A.S.- thank you, will download very soon- I recall reviews of Yamada's symphony in F major on Naxos CD (I think it was this one- they also recorded others; I have the review, from Fanfare magazine, in a pile of back issues of those magazines in my room- will check- sorry!) - but it was interesting and intriguing and I have hoped to hear music of his. So again - thanks!
eschiss1
I'm happy to hear, you enjoying my uploads.
In my country, many composers wrote good music between war.
But sadly, many works are forgotten.
Especially, Kunihiko Hashimoto's symphony no.1 ( I believe this is one of best symphony in Japan) is forgotten 60years before recording with naxos.
And his Symphony No. 2 is not never ever played. What a pity it is!
I'm hoping to continue Naxos's Japanese composers series in the future.
I have few other Japanese symphonic music recordings, which released in Japan only.
I will upload future.
Thanks. A.S
The symphonies by Japanese composers, courtesy of Naxos, have been an enjoyable revelation to me, and probably to most listeners outside Japan. It is especially interesting to hear the extent to which Japanese culture is influencing what is, of course, a European musical form. The same goes for Australian 'classical' music, which in recent years has begun to establish a national identity through assimilation of Indigenous musical ideas (Sculthorpe, Edwards, etc). I don't think of this as 'nationalism' in any jingoistic sense, by the way, but purely in terms of musical sensibilities.
Thank you for the latest marvellous Japanese uploads. That unfinished symphony by Otaka is a particularly beautiful piece. To my ears, the performance does it proud - it combines exuberance with sensitivity and could hardly be bettered. I must find out more about this composer!
semloh
I'm happy to hear your comment.
Unfortunately, I guess Otaka's biography is not known except in Japan.
Extract from Japanese wikipedia page http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B0%BE%E9%AB%98%E5%B0%9A%E5%BF%A0 (http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B0%BE%E9%AB%98%E5%B0%9A%E5%BF%A0)
Otaka was born at Tokyo in 1911.
He went Vienna at 1931 and 1934, He taught composing by Joseph Marx, and conducting by Felix Weingartner.
He return to Japan at 1940 and He took chief conductor of New Symphony Orchestra ( Today's NHK Symphony Orchestra)
He conducting between war, But he died at age of 39 by overwork.
They say that fatigue between war sapped his strength.
He died so young and his recordings and works are so little.
From his biography, He composed some of symphonic poems, and Flute and cello concerto, and several of chamber and piano musics.
His cello concerto and Flute concerto are can listen at youtube.
Cello Concerto (1943) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFZ_Jbx4Arc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFZ_Jbx4Arc)
Flute Concerto (1948/1951) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQURnpSF8ug (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQURnpSF8ug)
I joined in amateur orchestra , and we played Flute concerto few years ago.
Please listened at 2nd movement of this concerto.
It's a very beautiful music , like of Japanese songs meets Western classical music.
A.S
Actually, he's in the latest(?) Baker's Biography of Musicians, a very major (think Grove) biographical book updated regularly. An excerpt from the Otaka entry is here (http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G2-3491809597.html).
(The whole of the 1919 edition of Baker - edition 3 - is at IMSLP, here (http://imslp.org/wiki/A_Biographical_Dictionary_of_Musicians_%28Baker,_Theodore%29). Of course, Otaka would have been age 7 or 8 when that was published, give or take, but this is a 2008 or so edition and cannot be stored on our public domain servers. That's an excerpt on someone else's pay-to-view server... :) )
I think my favorite japanese composer is Ikuma Dan : he wrote six excellent symphonies all released on CD but now unavailable, there are other recordings of his first and third that have been released on LP and a couple of choral/orchestral works as well. I will upload some of his works so you can make your own idea
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/Jan08/Dan.htm (http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/Jan08/Dan.htm)
Amazing! My favorite Japanese composer is also Ikuma Dan. The symphonies are excellent, but my favorite work of his is the Silk Road Suite. Very colorful, it could easily be the soundtrack to a 1960s Asian epic. There is also a big, splashy orchestral piece with extra brass and chorus, titled The Truth of the Creation, which is very enjoyable.
Yasushi Akutagawa is another favorite, as well as Yamada (especially the gorgeous symphonic poem Madara No Hana).
Dan composed a lot of works for orachestra, choral music, and orher.
I have his rare symphonic music ' Symphonic poem ''Nagasaki'' for orchestra and chorus' and ' ''Chikugo river'' suite for orchestra and chorus' .
But, Sorry, recorded CD-R is my hometown 200km far from where I live now.
Next time I go my hometown, I will take it and upload.
A.S
A.S.,
I have CD-R copies of Nagasaki and Chikugo River, among other works. If any members would like to hear them and if it's difficult for you to get them, I can upload them sometime soon. I also recently got an LP of his opera The Twilight Crane, which I haven't had time to listen to or digitize yet.
Latvian
Surprising!
Can I ask that of you?
A.S
OK, will do when I have time in the next few days!
