News letter on March 2026 メールマガジン2026 年 3月号
- Mar 27
- 12 min read
（日本語は下記に）
Hello from Munich! I'm Anna Tsuri, opera director and conductor.
This newsletter goes out to everyone who has joined my lessons or expressed interest in them. If you'd prefer not to receive it, just hit reply and let me know!
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
Two exciting things to share today:
🎼 [Concert] On March 21–22, I'll be conducting the Albrecht Dürer Symphoniker just outside Nuremberg!
💃 [Social Dance] The Munich Social Dance Club's regular lessons are back! We're gearing up for next year's ball — come join us anytime!
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
Can you believe it's already mid-March? Munich has been beautifully warm during the day lately, and crocuses are starting to peek out all over the forest. Spring is definitely on its way!
So — our production of Peter and the Wolf wrapped up successfully in early February! It was a really special show. We blended projection mapping with traditional Japanese shadow puppetry, and before the performance, audience members got to make their own shadow puppets in a hands-on workshop and actually use them to interact with the actors during the show. We even had volunteer kids come up and perform on stage — it was truly immersive. One thing we were intentional about was keeping the puppeteers visible while they worked, so the audience could see the craft happening right in front of them. People loved it, and watching the kids leave with huge sparkling smiles honestly made my whole month.
That said... right up until opening night, something dramatic seemed to happen almost every single day. (Almost always administrative headaches rather than anything artistic — the usual!) I had zero time to rest, and it caught up with me. After the performances ended, I got pretty seriously ill and it took me well over a month to fully recover.
My body was clearly screaming at me to slow down. I was completely drained — no energy whatsoever — and basically just slept, and slept, and slept. Just as I started feeling a bit better and tried to get moving again, I caught a new strain of influenza. And with no reserves left to fight it, it was back to sleeping, sleeping, sleeping. For a whole month, I did the bare minimum to get through each day and focused entirely on rest. I told myself that light and dark exist in balance in this world, and maybe this kind of time is necessary too — and tried not to panic about it.
One thing that really struck me during that month was how consistently negative my thinking was, and how completely powerless I was to change it. Over the past few years I've built up all sorts of little habits and routines to keep my spirits up — morning walks to appreciate the trees, breathing in the sunrise, keeping a gratitude journal, silently sending good wishes to people throughout the day. But none of it was possible. No energy for walks, flowers didn't look beautiful, my hand just wouldn't write in the journal. Then, just a few days ago, as my body started returning to normal, all of those things clicked back into place effortlessly.
It gave me such a real, embodied understanding of why people living with chronic illness or depression so often seem low or irritable — they simply can't help it. You can know perfectly well that a bad mood only draws in more negativity, and still be completely unable to escape that frequency. Going through this gave me a whole new respect for people who manage to stay cheerful through long illness — they're genuinely remarkable. It was a month of experiencing, firsthand, things I thought I already understood. And ultimately, a month of deep gratitude for the everyday miracle of feeling well.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
🎼 1. Concert — March 21 & 22, conducting the Albrecht Dürer Symphoniker outside Nuremberg!
Next week I'll be appearing as guest conductor with the Albrecht Dürer Symphoniker, and I'm so excited about the program!
First up is Wagner's Siegfried Idyll — and the backstory is just the best. Wagner wrote this as a birthday gift for his wife Cosima (they were still having an affair at the time, by the way!) as a thank-you for giving birth to their son Siegfried. On Christmas morning, a small orchestra performed it on the staircase right outside Cosima's bedroom, conducted by Wagner himself. I mean — how romantic is that? Working on this piece, one image after another comes to mind. It feels almost as though one were reading a diary of their lives, from their first meeting to the birth of their child. I turned that detailed analysis into a blog post, so if it interests you, please have a look. It is quite specialized, however. I wrote it in German and Japanese. https://note.com/tsurianna/n/ndbf44e93b34e?sub_rt=share_sb
The second piece is Nino Rota’s Trombone Concerto, by the composer who is also very famous for his film scores. It is an incredibly stylish, distinctly Italian work. Some of its irregular, shifting phrases create an exciting, almost roller-coaster-like sense of thrill, and yet the musical flow remains remarkably natural. When everything clicks into place, it is just incredibly cool.
And rounding out the program is Gounod's Symphony No. 1 — a work that doesn't get performed nearly enough. It's bright and charming with that wonderful French esprit, and it has so many vivid, theatrical passages that feel reminiscent of Faust. My imagination just takes off every time I conduct it.
The orchestra is fantastic, and our rehearsal this past weekend was exhausting but genuinely so much fun.
