Boston Singers' Resource News Bulletin, October 1, 2002


"RICHIEMOTO" IN JAPAN - This past summer, 12 members of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus were invited to be ringers for the Tokyo National Opera production of "Peter Grimes. BSR member, Rich Bissell* generously shares his delightful travel journal with us highlighting his month-long singing experience with the Tokyo Opera Chorus in Matsumoto, Japan. Make yourself a cup of tea, sit back and enjoy the trip with Rich!

PETER GRIMES IN MATSUMOTO, JAPAN

At the invitation of Seiji Ozawa, twelve members of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus were selected to perform in a fully-staged production of Benjamin Britten’s opera "Peter Grimes" at the Saito Kinen Festival in Matsumoto Japan this past Summer. Stage direction was by David Kneuss, who has directed many of the semi-staged operas at Symphony Hall, and fully-staged operas at Tanglewood, including the 50th anniversary production of "Peter Grimes." Sets and costumes were by Michael Deegan and Sarah Conley, respectively. The chorus, prepared by John Oliver, consisted of fifty members of the Tokyo Opera Singers, and Tanglewood Festival Chorus singers Christina Bonati*, Laura Grande*, Laura Mennill*, Sharon Brown, Diane Droste, Cindy Vredeveld, Richard Bissell*, Henry Lussier, Brian Robinson, Paulo Carminati, Joel Evans and Michael Healy. The cast included Anthony Dean Griffey as Peter Grimes, Christine Goerke as Ellen Orford, Alan Opie as Captain Balstrode, Jane Bunnell as Auntie, Sari Gruber and Sarah Pelletier as neices one and two, Mark Schowalter as Bob Boles, Stafford Dean as Swallow, Judith Christin as Mrs. Sedley, Ryland Davies as Rev. Horace Adams, Brett Polegato as Ned Kean, Richard van Allan as Hobson, and Kyle Berry as John.

The following excerpts are from a daily log kept by BSR and TFC member, Rich Bissell* (Richiemoto).


DAY ONE: ADVENTURES IN TRAVEL

Konnichiwas Ya‘all:

Due to scheduling problems, six of us TFCers traveled to New York on Friday, and six on Saturday morning. I chose to travel independently on Friday, to meet a client for dinner in Manhattan.

My flight was scheduled to depart Logan at 1:30 PM on Friday Afternoon but the agent asked if I would like to take the 11:00 AM shuttle to New York, instead of the later flight. I agreed.

Then my adventure began. I was asked to accompany an agent into a back room, where she explained that I had been "randomly selected" for a detailed search of my checked luggage. I reckoned that the inspectors would have me open the bag, then they would look quickly at the contents, and perhaps feel around a bit, looking for what I can only guess. But they had ME unpack the entire bag, piece by piece! After the inspection of each item, I re-packed the bag as best I could, left it with them, and went back to board the plane. As I walked through the scanner, a very polite gentleman in a uniform asked me to step over to a table. He explained that I had been "randomly selected" to have my carry-on luggage inspected. Fine, I said to myself, thinking that all my random luck was being wasted on an airport inspection, when it could be more beneficially applied to winning the lottery. This time an agent unpacked my carry-on, while I watched. She put all the contents back in roughly the same order she found them.

Good, that was over. Now to board the plane. I presented My boarding pass to the agent, and smiled. Perhaps I shouldn’t have! At that moment, another uniformed man approached me, and asked me to follow him. We went into a small room, where he asked me to remove my pants and shirt. I said, "You have got to be kidding!" He didn’t laugh. He was not kidding. I had been "randomly selected" for a strip search. I wasn’t aware that this amount of scrutiny was going on at Logan, but there I was, in my underwear, being scanned by an agent who didn’t even have the decency to introduce himself! (The last time this happened to me was when I was drafted into the Army, but at least I expected it then!)
After the strip search, I boarded the plane, all the time Wondering if the flight attendants had been tipped off that a subversive such as I was on the plane.

All twelve of us, except John Oliver (who was too sick to fly), made it to the plane on time, with a cliff hanger provided by Brian Robinson (who briefly lost his passport enroute to NYC!) The 13.5 hour flight over was very pleasant. I took some pictures of Mt. McKinley from my window seat. The view of the glaciers was incredible. The airline food was Japanese - our first introduction to too much rice and noodles.



