5.0 out of 5 stars
Nosaka Keiko and MInoru Miki at their best, Sep 5 2002
This review is from: Minoru Miki Selected Works II (Audio CD)
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, an archetypal shakuhachi/koto duet; and the Venus in Autumn, a piece that shows off the power of an instrument that is often sterotyped as delicate or even "fluffy". Note that the only piece I haven't mentioned here is the largely forgotten Venus in Spring, though I maintain that this restrained, hypnotic piece shows off Miki at his minimalist best.
Those interested in the modern history of the koto would do well to supplement this purchase with Pipa Xing. The composer has changed, but the performer remains, and this album features Nosaka some 20 years on, still in top form and, like the instrument, rather more polished, playing the more-recently developed 25-string koto.
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