"I want to open my own chamber hall in Moscow and arrange apartment parties"

Hiroko Inoue arrived in Russia 28 years ago, and as soon as she got off the plane, she immediately felt at home. She performed in almost all Russian cities where there are brass organs, and now she would like to regularly arrange apartment parties in Moscow. This is the famous musician, the winner of the Competition named after Tariverdieva and the Organist of the Year award told Izvestia on the eve of her performance at the opening of the VII International Organ Festival in Kazan. At the concert on March 11, she will perform with the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Tatarstan (GASO RT), conducted by Ilya Gaisin.

"I am amazed by the beauty of Rachmaninov's music"

— This is not your first time performing at the organ festival in Kazan. Moreover, this time the program includes not only your performance, but also your husband Jean-Pierre Sivers. Why do you come there again and again and what will you perform this time?

— This is a wonderful, unique festival. Traditionally, the organ sounds like a solo instrument, with soloists or with a choir. At this festival in Kazan, the organ plays with a large symphony orchestra, which is rare. Besides, there is a very good big Dutch organ there, and GASO RT is one of the best bands in Russia. It is a great happiness to perform with such an orchestra. I would like to add that young talented conductors are invited to conduct it, and this is also a valuable opportunity for them, which they do not have in other circumstances.

Photo: GASO RT press service

As for my program, I have to play a Concerto for Organ, Strings and Percussion by Francis Poulenc. It was originally planned that Jean-Pierre Sivers would be on stage all evening. But it turned out that this piece was not in his repertoire, and the organizers decided that they should invite me too. And I am very glad to be back in Kazan.

— At one of the previous festivals in Kazan, you played a piece by a Japanese composer. Were there any concerns that this would be too unusual for the Russian public?

— Oh, this is the wonderful composer Hiroyuki Fujikake, his composition "Aquarianism" was written for organ and chamber orchestra. The music is incredibly beautiful, but interestingly, there are a lot of Russian intonations: a melodious melody, a nostalgic atmosphere. Wherever I was lucky enough to play this composition, the listeners took it with delight.

Photo: GASO RT press service

— In your concerts, you also play your own arrangements of Japanese folk melodies.

— It is important for me to introduce the music of my homeland to the public. The organ has existed in Japan since the 16th century, when it was brought by missionaries from the West, but it was regularly composed at the beginning of the 20th century. Therefore, the Japanese music that I like, whether from the 19th century or earlier, is written for voice or other instruments, and I make arrangements for the organ.

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— But you also made arrangements of works by Russian composers. As far as I know, you are particularly attracted to Rachmaninov.

— Yes, Adagio from his Second Symphony, Vocalise... It seems to me that it sounds so natural on the organ!

Russian composer, pianist and conductor Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov

Photo: RIA Novosti

— What does Russian music mean to you? What attracts you to her?

— How difficult it is to formulate, Sergey! (He thinks about it.) This is breadth, depth, and a special breath. I am amazed by the beauty of Rachmaninoff's music. Although he did not write for the organ. Everything in his writings is based on Orthodox hymns — znamenny chants. And it touches you so much! You understand that this depth is precisely from there, from the spiritual realm.

But Tchaikovsky's music is very difficult for me to play on the organ. It is often too flexible, lively, and difficult to "translate" into an organ. That's why I practically don't take it up. After all, if you're doing organ processing for a particular piece of music that was originally written for a different composition, then it should be more interesting or at least as good as the original.

"There are practically no young people at concerts in Europe"

— You first came to Russia in 1998. Do you remember your first feelings back then, 28 years ago?

— When I got off the plane, I felt like I had returned home! And the further I go, the more I become convinced of this. I feel so great here! I guess I wasn't really Japanese in Japan (laughs). And I was so lucky to study with such masters and professors at the Moscow Conservatory, then become a soloist at the Kaliningrad Philharmonic, and then teach at the Gnessin Music School.… Even as a child, I knew that there was such an educational institution in Moscow for talented children, and I dreamed of studying there. But I never imagined that one day I would not just study, but teach at it.

— You play a lot of concerts. Do you ever perform in the Middle East? Has the tour schedule been affected by the current events?

