Monet & Debussy: An Impressionist Collaboration at the Museum

A world of art to visit, see and feel
File.5 Concert at the Yokohama Museum of Art - Encountering the two Impressionists , Monet and Debussy
(Inoue Miyuki/Copywriter)

The Yokohama Museum of Art is currently hosting the exhibition "Monet: 100 Years Since Then." On a Friday, towards the end of the exhibition, a wonderful piano and pantomime performance was held at the museum after closing time. (c) Akira

Co-hosted by Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, and Yokohama Museum of Art, the concert featured Yuko Mifune (piano) and Philippe Aimard (performance). The matinee concert "Piano Salon Concert 'Nostalgia Paris'" held at Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall on the same day was a stylish performance themed on the 'Parisian cabaret' of 100 years ago, so expectations are high for the special evening stage.

The evening session, planned in collaboration with the "Monet: 100 Years Since" exhibition, featured a program leaning heavily towards Impressionism, as can be seen from the subtitle "Monet and Debussy: Encountering Two Impressionists."
The museum, shrouded in twilight, has a slightly different, more subdued atmosphere than its daytime appearance, which is also quite charming.

The water lily pots that had been installed in front of the entrance during the exhibition period seemed to regain their freshness in the cool evening air, which was a relief. Glancing sideways at the people leaving the museum after their viewing, I hurried to the reception for tonight's special stage.

Prior to the concert, we first listened to a mini lecture by Chief Curator Matsunaga Shintaro in the lecture room.
What makes this exhibition unique is that it displays 25 paintings by Monet and 66 works by 26 artists of later generations, including works by artists who claim they were not directly influenced by Monet. This is because the intention is to bring together works that, when viewed objectively, have a common thread with Monet, regardless of the artist's intentions, in order to better highlight Monet's innovativeness and universality. The perspective of a museum curator is rather fascinating. I must visit again during museum opening hours and look for "Monet-esque" elements in the works of contemporary artists!
After the lecture ended and the venue was ready, we moved to the Grand Gallery.

The gallery at night, lit by blue lights, has a different feel from the daytime when it is filled with natural light, creating a mysterious atmosphere like being underwater.
Mifune appeared in a blue dress, while Aimard appeared in white overalls that evoked light. The performance, centered around Debussy, featured piano and pantomime, and was full of French esprit.
He performed Monet to the accompaniment of Debussy, recited "I Am Monet" to the accompaniment of Schumann's "Traumerei," and even performed a poem of his own. Along with the beautiful melodies, Emar's versatility captivated the audience.
Debussy himself apparently disliked being called an "impressionist," but I thought there was no doubt that his floating music would go well with Monet's paintings.

The approximately one-hour stage ended in a flash.
The encore was Edith Piaf's "L'hymne à l'amour". Listening to Mifune's piano and Aimard's singing, one could almost feel as if one were on a street corner in Paris. In terms of Monet's works, it would be an early piece such as "Boulevard des Capucines".
I felt like I had found another Monet here.

This event has now ended.
Monet: The Next 100 Years
Period: Until September 24th, 2018 (Monday, public holiday)
Venue: Yokohama Museum of Art
Closed: Thursdays
Opening hours: 10:00-18:00 *Open until 20:30 on September 14th (Fri), 15th (Sat), 21st (Fri), and 22nd (Sat)
(Last admission 30 minutes before closing)