Helpful votes received on reviews:
100% (6 of 6)
Location: Japan
Birthday: Jan 2 (Saved Remind mePlease RetryPlease Retry)
In My Own Words:
University professor, fan of Japanese traditional music
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Reviews
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I have lived in Japan for more than 15 years, and my Japanese is fluent, but I've always regretted my inability to understand the period dramas on TV, because of a lack of historical knowledge. Taiko has done a lot to rectify that situation, but despite its length I found myself wanting more. At the end of the book, Hideyoshi has 12 years to live, and then Ieyasu takes over. But how does this happen? I hear that Yoshikawa has written a book about Ieyasu, too, but I can't trace it. I'd buy anything by this author.
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This album features classic works from the halcyon early days (in the 1970s) of the 20-string koto, which astounded listeners with its versatility and tonal range, and the virtuosity of its inventor and preeminent interpreter, Keiko Nosaka. In those days, Minoru Miki was the only composer for the instrument, and his heroic efforts to popularize the instrument by composing a vast number of new works are in evidence here. Highlights are: the title track, Concerto Requiem, with its haunting introduction and unique interplay of solo koto with Japanese instrument ensemble; Hanayagi, still the most popular piece for up-and-coming performers seeking to prove their technical prowess; Aki no Kyoku,… Read more
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Unlike many koto CDs, this one doesn't make any misguided attempt to widen its audience by including various performers and works by various composers. The CD includes 3 works by Akira Ifukube ("Godzilla"). It is unique as far as I know in that all the pieces are solos for the 25-string koto and they're all played by Keiko Nosaka, the inventor and unrivalled master of the instrument. Thematically, the pieces are also linked, all being connected in some way with China or West Asia. This, in my opinion, makes them more accesible to many western listeners than pieces composed in the predominant "Japanese modern" tradition. Finally, two of the pieces are Ifukube's… Read more
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