Tadashi Mikajiri
While the links between Japan and European music go back to the Christian missionaries of the 16th century, the closing of the country for two centuries meant that there was a long gap until the late 19th century. By 1900, however, Western art and music were part of cultural life in the larger cities, and this grew after the Second World War, with music from the classical and romantic eras leading the way, later extended to include older and later genres.
The walls of elementary and middle schools’ music rooms in Japan nowadays usually contain portraits of great European composers. Handel is always included. A diligent music teacher will introduce pupils to a couple of works of each one. In the case of Handel, a guidebook for teachers includes such works as ‘Hallelujah’ from Messiah, the Water Music, the Harmonious Blacksmith, ‘See the conq’ring hero comes’ from Judas Maccabaeus, and ‘Ombra mai fu’ from Serse; only one or two of these will be selected to be heard in the classroom. In addition, Handel’s music is widely used at events and as background music for TV programmes and commercial advertisements. For example, ‘See the conq’ring hero comes’ is not infrequently played (though slowly) in ceremonies of sports events, including Sumo wrestling. Thus many people know the melodies of this and of ‘Hallelujah’, ‘Ombra mai fu’, ‘Lascia ch’io pianga’, and the Alla Hornpipe from the Water Music, even if most are not aware who composed them.
Piano lessons for young children are popular in Japan, and Bach’s keyboard works are in the regular curriculum together with pieces by Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin, for those who have gone through basic training. So most musicians, professional or amateur, have learned to appreciate baroque music through Bach. Handel is not as popular yet, except Messiah, which is performed well over 100 times every year across the country.
One of the early contributions to the study and introduction of Handel and his works was a biography (1966) written in Japanese by the late Keiichiro Watanabe (1932-2001), who is also known in the scholarly world through his philological studies. Christopher Hogwood’s biography of Handel was translated into Japanese in 1991 by Toshiki Misawa, who studied with Watanabe. In the memorial year of 2009, The Cambridge Companion to Handel, edited by Donald Burrows, was translated into Japanese by Koko Fujie, Hiroko Kobayashi and Tadashi Mikajiri, and won an award from The Music Pen Club Japan.
Almost all the scholars/researchers of Handel are in their 50s, 60s or older, and there are few younger people studying him. Papers related to Handel seldom appear in the journals of the Musicological Society of Japan or universities/colleges. We need more young people to enter this field.
Performances of Handel’s works, however, are in much better condition. The ‘period instruments’ movement came to Japan in 1970s and 1980s, and gradually led to more performances of Handel’s chamber works, together with those of Bach, Vivaldi and Telemann. For a while, performances of Handel’s larger-scale works were limited to Messiah and some rare exceptions up to the end of 1980s. The tide changed when Keiichiro Watanabe started collaborating with Telemann Institute Japan in Osaka to premiere a series of oratorios. Solomon (1995), Hercules (1996), L’Allegro, il Penseroso, ed il Moderato (1997), Deborah (1998), Athalia (1999), Susanna (2000) and Theodora (2001) saw national premieres during this period. Simon Standage was invited to lead the orchestra for some of these concerts.
Now there are two active groups specialising in Handel: the Handel Institute Japan, founded by Keiichiro Watanabe in 1998, focusing mainly on operas; and Handel Festival Japan, founded in 2002 by Toshiki Misawa, covering various genres, especially oratorios.
The Handel Institute Japan, formed to promote researches, performances and enjoyment of Handel’s music, consists of musicians, musicologists, researchers of related areas and listeners. It offers half a dozen lectures/meetings annually on the researchers’/listeners’ side, and studies stage practices of the period, especially baroque gesture, on the performance side. It staged Rinaldo in 2002* (asterisk indicates Japanese premiere) in memory of the late Keiichiro Watanabe, Serse (2003), La Resurrezione (2004), Agrippina (2005), Il Pastor Fido (2008), Ottone (2009) (with Laurence Cummings invited to direct), Alessandro (2010), Partenope (2012)*, Flavio (2015), Deidamia (2017) and Ariodante (2018).
