It's time again for the Saito Kinen Festival in Matsumoto. The first was held nine years ago when many outstanding Japanese musicians gathered together, as they have every year since, to honor their teacher, Hideo Saito, with a combined musical performance.
This year's program will open with the Saito Kinen Orchestra, conducted, as always, by Seiji Ozawa, honoring Bach, who died 250 years ago. There is also a Beethoven program with a 1,000-voice chorus, chamber concerts, a brass quintet and others. Another program will feature the music of Toru Takemitsu, a composer whose works are especially appreciated because of his ability to blend the distinctive instruments of the East with those of the West, "November Steps" perhaps being the best known.
Takemitsu died five years ago and a part of this year's program honors him as well as introducing works by two of his friends, one Chinese, the other Korean. The programs are scheduled during the period from Aug. 26 through Sept. 10.