Suntory Hall

Today has been our second full day in Tokyo, and our big event was attending a concert this afternoon (Sunday) given by the Japan Philharmonic at Suntory Hall. The latter was opened in 1986 and is the premier location in Tokyo for orchestral performances and recitals  It is quite modern in design, but has superb acoustics. The Japan Phlharmonic is second only to the NHK Symphony in reputation. and we were very impressed with its conductor - Kenichiro Kobayashi. He guest conducts often in Europe and is very flamboyant and involved in style. The instrumentalists are first-rate as well. and the only drawback from our point  of view was the programme.  We think the theme was "Proms meet New Year in Vienna". and it was "Blue Danube", Beethoven Fifth. and "New World" with "Csardas" as a rousing encore. Not at all innovative and made the VSO seem positively "cutting edge".  The audience was a refreshing mixture of young & old, and behaved beautifully. We could also have booked seats for Helene Grimaud tomorrow but are not that enthusiastic abut her as  a pianist. Besides that, we moved heaven & earth to get seats for the Kabuki on Wednesday, and enough is enough.
Tokyo is not as cold as we expected, and as we are staying at the ANA Intercontinental in Akasaka (close to the Imperial Palace) there is little sign of the recession. The women are as smartly dressed as ever, and we are engulfed by shops and boutiques with unaffordable prices. It is as well that our shopping days are largely over!
The rest of the week will be concerned with family, friends and some new museums. The weather, though not frigid, doesn't lend itself to promendaing the boulevards of Tokyo, exchanging witticisms with the Tokyo "bene". Till the next post.
                                                      K + K