My copy of Nobu's new CD just arrived from Amazon Japan, right on time and, as always, in a meticulous package, requiring a signature on delivery.
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PHOTO above: Album cover -- photo by Yuji Hori; artwork by Megumi Funayanagi
リスト: ピアノ・ソナタ/ラヴェル: 夜のガスパール
辻井伸行
Liszt: Piano Sonata / Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit
Nobuyuki Tsujii
2016/07/20 発売 Release
AVCL-25903
JAN/ISBN 4988064259038
The CD features just two works on one disc: Liszt's Sonata in B Minor (30:23 in duration) and Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit (6:42., 6:10 and 9:57 in duration), These works were performed in Japan and in Europe during 2014 and 2015:
But Nobu never performed them in U.S., and I never got a chance to hear him perform those works live. So I have been eagerly looking forward to this CD.
I am aware that CDs are considered old-school these days, but personally I am happy that we can still get a good old-fashioned album that comes in a neat case, complete with liner notes (shown in photo below)
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Below is the text of the promotional blurb for the CD, in Japanese, followed by my English translation:
As with other Nobu's premium CDs (such as the 2015 Chopin Piano Sonatas 2 & 3 and the 2014 LISZT CD, these tracks were recorded in Berlin's Teldex Studio, under the guidance of Mr. Friedemann Engelbrecht, who can be seen in this 2010 video filmed when Nobu recorded his "My Favorite Chopin" album in the studio.
Mr. Engelbrecht, a renowned record producer in classical music, is practically a mentor for Nobu. As seen in the video, he goes over every line in a score with Nobu before each recording. He is so strict with Nobu that Mr. Masahiro Kawakami, Nobu's long-time piano teacher, wrote with concern when the two crossed path at a recording session in Tokyo (see photo below). At his Wigmore Hall debut recital in London, April 16 2016, Nobu said in an interview that he was at the best possible form because he had just finished a recording session with Mr. Engelbrecht.
![]()
As I have come to expect, the sound on this CD is crystal clear and top quality. Every note can be heard with great clarity, and the volume level is perfectly modulated.
I have always considered the Liszt Sonata a composition of excess that invites over-dramatic interpretation. I can honestly say that Nobu's rendition is wonderfully lyrical, unencumbered with excesses. But my words and my knowledge are no match for that of an Italian music writer, Mr. Gianguido Mussomeli, who was at Nobu's Stuttgart recital last year. He wrote (translated from Italian)
I read these words again as I listened to the recording, and now I know what he means.
The second half of the album features 3 tracks for Ravel's "Gaspard de la nuit." This work is one that is notable more for its technical difficulties than for the music itself. The three movements -- Ondine, Le gibet, Scarbo -- go by quickly. Ondine, about a nymph emerging from water to seduce and then disappears into the water again, is the piece that is the most pleasing to the ears, and its arpeggios-rich water play is right in the powerhouse of Nobu. The Le gibet -- portraying the lone corpseof a hanged man seen in the light of the desert's setting sun is, to my ears, less heavy-handed than other interpretations that I have heard. The diabolical Scarbo, about the mischief of a night-time goblin, is also right up Nobu's alley, and in his hands it is quite pleasant to listen to. The notes dance with a vivacity and unpretentiousness that is Nobu's hallmark.
Because these works are not tuneful, the music never gets familiar. With every listening, the notes cascade with a freshness anew. And there are a lot of notes in both of these works! One might even be tempted to say "too many notes" (as Solieri supposed said of Mozart's work, in the movie "Amadeus"). But in Nobu's hands, the notes are sparkling pearls that tumble out of a magical fountain. A veritable feast for the ears!
The liner notes of the album is all in Japanese, except for the cover page and the last page, on which I was happy to see the following people acknowledged -- I recognize most of the names as people who have worked with Nobu for a long time and have lent their support to Nobu tirelessly over the years. Here they are -- I give them a round of applause!
![]()
PHOTO above: My copy of the CD
The album is available from numerous sources, including the following:
CD Japan (in English)
HMV Japan
Tower Records Japan
Amazon Japan
Download from MySound
A review from Japan [I am not sure how professional the reviewer is]
加藤幸弘 classicalcd.la.coocan.jp
@YukihiroKato
http://classicalcd.la.coocan.jp/etcetera/201607.htm#201607231
I hope we will see more reviews from Japan. Please stay tuned.