Rehearsals actually started two weeks ago, right when I was at my worst. But "illness is in the mind" turned out to be very real — I'd have a fever the night before, feeling terrible, and somehow it would break by the time I got to the rehearsal hall. My cough and runny nose would just... stop for the entire rehearsal, then come right back afterward. I was amazed at my own body! It was working so hard for me. And it confirmed something I already feel deeply — conducting is something I love from the very core of my being. That unwavering desire is what moves my body and makes everything possible. (The same thing happens when I'm directing or teaching, honestly — I've had the flu with a high fever, and had it quietly disappear during a rehearsal more times than I can count. Bodies are wild.)
Anyway — I'm so relieved to be feeling better in time for the concerts, and I can't wait for next week! The venue is in a small town a bit outside the city, so driving is definitely recommended. It's a little out of the way, but it would mean so much to see you there!
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
💃 2. We went to a ball! And the Munich Social Dance Club's regular lessons are back!
At the end of January, 24 of us headed out to a ball together — and what a night it was! Glittering venue, dancing, singing, a gorgeous multi-course dinner, and fantastic shows throughout the evening. So much fun. The European ball scene is really its own world, and it's a wonderful way to pick up the etiquette and customs of that social culture.
We're already planning to go again next year, and our monthly social dance lessons are back in full swing to help us prepare!
Honestly, social dance is one of those activities that is just good for you in every possible way. You can start at any age and keep going well into your later years. All you need is a good pair of shoes. It builds musicality, sharpens memory (there are so many figure names to learn!), gives you gentle full-body exercise, and the physical connection with a partner is genuinely good for the soul. As a partnered dance, it also develops something really beautiful — the distinct qualities of leading and following, what you might think of as masculine and feminine energies. It really is all upside!
It's never too late to start. The next lesson is on April 12th — would you like to join us? If you're interested, just reply to this email and I'll share the details!
ミュンヘンからこんにちは！
オペラ演出家＆指揮者の釣アンナです。
このメルマガはこれまで私のレッスンに
ご参加いただいた方や
興味を持ってくださった方にお送りしております。（メールを受け取りたくない方はその旨
このメールに返信という形でご連絡くださいませ。）
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
今日は２本のお知らせ。
１、【オーケストラのコンサート（指揮） 】3月21日22日、ニュールンベルグ郊外で、Albrecht Dürer Symphoniker を振らせていただきます！
２、【「舞踏会に行ってきました＆ミュンヘン社交ダンス部」社交ダンスレッスン前期通常レッスン始まりました！】来年の舞踏会を目指して、いつでも始めることができます！一緒に踊りませんか？
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
早いもので3月中旬になりました！ミュンヘンも日中は随分暖かくなってきて、森のあちこちでクロッカスが顔を覗かせています。
