Œuvres pour piano

Description

After celebrating the great masters of minimalist piano, Philip Glass (BRIL95563), Michael Nyman (BRIL95112), and Max Richter (BRIL95390), Brilliant Classics explores the work of Ryuichi Sakamoto and compiles in this edition a very comprehensive collection of instrumental melodies and film music by the Japanese composer. Born in Tokyo, he began his career as a pianist, creating patterns, phrases, and arrangements that were decidedly innovative for the time before joining his first electronic pop group in 1978, the Yellow Magic Orchestra. Around the same time, he worked on his first solo album, "The Thousand Knives of Ryuichi Sakamoto," which blends electronic and traditional Japanese music. In 1983, the piece "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" from the Original Soundtrack of the film "Furyo" by Japanese director Nagisa Oshima propelled Sakamoto into the spotlight and marked his debut as a film music composer. He solidified an already well-established reputation with a notable score for "The Last Emperor" by Bertolucci, which earned him the Oscar for Best Original Score in 1987 for his first foray into Western cinema. This was followed by numerous collaborations with prestigious directors (Almodovar, De Palma, Iñárritu). Jeroen van Veen's interpretation is, as always, of great mastery. Based on the best modern edition of these scores, it often differs from Sakamoto's recordings, which are partly improvised. The discerning classical music lover will appreciate the variety and breadth of references in Ryuichi Sakamoto's music: from Chopin to Bach, from Satie to Brahms or Ravel. His language, inspired by minimalist jazz, offers the listener a true space of freedom and invites reflection, serenity, or creativity.