Takeshi Yamada - Takashi Yamada : The Modern Suite - Japan CD

Credits:

Takeshi Yamada

Description:

[Master Pianist Takeshi Yamada Confronts the Essence of Piano Modernism Across a Century] A sequel to his previous album, *Modern Etudes* (VTS-13), this new release focuses on the “suite,” a form that emerged in the 1920s following World War I. The resurgence of this form—which had been in decline since Bach’s time—was driven by various postwar musical movements, including “Neoclassicism,” which sought a return to classical clarity. The landscapes reflected by each composer in this traditional musical form are diverse. Works in the tradition of Bartók and Stravinsky’s “Serenades,” secular dance music incorporating jazz by Hindemith and Schulhoff, and Schoenberg’s twelve-tone technique suites—chosen to unify a world of atonality devoid of tradition. Based on concise forms and ancient origins, you can savor the richly individual responses devised by postwar composers. (Piano) Born in Nara Prefecture. After graduating from the Tokyo University of the Arts, he completed his master’s program at the university’s graduate school at the top of his class and received the Kreutzer Prize. As a scholarship recipient of the ROHM Music Foundation, he studied at the Cologne University of Music and passed the State Performer’s Examination. He studied under Claudio Soares, Akiyoshi Sako, Nina Tishman, and Antony Sipiri. In 2002, he won first prize in the piano division of the 1st Nagoya International Music Competition. In 2007, he won first prize and the Audience Award in the piano division of the 5th Tokyo Music Competition. As a soloist, he has performed extensively with ensembles such as the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Kazuyoshi Akiyama. He has appeared on NHK-FM’s “Recital Nova.” He is also highly regarded for his chamber music and art song accompaniment, and has performed at venues such as Tokyo Opera City’s “B→C” and the Tokyo Spring Music Festival. Through his studies with Antony Shipili, a former assistant to Nikolaus Harnoncourt, he mastered the fundamental principles of early music and the approach to applying them to modern instruments. While he is highly regarded for his interpretations of J.S. Bach’s works—including all six English Suites, the Goldberg Variations, and both volumes of The Well-Tempered Clavier— his performances of major works such as Jevski’s “Variations on ‘The Indomitable People’,” Beethoven’s “Diabelli Variations,” and Hindemith’s “Ludus Tonalis” at the “New Ear” Music Festival (Salon Tessera and B-techJapanTokyo) have drawn significant attention. His CD releases include *Modern Etudes* (selected by *Record Arts* magazine as a “VIRTUSCLASSICS” recommendation) and *Yoshio Mamiya: Works for Cello and Piano* (cello: Mariko Takahashi / ALMRECORDS; “Secondary Selection” by *Record Arts* magazine). After serving as a part-time lecturer at the Tokyo University of the Arts, he is currently a part-time lecturer at the Kunitachi College of Music and Tokyo Gakugei University. He is a member of the Japan Chopin Society and a full member of the All Japan Piano Teachers’ Association. He also serves as a master class instructor at the Akiyoshidai Music Academy. Naxos Japan