Quote from: Latvian on Friday 19 August 2011, 21:35
A.S.,
I have CD-R copies of Nagasaki and Chikugo River, among other works. If any members would like to hear them and if it's difficult for you to get them, I can upload them sometime soon. I also recently got an LP of his opera The Twilight Crane, which I haven't had time to listen to or digitize yet.
Even more surprising I also have the records mentioned above but didn't have time to play them either !
I very much enjoy many woks by Japanese composers, but due to the letter and writing differences I always feel that I cannot really find all the information about Japanese composers and works I guess that are out there.
So if you are Ikuma Dan fans, does anybody of you know if his Fantasies No.1 and 2 for violin and orchestra are ever recorded? Or his Fantasia all'antica for 2 violins and string orchestra?
And if you are deep into Japanese music do you know by any chance about recordings of the violin concertos by Saburo Moroi, Shin-ichi Matsushita, Shoko Natsuda or Roh Ogura?
I would love to get some help with the Japanese composers!
Best,
Tobias
www.violinconcerto.de
Hello Tobias
I'm very glad to hear your interest in my country's composer music.
But Sadly, many Japanese composer's music are have not been recorded yet.
However, I searched Dan's Violin works, and I found his his 'Fantasia all'antica for 2 violins and string orchestra' recording.
http://www.tylimited.co.jp/tys/sakuhin/support_3scd-0004.html (http://www.tylimited.co.jp/tys/sakuhin/support_3scd-0004.html)
This CD contains next works.
(1) Fantasia No. 1 for solo violin and piano (1973)
(2) Fantasia No. 2 for solo violin and piano (1984)
(3) Fantasia No. 3 for solo violin and piano (1985)
(4) Sonata for Violin and Piano (1990)
(5) Fantasia all'antica for 2 violins and string orchestra
Probably, This CD is release in Japan Only.
And it seems Limited sale CD.
If you interest this CD, please send e-mail to me.
I can contact about this CD in place of you.
A.S
Quote from: violinconcerto on Monday 22 August 2011, 09:59I very much enjoy many woks by Japanese composers...
Woks are used in cooking
Chinese food, Tobias.";D"
it does in these things to be tempura-te, JimL! (Sorry. Sorry. (Not sorry enough...)) Ok, ok...
Anyhow.
Promise I will have something substantial to add in a moment...
Have all of Shin-Ichiro Ikebe's (born 9/15/1943, Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan) symphonies been recorded commercially? I forget. I think several of them (at least nos. 3 and 5?) have. I've heard one of them- quite a few times in the last decade, I think (got it on tape, lost tape, got it again in email, I think) and quite liked it.
Quote from: eschiss1 on Monday 22 August 2011, 16:43
Have all of Shin-Ichiro Ikebe's (born 9/15/1943, Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan) symphonies been recorded commercially? I forget. I think several of them (at least nos. 3 and 5?) have. I've heard one of them- quite a few times in the last decade, I think (got it on tape, lost tape, got it again in email, I think) and quite liked it.
I have Ikebe's symphony no.1,3,5 and 6 but I don't know about the others.
Symphony no.2,4,7 is available from Amazon.co.jp
http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%9C%A8%E3%81%AB%E5%90%8C%E3%81%98%E3%81%8F-%E6%B1%A0%E8%BE%BA%E6%99%8B%E4%B8%80%E9%83%8E-%E7%AE%A1%E5%BC%A6%E6%A5%BD%E4%BD%9C%E5%93%81%E9%9B%86-%E4%B8%8B%E9%87%8E%E7%AB%9C%E4%B9%9F-%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E3%83%95%E3%82%A3%E3%83%AB%E3%83%8F%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%BC%E4%BA%A4%E9%9F%BF%E6%A5%BD%E5%9B%A3%E4%BB%96/dp/B0001J0DDE (http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%9C%A8%E3%81%AB%E5%90%8C%E3%81%98%E3%81%8F-%E6%B1%A0%E8%BE%BA%E6%99%8B%E4%B8%80%E9%83%8E-%E7%AE%A1%E5%BC%A6%E6%A5%BD%E4%BD%9C%E5%93%81%E9%9B%86-%E4%B8%8B%E9%87%8E%E7%AB%9C%E4%B9%9F-%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E3%83%95%E3%82%A3%E3%83%AB%E3%83%8F%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%BC%E4%BA%A4%E9%9F%BF%E6%A5%BD%E5%9B%A3%E4%BB%96/dp/B0001J0DDE)
http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%82%B2%E3%81%97%E3%81%BF%E3%81%AE%E6%A3%AE%EF%BD%9E-%E6%B1%A0%E8%BE%BA%E6%99%8B%E4%B8%80%E9%83%8E-%E4%BA%A4%E9%9F%BF%E6%9B%B2/dp/B00005HRXV (http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%82%B2%E3%81%97%E3%81%BF%E3%81%AE%E6%A3%AE%EF%BD%9E-%E6%B1%A0%E8%BE%BA%E6%99%8B%E4%B8%80%E9%83%8E-%E4%BA%A4%E9%9F%BF%E6%9B%B2/dp/B00005HRXV)
A.S
Oh, I knew the name Otaka sounded familiar... the conductor is the composer's 2nd son, you mention :)
(Besides his estimable commercial recording career, he also has made some broadcast-only recordings I hope to hear, including a rare outing, over BBC 3, for Myaskovsky's 13th symphony when there was still no commercial recording available, and at the time I think no other broadcast tapes except for one conducted by Rozhdestvensky. Others too. Fine conductor, from what I hear and I gather. Anyhow, thanks for!)
