A good friend of mine will get married

A friend of mine, Shihoko, will get married in a couple of months. She is an excellent violinist. I have asked her to play chamber musics for the past 15 years since her music university days. This photo shows her playing Schumann's sonata in her recital a few years ago.

 

When I started own practise about 20 years ago, I needed some hobby which I could enjoy in the spare time. I could hardly spend long time for that. It won't take me too long before I remembered playing cello. Actually, I used to play it at occasions but only intermittently. I got a new cello and started practising it almost every day.

In some time, I also remembered the joy of playing chamber musics which I was fascinated by in my med school days. I should look for some violinist partner. At first, my daughter who had been playing violin for several years was the candidate. But she was in her difficult age and was preparing for school entrance exam. The name of Shihoko came up in my mind then as she used to play the famous piece of Sarasate, Zigeunerweisen, in a concert of the disciples of the teacher whom our daughter was also taught by. It is always a pleasure to play chamber musics with such an excellent player.

I don't know why but she answered yes to my proposal. Maybe, she didn't know "how well" I played cello at that time. Or her mother, a friend of my wife and of myself, might tell her to do so. I should ask her about that later.

Anyway, a beautiful girl violinist has been with me at various concerts since then. In the meantime, when she graduated from a music university, she went to Germany for further study. She tried to get a position at any orchestra there to no avail. Finishing the course at a music university there, she came home and started her career as a player as well as a teacher. For the past several years, we have played with her friend pianist as a piano trio. This was taken at a small concert when we played the piano trio C major Opus 87 by Brahms. It was a real fun for me to complete all the movements
of this music which I had loved so much. It took us a year or so until we finished practising all the movements.

From her way of life, I have learned how tough it is to become a musician and, unfortunately, how little a musician is rewarded. Years ago, when I gave her a phone call at her home, her mother came on it at first. She called Shihoko. And a sound of violin was coming closer to the phone in a few seconds. She seemed to practise it while coming to talk to me on the phone. Being a musician is not easy at all. I have become to respect every musicican for his/her effort.

A few months ago, I was told she would get married. I was so happy to hear that news as if I had our daughter married. Her parents seemed to be happiest as well. Her father told me with a smile that they had almost given it up. She told me to play cello at her wedding party. I should practise a lot not to ruin the party.  Even though we have put an end to our ensemble so far, I would like to play together from time to time. Playing ensemble is to live together as we make Einsatz with breathing together. She has made my presenile period meaningful. I could not be more than thankful to her for her kindness for the past years.