Seiji Ozawa

[listener]

Friday, Jan. 8, 2010

Maestro Ozawa has cancer, cancels schedule through June
Kyodo News

Prominent conductor Seiji Ozawa has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer and will cancel all concert engagements from January through June while he undergoes medical treatment, his office said Thursday.

Ozawa, 74, was diagnosed during a regular medical checkup late last year and will have an operation to remove the early-stage cancer, the office said.

Ozawa studied at Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo and has won various awards and conducted orchestras around the world. He served as music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from 1965 to 1970 and the San Francisco Symphony from 1969 to 1976. He was appointed music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1973 and became the first Japanese to serve as music director of the Vienna State Opera, in 2002.

He studied under conductors Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989) and Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990).

Back in Japan, Ozawa launched the Seiji Ozawa Ongaku-juku orchestra in 2000 as part of efforts to develop young Japanese musicians through opera concerts.

He has also served as the music director of the annual Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, since 1992, which commemorates cellist and conductor Hideo Saito (1902-1974), Ozawa's music teacher in Japan.

Ozawa's term at the Vienna State Opera is due to expire later this year.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100108a2.html

[Chaszz]

Cannot find out from the web if he is a smoker or not....

[Coopmv]

He was a protégé of Karajan ...

[Scarpia]

He was a protégé of Karajan ...

Karajan is a known carcinogen?

[MN Dave]

I thought the same thing. 

[knight66]

Who else might Karajan have infected? Ought they to be warned?

Mike

[Bunny]

Who else might Karajan have infected? Ought they to be warned?

Mike

I believe the public health service has it covered.  They have a department dedicated to Karajanitis.

[Scarpia]

I believe the public health service has it covered.  They have a department dedicated to Karajanitis.

I believe Karajanitis has now been determined to be a mental disorder.  The sufferers are known to walk the streets randomly, becoming outraged at every object they encounter, complaining that the edges have been smoothed off.

[Superhorn]

  It's not nice to be so flippant about such an unfortunate development
in the life of such a distinguished conductor.Please show some respect and sympathy. Let's hope Ozawa will recover soon.






                                                                               

[Scarpia]

  It's not nice to be so flippant about such an unfortunate development
in the life of such a distinguished conductor.Please show some respect and sympathy. Let's hope Ozawa will recover soon.






                                                                               

I assume you grieve sincerely for every human being on earth who becomes seriously ill each day?   You must have time for nothing else. 

I don't see any flippant remarks about Ozawa himself, so you must believe that since he is ill, all humor must be abolished.

[MichaelRabin]

Maybe the Japanese like to drink their green tea piping hot - which is very bad? That's how it happened?

[Lilas Pastia]

Of course I wish him to live to be 100 years old. I also wish cancer would become a thing of the past. And alzheimers too.

The announcement reads like an obituary: "studied, won, became, conducted, launched, served..." . The Japan times article will no doubt recycle it with very little change when he actually dies. IMO that is in poorer taste than not displaying public grief over his illness.

[MishaK]

The announcement reads like an obituary: "studied, won, became, conducted, launched, served..." .

All artist bios use the past tense. How else should they be written? In future tense?

The Japan times article will no doubt recycle it with very little change when he actually dies. IMO that is in poorer taste than not displaying public grief over his illness.

There was actually an article in the NYT a while ago about how all obituaries are written years in advance in order to have something ready when a famous person keels over. The task is assigned to reporters who are having a slow news day and the obituaries on file for future use are being kept continuously updated as the individuals' various lifetime achievements etc. accumulate. I think the article appeared in the context of Michael Jackson's death which left people scrambling because it was so unexpected and premature.

[Bunny]

  It's not nice to be so flippant about such an unfortunate development
in the life of such a distinguished conductor.Please show some respect and sympathy. Let's hope Ozawa will recover soon.

I wasn't being flip about Ozawa's health, but about other posts which came across very absurdly.

I wouldn't wish esophageal cancer on anyone.

Cannot find out from the web if he is a smoker or not....

I doubt the disease is related to smoking.  The tumors form low on the esophagus close to the stomach, and are usually associated with a history of gastro-esophageal reflux disease. 

[Lilas Pastia]

All artist bios use the past tense. How else should they be written? In future tense?

For that kind of situation, it's question of taste and manners, not grammar. .

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

Superhorn, are you "anglo-american"? I ask because... see below...

I assume you grieve sincerely for every human being on earth who becomes seriously ill each day?   You must have time for nothing else. 

I don't see any flippant remarks about Ozawa himself, so you must believe that since he is ill, all humor must be abolished.

Interesting. In a very interesting blog (http://usaerklaert.wordpress.com) someone explains the US for us Germans (supposed to be full of prejudices). One point goes like: The Angloamerican citizen has a much stronger tendency to (black) humor. Absolutely no problems in this. Very direct. Here in this thread, the Karajan story appeared soon. On the other side, the European first has to explain his pity, has to tell about the achievement of (here) Ozawa, then, much later, he may think about some kind of humour.

