When the Saito Kinen Orchestra hit the final notes of Igor Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring,” known for its avant-garde use of discordance and irregular rhythm, a round of enthusiastic applause filled Kissei Bunka Hall in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture.
The Aug. 26 performance was part of the month-long Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival (formerly the Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto) and, during the final curtain call, Swiss conductor Charles Dutoit surprised spectators by appearing on stage with the maestro the event is named for, Seiji Ozawa. The 87-year-old was accompanied by his 8-year-old grandson, and although he looked slight in his wheelchair, his very presence was met with a standing ovation.
“The moment happened naturally,” says Ozawa’s daughter, Seira. She explains that her father, who founded the orchestra in 1984, had been watching the concert from the wings with her son. “Dutoit has been a friend of my father’s for over 50 years, and he encouraged him to go out together. Eventually, the three of them went on the stage.”