— I performed in Israel a month ago and, of course, I did not expect what is happening there now. But the Middle East is not an organ region. However, here's a curious fact for you. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airport, is an organist. He is an Englishman, graduated from the Royal Conservatory in London, and has a large brass organ at home.… But this, of course, is rare. That's why we don't usually give concerts there.

Kaliningrad Regional Philharmonic Society

Photo: TASS/ITAR/Elena Nagornykh

— Was there any desire to leave Russia and build your career in Europe? After all, there are more organs there than anywhere else.

— There never has been and probably never will be. I studied in Holland and periodically perform at organ festivals there in the summer. Of course, there are magnificent antique organs in this country — the 17th and 18th centuries.… But, according to my observation and what I have heard from European organists themselves, listeners there do not treat the organ with such interest as in Russia. At least in the cities I've been to: The Hague, Groningen, Leeuwarden… Very large centers, with excellent organs, but the audience is different. There are practically no young people. I see it as the decline of Europe.

Jean-Pierre Sivers is the organist at the Roermond Cathedral. He plays all over the world. But now he has a tour of Russia, he has been on the road for seven weeks: Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk, Chita, Irkutsk… And he's so happy! He tells me: "Look, such interest, such return from the listener!" Being an organist in Russia is definitely a greater happiness than being one in Europe.

"I've been Russian at heart for a long time"

— You have Japanese citizenship. And since you can't have dual citizenship under Japanese law, you can't get a Russian passport.

— Yes, unfortunately.

— If Japan, for example, changed this rule, would you like to become a Russian citizen?

— Of course! I've been Russian at heart for a long time (laughs).

Photo: GASO RT press service

"And Jean—Pierre?"

— He needs to learn the language first. He has been performing regularly in Russia since 1999, and he still hasn't learned it. But I think he's Russian too. You see, "Russian" is not about nationality. It's about the mindset, the way a person perceives the world.

— Was there any of our cities where you particularly liked it?

— Omsk. I always feel so good in Omsk! It's a place that feels completely familiar to me.

— Over the past quarter of a century, you have traveled all over Russia, performing concerts from the Far East to Kaliningrad, from Sochi to Murmansk. What does all this vast space have in common?

— Very kind and sincere people. Every time there are new acquaintances — with the public, with fellow travelers on trains.… And sometimes it grows into a great friendship. It happens that people come up to concerts and say such kind words that tears come!

By the way, I've been to Murmansk twice. The first time was in winter, in December, and I was completely surprised at how dark it was. Polar night! But it creates a sense of some kind of special space. And the second time I happened to come in the fall. And it was very beautiful there! Nature, people… I really liked it there.

— You also met Jean-Pierre in Russia, in Kaliningrad. How did it happen?

— It was after the International Organist Competition named after him. M.Tariverdieva, where I was a participant, and he was on the jury. After the results were announced, I decided that I would ask each member of the jury what I needed for future self-improvement. So I went up to him, and he said a very unexpected thing. "You just need to play historical organs, "smell" them. Every organ has its own smell." Since then, we've been communicating. And it so happened that I received a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture of Japan and was able to study in North Holland. I really tried to play different organs there first of all. An instrument for an organist is a real teacher, because they are all different.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Vitaly Belousov

— Are there any places in Russia where you haven't been yet, but would like to visit?

— Although Russia is very big, I think it has been almost everywhere where there are organs. But I would like to go to Altai — not as a musician, but as a tourist: to see the nature of this amazing region. It is said that the soul of the earth is there. I performed in Barnaul itself, but I couldn't travel around the region.

— What do you dream about as a musician?

— I would like to open my own chamber hall in Moscow. Now I have three electronic organs at home, one of them weighs a ton! Unfortunately, I can't invite the public there. I was looking at different options, and I was thinking about collaborating with museums.… But it still doesn't give you complete independence. That's why I've been thinking about buying a big apartment and arranging lodgers there for a long time. Some time ago, I had a similar experience visiting a friend in Jerusalem. 20 people came, you play, talk about music, talk to the audience… And I was very inspired by this feeling of comfort, closeness to the audience. I hope to be able to do this in Moscow.