Chopin Is Played in Every Other Lift in Tokyo: An Interview with Ignacy Lisiecki

lisiecki_profilephotoautorkasiadorocinska.jpg, default, Ignacy Lisiecki, photo: Katarzyna Dorocińska

What does the world of classical music look like in Japan? In what situations does Chopin’s music reverberate in the Land of Cherry Blossoms?

Ignacy Lisiecki tries to maintain his artistic presence not only in Japan but also in Europe. He has performed in the Warsaw Philharmonic, the NOSPR (Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra) in Katowice, the Konzerthaus in Berlin. He collaborates with Mścisław Rostropowicz’s apprentice David Geringas, a winner of the International Tchaikovsky Competition. It was to Lisiecki that Paweł Hendrich dedicated his piece Gliptopalinomia. His latest album, Swan Songs, was released in 2019 by Sony Music.

Filip Lech: What were your impressions upon your first visit to Japan?

Ignacy Lisiecki: I started to learn Japanese when I was still a student at the Academy of Music in Warsaw [currently the Chopin University of Music, trans.]. Frankly speaking, after almost twenty years, it’s hard to say what sparked my interest in this language. Maybe the desire to get to know the country which I had associated, since childhood, with high-quality recording equipment? Many Poles currently establish ties with Japan, but it wasn’t quite as common in the early 2000s. In 2003, I was awarded a scholarship by the Capital City of Warsaw to participate in the Hamamatsu International Piano Academy. Upon my arrival, I realised that it’s a completely different world with a different mentality and different cultural codes. Almost every imaginable aspect of the lives of the Japanese differs from its European equivalent.

FL: What caused you difficulty when you moved to Japan in 2010?

IL: My situation was quite convenient, since my wife is Japanese. Entering society wasn’t too difficult; besides, I had a certain idea of what life in Japan was like.

What surprised me the most? When I was to perform one of Chopin’s piano concerts with a Japanese orchestra, I was asked almost a year earlier what edition of his music I’d be using during my performance. My experience with Polish orchestras was completely different. Perhaps Germany is similar in that regard…

The lack of spontaneity in Japanese society is sometimes awkward for me, especially when it comes to performing music together. Naturalness and spontaneity are among the most important factors necessary for a creative and convincing musical interpretation to emerge. Similarly, in their reception of music, Japanese audiences can hardly be considered spontaneous. In almost 10 years, I’ve never seen local music lovers grace anyone with a standing ovation, not even the most prominent artists. On the other hand, the Japanese can be very faithful to particular performers. Fans sometimes go as far as to follow their favourite musicians throughout the entirety of their concert tours.

Regarding practicalities related to playing concerts, there’s no long break between the final rehearsal and the concert. In Europe, a lot of musicians go home after rehearsal to eat dinner and rest; they only return to the concert hall for the concert in the evening. As for matinees, rehearsal begins at 1:00pm and ends around 3:30pm You have to be on stage at 5:00pm. It’s not particularly comfortable – you have to be permanently focused; there’s no time to recover. The reason for this arrangement is very prosaic: many Japanese people live far from their workplaces – some commute for up to 2 hours.

FL: What does the world of Western classical music look like in Tokyo?

IL: There are as many as seven professional orchestras. Musical life is as varied as it is in Berlin. The most important of them all is NHK Symphony Orchestra, which is the local radio orchestra; their concerts are also broadcast on TV. The oldest group is Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1911, a date I remember well, since it’s the anniversary of Gustav Mahler’s death. I had the pleasure of performing with them at the prestigious Tokyo Art Festival. The orchestra’s guest conductor is currently Mikhail Pletnev. It has two permanent rosters, so it consists of over 200 orchestral musicians. That way, it can perform in two places at the same time! I particularly value Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, which specialises in performing contemporary music, including, for instance, Lutosławski and Feldman. It’s lead by English conductor Jonathan Nott.

Thumbnail — Poster advertising concert by Lisiecki & Kazuko Sawa, photo: courtesy of artist

There’s a huge demand for classical music, and Tokyo boasts an excellent musical infrastructure, even when it comes to purchasing sheet music; I’ve never seen such a huge number of scores available to buy anywhere outside of Tokyo, maybe with the exception of Berlin or New York. Everything is almost always readily available. This was always a problem in Poland, because a lot of things took weeks to import. PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, Polish Music Publishing House) operates dynamically here in Japan, Polish sheet music is available too – and in increasingly large numbers at that. In December 2019, I had the pleasure of participating in a project together with PWM. In collaboration with Japanese partners, we released a new brochure score, Muzyka z kraju Chopina [Music from Chopin’s Land], containing pieces by Paderewski, Kilar, as well as composers who are less well-known here: Kurpiński and Szeligowski.

Now, 36 years after the collapse of communism, Polish-Japanese cooperation is beginning to develop. This requires many meetings. To do any kind of business in Japan, you have to invest a lot at the beginning. It’s important to show up, to have a conversation. Contracts are never signed at the first meeting, nor are decisions made. In Japan, everything must be thought through. Besides, the written word is valued very highly here. If you approach an institution with a proposition, you appear much more trustworthy if your idea is outlined in writing.