DAY TWO: THE SINGING ZOMBIES ARRIVE IN TOKYO

When we arrived in Tokyo, we were all very tired. I insisted on a group picture before boarding the bus. Everyone smiled as much as possible.

Our hotel in Tokyo was excellent, with curious high-tech toilets. Some of us went to a restaurant on one of the highest floors of a skyscraper. The food came in small portions, and was very rice and noodle intensive. We didn’t care. We just wanted a little something to get us back to the hotel so we could crash. We did.

The next morning, a group of us went to the photo stores, not far from the hotel to buy cameras and accessories, then boarded the bus for Matsumoto. We stopped along the way at a rest stop. Henry Lussier saw a vending machine that produced hot chicken and french fries. He had to try it. The report was that they were OK. (Vending machines are all over the place here. You can buy vitamin drinks, beer, coffee, tea, soft drinks, and meals. My "favorite" is the self-heating, pull-string Spaghetti and sauce.)

David Kneuss, the Stage Director, was on the bus with us. He gave us some interesting information about Matsumoto, and told us the parts we would be playing in the opera. I will be a Sea Captain, Henry and Michael will be gentlemen, Brian a gay blade, Laura M. a shopkeeper, Christina and Diane will be dowagers, Cindy and Laura G. will be fisherwomen, Sharon will be a wife with two children, Paulo will be a playboy, and Joel will be a farmer.



BEAUTIFUL MATSUMOTO, ALMOST

Now we are in Matsumoto. We were met by a hotel representative, Who told us all about our stay, and has been a wonderful help getting us oriented to the hotel and the city. The rooms are tiny, really tiny, with very little space to store our clothes. Mine are placed about on the bed headboard and the window sill. I only have a small (1 foot wide) closet and two shelves in the desk.

Matsumoto is a larger city than I had imagined. I was told that it is the Lenox of Japan. But it is a large city of 200,000. Some of us took a long walk this afternoon, to get a look at our new home for the next month.
We were scheduled for a first rehearsal with J.O. on Wednesday, but, because John was delayed in departing Boston, the first rehearsal with him is likely to be on Thursday.



DAY FOUR: IT’S OFF TO WORK WE GO

John Oliver arrived today but was in no shape to conduct a rehearsal. When the rehearsal schedule was posted on the Festival board in the hotel lobby, our rehearsal had been moved to 1:30 pm, and was with David Kneuss.

We were escorted to our bus, and then to the concert hall by a very nice tour group rep named Mia. This was not a private bus, mind you, but public transportation with many sweaty natives, some of whom had pungent odors. Our bus to the concert hall also goes to the University, so there are a lot of students who use it. Sort of like the E line, only not as crowded, and much more friendly.

As we filed into the Matsumoto Cultural Center, we were greeted in typical Japanese style by everyone we passed. (As an aside, it is quite wonderful to be in a place where people actually acknowledge and greet you on the street, and show respect to each other.) Our guide pointed out the free hot and cold drink vending machines, and the free snack table, both of which made us all very happy.

In the rehearsal room some of the Tokyo Opera Singers Were already seated and going over music. In the front of the room, there were large panels upon which Sarah Conly had put the costume sketches.
We all took seats, and exactly at 1:30 PM the rehearsal began.

David, with the translation help of Seira Ozawa, the assistant Stage director, and Leo, the stage manager (who spoke perfect English), said he wanted to use the afternoon to introduce us to our characters, and go over an outline of the opera, so we might better understand how we fit in.

Each of us was called to the front of the room in turn to be told what our role was, to look at the drawing of our costume, and to find out our relationship to the other characters. Each chorus member has his or her own costume designed by Sarah Conly, and each of us has his or her individual character and relationship to others. This, David said, will be most helpful and evident when we are not singing, but must interact with each other. For instance, I am a sea captain, and Cindy is my daughter. I am of the same social standing as the principal player named Balstrode, and a good friend of another sea captain, played by Katayose san, one of the Japanese singers.

