲の軽やかさが本来求める音楽の純度はもっと高
いはずだ。その点においては、むしろ永峰さんとオケが素晴らしく快調な音楽の流れや
響きを作り出すことで、曲全体としてはある程度救われたように思える。
さて、プログラムの最後に置かれたのはハイドンの交響曲第99 番である。実は、僕
は永峰さんのハイドン演奏を非常に楽しみにしていた。と言うのは、僕は今回の演奏会
の一週間前に、別の楽団で彼の指揮でベートーヴェンの交響曲第1番を聴いたのだが、
その際に、特に第4楽章を聴きながらそこにハイドンの影を強く感じたからだ。それは
後ろ向きな「必須の通過点としてのハイドン」ではなくて、肯定的に「受け継がれたハ
イドン」だった。ハイドンの交響曲 を聴く時の醍醐味は、まずは<驚愕>や<時計>
等で示されるユーモアなのかもしれないけれど、僕はスリル溢れる対位法や予想外な方
向に進む転調や音楽の流れ、あるいはドラマの頂点としてのパウゼの扱い等の方に強い
興味を抱いている。これらをベートーヴェンはまるまる受け継いだとまでは言わないが、
深化と昇華を果たした成果が彼の交響曲第1番だと言えるのではないか。永峰さんの演
奏はそのことを反映したもののように思えた。であるならば、そこから類推される 永
峰さんのハイドン解釈も面白いに違いない、ということなのだ。
ただ、ハイドンの難しさは、ハイドンが曲の中に仕掛けたさまざまな試みについて、
それに気が付いたからと言って無闇にこれみよがし的な表現をすると流れを損なうこ
とにある。もちろん、仕掛けに気が付かないのは論外だ。分かった上でどこまでやるの
か、このバランス感覚が重要なのである。
今回の第99 番の演奏について言えば、永峰さんのバランスは良かったと思う。全曲
を通してディナミークやテンポの変化に対するメリハリの付け方は過不足無く素晴ら
しかったし、また第4楽章の中盤における対位法による進行はとてもスリルがあった。
モダン楽器によるハイドン演奏が生き残るとすれば、こういうスタイルを徹底すること
なのではないだろうか。僕は永峰さんのハイドンをもっと聴いてみたい。
最後に楽団について。弦楽器を中心に全体的に好演していたとは思うが、より合奏の
精度を高めて欲しい。そうすれば選曲と活動の幅も大いに広がるはずだし、それにより
音楽監督である永峰さんの美点が更に顕われやすくなると思う。(若林真樹)

Friday, December 05, 2008

How to Use a Japanese Toilet

The Etiquette of Peeing in Japan

Peeing should not be hard. It’s a natural function. But just like everything in Japan, there's certain etiquette to follow. I spent a month in Japan and one of my biggest challenges was conquering the Japanese toilets to become king of the throne. I had done the research. Lonely Planet's Japan guidebook has a bit about Japanese squat toilets, giving instructions to face opposite the door, straddle what looks to be an implanted urinal in the floor, squat and hold onto the contents of your pockets (gravity tends to pull things out and plop them in the hole). I also found an entertaining Web site with a computer animation on how to use a Japanese squat toilet.  Ah! Memories of the first time with a Japanese squat toilet. Let me tell you, they really weren't invented for nylon-wearing women. Straddling the hole and keeping the nylons out of the line of fire takes balance. I found new leg muscles but with the first run, I discovered a thing called splatter. I learned from my mistakes thereafter.  But not all Japanese toilets are squat-style, some are Western-style (the ones commonly found in the United States and as well in Brazil).    It's common to hear the constant sound of running water from modest Japanese women flushing toilets. Apparently, they're a bit shy to the sound of tinkling. Since water was being wasted, a noise box was invented to emulate the sound of flushing Japanese toilets and installed in most public areas. With the purpose being to hide the sound of nature's call, I wonder why the inventor selected the sound of flushing water when it can be anything. Why not Japanese Muzak?  When using a public Japanese toilet, either squat or Western-style, bring tissues. Toilet paper is not very common. Packs of tissues are commonly given away at train stations as product samples. Be sure to grab some. Also carry a handkerchief to dry your hands after you have washed them. Paper towels and hand dryers are uncommon, too.  When staying in a hotel, you can use the bathroom at your leisure. But as a guest in a Japanese home, you'll earn respect when following the culture's customs.  

