| Popis: |
On 28th November 1910 woman missionary of the American Board, Charlotte De Forest (1879-1973), played piano, accompanying the famous opera singer SHIBATA (MIURA) Tamaki (1884-1946), on the stage of Aioi-za theatre, Kobe. This article clears the mystery, why an American woman missionary, teacher in Kobe, co-staged with the first Japanese prima donna, resident in Tokyo, on the stage of a vulgar theatre in Shinkaichi, Minatogawa, next to the red-light district in Kobe. Reading of the related materials made it clear that it was a charity concert for the benefit of the Okayama Orphanage, the first Japanese orphanage by devoted ISHII Juji, which had been supported continuously by Kobe College, where De Forest was teaching, and also by John De Forest, another missionary and father of Charlotte. It was announced in newspapers that SHIBATA Tamaki and De Forest were to play 'Air des bijoux' by Charles Gounod from his opera "Faust" , and 'Ombre legere' by Giacomo Meyerbeer from "Dinorah" , Actually they played another aria 'Una voce poco fa' by Rossini from "Barbiere di Siviglia", because of the throat trouble, tonsillitis, of the singer. In the autumn of 1910, the benefit concerts for the Okayama Orphanage were held not only in Kobe, but also in Kyoto (18th, 19th and 20th October) and Osaka (28th and 29th October). The accompanist for SHIBATA Tamaki was IZUMI Chiyoko in Kyoto, KURIHARA Kinko in Osaka, both talented and often mentioned piano- players in their towns. This suggests De Forest's high ability and evaluation as a piano-player. The opportunities De Forest played on public places, five times between 1907 and 1910, reveals her policy to utilize music making to serve the society. They were all charity concerts for congregational or educational institutions. She played on stages not for the music itself but for the benefit of people. The program making of the charity concerts of 1910 was a typical 'hodgepodge program' combination of Japanese traditional performing arts, Nagauta, Koto, Hoh, Kyogen etc, and of Western music of singing, piano playing, and military band. Probably this was to serve the purpose of having as many audiences as possible. At the same time, it seems to reflect the taste and liking of the then Japanese people in main towns in Kansai district and also the positioning of Western music in Japanese society. The situation and context of this surprising co-starring of De Forest and SHIBATA Tamaki tells us much about the music world in the last period of Meiji Era. |