リスト: ピアノ・ソナタ/ラヴェル: 夜のガスパール
辻井伸行
Liszt: Piano Sonata / Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit
Nobuyuki Tsujii
2016/07/20 発売 Release
AVCL-25903
JAN/ISBN 4988064259038
The CD features just two works on one disc: Liszt's Sonata in B Minor (30:23 in duration) and Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit (6:42., 6:10 and 9:57 in duration), These works were performed in Japan and in Europe during 2014 and 2015:
Ravel/Chopin "Premier Recitals" Japan Tour, June/July 2014
2015Chopin/Liszt Premium Recital Tour
The Triumphant Return of Nobuyuki Tsujii in Stuttgart
2015Chopin/Liszt Premium Recital Tour
The Triumphant Return of Nobuyuki Tsujii in Stuttgart
But Nobu never performed them in U.S., and I never got a chance to hear him perform those works live. So I have been eagerly looking forward to this CD.
I am aware that CDs are considered old-school these days, but personally I am happy that we can still get a good old-fashioned album that comes in a neat case, complete with liner notes (shown in photo below)
Below is the text of the promotional blurb for the CD, in Japanese, followed by my English translation:
辻井伸行のベルリン・セッション録音最新盤は、「プレミアム・リサイタル」シリーズでとりあげ、国内外で喝采を博した超本格派の2作品。ピアノ・ソナタ ロ短調は、"ピアノの神"リストの唯一のソナタで、技巧的にも音楽的にもきわめて複雑・高度にして深遠なもの。夜のガスパールは、ラヴェルが「歴史上最も 難しいピアノ曲を書こう」と意気込んで作曲したもの。いずれも、技術面のみならず音楽表現力においてピアニストの実力が最高度に求められる。辻井伸行が世 界で高く評価されるゆえんが、ここに明らかになります。
Nobuyuki Tsujii's Berlin session recording of recent works performed in his "premium Recital" series, two classical standards that have gained acclaims at home and abroad. Piano Sonata in B minor is the only sonata of Franz Liszt, the "God of the Piano," profoundly artful and musically highly complex. "Gaspard de la nuit" was composed by Maurice Ravel, who wrote excitedly, "I want to write the most difficult piano music in history." Both works require the pianist with the highest degree in musical expressive power, and not just technical proficiency. Here it becomes clear why Nobuyuki Tsujii is highly regarded in the world.
I will be the first to admit that I do not have the background of a musicologist or the vast knowledge of a learned critic to expertly evaluate Nobu's performance of these difficult works. As an amateur mid-level pianist, I fully appreciate the challenge that these pieces pose to a pianist, both in technique and in interpretation. I don't like to bring up Nobu's blindness, but the fluidity that Nobu demonstrates in these recordings truly belies his serious handicap and defies belief.Nobuyuki Tsujii's Berlin session recording of recent works performed in his "premium Recital" series, two classical standards that have gained acclaims at home and abroad. Piano Sonata in B minor is the only sonata of Franz Liszt, the "God of the Piano," profoundly artful and musically highly complex. "Gaspard de la nuit" was composed by Maurice Ravel, who wrote excitedly, "I want to write the most difficult piano music in history." Both works require the pianist with the highest degree in musical expressive power, and not just technical proficiency. Here it becomes clear why Nobuyuki Tsujii is highly regarded in the world.
As with other Nobu's premium CDs (such as the 2015 Chopin Piano Sonatas 2 & 3 and the 2014 LISZT CD, these tracks were recorded in Berlin's Teldex Studio, under the guidance of Mr. Friedemann Engelbrecht, who can be seen in this 2010 video filmed when Nobu recorded his "My Favorite Chopin" album in the studio.
Mr. Engelbrecht, a renowned record producer in classical music, is practically a mentor for Nobu. As seen in the video, he goes over every line in a score with Nobu before each recording. He is so strict with Nobu that Mr. Masahiro Kawakami, Nobu's long-time piano teacher, wrote with concern when the two crossed path at a recording session in Tokyo (see photo below). At his Wigmore Hall debut recital in London, April 16 2016, Nobu said in an interview that he was at the best possible form because he had just finished a recording session with Mr. Engelbrecht.
As I have come to expect, the sound on this CD is crystal clear and top quality. Every note can be heard with great clarity, and the volume level is perfectly modulated.