[Scarpia]

Superhorn, are you "anglo-american"? I ask because... see below...

Interesting. In a very interesting blog (http://usaerklaert.wordpress.com) someone explains the US for us Germans (supposed to be full of prejudices). One point goes like: The Angloamerican citizen has a much stronger tendency to (black) humor. Absolutely no problems in this. Very direct. Here in this thread, the Karajan story appeared soon. On the other side, the European first has to explain his pity, has to tell about the achievement of (here) Ozawa, then, much later, he may think about some kind of humour.

Please, save the condescending attitude.  No one here knows Mr. Ozawa personally and Mr. Ozawa is not going to see any comments posted here.  The man is a total stranger to anyone here and phony grief would be disingenuous.   

There was no overt disrespect shown Mr. Ozawa here, just a lack of interest in his condition.  The only person who could hypothetically be offended would be a fan of Mr. Ozawa frequenting this site.  I don't recall anyone here ever admitting that they hold Mr. Ozawa in high regard.  Mostly people express puzzlement that he is appointed to conduct prestigious orchestras.   

By the way, your characterization of Americans produced for Germans is obviously written with the goal of flattering German readers. 

[SonicMan46]

I doubt the disease is related to smoking.  The tumors form low on the esophagus close to the stomach, and are usually associated with a history of gastro-esophageal reflux disease.

Actually, there are two types of esophageal cancer - Squamous cell carcinoma and Adenocarcinoma; 30 yrs ago, squamous cell carcinoma was by far the most common (about 90% of patients), and in the USA is indeed found most often in males w/ a smoking/drinking history, although other factors may be contributory.

In more recent decades, adenocarcinoma has become an almost epidemic malignancy of the esophagus w/ at least 50% or more of patients w/ esophageal cancer now having this type.  Adenocarcinoma indeed arises from a complication of GE relfux disease called Barrett esophagus, which is replacement of the normal squamous epithelium of the esophagus w/ a columnar type that can progress to dysplasia and malignancy.

The prognosis for these tumors relate to the clinical staging of the disease, esp. depth of invasion into the esophageal wall and the presence or absence of adjacent lymph nodes; e.g. if squamous cell carcinoma is discovered w/ only involvement of the inner two layers of the esophagus (epithelium or submucosa), 5 year survival rates are 90% or more, but if more advanced, then the outlook is dismal.

I'm not sure 'which' carcinoma was diagnosed in Ozawa, but his chances of survival will relate to the staging of the disease and the therapy (or therapies) used to treat him. 

[Scarpia]

Actually, there are two types of esophageal cancer - Squamous cell carcinoma and Adenocarcinoma; 30 yrs ago, squamous cell carcinoma was by far the most common (about 90% of patients), and in the USA is indeed found most often in males w/ a smoking/drinking history, although other factors may be contributory.

In more recent decades, adenocarcinoma has become an almost epidemic malignancy of the esophagus w/ at least 50% or more of patients w/ esophageal cancer now having this type.  Adenocarcinoma indeed arises from a complication of GE relfux disease called Barrett esophagus, which is replacement of the normal squamous epithelium of the esophagus w/ a columnar type that can progress to dysplasia and malignancy.

The prognosis for these tumors relate to the clinical staging of the disease, esp. depth of invasion into the esophageal wall and the presence or absence of adjacent lymph nodes; e.g. if squamous cell carcinoma is discovered w/ only involvement of the inner two layers of the esophagus (epithelium or submucosa), 5 year survival rates are 90% or more, but if more advanced, then the outlook is dismal.

I'm not sure 'which' carcinoma was diagnosed in Ozawa, but his chances of survival will relate to the staging of the disease and the therapy (or therapies) used to treat him. 

I didn't note any weeping as you typed that.  Shameful American!   

[Lilas Pastia]

Actually, there are two types of esophageal cancer - Squamous cell carcinoma and Adenocarcinoma; 30 yrs ago, squamous cell carcinoma was by far the most common (about 90% of patients), and in the USA is indeed found most often in males w/ a smoking/drinking history, although other factors may be contributory.

In more recent decades, adenocarcinoma has become an almost epidemic malignancy of the esophagus w/ at least 50% or more of patients w/ esophageal cancer now having this type.  Adenocarcinoma indeed arises from a complication of GE relfux disease called Barrett esophagus, which is replacement of the normal squamous epithelium of the esophagus w/ a columnar type that can progress to dysplasia and malignancy.

The prognosis for these tumors relate to the clinical staging of the disease, esp. depth of invasion into the esophageal wall and the presence or absence of adjacent lymph nodes; e.g. if squamous cell carcinoma is discovered w/ only involvement of the inner two layers of the esophagus (epithelium or submucosa), 5 year survival rates are 90% or more, but if more advanced, then the outlook is dismal.

I'm not sure 'which' carcinoma was diagnosed in Ozawa, but his chances of survival will relate to the staging of the disease and the therapy (or therapies) used to treat him. 

Would you say that chronic fast food (greasy) eating may cause Barret's oesophagus?