Dear Sicmu
Thank you very much for your uploads.
Both of works painted the city and river at Kyushu area, where far west from Tokyo.
I traveled to Nagasaki just one year ago. This music reminds me at that time.
Dan composed a lot of works for orchestra and chorus which painted about Japanese Cities , rivers and mountains.
But almost of these works are unrecorded.
I think Japanese orchestra should be perform these works.
A.S
Many thanks, Latvian, for the uploads of Yamada's music. What attractive works they are: the 1912 "Triumph & Peace Symphony" is very Dvorakian, whereas the two symphonic poems, from only a year later, are much more unrestrained in their mixture of Debussy and Strauss. Good stuff.
Thanks for Yamada's music, Latvian.
This symphony is first symphony in my country.
He composed this symphony in he studied music in Germany. So this symphony written in Germany romantic music style.
Yamada stopped at Russia on the way back to Japan.
And he was very impressed by Scriabin's music.
So two symphonic poems filled with mysterious mood like mixture of impressionistic and late romantic music.
You're welcome, Atsushi and Mark!
Many people in my country usually imagine Yamada is ' Children song composer '.
Because, we learn his songs in primary school. So I was surprised when I knew Yamada composed huge symphonic and chamber music.
Unfortunately, many his symphonic musics are not unrecorded >:(
For example Symphony ' Praise to Showa '
Nagauta symphony no.1 and no.2
Ballet ' Young Centaur and Nimph '
Ballet ' Dance of Salome '
and many many Ballet musics...
Very interesting... ::)
his F major symphony does exist in another recording on Naxos which was well-received in Fanfare magazine when it came out a few years ago here, I remember. Thanks!
There are actually two Naxos cds of Yamada's music.
The first includes the Symphony "Triumph and Peace", the Symphonic Poem "The Dark Gate", the Symphonic Poem "Madara No Hana" and the Overture in D Major. The second includes the Nagauta Symphony "Tsurukame", the Sinfonia "Inno Meiji" and the Choreographic Symphony "Maria Magdalena".
Both are conducted by Takuo Yuasa with the Ulster Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and thev Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra.
So the situation is not too bad >:(
At least one Japanese children's song is even known in the US: 犬のおまわりさん, which is by 大中 恩 (I don't know how to read many names yet. Is it "Ounaka Megumi" ??, and I don't even know the character 恩 at all so I had to look it up)... who also writes "serious" music. I don't find it so unusual that a composer who writes children's songs would be able to write appealing works in other forms, because the ability to compose a catchy melody is worth a whole lot!
I actually think that the overall greatest melodist of all time is a still-living Japanese composer: 植松 伸夫 (Uematsu Nobuo). A great deal of his music for video games has been performed in full orchestral concerts, and recorded. I think fans of Romantic-era music would probably like some of his game overtures, such as for Final Fantasy VI, and some of his solo piano works are terrific. He seems to have a real knack for writing extremely catchy piano rags:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HizdlmU0wwE
I also really like this, a nice little string quartet piece:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdHVyAaAwKQ
Quote from: Dundonnell on Tuesday 13 December 2011, 13:44
There are actually two Naxos cds of Yamada's music.
The first includes the Symphony "Triumph and Peace", the Symphonic Poem "The Dark Gate", the Symphonic Poem "Madara No Hana" and the Overture in D Major. The second includes the Nagauta Symphony "Tsurukame", the Sinfonia "Inno Meiji" and the Choreographic Symphony "Maria Magdalena".
Both are conducted by Takuo Yuasa with the Ulster Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and thev Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra.
So the situation is not too bad >:(
I have to put in a plug for the Nagauta Symphony, if I may. It's an odd work - I wouldn't have expected the mixture of instruments to work. And yet it does, and very well...it's one of my favorite among many Naxos purchases I have made over the years. (The other pieces, I fear, don't spring immediately to mind...)
Josh, The name of 大中 恩 is ' Ohnaka Megumi ' . He composed many popular children songs. And he composed huge choral works.
Ser Amantio di Nicolao, Many contemporary composer in Japan composed musics made by a mix of Western Classical music and Japanese traditional music. However, It is very interesting that my countries first symphonic composer Yamada tried to compose it.
Thank you for these: I live in Japan, but I don't know much about Japanese music, except some which has been released on Naxos, such as Yasushi Akutagawa. Sorry, I don't have anything to upload. 申し訳ないです。