Ota Tsutomu、Kobeshi Konsei Choir - Johannes Brahms Fin Deutsches Requiem The Prayers In Japanese - Japan CD

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Ota Tsutomu、Kobeshi Konsei Choir

Description:

Discovering the Artistic and Spiritual Value of Brahms Through the Lens of Japanese Translation Keiichi Taniguchi has a deep love for music and choral singing. He has been involved in conducting and performing with the Kobe Christian Choir, expanding his activities in the performance of sacred music. In 2012, he began working on Japanese lyrics for Brahms’s “German Requiem,” publishing the score in 2015. The work received its premiere in 2016 under the baton of Jun Nishimaki, and in 2018, a concert featuring the Telemann Chamber Orchestra conducted by Takeharu Nobuhara was held at the Kobe Shimbun Matsukata Hall. He subsequently published a Japanese translation of Fauré’s “Requiem” and released a live recording CD in 2023. Since then, Taniguchi’s passion for the “German Requiem” has grown year by year. In preparation for a revival performance, he accepted an offer from Tsutomu Ota, a Doctor of Musical Arts who had long served as assistant conductor of the Kobe City Mixed Chorus, and together they undertook a major revision of the first edition score. They strove to fuse melody and text while adhering to the flow of the German melodies spun from Brahms’s hand and representing the words of the Bible as faithfully as possible. This CD features a live recording from a concert held in October 2025, conducted by Tsutomu Ota and performed by the Kobe City Mixed Chorus. While grappling with the difficulties and challenges of setting Japanese lyrics to Brahms’s melodies, what ultimately emerged clearly from his music were eternal themes—such as life and death, the transience of human existence, and the love revealed by God—conveyed through words that touch the heart. You may discover new artistic and spiritual value in Brahms’s Requiem. After graduating from the Faculty of Science at Kwansei Gakuin University, he moved to the United States, where he completed a master’s degree in choral conducting at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, and a doctoral degree in choral conducting and choral history at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He served as assistant conductor of the Kobe City Mixed Chorus from April 1994 to March 2024. He is currently a part-time lecturer at Osaka Kyoiku University and Konan Women’s University. He is vice president of the Tarumi Ward Music Association and a member of the Japan Choral Conductors Association. Established by the City of Kobe in 1989, this is one of the few professional choirs in Japan. With a rich repertoire, the choir is highly acclaimed for its dense, clear, and beautiful harmonies. In 2010, it signed a sister choir agreement with the Latvian chamber choir “Ave Sol.” As the resident ensemble of the Kobe Cultural Hall, it holds two regular concerts annually, as well as joint concerts with its sister organization, the Kobe City Chamber Orchestra. The choir is committed to community-based activities, such as performances at cultural centers and hospitals throughout Kobe, and plays a significant role in promoting Kobe as a “City of Music.” In 2021, Masahiro Sato assumed the position of Music Director. While striving for further growth as a professional choir, the group is also dedicated to cultural promotion and social welfare activities, including initiatives to enhance musical culture through choral music. Tobu Shoji Co., Ltd.