|
 |
The 54th Otaka Award by NHK Symphony Orchestra |
|
|
|
|
February, 2006
NHK Symphony Orchestra
|
|
 |
|
Mr.Toshiro Saruya
|
The Otaka Award, presented by the NHK Symphony Orchestra, was established in 1952 in honor of the late composer Hisatada Otaka, who left behind a tremendous legacy in music in this country.
For the 54th Award selection, the NHK Symphony Orchestra requested 41 musical institutions, including colleges of music and organizations, for their recommendations, and received 27 from 14 institutions. After thorough and deliberate screening by the selection committee members, the Award winning work was chosen.
The presentation ceremony was held at the Chiyoda Hoso Kaikan on February 16th at 2:00 p.m.
The Award winning work is scheduled to be performed by the NHK Symphony Orchestra in its concert entitled Music Tomorrow 2006 on Saturday, July 8th, 2006, from 4:00 p.m. at Tokyo Opera City Hall. The conductor is Jonathan Nott.
|
|
|
The 54th Otaka Award presented by NHK Symphony Orchestra
|
|
|
The Award Winning work
|
:
|
'There is no consolation'
(Commissioned by the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra) |
|
Composer |
: |
Toshiro Saruya |
|
Composed in |
: |
2005 |
|
Japanese premiere |
: |
Friday, May 27th, 2005
by the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra
in its 438th subscription concert |
|
Conductor |
: |
Gert Albrecht |
|
Soloist |
: |
Etsuko Kano (mezzo-soprano) |
|
Orchestra |
: |
Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra |
|
|
|
On the occasion of my winning the 54th Otaka Award
|
|
|
Toshiro Saruya
|
|
|
There is no consolation', for which I have received the 54th Otaka Award, is a work I wrote based on a poem by the German poet, Gottfried Benn. The poem is said to have been a farewell poem that Benn dedicated to his compatriot poetess Else Lasker-Schüler; however my impression is that it is more like an expression of eternity than a parting. This poem evokes empathy within me because, although it says 'there is no consolation', it does not deny everything.
|
|
|
Considering my involvement in music, no matter how many works I have composed, my anguish has never subsided. On the contrary, it has only intensified my desire and motivation to make each composition more enlightening than the one before it. Such desire seems to serve as the driving force behind my creations.
|
|
|
One single problem or distressing element swallows up a variety of other things, and continues to grow, sometimes leading to resolution, other times lingering on. The more complicated the problem becomes and the longer it lingers on, the greater the joy I feel when it is finally resolved. However, I do not know whether one day these elements will be exalted and eventually disappear from my mind, or whether a day will come when I will be completely unchained from them and healed, or whether a day of consolation is awaiting me. All I can do is hold onto a faint expectation and continue to create compositions.
|
|
|
Looking back, eleven years have already passed since I won the Otaka Award for the first time. I have never thought about this before, but now a feeling has grown within me that, along with the joy I have received from winning this Award, I also bear a personal responsibility to contribute to the public and to society through my music.
|
|
|
A summit meeting by the leaders of the EU member nations was held during the celebration to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth in Salzburg, Austria, profoundly illustrating that, thanks to one legendary composer, music can become a vehicle to help solve political and economic issues. I am not sure how I can best avail myself to society, but I will continue to make my utmost effort to do so using music as my tool.
|
|
|
Last but not least, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to the members of the orchestra as well as the prize selection committee and all the other people involved in the selection process. I am so grateful, in fact, that I almost want to change the title of the work for which I won the Award.
|
|
|
|