2月の上旬に、ピーターとオオカミの公演が無事終わりました。プロジェクションマッピングと、日本の伝統的な影絵を混ぜて、お客さんは本番前に自分で影人形を作る図工ワークショップに参加でき、それを使って公演中に俳優さんたちとコミュニケートでき、本番前に有志の子供を募集し、子供たちは実際に舞台で演技ができる、体験型の公演でした。影絵の動きは、音楽に忠実な動きを、でも、子供の想像力を邪魔しないような工夫をふんだんにこらし、また動画ではなく、実際にその場で釜洞先生使いたちが実際に作業をしている姿もわざと隠さずに見せる、というコンセプトでしたので、お客様にはとても喜んでいただき、観客としてきてくれた大人だけでなく子供達がキラキラした笑顔で帰っていくのを見送ることができて本当に嬉しかったです。ただ、公演日まで、毎日ように何かのドラマがあり（大抵は芸術とは関係ない、外的要因に関する事務的な面で）私は全く休む時間がなかったため、公演が終わった後体調をかなり崩してしまいました。治るのに一ヶ月以上かかりました。。。。
体がずっと「やすんでくれよー」のサインをくれていて、もう、本当に体の底に何にもエネルギーが残ってない感じで、全く動けなくなり、ひたすら睡魔に襲われて寝る、寝る、寝る、。。。ちょっと良くなって動いたら今度は新種のインフルエンザにかかり、これまた体が治す気力も体力もない感じで、また、寝る、寝る、寝る、、、、と言う感じでした。本当に生活の最低限のことだけをなんとかこなし、体を休めることに徹底した一ヶ月。発熱と一緒に悪いものも燃やした感じ、で、食べれなかった時期に体の中のいらない細胞をソマチッドが食べてくれた感じです。この世には陰と陽が半々でバランスをとっているそうですから、こういう言う時期も大切かもしれないと自分に言い聞かせて焦らずにもう少しづつまた調子を整えていきます。
それにしても、体調が悪い一ヶ月間は、自分の思考がいつもネガティブで、これがどうやっても変えられなくて、非常に不思議だな、と自分を俯瞰していました。この数年、私は毎日自分がご機嫌でいるための色々なルティーンとか仕掛けをいっぱい作っているんですね。例えば、毎朝散歩に出掛けて木々や草にをみて綺麗だな、と思う、とか、朝日を浴びで深呼吸をするとか、感謝日記をつけるとか、毎日心の中で１００人の人に「最高の幸せが雪崩の如く起きます」と言ってその人の幸せを信じてあげる、とか、、、。でも、これがどれもどうしてもできなかったんです。朝日を見に散歩に行く元気もないし、花を見ても綺麗と思わないし、感謝日記をつける手が動かない、、、、などなど。数日前からようやく体が正常に戻ったら、またこれらのことは難なくできるようになりました。
普段から持病を持っている方、うつ病の方、長い闘病生活をしている人たちがどうしても塞ぎがちだったり機嫌が悪かったりするのはこういうことか、と身をもって感じました。本人もどうにもならないんですね。機嫌が悪いと余計に悪い気を呼んでしまう、と自分でも分かりながら、如何にもこうにもその波長から抜けられないジレンマ。。。これを経験すると、闘病生活をしているけど機嫌がいい人って、本当に本当に精神力のあるすごい人たちなんだな、と改めて感じました。そんな、たくさんの人が知っているであろうことを、今更体験した一ヶ月でした。心身ともに健康であることがこんなに幸せなことなのか、と改めて普段の日常に感謝した一ヶ月でした。
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
１、【オーケストラのコンサート（指揮） 】3月21日22日、ニュールンベルグ郊外で、Albrecht Dürer Symphoniker を振らせていただきます！
来週の、3月21日、22日に、Abrecht Dürer symphonikerに客演指揮者として出演させていただきます。曲目の一つは、ワーグナーのSiegfried Idyllと言う曲をやるのですが、これはワーグナーのお嫁さんのコジマ（この曲を書いていた時はまだ不倫中！！）の誕生日に、産んでくれた子供Sigfriedへの感謝を込めてプレゼントされた作品で、クリスマスの朝にコジマの寝室の前の階段で小さなオーケストラによってワーグナーの指揮で初演された、という本当にロマンティックな曲なんです。この曲に携わっていると、次から次へとイメージが湧いてきます。彼らの出会いから子供が生まれるまでの日記を読んでいるかのよう！その細かい分析をブログにしましたので、もしご興味があれば。かなり専門的ですが。
２曲目は、映画音楽作曲家としてもとても有名な、Nino Rotaのトロンボーン協奏曲。イタリア的なとてもかっこいい曲です。変拍子的なフレーズなどありジェットコースターに乗っているかのような刺激的なところがありますが、、しかし音楽的流れはとても自然で、カチッと決まると本当にかっこいい！！
３曲目は、グノーの交響曲１番。なかなか上演されない曲なんですが、フランス的なエスプリの入った明るくて素敵な曲。グノーといえば、オペラ「ファウスト」が有名ですが、この曲にはファウストを思わせるようなビジュアル的な箇所がたくさんあるので振っていて想像力がどんどんと羽ばたいていきます。
このオーケストラ、とてもうまいオーケストラで、この週末はコンサートのための稽古があったのですが、いやあ、疲れたけど楽しかった！
実は、このオケの稽古は二週間前から始まっていて、もう、体調最悪の中で通ってたんですが、「病は気から」、と言うのは本当で、前日熱が出てうんうん言っているのに、なぜか当日熱が急に下がったり、リハーサル会場にいる間だけ鼻水も咳もピタッと止まったり。。。（その前後にはどんどん出るのに！！）本当に自分でも自分の体の反応にびっくりしてしまいます。自分の体さんめちゃくちゃ頑張っている！！そして私はやっぱり指揮をするのが本当に好きで、これだけは絶対にやりたい、という深〜いところにある心の気持ちが体を動かして全てを可能にしている、自分の体の反応を見て感じました。笑 実はこれと同じようなことが、演出の仕事や、歌曲のレッスンの時にも起こるんですよ。インフルエンザで高熱出しているのに、リハーサルの時だけスッと下がって何事もなかったかのようにお稽古ができるという経験をもう人生で何度かしています。体って本当に不思議。
とにかく、体調がなんとかコンサートの前までに調整できてよかった！と言う安堵と共に、来週の本番が楽しみです。演奏会場が、ちょっと郊外の田舎町なので、来てくださる方は車でいらっしゃることを薦めます。ちょっとくるの大変ですが、来てもらえたら嬉しいな！
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
２、【舞踏会に行ってきました＆「ミュンヘン社交ダンス部」社交ダンスレッスン前期通常レッスン始まりました！】いつでも始めることができます！一緒に踊りませんか？
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
最後までお読みくださりありがとうございました。今日も笑顔を忘れず素晴らしい1日を！
釣アンナ
Comments