TOSHIO HOSOKAWA (b.1955): Voyage VIII for Tuba and Ensemble, Lied for Flute and Piano, Arc Song for Oboe and Harp, Stunden-Blumen for Clarinet, Violin, Cello and Piano, Voyage X - Nozarashi for Shakuhachi and Ensemble.

Catalogue Number: 09S070

Label: Wergo

Reference: WER 6860 2

Format: CD

Price: $18.98

Description: The Voyage series, for various soloists and ensembles (see also 06O084, 10O088, 01M089) are an important part of Hosokawa's output. The solo instruments represent the individual; the accompaniment, nature and the universe, and the journey is a spiritual one more than a physical one. The textures are typical of Hosokawa's fluid, organic soundworld, but otherwise these two are quite different. The mellifluous, rich tome of the tuba suggested to the composer the otherworldly chanting of Tibetan monks, which the soloist's part emulates with uncanny accuracy, becoming more and more 'vocal' as the piece progresses. The breathy tone of the shakuhachi searches throughout Voyage X for the one perfect 'forceful and intense tone' surrounded by increasingly ethereal, impermanent wind sounds. Lied and Arc Song both emulate Japanese playing styles with western instruments, in the clean, bold, fluid lines of Japanese calligraphy, a frequent source of inspiration for the composer's music. Stunden-Blumen is an homage to Messiaen, scored for the Quatuor pour le fin du temps ensemble. Here the inspiration for the introspective, melancholy, melodic piece is the gradual opening of a flower, an exercise in sonic Ikebana, the craftsmanship of Japanese flower arranging to reveal the essence of the blossom while acknowledging its evanescent nature. Ensemble Musikfabrik; Peter Rundel, Ilan Volkov.

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