After all had been introduced to roles and costumes, David Explained that the chorus has a major role as the primary antagonist in the opera. It is of one mind, and opinion about Peter Grimes, although the chorus expresses different moods throughout the opera. Mrs. Sedley and her gossiping friends keep meddling, but the borough, the townspeople played by the chorus, is the real heavy in the piece.

He then outlined the opera, Act by Act, and gave us a brief character description of the major leads.

He asked us to sing "Old Joe has gone fishing," which is a catchy tune we sing in the Boar. We did. It was evident that the Tokyo Opera Chorus had done their homework, and that the sound from the combined chorus would be substantial.
After the rehearsal the twelve of us took the bus back to the bus station. Some decided to go to MATSUMOTO castle later that afternoon. I did not. Six of us went back to the hotel, regrouped, and headed out for Agetsuchi Riverside Terrace. The food was wonderful, the company was great, and toward the end of our meal, who walked in but David Kneuss and Sarah Conly. That restaurant will definitely see us again before we leave.



DAY FIVE: REHEARSALS BEGIN

Rehearsal with John today both morning and after noon went well.

The Tokyo Opera singers have big, big voices, especially the basses. One of the basses a couple of seats down from me has a very big, deep, highly focused, covered voice. At times he overpowers everyone within 10 feet. It is obvious he is extremely proud to be loud! (Most of the tenors have big, operatic voices, too - full, Italian production support, etc.) They are all very sonorous and loud. Most of them know the music, and are pretty good with the pronunciation of the English. Once during the rehearsal John had the TFC singers sing a phrase to give an example of the pronunciation. John emphasized the need to separate words for clarity, and had them repeatedly work on a more American sound of "r" especially at the end of words. It is difficult for them, but they are getting better.

Another problem the Japanese singers seem to have is that they, as opera singers and soloists in their own regard, tend to take stylistic liberties. They scoop, and approach notes from the bottom of the pitch (especially the men). In the afternoon rehearsal, John said that he was pleased that we had applied the corrections he made in the morning, so that it was much better. The sound of the combined chorus is quite beautiful.

I had my costume fitting today. I am a Sea Captain. Sarah calls me "Captain Andy" (ala Show Boat).



DAY SIX: HAPPY BIRTHDAY IS HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN ANY LANGUAGE

Today is Paulo’s birthday! Also the birthday of one of the Tokyo Opera singers. We sang "Happy Birthday" to both at the beginning of rehearsal. (Interesting how "Happy Birthday" is known the world over.)

The bulk of the day was spent in rehearsal with John. Again There were diction problems, some of which will never go away. Words like "blessing" and phrases like "Chuck him out" and "What is it?" are difficult for the Japanese singers. John tried to explain that "Check him out" (as they pronounced it) had a different meaning that "Chuck him out." I’m not sure the point was fully appreciated.

We learned that the Tokyo Opera Singers had 15 rehearsals in preparation for this opera. Contrast that to the 4 the TFC singers had, and we were still better prepared.

Yui, our travel representative, arranged a reservation at a Local restaurant named "Baden, Baden" for a big birthday bash for Paulo. Paulo invited some of the members of the Tokyo Opera Chorus. We had a great meal and a wonderful time getting to know our new friends, and coping with our total deficiency in Japanese, and their fragmented proficiency with English. Thank God for that! We would never have known what we were ordering. Later, a few of us went to a local bar, where Paulo entertained us on the guitar, while Christina and others wailed Beatles songs. A good time was had by all.
The soloists arrived at the hotel in the afternoon.


DAY 10: SHOW BIZ AIN’T ALL FUN AND GAMES

We’ve had three days of intense rehearsal on the prologue, the opening scene, the storm scene and the Boar scene. Things seem to be coming together. Seiji arrived yesterday, and everything improved a notch. Several principals have commented on the good sound of the chorus, and on the English pronunciation of the Japanese, which will only improve as we rehearse. Most of the principals have done this opera a number of times before, so they know their roles well. This is good, but they bring with them ideas and expectations from other productions that are sometimes a help to David Kneuss, and sometimes get in the way of his directing.