FL: The history of Western classical music in Japan dates back to the late 19th century.

IL: I studied conducting under Professor Ken Takaseki at the Tokyo University of the Arts. He was Karajan’s assistant in Berlin in the 1980s. He told me that most Japanese orchestras couldn’t get into the rhythm correctly in the early 1960s. The level of professional musicians wasn’t very high; nowadays it’s spectacular. Owing to Japanese diligence, the situation now looks completely different. In the 1980s, the economic situation was highly favourable, and a lot of young people went to Europe to study. The level of Japanese orchestras in terms of skills and technique currently equals that of those in Europe. By dint of their hard work, they only took a couple of decades to catch up on four centuries of music history. It’s a great achievement.

FL: To what extent are you in touch with traditional Japanese music?

IL: Traditional music is a part of life of the entire society, including me, at various festivals and parades – what the Japanese call matsuri. It’s present, but I’m not a particular enthusiast. I do, however, try to promote Japanese classical music in Poland.

FL: Who are your favourite Japanese composers?

IL: Tōru Takemistu probably doesn’t need introducing because he’s one of the most prominent composers of the 20th century. He died in the 1990s, and he’s now a canonical musician. Another important Japanese composer is Toshio Hosokawa, whose opera Matsukaze was performed in the Grand Theatre – Polish National Opera in 2011. He’s a leading Japanese composer whose pieces are performed by the world’s biggest orchestras, from Cleveland to Berlin. Lately I’ve been fascinated by the music of London-based composer Dai Fujikura. His aesthetics resonates with me; there’s something very delicate about his music. The texture of Fujikura’s pieces is sewn with very fine thread; I’ve never encountered this way of handling the orchestral apparatus.

FL: What is the level of knowledge of Polish culture in Japan?

IL: It’s getting better every year. The former Polish ambassador Cyryl Kozaczewski opened a connection between Chopin Airport in Okęcie and Narita Airport near Tokyo, after which access to Poland became easier. Materials on Poland are present more and more often in Japanese media. We must remember than the Japanese strongly believe in what they see on TV. Articles and exhibitions are necessary, but an average Japanese person has to see something on TV to become interested in the subject. Japanese viewers have had the opportunity to watch excellent documentaries about Wrocław, Warsaw and other cities.

Many Japanese people know Witold Gombrowicz; Olga Tokarczuk has been gaining popularity lately. Not long ago, Bolesław Prus’s Lalka (The Doll) was translated. Everyone has heard of Roman Polański’s The Pianist and films by Andrzej Wajda.

FL: You, too, try to promote Polish music.

IL: Together with Professor Kazuki Sawa, rector of Tokyo Geidai as well as an excellent violinist and a winner of the Wieniawski Competition in Poznań, we performed all of Karol Szymanowski’s works. On top of a concert tour, we presented Szymanowski’s oeuvre in the TV programme Daimei no nai Ongakukai [Untitled Concert], viewed by 5 million people and broadcast every Sunday since 1969. A documentary on his life and work was shown, the first such extensive showcasing of Szymanowski.

I recently gave my first performance of Roman Palester’s Piano Sonata No. 2, a piece almost forgotten for the past 40 years. On that occasion, several interviews about Palester were published in the Japanese press. I hope that interest in his music will become more and more widespread in Asia as well.

FL: And what about Chopin?

IL: A lot of people don’t associate Chopin with Poland; his ties to our country aren’t common knowledge at all. It’s not that they identify him with France, but just that they don’t know much about his origins. Of course, he’s the most valued composer in Japan, but the power of his music has paradoxically overshadowed his biography. Themes from Chopin’s pieces are often used as ringtones… They can also be heard at weddings and other celebrations. In Japan, BGM Music (background music, ed.) is unbelievably widespread: in elevators, restaurants, coffee shops. Chopin is also often heard in those places as well. Chopin is played in every other lift in Tokyo. He can frequently be heard in hospitals, clinics… All that goes to show how popular he is.

One figure skater recently used Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 in G minor as the background music to his performance. This caused a sudden wave of interest in this piece. The Japanese must have a specific point of reference. Every time I prepare a recital, I’m asked to provide a title, such as ‘Music of Eastern Europe’ or ‘Nostalgia of Eastern Europe’, so that the name evokes some familiar association. The Chopin Competition YouTube channel is quite popular, and the NIFC (Narodowy Instytut Fryderyka Chopina, The Fryderyk Chopin Institute) manages the promotion of the competition very well. The winners’ concert tour always attracts large audiences, since the public is drawn to the competition’s brand.

I myself focus on contemporary music, but when asked to play Chopin, I don’t refuse. However, I always try to sneak in some Szymanowski to expand the audience’s knowledge of Polish music…

FL: Do you consider concerts to be the most important aspect of your work as an artist?

IL: Yes, live performances are my favourite, although albums are equally important. Playing in front of a microphone and playing for an audience evoke completely different feelings and require different kinds of aptitude. A concert takes place here and now, it’s unique and unrepeatable. An album is a document, a record of a particular stage in the artist’s life. During the pandemic, I realised how immensely important albums are. It’s thanks to them that we musicians were still present, even when concerts weren’t taking place.

Translated from Polish by Anna Potoczny

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