I knew nothing about it, but apparently a Fuji Television entertainment program called TEPPEN 2015 held a piano competition among celebrities. Those currently attracting attention online are Madoka Moriyasu of HKT48, Sakiko Matsui of AKB48, and comedian Sayuri, the 3 of them. They were the top 3, but people say it may have been rigged because Madoka Moriyasu was overwhelmingly superior yet placed 3rd.
Madoka Moriyasu is a serious pianist who has won an encouragement prize at the PIARA Piano Competition (which I had never heard of, though I know PTNA). If the video image below shows her home, her personal piano appears to be a Bösendorfer. (Amazing.)
Sakiko Matsui, meanwhile, is a piano student at Tokyo College of Music—a budding professional. In the video she is playing a Steinway. Does it belong to the school? If it is at home, that too is amazing.
Finally, Sayuri is a comedian, but she withdrew from the Junior College of Osaka College of Music‘s piano program. All three are people who are or have been seriously involved in piano study.
The result was Sayuri > Matsui > Moriyasu, and Hirohiko Fukuda of “Ikufuku” from “The Concert Without Content,” among others, harshly criticized it online 1. That is the situation.
Perhaps an amateur like me should not say anything when experts including Katsuhisa Hattori ranked them in the order above while another expert, Hirohiko Fukuda, says the reverse. But invoking an amateur’s privilege, I would like to think a little about the performances.
First, here are the respective performances.
Madoka Moriyasu
Sakiko Matsui
Sayuri
Now for an amateur critique of each.
First, in touch and evenness of notes, Moriyasu wins overwhelmingly. Her fingers move well, and her firm sound is somehow Bösendorfer-like. I wish they had let her play not a Yamaha but a Bösendorfer or Fazioli, or at least a Steinway. I think this is what strongly appealed to people online. By contrast, Matsui is slightly uneven, and Sayuri more uneven still. Actually, Sayuri falls apart too much. Unlike many Japanese listeners, I am happy if the music is there despite a few wrong notes, but even so, this is too much. Her technique cannot keep up. On this point, Moriyasu > Matsui > Sayuri without question.
But music is not only that. After hearing Moriyasu, many people who began listening to Matsui may have thought, “Wait, the sound is different.” Both are Yamahas, probably adjusted by the same person. Yet Matsui’s sound has much greater breadth and depth, from which the melody gently emerges. Why? I feel it depends on whether the performer properly compensates for the weakness of the piano as an equal-tempered instrument (though performers usually distinguish this through tone without consciously thinking about it). As noted above, modern pianos are tuned in equal temperament. Consequently, their sound becomes muddy, especially when every note of a chord is played at the same volume. Professional performers reduce this drawback by varying the volume and onset balance of each note 2. Thus, even on the same piano, a true professional produces a clear sound while someone else produces a muddy one. Matsui has more breadth and depth than Moriyasu for this reason. Precisely because Moriyasu’s “notes are even,” the “muddy quality of equal temperament” emerges strongly. Sayuri similarly takes care over this aspect. In other words, conservatory education has produced results. With all her technique, Ms. Moriyasu would improve immediately with a little attention to it. From this perspective, Matsui > Sayuri > Moriyasu.
Next, the pieces and their interpretations. First, “Ihojin.” Hmm, that is not what the song is. The loneliness beginning with “Children spread both hands toward the sky, trying to grasp birds, clouds, and even dreams” does not emerge…. Saki Kubota was also 19 years old, so their ages were not so different…. Are young people today more childish…? In the accompaniment, I cannot hear either the zurna 3 or the santur 4. It feels as though one serious heartbreak followed by wandering through an Arab city might improve it. Technically, she should pay more attention to legato in the vocal melody, phrase clearly, and play it as though singing by varying the volume of each note (the present version is far too pianistic), while lowering the accompaniment’s volume.
Saki Kubota herself performing “Ihojin”: (This is beside the point, but I had known her only by sound and did not realize how beautiful she was…. She was also from my hometown, Kunitachi.)
As for “Let It Go,” the individual parts are good and she sings well. But the piece is chopped up far too much. The arrangement is terrible. Presumably this was because of the time limit, but musically it should not be done.
By contrast, “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” is not chopped up, so it holds together properly. The introduction, especially through the 3th note, has wonderful breadth. The melody immediately afterward also sings properly, though not as well as Matsui’s. Beyond that, it feels driven by emotion. The ending feels somewhat tacked on. She lacks physical power.
Thus, Sayuri > Matsui would make sense only if the score for piece selection carried considerable weight. I can think of no other explanation.
Matsui > Moriyasu, as described above, comes from handling the piano and shaping the music.
Still….
If this is to be a “showdown,” I think they should choose a proper classical set piece. Something like this, for example.
(Another celebrity) Nao Matsushita performing “Chopin’s Ballade No. 3 in A-flat major” 5
Then outcomes like Sayuri > Matsui would not occur, and with proper guidance Ms. Moriyasu would surely become better than Matsui. Her fingers can move.
One more request for Fuji Television: the recording is far too poor. Please do something about it.
Finally, as a bonus, here is a real pianist: Zimerman. What skill! Professionals are different. 6
And so, once again, this is the one for me. That concludes the tale.
Footnotes
- Rocket News http://rocketnews24.com/2015/01/06/530471/
- Moreover, changing the volume balance actually changes pitch subtly. Playing strongly makes the string vibrate fully to its ends, lowering the pitch, while playing lightly raises it.
- an Arab double-reed instrument
- an Arab hammered-string instrument. Traveling west along the Silk Road, it became the Hungarian cimbalom, German hackbrett, and British hammered dulcimer; traveling east, it became the Chinese yangqin.
- Well, among the 3 contestants above plus Nao Matsushita, Matsushita seems the best.
- At the same playback volume, the opening may sound quiet, but that is because his dynamic range is broad: the pianissimo is extremely soft and the fortissimo extremely loud. His dynamic range is broad, every note carries nuance, his phrasing is magnificent—this is how music should be. Incidentally, the author carefully selected this performance from Horowitz, Kissin, and various others uploaded to Youtubue. I had always listened to Horowitz, but Zimerman is wonderful.
Related posts
Season’s Greetings—Bach: Siciliano (Flute and Spinet)
Season's greetings once again this year. I present Bach's Siciliano, mainly against a backdrop of scenery from Sicily. The flute I am using was made in…
Season’s Greetings—J. S. Bach: Sheep May Safely Graze (Flute, Piano, Spinet, and Marimba)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP9l47YJuzc To everyone who has supported me this year: 2020 was the year I opened my independent practice amid the coronavirus pandemic, and although I wondered…
Greetings to Everyone Who Helped Me This Year: Fauré’s “Pie Jesu”
December has already passed its 3 out of 1 mark. As every year, it has flown by, and it was another year that I somehow managed…