I was invited by my French friend Marc Leroy-Calatayud to a concert at Suntory Hall.

Today’s concert, conducted by Marc, centered on art songs sung by the tenor Benjamin Bernheim, who is also a friend of Marc’s.

It had been quite some time since I last came to Suntory Hall, when I attended the Suntory subscription concert of the Waseda University Symphony Orchestra (Waseoke).

Suntory Hall truly is wonderful.

The pipe organ at the front is impressive, of course, but the entire hall itself feels like a work of art.

Not long after the doors opened, the hall was full, and the tremendous excitement made the popularity of this concert clear.

When Marc took the podium, the bustling hall fell silent, and at last the performance began.

Partway through the program, Mr. Bernheim came onstage and joined in with his singing.

His voice was smooth, lustrous, resonant, expansive, and powerful, and I was immediately drawn into the singing and the performance.

The program alternated between orchestral pieces and songs, making for a well-balanced and easy-to-follow concert.

What left the strongest impression was Cavalleria Rusticana, after the excitement had risen with Mr. Bernheim’s singing.

It is also a favorite piece of the fifth-generation proprietor, and its calm, unhurried character gently settled my mind.

When the final piece ended, many people rose to their feet, and the hall was filled with applause and cries of “Bravo!” so thunderous they seemed like a storm.

To see Marc, the fifth-generation proprietor made his way through the crowd heading for the exits and went to the dressing room.

Marc had changed and was waiting for me in the dressing room. We embraced, and I praised him for his wonderful performance.

He then introduced me to Mr. Bernheim, who was beside him, and I was able to greet him as well.

In fact, Marc and Mr. Bernheim had planned to come to Yahata Sushi for dinner together the previous day, but Mr. Bernheim had fallen ill, so Marc came alone.

But thanks to the rest he took, we were truly fortunate to be able to hear his wonderful voice.

After all, so many people had been looking forward to hearing him sing.

Mr. Bernheim, who is a great lover of uni, also said that he would like to come to Yahata Sushi and have Zuiun on his next visit to Japan. Looking forward to that day, I left the hall.

Thank you very much for a truly wonderful concert.