Hosokawa's Hideout

Started by Mahlerian, December 21, 2016, 12:14:13 PM

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Mahlerian



I noticed that Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa's opera Matsukaze is going to be revived next year, with Barbara Hannigan in the title role.  Has anyone here heard the work?
"l do not consider my music as atonal, but rather as non-tonal. I feel the unity of all keys. Atonal music by modern composers admits of no key at all, no feeling of any definite center." - Arnold Schoenberg

ComposerOfAvantGarde

I haven't yet heard it but this is terrific news! Hannigan in it???? Sounds brilliant!!!! Where will it be performed?

Mahlerian

Quote from: jessop on December 21, 2016, 12:15:41 PM
I haven't yet heard it but this is terrific news! Hannigan in it???? Sounds brilliant!!!! Where will it be performed?

Brussels, but it will also be performed in Warsaw with a different cast.
"l do not consider my music as atonal, but rather as non-tonal. I feel the unity of all keys. Atonal music by modern composers admits of no key at all, no feeling of any definite center." - Arnold Schoenberg

ComposerOfAvantGarde

Quote from: Mahlerian on December 21, 2016, 12:19:08 PM
Brussels, but it will also be performed in Warsaw with a different cast.
Awesome! Hopefully there might be a live stream on the internet........

Mirror Image

#4
For those new to Hosokawa's music, where should they begin? I have the ECM recording (Landscapes), which sounded quite good (to the best of my recollection). The two Neos recordings of his concertante works look interesting.

ComposerOfAvantGarde

Quote from: Mirror Image on December 24, 2016, 07:18:59 PM
For those new to Hosokawa's music, where should they begin? I have the ECM recording (Landscapes), which sounded quite good (to the best of my recollection). The two Neos recordings of his concertante works look interesting.
This is what I started with and I've really enjoyed exploring more of his music after I heard this CD:


Mirror Image

Quote from: jessop on December 25, 2016, 12:29:24 AM
This is what I started with and I've really enjoyed exploring more of his music after I heard this CD:



Thanks for the recommendation. Looks like an interesting disc.

ComposerOfAvantGarde

Quote from: Mirror Image on December 25, 2016, 06:45:35 AM
Thanks for the recommendation. Looks like an interesting disc.
Yes indeed! Quite a lot of his music draws on aspects from traditional Japanese styles of music, such as some of the music here. Landscape V for sho and string quartet is the first piece on this disc and that has the same kind of courtly elegance and beauty you hear in gagaku. :)

Mirror Image

Quote from: jessop on December 25, 2016, 05:25:34 PM
Yes indeed! Quite a lot of his music draws on aspects from traditional Japanese styles of music, such as some of the music here. Landscape V for sho and string quartet is the first piece on this disc and that has the same kind of courtly elegance and beauty you hear in gagaku. :)

Very nice. I'm finding Mahlerian's absence here to be concerning. He's probably busy with Christmas festivities unlike me who basically just spent the day listening to music at home and refusing to go to a family function. :) Yeah, I'm quite anti-social. ;D

ComposerOfAvantGarde

Quote from: Mirror Image on December 25, 2016, 05:33:58 PM
Very nice. I'm finding Mahlerian's absence here to be concerning. He's probably busy with Christmas festivities unlike me who basically just spent the day listening to music at home and refusing to go to a family function. :) Yeah, I'm quite anti-social. ;D
From what I know of Mahlerian, he would probably suggest you hear Hosokawa's string quartets on NEOS or something :laugh: also very good!

Mahlerian

Quote from: Mirror Image on December 25, 2016, 05:33:58 PM
Very nice. I'm finding Mahlerian's absence here to be concerning. He's probably busy with Christmas festivities unlike me who basically just spent the day listening to music at home and refusing to go to a family function. :) Yeah, I'm quite anti-social. ;D

I checked in last night, but yes, I spent the day Christmasing.

My Hosokawa favorite is Utsuro-hi, found on this Fontec disc:

https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%81%86%E3%81%A4%E3%82%8D%E3%81%B2-%E9%9F%B3%E5%AE%87%E5%AE%99I-%E3%82%AA%E3%83%A0%E3%83%8B%E3%83%90%E3%82%B9-%E3%82%AF%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B7%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF/dp/B00005F00Y

It might be difficult to get a copy, but it's also available for download on US iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/works-by-toshio-hosokawa-1/id286353685

The rest of the disc is quite fine as well.  For Christmas, I actually received this disc:



So I'll be sure to give a report once I listen.
"l do not consider my music as atonal, but rather as non-tonal. I feel the unity of all keys. Atonal music by modern composers admits of no key at all, no feeling of any definite center." - Arnold Schoenberg

Mirror Image

Quote from: Mahlerian on December 26, 2016, 05:55:21 AM
I checked in last night, but yes, I spent the day Christmasing.

My Hosokawa favorite is Utsuro-hi, found on this Fontec disc:

https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%81%86%E3%81%A4%E3%82%8D%E3%81%B2-%E9%9F%B3%E5%AE%87%E5%AE%99I-%E3%82%AA%E3%83%A0%E3%83%8B%E3%83%90%E3%82%B9-%E3%82%AF%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B7%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF/dp/B00005F00Y

It might be difficult to get a copy, but it's also available for download on US iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/works-by-toshio-hosokawa-1/id286353685

The rest of the disc is quite fine as well.  For Christmas, I actually received this disc:



So I'll be sure to give a report once I listen.

Glad you could make it, Mahlerian! I was getting worried about you. ;) Thanks for your feedback. I'll check out that Fontec recording.

Uhor

This composer deserves more love here.
I think his operas are mindblowingly the best, here's two:

Hanjo: https://youtu.be/ngsrcev7lcU
Futari Shizuka, The Maiden from the Sea: https://youtu.be/ZHck3LCJ7zM

An orchestral work for those not into vocal:
Meditation – to the victims of Tsunami 3.11: https://youtu.be/zBTwt_WHuHA

bhodges

Quote from: Uhor on January 14, 2022, 05:48:57 AM
This composer deserves more love here.
I think his operas are mindblowingly the best, here's two:

Hanjo: https://youtu.be/ngsrcev7lcU
Futari Shizuka, The Maiden from the Sea: https://youtu.be/ZHck3LCJ7zM

An orchestral work for those not into vocal:
Meditation – to the victims of Tsunami 3.11: https://youtu.be/zBTwt_WHuHA

Thanks for posting these, neither of which I have heard. Hosokawa is a fave. (I guess I missed this thread, the first time around.) His string quartets are quite something. This album, with Quatuor Diotima, is quite fine:



--Bruce
 

bhodges

Will be seeing Hosokawa's The Raven next month, presented by Opera Philadelphia, in what sounds like an innovative staging (read: audience participation). It's 90 minutes long, for a mezzo-soprano (Kristen Choi) and chamber ensemble, conducted by Eiki Isomura.

Perhaps improbably, all four performances are close to sold out!

https://www.operaphila.org/whats-on/in-theaters-2022-2023/the-raven/

--Bruce