{"product_id":"4580107740901","title":"Sachiko Suda - The Viola Sings 3 - Japan CD","description":"\u003cp\u003eCredits:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSachiko Suda\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDescription:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA Drama of Tone!\n\nThis is the third installment in Shoko Suda’s “The Viola Sings” series, which highlights the viola’s distinctive character as a “singing” instrument—one often described as having a sound closest to the human voice.\nThe first album featured Puccini and Brahms; the second included Puccini and Schumann; and in this third installment, the “King of Art Songs,” Schubert, finally makes his appearance. Furthermore, the album includes a viola arrangement of “Der Erlkönig”—a rarity even on the world stage—and violist Shoko Suda, with her beautiful, varied tone and expressive artistry, masterfully distinguishes between the four characters and the drama unfolding in the piece. While violin arrangements by Ernst and others have existed in the past, listening to Suda’s performance makes one feel that the viola is better suited to expressing the drama.\nProkofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet,” a ballet classic, has long been a staple of her concerts, and having finally undertaken its recording at just the right moment, one can strongly sense her meticulous attention to detail and an approach that makes the story seem to come to life.\nThe Viola Sonata by the British composer Clara Clarke is a work with a controversial history: although it was deemed superior to pieces by Bloch and Hindemith in a composition competition, the first prize was revoked simply because she was a woman. However, it is now recognized as one of the quintessential masterpieces for the viola. Suda’s deep empathy for Clarke—who was also a female violist—comes across passionately in this performance, making it a masterful rendition that could well be considered the definitive version.\n\nThe album includes two Japanese works. “Larch” is a famous choral piece, and “Red Dragonfly” is a children’s song; both capture Japanese scenery and the Japanese spirit, with the latter arranged by Nozomi Matsumoto specifically for this CD.\nWhile albums featuring short pieces are often dismissed as “easy-listening collections,” this album explores the “essence of sound” and “potential” of the instrument regardless of the piece’s length, resulting in a robust performance that confronts each viola piece head-on, transcending the boundaries of the “short piece” genre.\nPlease listen to the current state of Shoko Suda, whose artistry has matured even further through three recording sessions.\nShe performs using the viola and bow that Hindemith actually used.\n\nMs. Suda’s performance aesthetic—weaving music that is intense both inwardly and outwardly—comes across with unadulterated clarity.\nA rich, fragrant resonance dances. It is not merely heard; it dances. (Yoshimichi Okuda)\nUniversal Music\/IMS\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"molto fine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53414263554337,"sku":"4580107740901","price":3080.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0568\/8482\/2076\/files\/4580107740901.jpg?v=1788096420","url":"https:\/\/cdsvinyljapan.com\/products\/4580107740901","provider":"CDs Vinyl Japan Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}