I have always considered the Liszt Sonata a composition of excess that invites over-dramatic interpretation. I can honestly say that Nobu's rendition is wonderfully lyrical, unencumbered with excesses. But my words and my knowledge are no match for that of an Italian music writer, Mr. Gianguido Mussomeli, who was at Nobu's Stuttgart recital last year. He wrote (translated from Italian)
Personally I waited with great curiosity the execution of the Sonata in B minor, a piece in which the complexity of Liszt's composition is a very challenging test when it relates to the stature of the interpreter..
Nobu Tsujii addresses the Sonata in a manner that is clearly inspired by the famous seminal record of Vladimir Horowitz, who the young virtuoso Japanese artist has indicated in several interviews as one of his main models.
But there is no question of an imitation: Tsujii's interpretation is such that, in addition to a virtuosic quality, also reveals a personality of a musician who clearly understands the domain of' formal architecture..
Nobu gives beautiful expressive nobility to the so-called issue of Margarethe and his rendition is extraordinary virtuosity, with octaves that flashed like lightning
Tsujii resolved the final passages beautifully with really textbook tone. The sound gradually died away in almost twilight hues, with the final low sound reduced almost to a whisper. It was an absolutely sublime execution.
I believe that not many pianists today are able to perform the Sonata in B minor with such expressive power combined with a technical mastery quite extraordinary.
Nobu Tsujii addresses the Sonata in a manner that is clearly inspired by the famous seminal record of Vladimir Horowitz, who the young virtuoso Japanese artist has indicated in several interviews as one of his main models.
But there is no question of an imitation: Tsujii's interpretation is such that, in addition to a virtuosic quality, also reveals a personality of a musician who clearly understands the domain of' formal architecture..
Nobu gives beautiful expressive nobility to the so-called issue of Margarethe and his rendition is extraordinary virtuosity, with octaves that flashed like lightning
Tsujii resolved the final passages beautifully with really textbook tone. The sound gradually died away in almost twilight hues, with the final low sound reduced almost to a whisper. It was an absolutely sublime execution.
I believe that not many pianists today are able to perform the Sonata in B minor with such expressive power combined with a technical mastery quite extraordinary.
I read these words again as I listened to the recording, and now I know what he means.
The second half of the album features 3 tracks for Ravel's "Gaspard de la nuit." This work is one that is notable more for its technical difficulties than for the music itself. The three movements -- Ondine, Le gibet, Scarbo -- go by quickly. Ondine, about a nymph emerging from water to seduce and then disappears into the water again, is the piece that is the most pleasing to the ears, and its arpeggios-rich water play is right in the powerhouse of Nobu. The Le gibet -- portraying the lone corpseof a hanged man seen in the light of the desert's setting sun is, to my ears, less heavy-handed than other interpretations that I have heard. The diabolical Scarbo, about the mischief of a night-time goblin, is also right up Nobu's alley, and in his hands it is quite pleasant to listen to. The notes dance with a vivacity and unpretentiousness that is Nobu's hallmark.
Because these works are not tuneful, the music never gets familiar. With every listening, the notes cascade with a freshness anew. And there are a lot of notes in both of these works! One might even be tempted to say "too many notes" (as Solieri supposed said of Mozart's work, in the movie "Amadeus"). But in Nobu's hands, the notes are sparkling pearls that tumble out of a magical fountain. A veritable feast for the ears!
The liner notes of the album is all in Japanese, except for the cover page and the last page, on which I was happy to see the following people acknowledged -- I recognize most of the names as people who have worked with Nobu for a long time and have lent their support to Nobu tirelessly over the years. Here they are -- I give them a round of applause!
Recording producer & editing: Friedemann Engelbrecht (Teldex Studio Berlin)
Balance engineer: Julian Schwenkler (Teldex Studio Berlin),
Interpreter: Sachiko Koyama [I have met her at many concerts; a wonderful lady; she can be seen in the video above.]
Recording coordinator: Nick Asano (Avex Classics International) [Nobu's "good father" while on tour; he can be seen at the beginning of the video above]
Advisor: Masahiro Kawakami [Nobu's long-time piano teacher; a saint]
Photos: Yuji Hori [who has given us so many great Nobu photos]
Artwork: Megumi Funayanagi
Executive Producer: Hiroyuki Nakashima (Avex Classics International) [He is the President of Avex Classics International; a humble and hardworking man.]
