Programme notes in English  

​※日本語の楽曲解説はCDブックレットに掲載

1."Miyabi" on a theme of Etenraku (Gagaku) / Sumika Tsujimoto

I composed this work based on a theme from “Etenraku in Hyogo,” a piece of music from Gagaku, said to be the world’s oldest orchestra, as a fusion of Western saxophones with Gagaku wind instruments.  The piece begins with the coarse and frank sound of the hichiriki, a reed instrument like the saxophone, and as the piece progresses to the cadenza, it is interwoven with a deep vibrato like the shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese woodwind instrument which is not used in Gagaku.  Near the end of the piece, high-pitched tones in the image of a ryuteki sing and dance over powerful piano chords and rhythms.  This composition explores a new possibility of expression blending Japanese and western styles.

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2.Oriental Wind / Joe Hisaishi

The piece opens with a piano solo, and overlaps with a saxophone melody and marimba that spins an orchestral sound.  In Japan, this song has been widely popularized as a commercial song, and various arrangements of it exist.  In the score of “Melodyphony,” the original score for this arrangement, the middle section has an alto saxophone solo, which is used from the beginning of the piece until the end of this solo, and in the later half it is switched to soprano saxophone.

 

3.Energy Flow / Ryuichi Sakamoto

This is another hit commercial song from the late 90’s, a masterpiece of Ryuichi Sakamoto.  In 2019 while I was in Paris, I heard a solo performance of this piece at the “Atelier des Lumières”, and was inspired by this experience to create this CD.  Two instruments flutter between deep dives of chords and swells of melody.

 

4.Strolling in the spring breeze - Homeward bound / Kentaro Mizutani

As the name of the song title suggests, “Strolling in the spring breeze” was created in the image of taking a walk in the fresh spring breeze.  I hope the uplifting atmosphere makes you want to skip along. 

“Homeward bound” is based on the image of going home during the sunset.  The soprano saxophone and marimba give it a more peaceful feeling.  Personally, the main phrase of this piece is one of my favorites among the works I have written.

 

5.Summer / Joe Hisaishi

This is the main theme of the movie “Kikujiro,” directed by Takeshi Kitano and released in 1999.  Just from the phrase in the piano solo at the beginning, one feels as though they can hear the cicadas coming from somewhere.  I arranged the piano solo score as a version for piano and saxophone for this piece.  Please enjoy this ensemble which chases after a clear blue summer sky.

 

6.Dancing into the Wind / Daiki Kato

The original of this piece was composed for the “Tacticart label’s online music festival in 2021” organized by Tacticart Inc.  At the time it was difficult to invite friends over for dinner due to the pandemic.  I composed this piece to accompany that small feeling of loneliness in our daily lives.  Originally the title was undecided when first performed, but when I asked listeners to suggest a title, and many of them suggested “wind” or “breeze,” so the title “Dancing into the Wind” was chosen.

 

7.Fu-Mon (Wind Ripple) original version / Hiroshi Hoshina

This piece was titled after the introduction, which gives an impression of waves lapping and returning, reminiscent of wind ripples left on a sandy beach.  It was commissioned in 1986 by the All Japan Band Association as one of the Required Piece of All Japan Band Competition.  In 1999 the complete version was revised, and released as the “original version,” as presented in this recording.  The piece was written for brass band, but please pay attention to how the waves of three instruments form the pattern of the work in Mr. Kato’s arrangement.