Vinphonic
06-14-2018, 10:20 PM
The Legacy of Japanese Composers
Yasuo Higuchi
A Herr Salat/tangotreats Co-Production
The Merry Bunch (http://picosong.com/wcTff/) / Superpowers (http://picosong.com/wcTfV/) / Because I'm a Person too! (http://picosong.com/wcTfA/)
Introduction by tangotreats:
Herr Salat (a kind, generous man with impeccable taste) is the man to thank for making this wonderful music available. He jumped through some hoops and paid dizzing fees to Japanese middleman agencies to obtain this old and very rare LP. From Japan to Germany, the record finally ended up in my care, here in England - and I transferred it to the digital domain. I can say without doubt that the time I spent doing so gave me my happiest hours for I-don't-know-how-many months.
Yasuo Higuchi is a name that should be foremost in the mind of any music lover. He wrote what is probably my favourite score of all time; for Suguru Sugiyama's breathtaking Phoenix 2772 - both film and score immeasurably ahead of their time in 1980. Calling it a film score is doing it injustice, because it's really a symphony. On the other hand, it is a masterpiece of musical storytelling - so perhaps it's an opera without words. Listen to the beautiful violin solos, as performed by Mariko Senju (Akira Senju's sister).
Bremen Four is a fantastic companion piece to Phoenix 2772 - action and romance abound, with Higuchi's flawless sense of melody, imaginative orchestrations, and totally unique and exciting harmonic language all present. The cue "Superlovers" is Higichi's arrangement and abridgement of Richard Wagner's "The Mastersingers Of Nuremberg" prelude. As a bonus track, I have included at the end of the album, the full Prelude as performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Klaus Tennstedt.
Gundam After War X is more of his superb classical style, with even a full chorus present, all intercepted by his venture into various musical genres, some very much of its time.
His work for the World Masterpiece Theater series are numerous short cues that are a nice contrast to his lengthy symphonic works. Even in just 30 seconds he accomplishes many things other composers struggle with for entire minutes.
Higuchi also worked on compilations of famous classical pieces, but that doesn't really tell the whole story. Richard Kapp selected these pieces himself, and Yasuo Higuchi (and Kapp) produced sensitive arrangements for the same ensemble that performed Higuchi's Orientation and Violin Concerto. The result is survey of melody and warmth - spotlessly performed by the Philharmonia Virtuosi Of New York (sadly disbanded, after Kapp tragically passed away from cancer in 2006). Just like their previous album, this isn't about showing off, virtuoso runs, or larger-than-life orchestral shenanigans... it's largely about lyricism, beauty, and elegance. You'll recognise the tunes, but the arrangements are all new and extremely beautiful. If you're like me, one of those folk who think Clair de lune shouldn't ever be arranged for anything because its original solo piano version is sublime... just give Higuchi's intimate chamber arrangement a try... just wonderful.
As irony would have it, he is perhaps the least prolific genius the world has ever known - at 64 years of age he has scored only a handful of anime projects and a similar number of concert hall classical works. Phoenix 2772 is his Violin concerto re-orchestrated and substantially revised.
Higuchi is not merely a symphonic acrobat of virtuosity; he is an artist of sublime beauty and intimacy. For those who may worry that Higuchi's foray into "serious" classical music would turn out to be some monstrously pretentious piece of avant garde squeaky-gate nonsense, please let me dispel your worries. Classical Higuchi is warm, romantic, eloquent, approachable, and lyrical.
He's the only composer who excites that same part of my musical psyche that Yoshihisa Hirano does - with a completely unique style, an orchestral technique to die for, and a flawless sense of melody. It's a sumptuous mix of very-late romantic theatrics mixed with tantalising modernism. A genius.
The only thing comparably exciting to listen to was once upon a time Yoshihisa Hirano when he wrote Real Drive and Silk Road Boy Yuto.
DOWNLOAD (https://mega.nz/#!Wm4iCIjb!uF4pSVMEL_v6aWaQxHvq7qo2QiyhOX-zOuMenNBldwk)
Everything except Phoenix 2772 is provided by Herr Salat, the legend and our savior, and then transfered from Vinyl by tango. Phoenix is by Tango. Symphonic Works contains his Orientation, Violin Concerto, Trumpet Concerto, Fuma and Symphonic Dance. Symphonic Arrangements contain Double Focus and Instant Classics.