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PHOTO ABOVE: Last page of liner notes showing list of people mentioned above
This excellent CD is worth every dime of its price. But these works -- "Gaspard de la nuit" in particular -- cry out to be seen performed live. I hope I will get that chance one day. Balance engineer: Julian Schwenkler (Teldex Studio Berlin),
Interpreter: Sachiko Koyama [I have met her at many concerts; a wonderful lady; she can be seen in the video above.]
Recording coordinator: Nick Asano (Avex Classics International) [Nobu's "good father" while on tour; he can be seen at the beginning of the video above]
Advisor: Masahiro Kawakami [Nobu's long-time piano teacher; a saint]
Photos: Yuji Hori [who has given us so many great Nobu photos]
Artwork: Megumi Funayanagi
Executive Producer: Hiroyuki Nakashima (Avex Classics International) [He is the President of Avex Classics International; a humble and hardworking man.]
PHOTO ABOVE: Last page of liner notes showing list of people mentioned above
PHOTO above: My copy of the CD
The album is available from numerous sources, including the following:
CD Japan (in English)
HMV Japan
Tower Records Japan
Amazon Japan
Download from MySound
A review from Japan [I am not sure how professional the reviewer is]
加藤幸弘 classicalcd.la.coocan.jp
@YukihiroKato
http://classicalcd.la.coocan.jp/etcetera/201607.htm#201607231
辻井伸行のリストのピアノ・ソナタと，夜のガスパール
辻井伸行は，２００７年のＣＤデビュー以来，エイベックス・クラシックスから録音をリリースし続けているのですが，新譜として，今度はリストのピアノ・ソナタと，ラヴェルの夜のガスパールをカップリングした１枚が発売になりました。
Nobuyuki TsujiiLISZT pianosonata, Gaspard de la nuit
Since his debut in 2007, Nobuyuki Tsujii has continued to release CDs under Avex Classics. This new album that has just come on sale, contains Liszt's piano sonata coupled with Ravel's "Gaspard of the night".
いずれもベルリンのテルデックス・スタジオでのレコーディングセッションですが，録音データを見ると，夜のガスパールの方は，昨年発売されたショパンのピアノ・ソナタ第３番と同時に録音されたようです。
While both works were recorded in Berlin's Tel index Studio, the data [in the CD liner notes] indicates that theGaspard de la nuit was recorded at the same time as the Piano Sonata No. 3 of Chopin that was releasedlast year
両曲ともテクニックと表現力が要求される作品ですが，果敢に攻めるタイプの作品は案外辻井伸行には合っているのではないかという気もするので，これは期待できそうな気がしますし，ＳＡＣＤではなく，常のＣＤなのが残念ですが，楽しみに聴かせてもらおうと思っています
Both works require great technique and expressive power. It is surprising that Mr. Tsujii would push himself to play these challenging works. I expect these tracks to be released on SACD [Super Audio CD] and I look forward to listening them. It does not do justice to listen to them on ordinary CD.
-----------辻井伸行は，２００７年のＣＤデビュー以来，エイベックス・クラシックスから録音をリリースし続けているのですが，新譜として，今度はリストのピアノ・ソナタと，ラヴェルの夜のガスパールをカップリングした１枚が発売になりました。
Nobuyuki TsujiiLISZT pianosonata, Gaspard de la nuit
Since his debut in 2007, Nobuyuki Tsujii has continued to release CDs under Avex Classics. This new album that has just come on sale, contains Liszt's piano sonata coupled with Ravel's "Gaspard of the night".
いずれもベルリンのテルデックス・スタジオでのレコーディングセッションですが，録音データを見ると，夜のガスパールの方は，昨年発売されたショパンのピアノ・ソナタ第３番と同時に録音されたようです。
While both works were recorded in Berlin's Tel index Studio, the data [in the CD liner notes] indicates that theGaspard de la nuit was recorded at the same time as the Piano Sonata No. 3 of Chopin that was releasedlast year
両曲ともテクニックと表現力が要求される作品ですが，果敢に攻めるタイプの作品は案外辻井伸行には合っているのではないかという気もするので，これは期待できそうな気がしますし，ＳＡＣＤではなく，常のＣＤなのが残念ですが，楽しみに聴かせてもらおうと思っています
Both works require great technique and expressive power. It is surprising that Mr. Tsujii would push himself to play these challenging works. I expect these tracks to be released on SACD [Super Audio CD] and I look forward to listening them. It does not do justice to listen to them on ordinary CD.
I hope we will see more reviews from Japan. Please stay tuned.