Ultimately, music cannot stop war. Neither can it cure disease. And it cannot fill the stomach or guard against the cold. Can music do anything besides heal us and make us forget the reality we don’t want to see?
I know. I was thrilled when I played symphonies by Beethoven and Shostakovich. The blood rushed to my head. The better it is, the more intense music exposes the aggression and exclusivity within me, the one playing it. I learned through performing that I myself had the potential to be violent and discriminate against other people.
I know. When I performed Bach’s “Passion,” I was hurt. Quiet, painful music makes me see me the unclean parts inside of me I don’t want to see. I learned through performing how stupid and wretched a person I am.
I saw the news. People discriminated against each other. They may or may not have been affected by disease and war. They were injured, had been hurt, or had died. Why oh why do these sad things have to happen?
Even if music cannot stop war or cure disease, at least it prevents you and me from hurting anybody. We can all easily become aggressors. Music can teach us that. I want to believe in the puny possibilities inherent in music.
Sakuhiko Fuse
Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts. His work covers the three areas of performance, criticism and planning. As well as making guest appearances in professional orchestras as a principal performer, and playing and performing experimental music, Fuse also plays period musical instruments, and has appeared in performances by the early music ensemble Anthonello and the orchestra Bach Collegium Japan, among others. Fuse plays violone of various sizes and tunings. He made his debut as a critic when he won the Encouragement Prize in the 7th Minao Shibata Memorial Award for Musical Criticism for the topical commentary “Music has Attitude”. He has contributed to the music magazine “RECORD GEIJUTSU0”, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, and other publications. Fuse is principal double bass player for L’orchestre d’avant-garde, leader of the Michael Haydn Project, and Art Director for the HAKONE ONGAKU no MORI Music Festival.
Sakuhiko Fuse
Double Bass & Violone Player, Music Critic, Music Producer
dunebass@gmail.com
BUoY,Adachi City,Tokyo