DAY 11:

David finished staging more scenes. Our call was at 11:30 AM. Rehearsal ended at around 3:00 PM. Most of the work today involved finishing the staging of the Boar scene, and staging most of the remainder of Act II. For us, it was a lot of waiting while David worked out staging for the soloists. We did get to sing a bit near the end of the rehearsal.
After resting a bit in the afternoon, a group of us walked to a soba restaurant to have a Japanese dinner, sitting on mats, etc. We also drank some very good cold sake. After the meal, we passed by Matsumoto Castle, where there was a drum and dance group on a raised stage. People were circling the stage, following the movements Of the dancers. Joel was the first to join in, followed by all of us. Many of the people were dressed in traditional Japanese clothing.



DAY 16: WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?

The past few days have flown by. After a long rehearsal Wednesday, a group of us took the train to a lake about 45 minutes away to watch the biggest fireworks display in the world. It was pretty spectacular, and was the best I’ve ever seen. Lots of different fireworks, including fans of light coming from the water, and a waterfall of light. My wife, Becky, arrived in the afternoon, and was a real trooper staying up late with her jet lag to watch the display.
Most of the next two days were spent in rehearsal.

On Friday night, Paulo had arranged for us junk food deprived Americans (and Canadian) to have burgers and fries at the local Australian bar across the street from the hotel.

We had the day off on Sunday. The orchestra rehearsed without us. Becky and I decided to do something "peculiarly Japanese," and go to Tokyo Disney Sea! We left Matsumoto by bus at 6:30 AM, arrived at Disney at 10 AM and returned at Midnight.



DAY 19: SHOW BIZ AIN’T ALL FUN AND GAMES, THE SEQUEL

Yesterday we rehearsed from 1 PM to 7 PM. It was tedious Because Seiji was working with the soloists more than with us. So, we waited and moved around a lot, but sang little. A personal observation - It’s interesting to note that Seiji seems to be having more trouble coordinating the orchestra and on-stage singers than he did at Tanglewood, when we did this opera a few years ago. There‘s no question that this cast is more seasoned and professional than the Tanglewood casts, and Seiji is working with a professional orchestra, not the TMC orchestra. But he seems to be less able to get the ensemble and the coordination he wants, at least up until now. He is working very hard, as are all the cast and crew. I am sure the show will shape up to be excellent.

After rehearsal yesterday, all us TFC types went out for a full course Japanese meal of tempura. The food came in several courses, and all of us tried new tastes and textures, some of which were outside of our "food comfort zones," and some not. We ate squid and eel, okra and corn, fish and crab, and it was all very delicious, and very interesting. The soup, however, was disgusting.

Today was the first day for costumes. Some of us who were part of the costume parade for the day arrived at the theater at noon. After suiting up, we were inspected by Sarah Conly and David Kneuss. Japanese costume assistants took notes on improvements. Dirtier shoes for me, more shape to the hat, etc.

After the costume parade, we started rehearsing the Prologue and Act I again. Seiji is apparently concerned with some of the chorus numbers, and for good reason. The Japanese chorus has trouble with cutoffs, and they are missing entrances. Some of the people around me jump into a phrase one or two note into it. This creates an interesting crescendo effect, but needs to be corrected. We are also still dealing with English difficulties, some of which are problematic.

We sweated through the Prologue, then through Act I to the Boar scene. We were released from the stage at 4 PM to remove our then dripping wet costumes, and to attend a makeup workshop. Most of the instruction was in Japanese, with a translator telling us now and then that most of what was being said really didn’t apply to us, especially the part about making the eyes bigger. We have until Saturday to figure out what we will do. Apparently, David and Sarah will inspect us to bless our makeup before we take the stage.

Now I look forward to a good night’s sleep in preparation For Tomorrow’s marathon. My call is for 12:30PM, and we will rehearse in those heavy and hot costumes until 8PM.



DAY 23: DRESS REHEARSAL

Yesterday’s dress rehearsal went well, with only a few minor flubs, which were covered up very well. After all the hard work, the show really looks like it has legs. We’re still not sure how the Japanese audience will react to it on opening night. Applause at the end of Act 1 curtain was non-existent at the pre-dress and sparse at the dress rehearsal. The main problem is that the blackout curtain at the end of Act I has to be delayed to move a table from a down stage position. The entire cast has to wait what seems like an eternity for the curtain to fall. This needs work.



