The BS digital broadcast, which started in December, this year after a month long test broadcast in November, brought a cultural revolution to me. Although I have been earnestly wishing to learn about the cultural history of China, I could not find time for studying it because I have been so busy for my business. The new BS digital broadcast gave us repeatedly commentary on the cultural history of China. The broadcast taught us the cultural history of China in details with many illustrations and pictures. So I think I could get its common sense. In May, this year, I visited Taipei to see the treasures of Palace Museum. Before the trip, I bought a few precious books about the treasures and went there with some understanding of them. I visited there two successive day, the first day with a veteran guide, the second day alone. However when I visited there without guide, I experienced a hard time as though I was thrown into a black box. I could get simultaneously commentaries on Greek culture and Egyptian culture. In these two months, I could get knowledge about world cultural history which I wished to have someday. Now I feel my umdestatnding of world history was leveled up highly.
The one thing I enjoyed the most is that many good classical musics are played on digital broadcast not only from NHK but private broadcasting stations almost everyday with excellent sounds. Maestro Wolfgang Sawallisch himself explained in details Wagner's music drama "Ring of Nibelungen". And I found that German spirit is somewhat different not only from non-chiristian culture like Japanese or Chinese but from U.S. culture which has traditinally a puritan spirit. One problem is that most of them are braodcasted after midnight. Maestro Charles Dutoit's Music Lesson is on air every day these days. It is very helpful to have better understanding on western music.
It is a time now to look back the twentyth century as we are now at the end of century. Many progams on such themes are braoadacasted. As I myself has lived through the three quarter of the century, every program is attractive to me..
Thus I am enjoying BS digital broadcast everyday. The one big problem to me is that I stay up late at night.
A few days ago, Ms. Mariko Senjyu played areas of operas and Italina folk songs with a violin on TV, getting help from Mr. Akira Senjyu, her elder brother and a famous composer. She was working years ago as an assistant reporter to Mr. Isomura, a former NHK News anchor. She looked young and pretty at that time. When I saw her now on TV, I was impressed by finding that she became an adult musician. At their trial, she found a violin cannot sound like human voices. So one time she was on the verge of failure. Both of them made efforts to conquere the problem resulting in a sucess. Their father is one of classmates at our middle school. His eldest son, Mr. Hiroshi Senju, is an artist. He has been in New York and is very famous internationally for his works painting Japanese nature. The father of three talented artists is a former professor of architecht at Keio University, a reputable artist too.