Professor Isoyama has passed away

Professor T. Isoyama has died from an accident today. He might not be well known to foreign people but has been a great researcher of Bach, a teacher of musicology, a critic and an enthusiastic advocator of music for years. I have known him from his books as well as his speech at a concert of Matthews Passion in Toyama. I have written a post about the trip to that concert before. Here. 

Years ago, he had accomplished a research work on Matthews Passion, which fruited to be a book titled as Matthews Passion. It was a lot informative on this great music, containing a almost complete discography in the appendix. After finishing that work, he has been doing with Johns Passion. Last summer, in his blog, he said he would have the doctoral paper on Johns Passion finished. At first, I thought it had been a paper by one of his students whom he tutored. Later, it turned out to be his own doctoral paper. Of course, he could have applied for and obtained that degree in the past with his erudition in his profession. It must be a memorable milestone for him to get it when he finished the work on Johns Passion. Who has expected it would be his last work? I sure miss him and wanted him to go on further study and advocate on music for us.

Hearing this sad news, I could not help thinking of the famous words of Job, "The Lord gave and the lord has taken away". We should get ready for the last day in our life any time. I sure would like Professor Isoyama to have lived longer and to have made further work. But at present, I would say thanks to him and wish him rest in eternal peace for now. He has lived his life.

For the memory of him and his work, I would listen to these last two pieces from Matthews Passion.

Accidentally, as reiterated in this blog, it was the 22nd anniversary of Takemitsu's death.