Japanese Composers

[Harry]

This is certainly a good mix.!

[greg]

Terrific music! He studied under Mahler and conducted a complete Mahler cycle in his youth.

i was wondering about this when i read from here:

http://www.naxos.com/composerinfo/bio17985.htm

Abe played in the Music School's orchestra under conductor/composer Klaus Pringsheim who he admired. Pringsheim, appointed professor at the Tokyo Music School in 1931, had been a pupil of Gustav Mahler and had conducted operas in Geneva, Prague and Bremen in the 1910s, and a cycle of Mahler's symphonies with the Berlin Philharmonic. Abe began to study German-style harmony and counterpoint with him, and decided he wanted to become a composer, not a cellist. Abe was strongly influenced by this teacher's view and knowledge of the late romanticism period represented by Mahler and Richard Strauss, and neo-classicism by Hindemith and Kurt Weill.

anyways, I'm turning it on right now! 

[Brian]

i was wondering about this when i read from here:

http://www.naxos.com/composerinfo/bio17985.htm

Ooops, misread it. I don't hear much Mahler in Abe anyways - fantastic compositions though 

[gomro]

Right...I have ordered the Abe Symphony No.1, the Hashimoto Symphony No.1, the Hayasaka Piano Concerto, the Moroi Symphony No.3,
the Yamada 'Naguata Symphony' and the Akutagawa 'Ellora Symphony' from Amazon on the recommendations of members.

In for a penny in for a pound(well about £30 actually!). If I like what I hear I will try the other Yamada symphony, the Ohzawa, the Yashiro and the Okhi Symphony No.5 'Hiroshima'.

I will certainly post my impressions in due course! Thanks everyone!

Ah, the Yashiro disc! I forgot about that one, exquisite...definitely influenced by Messiaen, but not nearly the "carbon copy" some critics have made his work out to be. Very fine. The Moroi is good, too, but very much of the European "Classical" mold -- I felt as if he was disregarding everything that had happened in music since Beethoven, but turning out delicious work for all that.

[vandermolen]

Thanks for all the replies. I will certainly order the Abe disc.

[techniquest]

I am in the process of discovering music from Asia - and what a fun process it is. My favourite thus far is Yoshimatsu; I have his 1st and 5th symphonies on Chandos. I have also recently found an interesting Chandos disc of Japanese composers inlcduing 2 premier recordings: Fantasy for Organ & Orchestra by Atsutada Otaka and Memory of the Sea (Hiroshima Symphony) by Toshio Hosokawa.
I also have the complete Isang Yun symphines set of CPO, and some downloads by Chinese composer Wang Xi-Lin. However I am keen to find others. A recent trip to Bangkok found no Thai classical composers (CD's which are filed under Thai Classical music but actually mean Thai 'traditional' music); indeed the closest I have got is a CD of orchestral music by Dej Bulsuk called 'Kingdom of Smiles' but it's kind of Ketelby meets Mantovani...There must be Thai, Lao, Cambodian etc symphonies out there somewhere....

[violinconcerto]

I have a 2-CD-set from the Korean Society of Contemporary Music with some "real" classical music. For example Chan-hae Lees "Flame" for violin and orchestra. Maybe you try that way too!
And if you are interested in Asia, you can try the classical compositions by Indian Lokshumara Subramaniam. Nice works.

[Morigan]

Oh, I thought this thread was going to be about the likes of Nobuo Uematsu or Yasunori Mitsuda...

[Lethevich]

Oh, I thought this thread was going to be about the likes of Nobuo Uematsu or Yasunori Mitsuda...

You should be pleasantly surprised that it is so much better! (I like the FFVII soundtrack, and others, though)

[Dundonnell]

My 6 Naxos CDs of Japanese composers have arrived and I have just finished listening to the Hayasaka Piano Concerto which was so highly recommended by vandermolen.

What a strange work! vandermolen described its first movement as "epic, memorable and moving"(as I recall) and that description fits it perfectly. I read the comparisons with Rachmaninov(one of my least favourite composers) but the movement is a good deal less saccharine than(I find) the Russian composer's music. Impressive stuff in a conservative idiom. I cannot, however, reconcile myself to such a sombre, epic movement being followed by a second movement so skittish in a idiom which recalls Milhaud(or even, at times, Gershwin). The two movements just don't seem to me to fit together at all. Still, I am certainly impressed by that first movement.

There is also on the same CD a cheerful, jolly marchlike Overture in D which sounds like an oriental version of the Vaughan Williams
March of the Kitchen Utensils from 'The Wasps'. Great fun!!

Now to sample the Abe, Hashimoto, Moroi, Yamada, Akutagawa!!

[vandermolen]

My 6 Naxos CDs of Japanese composers have arrived and I have just finished listening to the Hayasaka Piano Concerto which was so highly recommended by vandermolen.

What a strange work! vandermolen described its first movement as "epic, memorable and moving"(as I recall) and that description fits it perfectly. I read the comparisons with Rachmaninov(one of my least favourite composers) but the movement is a good deal less saccharine than(I find) the Russian composer's music. Impressive stuff in a conservative idiom. I cannot, however, reconcile myself to such a sombre, epic movement being followed by a second movement so skittish in a idiom which recalls Milhaud(or even, at times, Gershwin). The two movements just don't seem to me to fit together at all. Still, I am certainly impressed by that first movement.

