Val Vincent T.

Laspiñas GE 6 - A
BSME-V July 3, 2019

As part of the curriculum of GE 6, last June 22 we were asked to watch a gala in the Luce

auditorium of Silliman University. The gala was entitled Strings and Bows Violin-Trio with SU

string ensemble, Rosan Max, and Nobutaka Nakahara. It was mainly presented by violins with a

bit of piano.

The performance started with an introduction by Nobutaka Nakahara, the vocalist. Mr.

Nakahara is a Japanese performing artist and accompanist staging several concerts and theatre. He

then introduced to the stage Ms. Junko Matsuda who is a concert pianist. She graduated from

“OSAKA College of Music” and studied Music abroad in Europe. She is the winner of “KANSAI

TV Piano Competition”. Next to be introduced is Mr. Junuchi Matsuda a concert violinist from

Japan. He is a lecturer of OSAKA College of Music and OBAYASHI Sacred Heart School; he is

in-charge of the orchestra of TEDUKAYAMA Gakuin. Lastly introduced before the performance

started is Ms. Kasumi Yanagiura who is also a violinist and graduated at the same school as the

Ms. Matsuda. She is the managing director of “Music Education Development in Asia Project”

and a member of “OSAKA Chamber Orchestra” and Ensemble Luft Musica.

It was late evening when it started and to be honest, I, as a guy is never fond of listening to

such classical music. I really tried watching and listening to the performance as comprehensive as

I could so that my reaction paper would be as substantial as a 2 page article paper but I was too

sleepy considering my busy afternoon schedule. Nevertheless, the performance of the violinists

were very astonishing they seem to really feel on what they were playing. The violinists plays a

warm, rich sound and is very good to hear. Mr. Junuchi Matsuda played the violin first and I was
a bit bothered by his head and face that’s shacking so much because his head goes with the bow

as he plays the violin. While he plays the violin, I realized that violins plays high pitched sounds.

Ms. Kasumi Yanaguira who is also violinist comes and blends with Mr. Junuchi Matsuda. Both

violinist was able to play the instrument in an agile manner, and executed rapid and difficult

sequences of notes as I observed from their fingers that holds the violin strings and their arms sway

as if it is floating in the air as they slide their bows to vibrate the strings of the violin.

I wasn’t able to read the program guide at the first part of the program and thought that Mr.

Nobutaka Nakahara was just an introducer or emcee but in the middle of the presentation he went

to in between the stage and stood near the 2 violinist he introduced at the earlier part of the

program. While the 2 violinist play, Mr. Nakahara sang with a bold a voice. I was shock and told

myself that this was something I have to listen. Mr. Nakahara has a good control on his voice.

Even if I don’t understand Japanese, I can hear the good quality of his voice and the way he delivers

the song. I can also see his confidence and performance in his presentation. The only problem as

I’d mention earlier I really don’t understand Japanese so I have no idea what he meant by those

words and lines that he’s trying to convey even if he’s trying so hard to speak his words clearly in

times of high and low pitch of the song he sang. Still, his overall performance is very good.

Honestly speaking around 9:15 in the evening while the gala still on going, I slept for about

10 – 15 minutes. It wasn’t my intention but my eyelids involuntarily drop without me noticing it.

On the other hand, by the time I woke up an orchestra was already there and started playing. I was

trying hard to understand what kind of time signature the conductor was using but it wasn’t very

clear to me but I think the time signature used is a combination of various signature. I’m really not

that good in observing the conductor’s arms swaying considering the fact that I just learned the
types of time signature and how to do it in the air. Still, the orchestra played well. The large violins

produces low pitch sounds compared to the smaller ones that are being held at the shoulder.

In an overall summary of my reaction, all I can say is the gala was fun and boring to watch

at the same time but it was a heck of a performance.