Well-known "left-handed pianist" Izumi Tateno is dedicating his upcoming birthday concert at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan hall to an old friend who recently passed away.
To start at 7 p.m. on Nov. 9, the performance will commemorate Tateno's 82nd birthday. It is an annual event, though he recently decided to change the program to honor his departed friend, composer Yasuo Sueyoshi.
Tateno teared up when he recalled how Sueyoshi, who died in August, had written for him the piano piece "Tsuchi no Uta -- Kaze no Koe" (Song of the Earth / Voice of the Wind) for the left hand.
"As I've played it more and more, what I get from it has changed. But things are different now. His presence has grown since he passed. He wrote me such wonderful music," Tateno said.
A cerebral hemorrhage in 2002 left the right side of Tateno's body paralyzed. He returned to the stage in 2004, performing with just his left hand.
Tateno and Sueyoshi learned piano together under Noboru Toyomasu and were classmates at Tokyo University of the Arts. Sueyoshi wrote "Tsuchi no Uta -- Kaze no Koe" for Tateno soon after the latter started performing again.
In the published score, Sueyoshi wrote: "When I was commissioned [to write this], an old friend had just overcome a great difficulty. He came back with a bigger heart than ever."
Though played only with the left hand, the piece has four voices. The left hand flies over the keys, weaving together chords with each note carefully selected by the composer, creating voices that blend together. At the end, a single voice echoes quietly and slowly.
"It leaves you feeling, 'What was that?' I can't resist it," Tateno said.
Initially, he had planned to premiere four new works in the November concert, but decided to change the program. "I wanted to dedicate it to Sueyoshi," he said.
Three pieces will be premieres, plus two works by Sueyoshi -- "Tsuchi no Uta -- Kaze no Koe" and "Ippai no Kodomotachi"(Full with Children. 6 little preludes for left hand). He will also play a piece written for him by the Finnish composer Pehr Henrik Nordgren, who died 10 years ago.
When he first went back to performing, about the only piano music for the left hand his label knew of was "Piano Concerto for the Left Hand," which was written by Maurice Ravel for a pianist who lost his right hand in World War I. To increase his repertoire, Tateno raised money to commission composers from both Japan and overseas to write music that could be played left-handed.
So far about 100 works have been written, including solo pieces, as well as concertos and chamber music.
"I want to work with all kinds of people and do all kinds of music," Tateno said.
The day after the concert, Tateno will judge a public audition at the Ishikawa Ongakudo in Kanazawa, to find talented left-handed pianists.
"Left-handed music has come to be a distinguished field, not just something that is performed by people with disabilities," he said.
Nearly 15 years since he returned to performing, left-handed music seems to be taking root as a proper genre.
For more information, call the Japan Arts Pia Call Center at (03) 5774-3040.
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