Franz Schubert holds a special place in Tomoko’s musical heart. She
performed his piano quintet opus 114 in A major, “Die Forelle/The Trout”, in
Los Angeles, two months before her daughter’s birth. And she played it at her
January 2017 concert. Schubert was also the first composer she played in the
United States as a duet.
Even earlier, Tomoko remembers attending a concert of the famous
Bohemian pianist Rudolph Serkin, who was touring Japan in the 1950s. Tomoko
bought a ticket in the cheapest seating section. Listening to him play Schubert's
Fantasy for Piano Opus 15, Tomoko found herself crying nonstop for the first
time at a concert; she felt, "This is what an artist is supposed to
do." She thought that his performance was perfect, not just a technical
feat. "It was the most gorgeous feeling in the world," she
remembered. She also remarked, "My tear was like a diamond: a symbol of
the most valuable and authentic emotion."
The emotion Tomoko felt is not surprising since Schubert was one of the
first Romantics. Tomoko noted his spontaneity: “For him, beauty came first.”
She also noted: “Schubert never had a theory lesson. For him music was freedom.”
Schubert was also a singer. Tomoko knows that Franz Schubert
was recognized for his vocal talent as a youth, and caught the attention of
Salieri, who became his most influential teacher. Schubert’s singing
sensitivity led to his composing songs specifically for the voice of a young
soprano he met.
In the final analysis, Tomoko says: “I like Schubert. He is
peaceful, and his quality of tone is memorable.”