How to Use a Japanese Toilet
How to Use a Japanese Toilet

An example of some of the buttons found on a Japanese Western-style toilet. Thankfully, buttons are in English, too.r


Japanese Toilet

Friday, DECEMBER 5, 2008


The westerner`s first impression of toilet-related hygiene in Japan will vary from overpowering awe (when confronted with the high-tech ウォシュレット, woshuretto) to unpleasant dismay (when confronted with the squat toilet 和式, washiki). Now, having lived in Brazil and Rio Preto, I felt no fear when I stood before the Japanese squat toilet for the first time. I was, however, astonished at the sheer number of squatties in this advanced nation. Squatties are to be found in many establishments like restaurants, government buildings, schools. Often a bathroom has one western-style flush toilet and the rest are squatties. BUT: I have come to cherish the squatty in my few short months here. Why? The convenience. The speed. No contact, just a quick hello and goodbye. You can imagine. But what you cant imagine without my help is the more advanced Japanese toilet. For those of you who are interested (which must be all of you since you are clearly still reading)let me explain the wonders of the woshuretto. 

The ウォシュレット is listed in the Guiness Book of World Records as the most sophisticated toilet in the world. My good friend Wikipedia can tell it better than I ever could: 

While the toilet looks like a Western-style toilet at first glance, there are a number of additional features, such as blow dryer, seat heating, massage options, water jet adjustments, water temperature adjustments, automatic lid opening, auto flushing, wireless control panels, etc, included either as part of the toilet or in the seat. These features can be accessed by a control panel that is either attached to one side of the seat or on a wall nearby, often transmitting the commands wirelessly to the toilet seat... Some toilets play music to relax the user... Also, the latest models store the times of the use of the toilet, and have a power saving mode that heats up the toilet seat only during times when the toilet is likely to be used based on the collected usage data. Some toilets also glow in the dark or may even have air conditioning for hot summer days...Recently, researchers have added medical sensors into these toilets, which can measure the blood sugar based on the urine, and also measure the pulse, blood pressure, and the body fat content of the user. Talking toilets that greet the user have also started to be made. Other measurements are currently being researched. This data may automatically be sent to a doctor through a built-in internet-capable cellular telephone.

Woah! FEEL THE FEAR. The toilet that played God is back, this time with an internet-capable cellphone.

The first question that entered my mind when I read this was: how many people really want a toilet that talks to them? I mean, what might a toilet have to chat about, indeed? Whats up man! Corn for lunch again, eh?

Most high-tech potties aren`t as high tech as THAT, but it is completely normal here in Japan to find a confusing control panel covered in buttons and pictures on your potty in a restaurant or hotel, and to find a heated seat (which i find most unpleasant since its already a million degrees here), not to mention the ever-frightening Sound Princess

THE SOUND PRINCESS
It sounds foreboding, doesnt it? This could more simply be referred to as `that fake flushing noise`. I will dedicate some Wikipedia space to her as well:

Many Japanese women are embarrassed at the thought of being heard by others during urination... To cover the sound of bodily functions, many women flushed public toilets continuously while using them, wasting a large amount of water in the process. As education campaigns did not stop this practice, a device was introduced in the 1980s that, after activation, produces the sound of flushing water without the need for actual flushing. One brand name commonly found is the Otohime (音姫), which literally means Sound Princess, and is named after the Japanese goddess Otohime, the beautiful daughter of the sea-king Ryujin. This device is now routinely placed in most new public women's rooms... The device creates a loud flushing sound similar to a toilet being flushed. This sound either stops after a preset time or can be halted through a second press on the button. It is estimated that this saves up to 20 liters of water per use. 

As you can see, Japanese women are a lot more serious than us when it comes to pee. If we could get serious like this, maybe we could manage to jack up production rates to Japanese levels. You never know where correlations lie.

Anyway, these fake flushing noises will get you everywhere. They totally freaked me out at first, since lots of them are automatic. And they are LOUD. I thought Id been hit by an earthquake when I first met Ryujins daughter at the hotel in Tokyo. Practically jumped right off the seat.

A last word to the wise from my friend Wiki (on the subject of the floundering gaijin):

Both the traditional squat toilet and the high-tech toilet are a source of confusion for foreigners unaccustomed to these devices. There are numerous reports of foreigners using a toilet, and randomly pressing buttons on the control panel either out of curiosity or in search for the flushing control, and suddenly to their horror receiving a jet of water... Many Japanese toilets now feature a brief manual in English attached near the control panel or have the buttons written in English to reduce the culture shock.

Good luck to you all! Dont let this stop you from coming to visit me!