Handel Festival Japan aims at performing both vocal and instrumental music, to expand Handel’s image beyond the traditional view as a composer of Messiah. It performed Acis and Galatea (2003* and 2011), La Resurrezione (2004), The Choice of Hercules* with Concerti Grossi Op.6 (2005), Hercules (2007), Water Music and Coronation Anthems (2007), Tamerlano (2008*, concert style), Messiah (2009), L’Allegro, il Penseroso, ed il Moderato with the Ode for St Cecilia’s Day (2010) (which the late Christopher Hogwood was invited to conduct), Samson (2012), Alcina (2013, concert style), Saul (2014), Alexander’s Feast (2015), Jephtha (2016), Belshazzar (2017), Theodora (2018) and Solomon (2019).
In addition to these two groups specialising in Handel, several others have started staging Handel’s operas. The Vivava Opera Company in Osaka/Kobe area, although they do not confine themselves to Handel, have staged a lot, including a number of Japanese premieres: Flavio (2004), Alcina (2005), Deidamia (2006), Imeneo (2007), Tolomeo (2008), Orlando (2009), Lotario (2010), Radamisto (2012)* and Rodelinda (2013)*. Nationally/internationally recognised opera/music companies are now including Handel’s operas and oratorios in their programmes: Nikikai, the largest opera company in Japan, has performed Giulio Cesare twice (2005, 2015) and Alcina once (2018). Alcina was also staged by the Tokyo Chamber Opera Theatre (2008). Bach Collegium Japan, which specialises mainly in Bach, performed Israel in Egypt (2007), Judas Maccabaeus (2008) and Rinaldo (2009, concert style). The New National Opera Theatre (Opera Palace), run by a governmental body, will include Giulio Cesare in its 2019/20 season. There are also more amateur chorus groups beginning to sing Israel in Egypt, Judas Maccabaeus, Dixit Dominus and the Chandos Anthems.
All of these performances were mainly played and sung by Japanese musicians. There were also occasions when western companies came to perform, including Giulio Cesare by Berlin Staatsoper (1980), Ottone by King’s Consort (1992) and Ariodante by Bayerische Staatsoper (2005).
In total, this is a good long list and shows considerable progress from the pre-1985 period. But only a few works are played each year; the venues are limited to Tokyo and Osaka/Kobe, the two biggest metropolises of the country; and most are single performances. Famous titles, like Giulio Cesare, Alcina, Ariodante, Serse and Rinaldo have been produced several times, and seem to have acquired repertoire status, but most others have been performed only once or twice. More than half of Handel’s operas/oratorios remain on the waiting list. It would be good to see more titles staged in Tokyo and Osaka/Kobe, and more performances in other cities in the country.
Later operas – by Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, Puccini – have already acquired solid popularity in Japan. Baroque operas, that were constructed in a different dramaturgy, a different social/political context and with different stage practices, could be misunderstood as boring unless their charms are clearly and vividly presented. While the technical ability of musicians – instrumentalists and singers alike – have improved considerably in the last 30 years, it is the duty of musicologists to place these great works in the proper light to be appreciated by modern audiences.
There are more than 40 music colleges/universities in the country, only four of which have undergraduate courses dedicated to period instruments and historically-conscious playing/singing. So, at bachelor level, baroque technique is still a minor part of the curriculum. Several schools, however, offer optional classes for those who are interested in historical performances. In addition, with the growing appreciation of period-style music in the country, more postgraduate musicians are seeking opportunities to study historical technique, and the number who have had such training in Europe is now well over a few hundred. Thus the resources for playing Handel’s works are increasing.
Looking back at my school days in the 70s and 80s, only a few discs were released each year, and it was quite possible to buy all the new LPs of Handel’s works. My record shop manager used to call me when a new title appeared, and I bought every one of them. New releases increased after CDs appeared, and it is now realistically impossible to buy all the Handel CDs and DVDs. It is dreamlike that we now can enjoy Handel’s music in such abundance. However, real enjoyment of Handel’s works, especially operas and oratorios, lies in opera houses and concert halls. We need to promote more live performances.
Fortuitously, the next Emperor, Naruhito, was born on 23 February, the same day as Handel. His succession is in May 2019, and his birthday will be a new national holiday. Since it coincides with Handel’s, this should provide good enhanced opportunities to play and enjoy Handel’s music in Japan.
Tadashi Mikajiri teaches at the Opera Studio of the New National Theatre, Tokyo, and at the graduate schools of Kunitachi College of Music and Kyoto City University of Arts.