OSAKA—French horn player and production manager with the Osaka Orchestra, Tuji Kouji, watched the first Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular show with his wife, a violin teacher, in Osaka Tuesday.
"The show was consistently performed, simply perfect and incredible," Mr. Tuji said after the show.
"We, [Osaka Orchestra] too, are producing a concert, and have been thinking about how to create an evening show that will be filled with stories, and entertaining. I was amazed with tonight's show," he said. Founded in 1923, the Osaka Orchestra is Japan's oldest symphony brass band.
Mr. Tuji's praise of the Spectacular continued, "During intermission, I was wondering what more fascinating programs they will have in the next half. This was a production that would let the audience watch every number in it with expectations. I was surprised that there could be such a remarkable performance. "
Turning to the dances, he commented, "The movements were fantastic and flawless! Usually, errors are unavoidable in various types of dance performances, including ballet dance. But today's performance—oh, it was so impeccable from start to finish. It was just perfect! Incredible!"
"We have played with traditional Chinese musical instruments such as the flute and the Erhu, too. But it was the first time for me to see a large stage performance such as tonight's," Mr. Tuji enthused.
"The background and the stage are seamlessly conjoined. It's breathtaking! And this was the first time for me to see something this beautiful. Especially the first number [Descent of the Celestial Kings], it was so vivid and real."
He praised the singers for their world class performances and believed that their voices were so rich and far-reaching that "they didn't really need the microphone. Especially with the last tenor (Hong Ming), his voice was simply unbelievable!"
Mr. Tuji's wife, a violin teacher, echoed her husband, "The sopranos were excellent. It seemed that these singers didn't need the microphone."
"The drum performance in the first half was invigorating, and the second half was so filled with excitements. Oh, those fans—they were so beautiful!" she said.
Mrs. Tuji continued, "This was my first time to watch a performance that integrates the stage with the backdrops. It was so wonderful. It was neither ballet nor opera. It was a completely different cultural experience. It felt so good."
She also commented on the features of Chinese classical dance, "It was so flowy. Every nerve was extended to the tip of the finger. Simply beautiful! Besides, it was different from ballet and had a lot of turning and skipping movements. There was a beauty of unison in the dance, and the lead dancer in the group accentuated change in uniformity. For instance, the performers in the fan dance were not limited to circular movements, and the revolving handkerchiefs were full of surprises. This was my first time to see such movements. It was so elegant. "
In summary, Mrs. Tuji said, "Tonight was an excellent experience. If [Divine Performing Arts] comes to Osaka next year, I'll definitely watch its performance again."
For information about upcoming Divine Performing Arts shows, please visit: www.DivinePerformingArts.org.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Chinese Spectacular. For our complete coverage please visit: http://en.epochtimes.com/features/dpa2008/
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