Tatsuzo Akasaka, Kazuya Saito – Brahms & Schumann: Abendlied (2024) [FLAC 24bit/192kHz]

Tatsuzo Akasaka, Kazuya Saito – Brahms & Schumann: Abendlied (2024)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 55:36 minutes | 1,84 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © ART INFINI

“After buying a clarinet as a hobby, I wanted to know more about it, so the first record I listened to was Brahms’ Sonata by Leopold Urach. The next one I listened to was performed by Alfred Prinz.

I later learned that this sonata was premiered by Brahms’ friend Richard Mühlfeld, who succeeded Urach, and then Prinz.

When I was studying abroad in Paris, I found out that Prinz was giving lessons at the Salzburg Music Festival, and with all sorts of exciting thoughts running through my mind, I went to learn from him. The third movement of Brahms’ Sonata No. 1 is a beautiful piece that begins with a beautifully balanced melody. I fondly recall the careful advice he gave me, such as, “It’s not Luz, it’s Ländler in Italianita,” and, “The second movement of Sonata No. 2 is appassionata ma non troppo allegro.”Since then, many years have passed, during which I have learned a lot and gained experience…

As there are no audio recordings from Brahms’ time, of course there are no recordings. I was wondering how I should perform this masterpiece, composed in the final years of Brahms’ career, when I was invited by music producer Muto Toshiki to listen to Saito Kazuya’s piano recital.

After hearing his performance, I truly wanted to perform with Saito, so I decided to record a CD. We talked about the album.

When we actually rehearsed, we were impressed by not only his piano technique (Brahms is as good a pianist as Liszt), but also by Saito’s fact that he is also a composer, and his attitude of creating music without ever compromising, such as analysis, harmony, and even how about this phrase or motif, was wonderful, and we were able to have a wonderful and fruitful rehearsal that far exceeded our imagination.

The recording was completed successfully with two Schumann masterpieces under the direction of producer Muto, a long-time friend who is well-versed in music. With everyone’s great cooperation, we were able to make a wonderful recording that dispelled our initial concerns.

And I am truly looking forward to sharing the music with those who have this C album in the near future.” – Tatsuzo Akasaka

Akasaka, Saito, and Muto rehearsed for a long time, and the album was completed after more than a year of time. From Schumann to Brahms, from Akasaka & Muto to Saito… you can hear the musical baton that has been passed down from generation to generation overlapping in multiple layers.

When the “Sonata No. 1” started to play, I was first captivated by the contrast between the piano, which accurately provided the weight and thickness of the sound that is essential to Brahms, and the clarinet, which built its interpretation from soft notes and sang the melody with a dry nuance. In the second movement, the clarinet puts infinite flavor into the few notes, and in the third movement, the piano highlights the beauty of the soft notes in the right hand. In the rapid passage of the fourth movement, a completely different scene unfolds, capturing the brilliance of the final scene of life without missing a single detail. In the following “No. 2”, the clarinet’s sound becomes warmer, and together with the piano, Brahms’ melancholy, overwhelming emotions, and melancholy moments are carefully reproduced, gradually moving towards a transparent state. In the third movement, which is the last variation written by Brahms, the clarinet and piano exchange fierce exchanges, ending with a praise of the enthusiasm of a person who has accomplished everything.

The two Schumann pieces that are coupled are performed so delicately that they seem to break, but they are also full of dynamism. Akasaka has no experience of studying in Germany, and instead, after returning from France, he proudly says that he has “honed his German musical idiom” through his performances with the Vienna Artis String Quartet and the Gedde Trio in Japan, and he flexibly responds to the various ideas that Saito, who studied in two cities, Paris and Berlin, brings to the table. When they finished recording, the two of them thought, “Maybe all the pieces from Brahms to Schumann are actually nocturnes, music of the night” (Akasaka). A performer nearing the end of his career and a performer who had just finished a long period of study and was just starting out on a fully professional career “came together for the first time” (Saito) through a long-term recording project, and an exquisite musical moment was imprinted on the disc.” – Takuo Ikeda

Tracklist:

01. Tatsuzo Akasaka & Kazuya Saito – Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 120 No. 1 (Version for Clarinet & Piano): I. Allegro appassionato (07:57)
02. Tatsuzo Akasaka & Kazuya Saito – Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 120 No. 1 (Version for Clarinet & Piano): II. Andante un poco adagio (05:21)
03. Tatsuzo Akasaka & Kazuya Saito – Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 120 No. 1 (Version for Clarinet & Piano): III. Allegretto grazioso (04:19)
04. Tatsuzo Akasaka & Kazuya Saito – Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 120 No. 1 (Version for Clarinet & Piano): IV. Vivace (05:07)
05. Tatsuzo Akasaka & Kazuya Saito – Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 120 No. 2 (Version for Clarinet & Piano): I. Allegro amabile (07:49)
06. Tatsuzo Akasaka & Kazuya Saito – Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 120 No. 2 (Version for Clarinet & Piano): II. Allegro appassionato (05:29)
07. Tatsuzo Akasaka & Kazuya Saito – Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 120 No. 2 (Version for Clarinet & Piano): III. Andante con moto – Allegro (06:47)
08. Tatsuzo Akasaka & Kazuya Saito – Schumann: Fantasiestücke, Op. 73: No. 1, Zart und mit Ausdruck (02:57)
09. Tatsuzo Akasaka & Kazuya Saito – Schumann: Fantasiestücke, Op. 73: No. 2, Lebhaft, leicht (03:23)
10. Tatsuzo Akasaka & Kazuya Saito – Schumann: Fantasiestücke, Op. 73: No. 3, Rasch und mit Feuer (03:59)
11. Tatsuzo Akasaka & Kazuya Saito – Schumann: 12 Klavierstücke, Op. 85: No. 12, Abendlied (Arr. for Clarinet & Piano by Anonymous) (02:23)

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