- Time & Date
- 18:30, Monday, 20. 4. 2009
- Venue
- Hamarikyu Asahi Hall, Tokyo
- Performers
- Moeko Matsumura (S)
- Mutsumi Hatano (A)
- Hirohisa Tsuji (T)
- Masato Makino (B)
- Choir & Orchestra
- CANNONS CONCERT CHAMBER CHOIR & ORCHESTRA
- Conductor
- Toshiki Misawa
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- Greetings from the Chairman
- Thank you all for coming to join our 7th Handel Festival Japan (HFJ) today. We have finally come to the 250th anniversary of Handel's passing. HFJ was founded back in 2003 and has been having various activities towards this year. In the 7th HFJ commemorating year, we plan to have four different projects and the first two projects are in relation to MESSIAH.
- Project 1 is called "Chorus Workshop – Hallelujah!" In this workshop, the HFJ will take up chorus music from MESSIAH with its performance and aim to sort out the issues on the music's structure and word setting. This work is to seek the affinity of not only Handel's chorus works of MESSIAH, but also his chorus music, or vocal music.
- Project 2 is the performance of all MESSIAH music. HFJ has been focusing on introducing Handel's unknown masterpieces to the world.
- However, we have decided to spotlight his best work intentionally as the year 2009 is a historical year for him. In addition, HFJ is going to attempt to take a different approach than ever. First of all, we are going to use the 1741 original version for our performance, which is being hardly used when MESSIAH music is performed. At the same time, HFJ plans to emphasize on the work's dramatic aspect, in order to present a new image of MESSIAH. MESSIAH is noble, magnificent work with a wide range of emotions and excitement.
- Furthermore, HFJ is planning to invite a performance of Authentic Baroque Opera from Czech on 21st November, 2009 and to invite Mr. Christopher Hogwood the maestro on 13th February, 2010. HFJ aspires that people in Japan can renew their recognition of the greatness and variety of Handel himself as a composer through our planned events in this anniversary year.
- Last but not least, our special thanks go to "The Asahi Shimbun Foundation for the Arts", "The Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Foundation for the Arts", "The Kao Foundation for Arts and Sciences", "The Asahi Shimbun", "TOKYO KOTEBN GAKKI CENTRE", "Mr. Satoru Ishii", "Ikegami Lutheran Church", "Kamata Church, United Church of Christ Japan", "HFJ Support Club: HANDELIAN", "GEORGFRIEDRICH-HÄNDEL-GESELLSCHAFT, Internationale Vereinigung, e.V.", "STIFTUNG HÄNDEL-HAUS HALLE AN DER SAALE" and "The American Handel Society" for their remarkable support and cooperation.
- Toshiki Misawa
- Chairman
- Committee of Handel Festival Japan
- (Translated by Naoko Oshima)