Pioneer of techno-pop, Academy Award winning film composer, touring performer - Ryuichi Sakamoto enjoys a perse career as an artist whose music continually challenges traditional categories. Pianist Chitose Okashiro, taking risks that not a single "classical pianist" has been willing to take, recognizing the greatness of the classically trained Sakamoto's piano works, and imbuing them with her own brand of explosively talented genius has herewith set the standard for "independent classical label crossover" achievement. Already a HUGE success in Japan, with sales in excess of 30,000 units, Miss Okashiro herewith reveals the complete arsenal of Sakamoto's prowess… a prowess that lands him in the position (arguably) of the world's most important composer. Included on this CD are the hugely impressionistic and French like pieces that ONLY a trained classical pianist can play with the simplicity and grace required to foster their most sublime effects.
Sakamoto wrote the music for the films The Last Emperor and Snake Eyes and for the opening ceremony of the Barcelona Olympics. The piano music, as represented here, falls into two broadly defined camps. The first (Suite and La Dispersion, La Limite, Le Sable, 1970 and 1976 respectively) is trendily avant-garde (at least for the 1970s) as spun by Messiaen and Stockhausen. The second camp further falls into two sections. The first is best grouped with Kapustin (whose own interpretations are soon to be issued by Boheme International in a 2CD set previously limited to the Japanese market), Lionel Sainsbury and Billy Mayerl. In this mode he is jazzy in a cool Manhattan way as in Tong Poo (where the second pianist is J Y Song) and Grasshoppers. The second is closer to Satie and Ravel. I single out the slow-swirling gauze of Bachata, the gracious old world dream dances of Intermezzo, the grace of Energy-Flow, the glycerine-filtered nostalgia of Parisian memories in Chanson and the Satiesque stillness of Lorenz and Watson which yet catches half-lights of Gershwin and Bernstein (in his concert songs). The fare is light and yet has enough emotional and intellectual fibre (often of a nostalgic caste) to stop the mind drifting. The pianist's interpretations are endorsed by the composer. The sound is well-rounded.
Review by Rob Barnett, Amazon.com
A native of Japan, Miss Okashiro won numerous honors in Japanese and international competitions including The Overseas Delegation Prize, The Japan America Association's Competition, The 1993 International Chopin Competition in Texas, The Young Artists International Competition and The 1993 Pro Piano Artist of The Year Award. She received early musical education at Toho High School of Music, her Bachelor's Degree from Toho University in Tokyo, Master's Degree from The Juilliard School with Herbert Stessin, and Professional Studies Program at Manhattan School of Music under Karl Ulrich Schnabel, son of legendary pianist Artur Schnabel. In addition, Ms. Okashiro has appeared with conductors such as Alexander Vedernikov and Louis Fremaux among others and with orchestras all over the world including the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Argentina National Symphony Orchestra, the Chautaqua Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre Symphonique de Sherbrooke in Canada and many others.
Miss Okashiro's discography includes 11 CDs, all of which have received considerable acclaim from many respected music critics. Her seventh release, an adventurous recording of Piano Transcription of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.6, Pathetique, eighth and ninth releases, Sakamoto Piano Works I & II, tenth release, Piano Transcription of Mahler's Symphony No.1, Titan, and eleventh release, Beatles Piano Transcriptions were all on the hit chart in Japan. Her sixth release, Wagner Piano Transcriptions, received HMV Award in Japan, and her Mahler’s Titan Piano Transcription CD was chosen “Recording of the Year” on MusicWeb International in England. Her Tchikovsky’s Pathetique Piano Transcription received “Recommande” on Classica magazine in France, received 5 stars on Diapason magazine in France and was chosen “CD of the month” on Piano magazine in Germany. Her fifth release was her critically acclaimed all Scriabin CD featuring the world premiere recording of “The Poem of Ecstasy”, which also received “Recommande” on Repertoire magazine in France and 5 stars on Diapason magazine in France. This was a two piano version transcribed by Conus-Okashiro. It used an “over dub multi-track recording technique” allowing Miss Okashiro to play both piano parts (something never before attempted), to achieve a more colorful piano sound throughout the entirety of the instrument’s vast harmonic register. In other words, “she does not like ordinary projects”.
Tracks:
01. Tong Poo - For Four Hands (04:54)
02. Bachata (05:52)
03. Intermezzo (04:27)
04. Sonatine (02:38)
05. Chanson (02:49)
06. Just for Me (04:15)
07. Choral No.1 (02:09)
08. Choral No.2 (02:51)
09. Energy Flow (03:37)
10. Opus (04:39)
11. Lorenz and Watson (04:07)
12. Vivace Scherzando (01:34)
13. Lento (01:09)
14. Risoluto (01:30)
15. La Dispersion, La Limite, Le Sable (11:21)
16. Grasshoppers (03:12)
17. River (01:22)
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发表于 2020-1-19 16:56:36
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