It is best to say no more and just experience his music.
Yasuo Higuchi
A Herr Salat/tangotreats Co-Production
The Merry Bunch (http://picosong.com/wcTff/) / Superpowers (http://picosong.com/wcTfV/) / Because I'm a Person too! (http://picosong.com/wcTfA/)
Introduction by tangotreats:
Herr Salat (a kind, generous man with impeccable taste) is the man to thank for making this wonderful music available. He jumped through some hoops and paid dizzing fees to Japanese middleman agencies to obtain this old and very rare LP. From Japan to Germany, the record finally ended up in my care, here in England - and I transferred it to the digital domain. I can say without doubt that the time I spent doing so gave me my happiest hours for I-don't-know-how-many months.
Yasuo Higuchi is a name that should be foremost in the mind of any music lover. He wrote what is probably my favourite score of all time; for Suguru Sugiyama's breathtaking Phoenix 2772 - both film and score immeasurably ahead of their time in 1980. Calling it a film score is doing it injustice, because it's really a symphony. On the other hand, it is a masterpiece of musical storytelling - so perhaps it's an opera without words. Listen to the beautiful violin solos, as performed by Mariko Senju (Akira Senju's sister).
Bremen Four is a fantastic companion piece to Phoenix 2772 - action and romance abound, with Higuchi's flawless sense of melody, imaginative orchestrations, and totally unique and exciting harmonic language all present. The cue "Superlovers" is Higichi's arrangement and abridgement of Richard Wagner's "The Mastersingers Of Nuremberg" prelude. As a bonus track, I have included at the end of the album, the full Prelude as performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Klaus Tennstedt.
Gundam After War X is more of his superb classical style, with even a full chorus present, all intercepted by his venture into various musical genres, some very much of its time.
His work for the World Masterpiece Theater series are numerous short cues that are a nice contrast to his lengthy symphonic works. Even in just 30 seconds he accomplishes many things other composers struggle with for entire minutes.
Higuchi also worked on compilations of famous classical pieces, but that doesn't really tell the whole story. Richard Kapp selected these pieces himself, and Yasuo Higuchi (and Kapp) produced sensitive arrangements for the same ensemble that performed Higuchi's Orientation and Violin Concerto. The result is survey of melody and warmth - spotlessly performed by the Philharmonia Virtuosi Of New York (sadly disbanded, after Kapp tragically passed away from cancer in 2006). Just like their previous album, this isn't about showing off, virtuoso runs, or larger-than-life orchestral shenanigans... it's largely about lyricism, beauty, and elegance. You'll recognise the tunes, but the arrangements are all new and extremely beautiful. If you're like me, one of those folk who think Clair de lune shouldn't ever be arranged for anything because its original solo piano version is sublime... just give Higuchi's intimate chamber arrangement a try... just wonderful.
As irony would have it, he is perhaps the least prolific genius the world has ever known - at 64 years of age he has scored only a handful of anime projects and a similar number of concert hall classical works. Phoenix 2772 is his Violin concerto re-orchestrated and substantially revised.
Higuchi is not merely a symphonic acrobat of virtuosity; he is an artist of sublime beauty and intimacy. For those who may worry that Higuchi's foray into "serious" classical music would turn out to be some monstrously pretentious piece of avant garde squeaky-gate nonsense, please let me dispel your worries. Classical Higuchi is warm, romantic, eloquent, approachable, and lyrical.
He's the only composer who excites that same part of my musical psyche that Yoshihisa Hirano does - with a completely unique style, an orchestral technique to die for, and a flawless sense of melody. It's a sumptuous mix of very-late romantic theatrics mixed with tantalising modernism. A genius.
The only thing comparably exciting to listen to was once upon a time Yoshihisa Hirano when he wrote Real Drive and Silk Road Boy Yuto.
DOWNLOAD (https://mega.nz/#!Wm4iCIjb!uF4pSVMEL_v6aWaQxHvq7qo2QiyhOX-zOuMenNBldwk)
Everything except Phoenix 2772 is provided by Herr Salat, the legend and our savior, and then transfered from Vinyl by tango. Phoenix is by Tango. Symphonic Works contains his Orientation, Violin Concerto, Trumpet Concerto, Fuma and Symphonic Dance. Symphonic Arrangements contain Double Focus and Instant Classics.
It is best to say no more and just experience his music.