Kazuhiro Asakawa - Kazuhiro Asakawa Oboe Recital - English & German Works for Oboe & Piano - Japan CD

Credits:

Kazuhiro Asakawa

Description:

The long-awaited first solo CD from Kazuhiro Asakawa, as of 2016 principal oboe of the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra. After graduating from the instrumental department of the Faculty of Music at Tokyo University of the Arts, Asakawa studied at the School of Music of Northwestern University, completing a master's degree. Following a period with American orchestras, he has been principal oboe of the Osaka Philharmonic since 1989, appearing meanwhile as a guest with orchestras throughout Japan and serving on the jury of the Music Competition of Japan — a player of long experience. Schumann's Three Romances and Adagio and Allegro are played on other instruments too, but the oboe's timbre brings out their qualities to the full. Hindemith's Sonata, with its touches of humour, is an unshowy work that nevertheless speaks with real force. The Interlude by the English composer Gerald Finzi, whose following has grown steadily in recent years, was originally written for oboe and string quartet (or string orchestra); the version used here is Howard Ferguson's 1981 arrangement with piano. The oboe enters quietly over the piano's long-breathed melody, gradually gathering warmth until it reaches its climax — a piece that distils everything that makes Finzi's music so appealing. The English composer Michael Head is little known, but anyone who hears these pieces will be struck by how finely made they are. The Three Pieces use traditional forms and sing their nostalgic, faintly melancholy melodies with great freedom; approachable music that conjures up the English countryside. The clear-textured melody of the "Rondo", which can also be played on violin, and the "Siciliana" in 6/8 are both surprisingly beautiful. The recording, by Hideo Irimajiri — a sound engineer with a broad range of work including MBS (Mainichi Broadcasting System) — is notable for its rich textures, capturing both the delicacy of the oboe and the air of the hall. Recording, editing and mastering: Hideo Irimajiri Born in 1956. Graduated in acoustic design from Kyushu Institute of Design in 1979 and completed his graduate studies there in 1981. Active as a recording engineer from his student days, with a particular interest in four-channel recording and spatial audio. Joined Mainichi Broadcasting System in 1981, working in video technology, sound technology, hall technology and post-production; as of 2016 he works in transmission, researching questions of broadcast loudness. He was involved in the first projects in the Japanese broadcasting industry to use Dolby Surround, including high school baseball coverage. He also records under the name Jiro Iruma, producing CDs for the Osaka Municipal Symphonic Band among others, and has written the opening theme for the JNN network's high school rugby coverage as well as music for the PC game Record of Lodoss War. Naxos Japan