Hitachi Philharmonic Orchestra The 57th Subscription Concert

Introduction of the Organization
The Hitachi Philharmonic Orchestra is an amateur orchestra consisting mainly of employees of Hitachi, Ltd. and its affiliated companies in the Keihin area. Since its first concert in June 1996, the orchestra has given two subscription concerts a year. The orchestra performs at halls in Tokyo such as Sumida Triphony Hall and Suntory Hall, as well as halls in Kanagawa Prefecture, with renowned conductors and performers in Japan, and performs a wide range of music.

Program Introduction
In this concert, we will present four masterpieces by famous French composers.

Prelude to the Afternoon of a Pastor (Debussy)
Inspired by a poem by the poet Stéphane Mallarmé, Debussy composed this piece, which is considered a masterpiece of impressionist music. It is characterized by the graceful melody of the flute, inviting the listener into a fantastic afternoon scene.

0 La Valse (Ravel)
This work was composed by Ravel as a homage to the Viennese waltz. It depicts a frenzied waltz rhythm that gradually leads to ruin.

0 "The Lady of Arles" Suite No. 2 (Bizet)
This suite is an arrangement of some of the incidental music composed by Bizet for Alphonse Daudet's play "The Lady of Arles. It is characterized by folk-like melodies and rhythmical dances, and evokes scenes from the south of France.

Suite in 0 "Pictures at an Exhibition" (arranged by Mussorgsky and Ravel)
This piano suite was composed by the Russian composer Mussorgsky based on a painting by his friend, Victor Hartmann, and arranged for orchestra by Ravel. Each piece represents a painting, and the colorful orchestration is appealing.

About the Conductor
After graduating from Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo, Japan, Ravel studied conducting under Hideo Saito, and in 1976 moved to Prague, Czech Republic, to study with Zdenek Koschler, who was selected as the best conductor at the International Bartók Seminar in 1977, and made his Japan debut in 1986 with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra at the opening series at Suntory Hall. Since then, he has performed with numerous orchestras and received high acclaim both in Japan and abroad.

We hope you will take this opportunity to enjoy these French masterpieces performed by the Hitachi Philharmonic Orchestra.