THE LOCALS ARE DELIGHTFUL AND VERY FRIENDLY

Becky and I visited the Berami Doll Shop, a family-owned operation that makes traditional Japanese dolls by hand. The entire family was there to greet us. After looking at many of the dolls, we decided we would buy one for our house.
We picked out a doll that we really loved. It is of a Japanese man, but the distinctive feature is that there is a branch of a tree in the left of the composition with a little frog on it. Very cute, we thought.

Takahiko Mimura, one of the family members, explained the meaning of the doll to us, and it could not have been more appropriate. The man depicted in the doll is Ono Michikaze,a poet and calligrapher. At one time in his life, he had difficulty finishing his poetry and other writings. As he pondered his problems, he noticed a frog trying to jump onto the branch of a tree. The frog tried and tried to catch hold of the branch, but could not quite make it. He continued to jump over and over again that day and for several days after. Then, on one attempt, he caught hold of the branch, and made it to the tree. Inspired by the frog’s determination and success, the poet started to write. After many hours of hard work, he finally completed his writings to much acclaim and success. Today he is regarded as one of the three masters of Japanese calligraphy.



DAY 27: OPENING NIGHT

Opening night went very well. After the show, we all went to the cast party, which was attended by around 500 people. Food was everywhere. Speeches in Japanese were made by various Japanese gentlemen, whose identities were a mystery to most of us. We think one was the mayor of Matsumoto. Seiji made a speech in Japanese, during which he recognized John. We don’t know what he said, but think it was complimentary. After the party, bunches of people went over to Timita Gumtree for drinks and more frivolity.

We had a free day after opening night - a good thing for some of the late-nighters. I got up at around 11 AM and did laundry (excitement!) Most of us went out to Baden Baden for a goodbye dinner for John, who was going back home the next day.

Our second performance went very well. In particular, Tony, Christine, Alan, Judy and Jane sang beautifully. My count was five curtain calls. John O. and David Kneuss left for home shortly after the performance.

That brings me to today. Cindy, Laura G., Henry and I took the one and one-half hour ride to Utsukushi Gahara Kogen, the highest plateau in the Japanese Alps. We walked and walked, saw beautiful vistas, lots of Japanese people, and Japanese mountain cows. Walking more, and then even more, we arrived at a Museum, and walked through an incredible outdoor sculpture display. There were so many really good sculptures that I took lots of pictures of them. They were spectacular, displayed against the beautiful blue sky and mountain vistas.



DAY 28: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CINDY

Last night a bunch of us went to a bar called Hachimendaio for dinner and drinks in celebration of Cindy’s birthday. We were joined by Jamie Somerville. Afterwards, the party moved to Peoples Internet Café, where Paulo entertained on guitar until the wee hours.

Today I joined Sharon Brown for a narrated trip to Kamikochi, which is what I am told is the highest peak in the Japanese Alps. The bus trip took about two and one-half hours, and had a Japanese tour guide. We knew the guide would be speaking in Japanese, but we had no idea how nearly three hours of high-pitched, nasal Japanese would affect us. I ended up with a large headache, and a healthy appreciation for the effects of the tower of Babel. We traveled along a river in the mountains, through several long tunnels, and over narrow and winding roads. The scenery was beautiful all along the way. When we arrived at Kamikochi, we had an hour and a half to explore. view of the mountain. Everything, even the brochures, was in Japanese. We have gotten use to being stared at on the streets here, but the gawking was more than usual at this Japanese tourist attraction.



HOME, SWEET HOME:

Now I am home. It’s about 4:30 in the morning on Thursday. (Let’s here it for jet lag!)

