There is a musical band in Tokyo entertaining all generations with the warm sound of early musical instruments from Renaissance period and with their original imaginary instruments, giving dream and plenitude to children's supple mind and placing hope for their future.
Formed in 1982, 'Roba Music Theatre' is a group playing their very own fantastic music on the stage, using early musical instruments from medieval and Renaissance period and their imaginary instruments. Japan still has very few consort playing instruments from Middle Ages and Renaissance period, but the band surge in popularity nationwide and even has enquiries from overseas from those who heard the reputation of their performances.
Roba Music Theatre owns more than several hundred collection of early musical instruments from Europe and the originally created instruments. It takes on the features of an instrument museum as it also exhibits Middle-eastern and Asian instruments that can be considered as ancestors of European early musical instruments. Playing those musical instruments freely as they want, the band created a unique music evolving the sound of the Middle Age and Renaissance with a dash of Japonism. Who could have imagined to hear a band in Japan playing music that is rarely seen even in Europe nowadays?
Roba Music Theatre holds occasional concerts in a hall called 'Roba House,' also performing in other areas in Japan and overseas. Check the schedule and visit the band; anyone will become a fan once they hear the music.
Roba House itself is also worth seeing, as it is a unique building that would appear in one of the Grimm Fairy Tales. The surrounding forest and limpid rivulet of Tamagawa Josui gives a different atmosphere from the urban area. This is why Mr. Garyu Matsumoto, leader of Roba Music Theatre expresses his goals to plan unique events including a home-stay program in the 'countryside,' off the beaten path.
Roba House
Saiwai 6-22-32, Tachikawa City, Tokyo, 190-0002 Japan
TEL: 042-536-7266
FAX: 042-536-7968
http://www.pippimama.com/art/robahouse/index_en.html