There is also on the same CD a cheerful, jolly marchlike Overture in D which sounds like an oriental version of the Vaughan Williams
March of the Kitchen Utensils from 'The Wasps'. Great fun!!

Now to sample the Abe, Hashimoto, Moroi, Yamada, Akutagawa!!

Very interesting feedback. Thanks Glad you liked the extended opening movement of Hayasaka. I totally agree about the bizarre juxtaposition of the Milhaud/Francaix type second movement and have to confess that I often just play the, very moving, opening movement on its own.

Hope you enjoy the Moroi and Hashimoto. Have to say that I was a bit disappointed by the Abe Symphony but need to give it another go.

[Symphonien]

Just discovered a new young Japanese composer today called Hikari Kiyama, via this very intense piano piece:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LIw8ykSmGU

Sounds like he was hyperactive or something when he wrote it.

[greg]

Just discovered a new young Japanese composer today called Hikari Kiyama, via this very intense piano piece:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LIw8ykSmGU

Sounds like he was hyperactive or something when he wrote it.

oh my god...........
i have to get the score to that.

[greg]

that is some seriously inventive stuff though.......
especially the warrior screams and the floor stomps at the end.
Looks like he has a bunch of videos on youtube, along with a few other composers at the same recital.
Totally avant-garde, uncompromising music.

[some guy]

Otomo Yoshihide:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XjkcKm2jb4

Keiji Haino (and friends!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDUAfKuGTcY&feature=related

Kazuhisa Uchihashi:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x8ZLSmmwfI


This last one is from a show I attended. I should have recorded this. My camera is better!!

[greg]

Let it out, Haino!



(actually, that's sometimes how i play) 

[Dundonnell]

Just to report back on my explorations of the Japanese repertoire recently purchased-

I was least impressed by the rather dull and characterless Abe Symphony No.1, Sinfonietta and Alto saxophone Divertimento-all a bit diluted Kabalevsky, I thought.

The Hashimoto Symphony No.1 sounded the most authentically Japanese of the works I sampled-interesting but not especially memorable.

The Yamada Symphony 'Triumph and Peace' sounded as if it could have been written by Schumann or, at least, Max Bruch! The two symphonic poems with which it is coupled were more interesting with clear Straussian/Scriabinesque influences.

I was most impressed by the Moroi Symphony No.3 and Two Symphonic Movements which are darkly gripping.

The Akutagawa Ellora Symphony is rather too 'advanced' for my tastes but I did like the other two works on that CD-the Trinita Sinfonica and Rapsodia for Orchestra.

Still to sample the Ohzawa Symphony No.3 and Yamada's Naguata Symphony.

So...best music encountered? The Moroi and (at least) the first movement of the Hayasaka Piano concerto.

[vandermolen]

Just to report back on my explorations of the Japanese repertoire recently purchased-

I was least impressed by the rather dull and characterless Abe Symphony No.1, Sinfonietta and Alto saxophone Divertimento-all a bit diluted Kabalevsky, I thought.

The Hashimoto Symphony No.1 sounded the most authentically Japanese of the works I sampled-interesting but not especially memorable.

The Yamada Symphony 'Triumph and Peace' sounded as if it could have been written by Schumann or, at least, Max Bruch! The two symphonic poems with which it is coupled were more interesting with clear Straussian/Scriabinesque influences.

I was most impressed by the Moroi Symphony No.3 and Two Symphonic Movements which are darkly gripping.

The Akutagawa Ellora Symphony is rather too 'advanced' for my tastes but I did like the other two works on that CD-the Trinita Sinfonica and Rapsodia for Orchestra.

Still to sample the Ohzawa Symphony No.3 and Yamada's Naguata Symphony.

So...best music encountered? The Moroi and (at least) the first movement of the Hayasaka Piano concerto.

Thanks Colin for the interesting feedback.  We are basically in agreement. I too was disappointed by the Abe and my favourite is the Hayasaka piano Concerto (1st movement). The Moroi which is darkly moving but maybe I have enjoyed the Hashimoto more than you.  your post has inspired me to put Masao Ohki's Symphony 5 "Hiroshima" on to the CD player. As the blurb says, it alternates dissonant harmonies with tranquil and solemn music.  Certainly it is a verey powerful and dark score. The earlier Japanese Rhapsody on the same disc is a lively and enjoyable score but I will probably stick with the Moroi and Hayasaka.

[Renfield]

You should be pleasantly surprised that it is so much better! (I like the FFVII soundtrack, and others, though)

Indeed. Fascinating thread, I'd no idea all these composers existed! Although yes, Uematsu is an interesting soundtrack composer, when his music doesn't sound like rehashed Sibelius; or even when it does, perhaps.

[vandermolen]

Indeed. Fascinating thread, I'd no idea all these composers existed! Although yes, Uematsu is an interesting soundtrack composer, when his music doesn't sound like rehashed Sibelius; or even when it does, perhaps.

Try the deeply moving first movement of the Hayasaka Piano Concerto (Naxos) if you don't know it.

This is a v good introduction to Japanese composers:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/images/B000063TS2/sr=1-1/qid=1208011132/ref=dp_image_text_0?ie=UTF8&n=229816&s=music&qid=1208011132&sr=1-1