Last Sunday we had an afternoon performance. I woke up early and decided to do some shopping. As I approached the middle of Matsumoto City, I noticed police baracades and people lined up along the curb of one of the main streets. I heard the faint sound of a brass band playing the theme from "Star Wars" (of all things). It was a parade!
Not just any parade, but the Saito Kinen Festival Parade, made up of about 35 brass bands from schools in the Matsumoto/Nagano prefecture, and several girl and boy scout troups. I was handed a flyer, which showed the program order for the day’s events (in Japanese symbols, of course.) From the pictures I was able to glean that the parade was marching to the Castle, where all the players from all the bands would play a special piece, conducted by that wonderful maestro of grand en mass spectaculars, Seiji Ozawa. And to make the day extra special, it was the maestro’s birthday!
The afternoon performance went well, with no major problems. Tony and Christine were in great voice. The show had settled in. Prior to curtain there was still the usual "warm up" with the Tokyo Opera Singers, (TFC not needed), to work on diction, this time conducted by Pierre Vallet, the Vocal Coach.

On Monday, we sang in two childrens’ concerts in a gymnasium, before crowds of 8,000 each. Seiji conducted excerpts from Peter Grimes, and the covers did the solo work. The audiences were attentive and appreciative.

Tuesday we packed and packed for our trip home. A group of us gathered at 11 AM to give gifts to our invaluable travel reps, Yui and Yuriko. Then we scattered to do shopping and to check out of the hotel. It was sad to say goodbye to people who had helped us so much during our month in Matsumoto.

That evening, during the Japanese chorus "warmup", several of us presented the Japanese singers with TFC luggage tags, on behalf of all the members of the Tanglewood Festival Chous, and in appreciation for and remembrance of our work together. The chorus members were extremely grateful, many accepting their gift with tears in their eyes.
Tuesday evening’s performance went very well. Everyone was giving their all one last time. After the show, we were called on stage for a toast, huggies, and to say goodbyes. We boarded busses immediately after the performance (after removing makeup, of course) for a three and one-half hour ride to the Narita Airport in Tokyo, and the less-than-plush ANA Hotel.

Now, we are home, and sleeping now and then. The jet lag is worse than I thought. I am really surprised at how intense my tiredness is from time to time. Perhaps that’s because I was in Japan for an entire month. I have to sing a solo in church on Sunday, and hope I’m in good shape for that.


POSTLUDE

I sang "Amazing Grace" on the Sunday following my return from Japan for the dedication of a bench honoring one of our church members, who was a passenger on one of the crashed planes on September 11, 2001. For me it was a stunning return to the present reality of American life, a reality we had been sheltered from while in Japan. After the dedication, several people approached me to express how much my singing moved them and made the event more meaningful for them. What more could any singer want - singing a complex opera, on a professional level, in a large Japanese concert hall one day, and four days later singing a simple hymn tune for my friends and fellow church members at an intimate gathering - both events quite special in their own ways, and both audiences very appreciative for their own, very different reasons. Communication through music is the common link, and I am privileged to have been the messenger.

The Artist Formerly Known As" Richiemoto"

RICH BISSELL has sung with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus for fifteen years, has been tenor soloist at the Trinitarian Congregational Church in Concord, Massachusetts, for over seventeen years, does solo and chorus gigs now and then, and loves every minute of it. Rich is an Attorney and CPA by training, and conducts a tax and accounting practice in Lexington. He lives in Carlisle with his wife, Becky, and his dog, Norman. Rich’s daughter, Joan, is also a member of Boston Singer’s Resource and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.
Richard A. Bissell
Phone: 978-369-0678
E-mail: rabissell@earthlink.net
Web site: www.taxesfromhome.com

BSR NEWS BULLETIN
Click here to enjoy reading about BSR members featured in past issuesof the Bulletin:
MEMBER
HIGHLIGHTS

OTHER ARTICLES AND SPECIAL FEATURES:

NEW: 2004 Director's Meeting minutes! A two hour forum with 17 leading NE area directors transcribed for your perusal.

An Interview with Timothy Banker, Co-Producer of "From the Top" weekly radio shcw.

Exposure and Encourgement
Ed Justen interviews invesigates the joys and challenges of keeping kids singing in today's busy world.

The Boston-NYC Connection:
Contributing BSR members offer stories and advice about commuting to New York regularly for singing. A list of NYC resources and member biographies follows the article.

Strength in Numbers;
A feature article on BSR reprinted, with permission, from Classical Singer Magazine.

The Japan Journal:
BSR member, Rich Bissell, shares his month-long experience as an american opera chorus ringer for "Peter Grimes" in Japan, 2002.

BACK TO ARTICLES PAGE